When Armaan Rai first set about planning a proposal for his longtime girlfriend, Malvika Raj, he knew it had to be more than just a romantic gesture. Knowing her penchant for solving riddles and puzzles, he curated a scavenger hunt across San Francisco, the city they now call home, culminating in a heartfelt proposal. "I was solving puzzles from one location to the next each one at a place that was special to our relationship," Raj shares. "The last clue was at the top of a hill that overlooks the city, where we had our first picnic together. That's when he went down on one knee and popped the question," she says, reminiscing about the special day.
They were later joined by friends, who jumped out of hiding, to celebrate the moment.
Raj, a data scientist originally from Austin, Texas, and Rai, a software engineer from Delhi, first crossed paths at a bar in San Francisco.
The lovestruck couple's serendipitous meeting led to countless dates and, eventually, to a vibrant wedding that blended two different cultures. "Armaan is Punjabi and I'm Tamilian, so we tried incorporating elements from both our backgrounds. We wanted our guests to have fun, enjoy the different ceremonies and also [wanted to] showcase our love for music and dance," says Raj.
THE PLANNING
Having immersed themselves in the planning process, the two initially tried their luck with wedding venues across Austin and exotic beach destinations in Thailand, but nothing seemed like a good fit.
This story is from the November - December 2024 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November - December 2024 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
