They say the best things happen when you least expect them- and in this case, they weren’t wrong. These two first crossed paths at a party neither had planned to attend- her grandfather’s 80th birthday bash. She was supposed to be in Sri Lanka, he was set on staying home in peace, and yet, fate clearly had a sense of humor. One last-minute change of plans turned into the beginning of something pretty magical.

What started as a “nice to meet you” soon turned into “can’t wait to see you again.” Fast forward a few months, and he was on a flight to Dubai-where she was living at the time-to spend New Year’s Eve together. Cue the fireworks (literally).

Since then, their love story has been a mashup of airport hellos, time zone math, and late-night calls that probably should’ve ended hours earlier. From cheering each other on through grad school and writing letters like it was the 90s, to saving every penny just to steal a few days together- they’ve turned long distance into long-lasting.

Now, after years of laughter, patience, and plenty of passport stamps, they couldn’t be happier to celebrate with you as they finally kick off their next chapter-side by side, forever.