Desperate 42-year-old who blew a fortune on Marry Me billboards along Highway 101 finally gets a date but at a cost

Love may be free — but not for a woman who plastered “Marry Me” billboards across busy roads for a Valentine’s Day date.“People will be shocked by how much I’ve spent,” Lisa Catalano told The California Post.“I will definitely release the financial breakdown when I’m all done and am engaged.”The splashy campaign Catalano launched in fall 2025 generated more than 4,000 applications through her website.She then went through each application, narrowing the pool down to about 50 men, then to 20 before finally landing five first dates back in the fall.Catalano’s Valentine’s Day outing — not with a candidate from the initial batch of applications — wasn’t a first meeting, but with someone she’d been seeing for about a month.The pair went to see a romantic comedy before heading home to cook dinner together, opting to keep things “simple and relaxed” rather than brave crowded restaurants.While she has not decided on exclusivity, Catalano said she is enjoying the dating process and meeting new people.“It was simultaneously the most stressful time of my life but also the most magical thing that’s ever happened to me,” Catalano said when asked if the search was worth it.

“The entire time I’ve been optimistic that this will all work out.”Any man she goes out with is required to sign an NDA to protect both herself and the men, preventing anyone from leaking details or having ulterior motives.Get the perfect blend of news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story “I just really wanted to provide protection for myself and protection for them as well,” she said.Catalano said the bulk of the expense has gone toward billboard advertising, with placements running along Highway 101 between Santa Clara and South San Francisco.“Since I don’t have b...