Let’s face it, this year has been a tough one for many reasons. When we were first thinking about sharing our proposal story with you guys, I thought it would be a cool idea to share it around the time we decide on our wedding date. But, because of everything going on, we are STILL in the process of trying to figure it out.
This past week, I was in need of a good stroll down memory lane and even though I was waiting to share our story, I thought it would be nice to reminisce about this tear jerking day. So, I hope you guys enjoy!
Purav and I got engaged January 19th, 2020. The day was filled with lots of hugs, tears, smiles, laughter and (of course) dancing. To start off the day, my sisters had surprised me at my apartment. As soon as I saw them at the front door, I knew something was going to happen that day (my birthday wasn’t until March, so why else would they be surprising me? 🙂 ). They came with a card from Purav, a ton of food, champagne and two dresses (picked out by Purav, with the help of my best friend, Daina) for me to choose from. My knees were wobbling from that point forward.
Once I finished getting ready, a limo met us downstairs. All of my best friends were inside that limo. The driver then took us to 5 different locations that were significant to mine and Purav’s relationship. At each location, I was given a card from Purav and took a polaroid photo with the cardgiver(s).
Stop #1 The Dominican Shrine of Saint Jude Thaddeus
This was the first church that Purav and I had been to, together. We were both raised with two different religious backgrounds. Though that comes with challenges of its own, we are devoted to embracing both of our unique backgrounds in our life together. So, Purav thought it would be special to start the day in prayer. I could not have agreed more.
Purav’s brother and sister-in-law had surprised me at the church. It was really beautiful to be able to start the day through a special moment with our siblings.
Spot #2: Starbucks
Because, he knows there’s no way I can start a (good) day without coffee.
Spot # 3: XSport Fitness
During the beginning of our relationship, Purav was working out of state. He had a habit of surprising me every time he would come home and the very first surprise was outside of XSport. I know, not the most romantic location lol – a sweet gesture, nonetheless.
Spot #4: Noodles and Company
Our first “date” spot :).
- His Meal: Pennerosa
- Her Meal: Pesto Cavatappi
Spot # 5: Chicago Cultural Center
This was where we had shot together for the first time. At the end of that session, we pretty much decided that Fi Photography would be something we do together.
Finally- The Proposal!
As you can see, “the proposal” didn’t happen at any of these locations and by the time we arrived at the Cultural Center, I was getting pretty anxious to see Purav.
(Side story: Purav and my sisters had planned for the proposal to take place at Milton Olive Lee Park. My sisters had planned out all the decor in such a beautiful way. But of course, the lovely Chicago winter weather had a different plan for them. As soon as we had gotten into the limo, Purav had sent my sisters a message saying the park was closed because of the ice that day. So, they had to make a quick location change to Offshore Chicago. Thank you, Offshore for being such great sports about this! )
Offshore turned out to be a perfect location for our proposal, you can see below :). A HUGE shout out to Kat, with Deepend Imagery, for these amazing photos… you captured such a special day in our lives, so beautifully.
The Best Crew!
To My Sisters- thank you for the morning surprise, bringing over breakfast and helping Purav with planning the proposal.
To Priya & Sachin- thank you for helping Purav plan the engagement party following the proposal.
To Daina- thank you for helping Purav and my sisters SO SO much with everything, even from miles away.
To Thanguchi, Bensen, Manan & Jaison- thank you for helping set up for the proposal and for dealing with the chaos the day of.
To Imo & Neha- thank you for being Purav’s emotional support during the planning phase.
To Raag- thank you for making our beautiful video highlight.
To Zeenal & Shareen- thank you for checking in with Purav and my sisters to make sure everything went smoothly the day of!
After the proposal, Purav had put together a surprise engagement party with the help of his sister-in-law, Priya. I was beyond overwhelmed (in an amazingly awesome way) to see some of our favorite people, all under the same roof. Thank you Berkshire Room for hosting us!!
Needless to say, we will forever remember this day!
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