On their second date, Joshua Alexander Guttman and Julia Ann Mazza mistakenly wandered into a screening of “Great Freedom,” a queer love story set in post-war Germany. They walked in during a particularly passionate scene and quickly realized it wasn’t “A Wife’s Heart,” the revival of the 1950s Japanese drama they had intended to see. Both recalled bursting into laughter as they found seats and deciding to stay anyway.
It was the first time the two cinephiles had watched a film together, which made it “extra special,” Mazza said. For Guttman, this brief moment of shock and humor between them, and ultimately, the decision to stay for the movie, made an impression on him.
“The fact that she was so cool going along with it, it really kind of cemented for me, like OK, I really want to continue this with her,” he said.
Even before that, Guttman said he was “hooked” from their first exchange on Hinge in February 2022, when Mazza, charmed by a photo of him at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, asked him to name his top five favorite movies.
But first, she needed to make sure he wasn’t a “film bro,” she recalled. While she had a taste for classic Hollywood movies like “The Lady Eve” and cult classics like “Clueless,” he loved horror films, “Fight Club” (which led to a conversation about “healthy masculinity” that made her view him positively) and Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation,” an Iranian drama. Their palates were different, but as they talked more, he passed the test.
Their first date was in March 2022, when they spent the day wandering through the East Village in the chilly weather, swapping their favorite movies and discussing their political beliefs. Later, while waiting in line to enter Angel’s Share, a Japanese speakeasy then in the neighborhood, Guttman shared a headphone with Mazza so they could listen to her favorite song, “City of Stars” from the film “La La Land.” As the song played, they shared their first kiss.
At the end of the night, he walked her to the PATH train to return to Hillsdale, N.J., where she was living with family during the pandemic, holding a bouquet of roses he bought her from a nearby supermarket.
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Guttman, 33, a Baltimore native, has a master’s degree in communication management from Towson University in Towson, Md., and moved to New York in 2019 to pursue his passion for working in the film industry. He is currently an executive assistant at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mazza, also 33, who earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Ramapo College in Mahwah, N.J., currently works as an influencer marketing and PR coordinator at Newhouse, a marketing and communications agency. Both are freelance writers for Knockturnal, an entertainment and film site.
By their second date, Guttman had started thinking about dating Mazza exclusively, but he didn’t want to rush things. “I was just getting excited that I was learning so much from her,” he said. As they began hanging out more, they would bring DVDs for movie nights together.
That same spring, they met each other’s parents. In April, Guttman asked Mazza to be his girlfriend as they watched “Dr. Strangelove” together, during one of the many nights they watched movies over takeout at his apartment. That summer, Guttman was Mazza’s date to her best friend’s wedding, where Mazza remembered one moment between Guttman and her mother at the wedding.
“I remember seeing him helping my mom to her seat because she had a bit of a knee issue,” she said. “Seeing him do that from a distance while I was waiting to walk down the aisle, I thought that was really sweet and that meant a lot.”
In early 2023, Mazza moved into Guttman’s new apartment in the East Village as he encouraged her to pursue her ambitions. When he was laid off the following year, Mazza cheered him on during his job search.
“That really showed me it wasn’t just the job, it wasn’t just my lifestyle, it was me that Julia was in love with, and that was very formative,” he said.
Guttman planned a surprise proposal in February 2025, convincing Mazza to stop at their favorite local haunt, Beauty Bar, before heading to dinner. Even as familiar faces, including Mazza’s brother, showed up to the bar, she was still surprised when Guttman got down on one knee.
The couple married on Oct. 11 at Hudson House in Jersey City, N.J., before more than 150 guests. Rabbi Ron Broden officiated, with the Rev. Owen Borda participating in the ceremony, a reflection of Guttman’s Jewish faith and Mazza’s Catholic upbringing.
For her vows, Mazza took inspiration from some of her favorite movies, including the Oscar-winning film “Everything, Everywhere All At Once,” quoting a line delivered by Ke Huy Quan.
“I promise to cherish every moment spent with you, even the quiet, slow ones,” she said, “because in this life I would really just like doing laundry and taxes with you. “
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