Bay Area woman’s 'Marry Me' billboards finally land a date, at a steep price

A 42-year-old California woman, Lisa Catalano, spent thousands advertising a 'Marry Me' dating campaign with billboards and taxi toppers along Highway 101 after frustrations with dating apps, drawing more than 4,000 applications. She manually whittled the pool to about 50, then 20 and finally five first dates; for Valentine’s Day she went out with a man she’d been seeing for about a month. She requires NDAs to protect both herself and the dates, and she built much of the campaign herself, including the website and promotional materials. The venture cost thousands and attracted online criticism, but Catalano says she’s enjoyed the process and remains hopeful about finding a true match.