How We Met:
Richmond and Shridhi met in their final year of high school. It was the first day of school and Richmond was sitting next to one of Shridhi’s friends in Environmental Science. Shridhi approached him and asked if he was a freshman since she had never seen him. She was baffled when she found out that he was indeed a senior. All those years of high school and senior year was the only time they met even though they shared many mutual friends. Eventually, a friendship blossomed – they would park next to each other every morning, study with each other every morning, and sit next to each other at lunchtime. However, Shridhi knew that she was going to the University of South Florida in Tampa and Richmond would remain in Jacksonville and attend the University of North Florida. Therefore, she did not want to pursue a relationship. A couple of months passed and he asked her to prom and they graduated high school. They remained in a long-distance relationship for several years during which Shridhi went to USF and Rutgers in New Jersey. Three years ago, Shridhi moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia for work and Richmond followed. After 10 years of dating, they both work remotely, live in Center City, Philadelphia, and are happily married.
The Proposal:
Richmond proposed to Shridhi near their apartment building in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania on his birthday, July 30, 2022. Richmond told Shridhi that he was running to the car to grab his sunglasses before their dinner reservation. Little did she know that something was being planned. He texted her to come down the stairs near the train station he had a “surprise”. Shridhi came down the stairs that were covered in red rose petals and he offered her a bouquet of red roses. She began tearing up as he got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes. The ring was special – the diamond was from his grandmother Barbara and late grandfather Bruce’s marriage. Coincidentally, Barbara and Bruce’s wedding anniversary is also the same date as Richmond and Shridhi’s. The diamond was placed in a setting designed by Shridhi’s mother and made from gold from India. It was an intimate and special moment for both of them.
