M— Our story started in 2011 the way these stories often do—with a boy, a girl, and a coffee shop. We had known each other for almost 2 years during college. One evening when I was in Los Angeles, I texted Trisha asking if she wanted to meet for coffee. She said yes, and next thing I knew I was driving south to Orange County. This was the first time we had spent time together without the circle of friends that had introduced us, and all that can be said is that it was electric.

T— As the years went by, we shared more coffee dates, adventures, road trips, and stacks of typewritten poetry. We chased each other for years, spending hours on the phone every other day, discussing everything but our feelings for each other. The chase finally absolved in 2013 when he went to China for a school project and I traveled to India after graduating with my Bachelor’s degree. Perhaps it was the drastic increase in distance or the perspective shift that travel brings, but suddenly we were unabashedly speaking the truths we both knew but hadn’t shared. And then, the world felt like it was singing our love. The second we started officially dating, we knew this was our forever.

M— We dated for several years, navigating life post-college and finding our way. Trisha got into a graduate program for Speech Language Pathology, and I moved to Los Angeles to go into Marketing. With all of our ducks in a row, the conspiracy began. I roped in Trisha’s best friend, Puja, her parents, my parents, and my brother. The dream proposal at the beach was set for the evening after she graduated with her Masters, and everyone we loved would be there to share in the moment. But as fate would have it, it ended up being the hottest day of 2017. After passing out from the heat, Trisha simply needed to rest, and the rest of us had to quickly think on our feet and improvise. I called Trisha up to the balcony of her parent’s gorgeous house, overlooking the cities where we shared so many of our first dates.

T— The sun was setting and everything was aglow as he got down on one knee. It was unplanned and intimate and perfect.

M— That summer we got our first apartment together, and the wedding planning began. In order to honor both of our families and their traditions, we decided to have two ceremonies. We went to India in November 2018, so that Trisha’s grandparents, family, and childhood friends from that very important part of her life would be able to share in our joy. It seemed like an insurmountable task planning a wedding overseas, but it all came together thanks to Trisha’s family, my family, and Puja (our surprise guest!). We were married on November 20th, in Noida, the city where Trisha grew up. We had the intimate ceremony we wanted, complete with all the unique and colorful rituals of an Indian wedding.

T— On my wedding day, my mom said “it makes me so happy that your wedding has followed all the rituals of my wedding”.

M & T— Now we are back in California, and ready to do it all again. We are incredibly excited to celebrate our union with everyone who has been a part of our lives here. It may be a bit unusual to have two weddings, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!