Q: How did you two first meet?
A: Surprisingly, we “met” online! However, it didn’t really feel that way because we talked on the phone for hours the day of and then met up the next day. So we like to say that we first met at a hookah/tea place; nervous, uncertain, but thrilled and hopeful.
Q: What makes your relationship special?
A: We are different in many ways. He loves cars, car parts, car cleaning, building complex Lego sets, introverted, and very easy to please. I don’t care about cars, Legos, and I’m an extrovert; love being out and about. What makes us unique is our ability to teach each other new things. I was able to introduce him to different foods (he tried clams, sushi, and CRAB CAKES for the first time) and he teaches me how to relax, stay put and enjoy the simple things like laying on the couch binge watching Narcos. We both LOVE watching gory, or crime related shows. We found harmony, and that’s what matters most to me.
Q: How did you know your partner was the one?
A: I fell in love with him way after he did with me. I knew he was the one when he showed my family as much love and care as he does his own and when he proved to me that my problems were not just mine, they were his problems too. I have always been a self sufficient woman but he made it easy to rely on him through thick and thin. I always pushed back when it came to love but his sensitivity and persistency allowed me to see things from a different light. There was never an AHA! moment for me, it all just fell into place, as if the whole universe conspired it.
Q: Give us all the details about the proposal. How and where did it happen? Was it a surprise?
A: Our one year anniversary, my birthday, and then it also became our engagement day. Being the control freak that I am, it was not a surprise proposal as much as he wanted it to be. His face, obviousness, and an email pop-up with the subject “Engagement Photos” a week before gave it all away. I was so relieved that it wasn’t a surprise because he really thought it was good idea for him to show up at my work location right after I got off (as beautiful as that location is), with a photographer. Instead, now that I knew his intentions, I took half the day off, went home and changed and met him at the location. He was waiting for me inside a restaurant with Megan Rei, our wonderful photographer, on a rainy, cold Friday, October 26, 2018. He refused to cancel the photoshoot due to rain because to him, no other day would be more special than my birthday and our one year. I took two shots of tequila at the restaurant to calm my nerves and awkwardness and we proceeded to the boardwalk where he proposed knowing that there was no chance in hell I would say no. We had a blast! The rain and my dress flying everywhere was not going to stop us from enjoying each other. Then he took me out to eat at an amazing restaurant, knowing food is the key to happiness for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.
Q: Tell us all about that ring!
A: It’s everything I have ever wanted…well….because I took him to the store of my choice and picked it out myself! I wanted a thin diamond encrusted band but with no border, and a clean round cut diamond. He was not about to attempt that one on his own. I like to think I made his life much easier!
Q: Are you excited to start planning your wedding day?
A: It’s pretty scary; Pakistani weddings are intense. You have numerous ceremonies and receptions and the ceremonies have ceremonies. It’s a few weeks worth of wedding. We plan on a happy medium with three receptions (yes, that’s a medium) with 1 or 2 ceremonies. I want flowers EVERYWHERE and we typically don’t do vows in my culture but we plan on expressing our love, regardless of how taboo it may seem.
