Our story begins the way all the finest modern love stories do: with a perfectly imperfect Hinge date. Alay made quite the first impression—showing up an hour late, with no dinner reservation, and absolutely no plan. And somehow, against all odds (and Hiral’s better judgment), he still managed to win her over. (If you ask Hiral, she might say it wasn’t that simple—but since Alay’s writing this, we’ll go with his version.) What Hiral doesn’t know is that somewhere between that first conversation and the end of the night, Alay already knew he wanted to marry her. Something about the way she listened, laughed, and carried herself made the world feel a little calmer, a little brighter. Even now, one of our ongoing jokes is that Alay never plans anything—and yet our most spontaneous moments always turn into our favorite adventures. So, when it came time to propose, Alay didn’t choose a rooftop in Santorini or a grand gesture in front of a crowd. Instead, on a freezing December night at the top of our sixth-floor walk-up (yes, Hiral climbed all six flights in heels completely unaware), he created the sweetest candlelit moment. No spectacle, no script—just the two of us sitting together, talking, laughing, and soaking in the quiet magic of choosing each other forever. From that cold, fateful first date in New York City, we grew through long-distance, long hours of working and studying, endless FaceTimes, and the joyful chaos of blending two big Gujarati families. Through it all, we found a rhythm that balanced us perfectly—steady where it mattered, light where it counted, and grounded in the quiet assurance that we had truly found our person. As we step into this next chapter, we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate with the people who’ve supported us, laughed with us, and loved us through every twist of this fun, chaotic, perfectly us relationship. We can’t wait to have you there as we say “I do,” dance, eat, cry-laugh, and begin the rest of our lives surrounded by those who helped shape our story. Thank you for being part of our journey—we wouldn’t want to celebrate without you.