An Australian influencer named Celeste Joan has gone viral after sharing a first date story that sounded like it was pulled straight from a romantic comedy. The main character was not a grand gesture or an expensive gift, but a portion of homemade lasagna. At first, everything about the night felt almost too perfect. Then the ending landed in a way her followers did not expect.
Celeste said she met the man on the dating app Hinge, and his approach won her over right away. Instead of days of endless chatting, he cut to the point and asked to move things off the app. He gave her his number, told her he was deleting the app, and said he wanted to text because he was genuinely intrigued by her. From there, he set a plan quickly and confidently, booking a spot and suggesting a simple meet up on a Tuesday night.
When she arrived, she realized the date was already better than she had imagined. Then she noticed what he had brought with him to the bar, a container of lasagna made from his own recipe. The gesture was not random, either. He had paid attention to her profile, where she had described her love language as her grandmother’s lasagna.
Celeste said she was stunned by how thoughtful and specific it was, and even more impressed by the effort behind it. He told her the sauce had been cooking for days, and she confirmed it tasted as good as it smelled. In her video, she joked that no future date could possibly top this one, even as she tried not to inflate his ego. Viewers quickly turned the moment into a new dating benchmark, with many praising the simple charm of homemade food wrapped up and carried to a first meeting.
@celestejoan what a kind man 🥲🤌🏽 #dating #gift #melbourne ♬ original sound – celestejoan
As the story spread, the comments became their own kind of entertainment. Some urged her to marry him on the spot, while others declared the standard officially raised. It was the kind of internet fairytale that usually ends with a second date update and a soft launch. That is not what happened here.
In a follow up, Celeste revealed they never went out again. After checking her Instagram, the man decided they were not compatible. She said he told her he could see she was looking for a religious partner who shared certain values, and he did not feel he could be that person for her.
What surprised people most was her reaction. Celeste said she appreciated his honesty and respected that he did not waste her time. Even without a second date, she called it one of her best experiences, praising the communication and the way he showed up with genuine intention.
Would a thoughtful gesture like this win you over, or does the ending change how you see it? Share your take in the comments.
