‘Chemistry’ worked for happy couple

Howard Beach newlyweds Stacie and Jay Diamond took a chance, joined an online match-making website and found true love.
Chemistry.com, which was introduced by Match.com, was launched in the area last January. Stacie, a former Match.com user, received an e-mail informing her of the new website and she filled out the questionnaire. Jay had also been sent an e-mail offering a free membership, so he gave it a shot.
Stacie is a second grade teacher in Woodhaven who had spent many years as a single mother of two children. She said she had been sent about 20 prospective matches through Chemistry.com, many of which she ignored. Prior to meeting Jay, she had spoken to two others on the phone and gone on one date.
Jay, a former New Orleans chef who also has a son, lost almost everything he had when Hurricane Katrina hit and was living with relatives in New Jersey. Stacie was the first match that Chemistry.com had sent him.
Chemistry.com matches people with the assistance of personality assessments designed by biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher. Stacie said that, unlike other sites where a person can search for who they think they want to meet, Chemistry.com uses information to determine which two people would be most compatible with one another. The couple began to have long – three-hour – phone conversations and decided to meet in person on January 31. During a vacation cruise to the Bahamas the following spring break, Jay got up on the ship’s stage and proposed marriage. Upon Stacie’s acceptance, he surprised her with the news that he had everything planned and the wedding would be the following day.
The couple now lives together in Howard Beach and both are teachers. After getting help from Stacie, Jay received a New York teaching license and teaches seventh grade English in the Rockaways.
The two had a second ceremony in Queens on Saturday, June 17.
“It’s great because this time everybody who has known me for so many years … (are) going to be there,” Stacie said.
Jay said that he still can’t believe all of this happened and that he wakes up every morning feeling happy.
“It was hard. I had lost everything I had,” he said. “From what I was to where I am now is nothing short of a miracle.”