We both hit the Like button! (To be fair Sachin did it first). Sachin engaged in some online small talk, picking up on Sonali's new Ted Talks binge-watching. Sonali realized she couldn't pass up on a non-meat eating, volunteering, tall, and smiley boy. For our first date, we met at for coffee at Sightglass in SoMa, where Sachin shook Sonali's hand hello, and Sonali hugged Sachin good-bye. About 30 dates followed over the next 2 months, followed then by meeting family over the next 6 months, buying a house a year after that, and weathering a pandemic after that. Somewhere in there, we got engaged and got married via an online ceremony. One disappointment of ours over this past year, is that there hasn't been a moment when we could safely celebrate and share in person with family and friends. Now we can, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Sachin proposed to Sonali on a weekend away in Half Moon Bay. That night they celebrated over dinner by candlelight (power had been cut to the area due to high winds and fire danger). A short while later, after the corks had landed and the power had returned(!), they set of goal of getting married in 2020 (or bust!)

After we got engaged in October 2019, we starting thinking of dates for a wedding, and we thought that aiming to get married and celebrate with family and friends by the end of 2020 was a good goal. By March of 2020, it became clear that it wasn't likely to happen the way we had wished. In the end we decided to stay true to our goal and we got married virtually, with help from the Alameda County clerk. It never felt the same, and now with your help, we're hoping to make up for it with an in-person celebration weekend in Coachella, CA!