We met online as many other couples do these days. But actually, it was Nirali's mom who spotted Rishi first. Frustrated with the overwhelming number of messages on a well-known Indian dating website, Nirali's mom insisted she help with the process. She combed through countless photos and filtered through many messages of well-meaning suitors, until she came across Rishi's profile. She quickly added him to the "short list" and showed Nirali his picture. Who could resist a tall, handsome guy with family values? In typical "Nirali" fashion, she messaged him right away and instantly they connected, sending paragraph long messages to each other even though Rishi was at work. The connection was undeniable and so they planned a date in Houston for that very weekend.

Knowing that the two would have to meet right away or wait weeks until they had a free weekend, Nirali asked if Rishi would like to get together that Saturday. Rishi said yes and the first date was set. Nirali drove down with one of her cousins to Houston and stayed in a hotel. Rishi made reservations at North Italia and offered to pick her up, two simple gestures which immediately impressed Nirali as thoughtful and considerate. Nirali politely declined the ride and took an Uber to the restaurant. She only had to wait a moment as Rishi arrived on time and well dressed. He offered her a hug and in that moment, everything came together as Nirali felt safe and secure in his arms, the arms that she would grow to know and love so well. He guided her to their table and the two sat down with each other as if they'd known one another their whole lives. Nirali knew it was true love when she ordered the "Pig Pizza" and Rishi didn't even bat an eye.

Rishi and Nirali were traveling to the other side of the world to Bali for her cousin's wedding. Since Nirali's birthday was just a week before the wedding, they decided to make a stop in Singapore before hand. After landing on the 6th, Nirali was excited to celebrate her birthday with Rishi the next day. Little did she know the special day that Rishi had planned for her. Rishi donned a blazer and his best shoes and Nirali knew something was up. She got ready and felt the nerves in the Uber ride over as Rishi squeezed her hand tightly. They walked through the Marina Bay Sands to a pop-up greenhouse with a garden. Admiring all of the beautiful flowers as they walked along hand-in-hand, out of the corner of her eye, Nirali saw her dad. Before she could think twice, Rishi was down on one knee asking her to marry him. She said yes (of course) and out of the box came the most beautiful ring with two rose gold hearts on either side. Rishi asked "what do I do next?" and Nirali laughed and said "put it on my finger!" Before Nirali could comprehend what was happening, she felt an embrace she knew all too well. Her mother had wrapped her arms around her so tightly, squeezing her through tears of happiness. The rest of the family joined her and they celebrated with afternoon tea.

Wanting to do something equally special for Rishi’s 30th, Nirali thought what better way to celebrate than a surprise birthday + engagement party? Nirali enlisted the help of her friends and family members to throw a party on a rooftop pool deck overlooking Downtown Dallas. Our nearest and dearest travelled from across the country just to be a part of the event. The ladies came in beautiful pastel lehengas and gowns, the guys in blazers and suits while the birthday boy spent the day with his brother-in-law enjoying a mini staycation at the W. Little did he know that a hundred of his closest friends and family were eagerly awaiting his arrival. And little did we know how special these memories would be for us as it was the last time we saw many of our loved ones before the pandemic. That night, we blissfully laughed while enjoying delicious Indian food and signature cocktails together. We played the shoe game, teasing one another relentlessly and fielding questions from the children after we ran out. Then Nirali made sure to walk Rishi through the party to show him all of the intricate details, including pictures in remembrance of his dad. It was a night we will never forget.

2020 was the year that no one saw coming. With it brought a pandemic, the likes of which had not been seen for almost a century. While planning a huge celebration with family and friends in a far away location, our entire world changed. Suddenly it became unsafe to attend weddings, to travel, and even to see close family members. Everyone was devastated. Without friends and family to celebrate, the true purpose of a wedding, to bring two families together, became lost. Rishi and Nirali made the difficult decision to postpone the Hindu wedding until it was safe to be together again. But true to form, Rishi and Nirali decided to make lemonade out of lemons. With a strong desire to be legally married, the couple planned an intimate ceremony at her parents' home in Temple, TX. Although only 10 people were at the in-person celebration, hundreds more attended the ceremony online. They watched as Nirali wore a pristine white dress and Rishi a custom tuxedo. They saw the couple's siblings and significant others walk down the aisle hand-in-hand. They watched as both moms walked Rishi to the altar. They looked on as Nirali and her dad shared that special walk down the aisle to her groom. Nirali's dad had the double honor of officiating the wedding, a job he did so well other family members said he could moonlight as an officiant. The couple said their vows to one another, and through happy tears and laughter, said "I do." They sealed their love with a kiss and enjoyed a night of dinner and dancing under the stars.