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We All Fell in Love With Meet Cutes on TikTok and Instagram. Now, There's a Meet Cutes Book
And it's filled with hope, humanity and heartfelt stories
“Excuse me, are you two a couple? Would you mind telling us the story of how you first met?”
If you’re on TikTok or Instagram, you know this is pretty much how every Meet Cutes NYC encounter begins. The wildly popular social media account finds Aaron Feinberg, Victor Lee and Jeremy Bernstein hitting the streets of New York City to gather love stories from passersby. The three friends started this endeavor in 2023, and it didn’t take long for Meet Cutes to become a viral sensation.
Now, they share some of the most heartwarming, funny and surprising Meet Cutes interviews in a new book aptly titled Meet Cutes NYC.
Here, the guys talk to Muse about how they get strangers to open up to them:
MUSE: Tell me about the genesis of Meet Cutes NYC and how you approach your subjects in a way that makes people happy to open up.
Jeremy Bernstein: It started really simply. I was selling renewable energy on the street, so I had a knack for IRL rejection. That, and I’ve always loved talking to strangers. We thought there was something powerful about stopping people on the street and asking about love. The approach has always been to keep it light and natural. We never overthink the first question, “Are you a couple?” And from there, people usually surprise themselves with how much they open up.
Aaron Feinberg: A lot of it is about trust. We’re showing up with genuine curiosity, not trying to script or stage anything. That energy comes across right away and people feel comfortable sharing.
Victor Lee: And from an editing perspective, we try to keep the storytelling as raw and honest as possible. That way, the couple feels seen and the audience feels the authenticity.
Now that Meet Cutes is well established, do you find that even more people are happy to chat with you and share their love stories?
Jeremy: Definitely. In the beginning, it was especially tough. People didn’t know us and weren’t sure what we were doing. Now, people all over the world recognize the format and are excited when we stop them.
Aaron: At the same time, we still keep it spontaneous. Even if someone knows the account, the moment itself still has to feel organic.
How long do you spend out and about during a given day talking to people?
Jeremy: Anywhere from two to five hours. Some days we get lucky right away. Some days we talk to 100-plus people before we find the right duo with the right energy.
Victor: And then of course there’s the editing time afterwards, which is its own whole process. We edit videos all day every day and work collaboratively to choose the ones we think will resonate with our audience and offer something novel.
How has hearing all of these inspiring stories impacted you on a personal level?
Jeremy: I’ve become more empathetic and more tuned into how many ways love can look and feel.
Victor: And it’s made me realize how universal these stories are. Different backgrounds, different circumstances—but the emotions are so relatable.
Why do you think your subjects are interested in sharing their stories?
Victor: It brings them back and serves as a quick reminder of why they exist with each other in the first place.
Meet Cutes is massively popular on social media. Why did you decide to publish a book of Meet Cutes stories?
Aaron: The book is really a thank you to the couples who’ve opened up and to the community that’s grown around these stories.
Jeremy: It has never-before-heard stories, deep dives with some of the couples people loved most and photography that captures the energy of the city.
Victor: And behind-the-scenes moments, too. We wanted to show not just the stories themselves but what it’s been like for us to stop tens of thousands of people and ask about love, on the street, just as it is.
