Alec and Hilaria Baldwin are celebrating a major milestone in their romance that ultimately would change the trajectory of their respective lives.
On Sunday, the Oscar-nominated actor took to his Instagram page to pay tribute to anniversary of the day he and his wife Hilaria first locked eyes on each other at Sarma Melngailis’ New York restaurant Pure Food and Wine.
‘February 18, 2011,’ Baldwin, 65, began in the caption, the day of their first-ever meeting. ‘Things were about to change in a big way. ‘@bocartist and I roaming Irving Place. And who do I find there? I am more grateful for you than anything…’
While Baldwin would find his future wife at that now-closed vegan restaurant, he used a photo from their wedding at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City the following year to mark their meeting anniversary tribute.
The author, podcaster and Yoga instructor, 40, also took to her Instagram page to honor the meeting with her future husband and eventual father of her children.
When taking to her Instagram page, Hilaria posted a photo of herself and the oldest of her seven kids, Carmen, 10, that was taken just as they were about to head out for aa mother-daughter outing.
‘Date night with my first baby…she did both our makeup. How quickly they get big and how amazing it is to get to be inspired by them. Carmen, you are such a special soul…just like your siblings…all unique and equally incredible,’ the proud mom gushed.
She ended the caption by making a disclaimer to make sure the date marked the anniversary of her meeting with her husband.
‘Met you today, 13 years ago, @alecbaldwininsta …what a journey we have made…ps edit from Carmen and me here for the birthday wishes we are reading in comments: it’s not her bday …it’s the day I met Alec. ❤️ you all.’
It turns out the Baldwins both just happened to be eating that vegan restaurant when they made their initial meeting, according to a number of publications such as People.
‘I was standing near the door with my friends, when [Alec] walked up and took my hand and said, ‘I must know you,”‘ Hilaria recalled of the cheesy line he used to get her attention.
They would start dating that summer, which was a few months after they met and fast became an item.
The Marrying Man star was far from cheesy during their courtship. In fact, he never tried to kiss her the first six weeks of dating, and instead would shake her hand after each time they went out together, according to another report from People.
Alec and Hilaria first met at Sarma Melngailis’ New York restaurant Pure Food and Wine on February 18, 2011; they are pictured at the establishment about a year after meeting
The Oscar-nominated actor admitted his life was ‘about to change in a big way’ after meeting his future wife at a vegan restaurant 13 years ago to the day on February 18
Hilaria Baldwin, who just turned 40 a few weeks ago, heaped praise on her oldest child, Carmen, when she paid tribute to the 13th anniversary of meeting her husband at the New York restaurant Pure Food and Wine in 2011
The longtime Hollywood leading man maintained he only shook Hilaria’s hand at first to show her how serious he was to get to know her.
‘He would tell me all these things about like, “I’m going to marry you. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you. We’re going to have a ton of kids,” and then he would shake my hand at the end of the night,’ the Boston, Massachusetts native recalled.
The actor explained, ‘I didn’t want you to think that I just wanted to have sex with you,’ for which Hilaria responded, ‘Hey, look, it worked.’
Ultimately, the former 30 Rock star proposes to his lady during a visit to a lighthouse in East Hampton, New York.
The Baldwins often share photos and videos of their children on social media; in fact, they have been considering doing a reality show centered around their large family of seven kids
‘He took me out to Montauk,’ she remembered, which is a village at the east end of the Long Island peninsula known for its lovely beaches. ‘He got down on his knee and then I don’t remember the rest because I started crying, but yeah, he’s very romantic.
They would be engaged about 14 months before they tied-the-knot in June 2013, two months before Carmen was born.
After Carmen made her way to the world, the family would grow exponentially and include Rafael, eight, Leonardo, seven, Romeo, five, Eduardo, three, Maria, two and Ilaria, one.
Baldwin, who’s actually a father of eight, also has a daughter Ireland Baldwin, 28, with ex-wife Kim Basinger.
