MAY 1 UPDATE: with the new orders from our governor on restoring events, we will no longer be able to have our event this year. At this point, we do not have a new date in mind, but if we hold the event, it will at least be a year out. Thinking about you all and wish we could be together! March 26: With the onset of Covid 19 worldwide, we are placing our reception plans on hold for now. We will make a final decision regarding this event on May 1, based on whatever the current state of the virus and travel is at that time. We appreciate everyone's patience - know that we want nothing more than to celebrate with all of you in a safe and healthy environment. Stay well - we continue to keep each of you in our hearts.

Shaharyar moved to Seattle in the fall of 2016 while Joanna had been living there for almost 20 years. Both of us were new to the PNW dating scene and decided to give online dating a try. After a very short time, we both were ready to take a break. But then, on New Year’s Eve Day, Joanna received a ping from Shaharyar who had clearly read her profile. She was intrigued and immediately wrote back. Over the next week, we found ourselves on the phone with each other for hours at a time. By the time we met in person, the connection was clear and immediate. Two people who would probably otherwise not have collided, met online and fell in love.

In June, Joanna had a family gathering in Breckenridge, Colorado to celebrate her mother’s 80th birthday and her brother’s 50th. While Shaharyar had met most of her family, this was his first opportunity to meet her sister’s family. While there, he called and asked her dad’s permission to ask Joanna to marry him. In person, he also asked her mom. Both of her parents said yes (although her dad caused him to sweat it out a bit) and he prepared for the right time and place to ask her (they were flying out two days later). On the way back and forth to their rental home, there was a beautiful overlook of the Rocky mountains and downtown Breckenridge that they had passed each day. They had agreed to stop their before leaving to take photographs. On their final day, Shaharyar suggested that they go to the overlook. Joanna’s sister agreed to keep an eye on the kids and off they went. While Joanna read the sign explaining the history of the area, with the sun shining and beautiful blue skies, Shaharyar came up from behind, turned her around, and proposed. Joanna’s eyes filled with tears of complete joy, and she immediately said ‘yes, yes, yes!!!’ They immediately called family who were not in the area to share the news. They then went back to the rental house and told Marisa and Olivia who both screamed for joy and began to laugh and cry at the same time (all captured on video). Together, they then told Joanna’s family. Hugs and smiles spread quickly around the house. A prefect proposal and celebration.

Story to come

While we originally planned to complete all aspects of our ceremony in 2020, we made a family decision to exchange vows in a Nikkah ceremony in 2019 and become legally married. On this day, as witnessed by our immediate family members, we were joined as husband at wife at Shaharyar’s brother’s home. We were surrounded in love and felt extremely blessed to become a family.