Our Story
It all started one spring afternoon in 2004 on the steps of Sproul Plaza in Berkeley. A dorky young man (we’ll call him Ryan) approached an even dorkier young girl (we’ll call her Suhasini) to ask for her number. Two weeks later, they were on their first date at a fine local establishment, Gypsy’s Italian. It was the kind of place where butter was the #1 ingredient, and you never left feeling hungry. It was one of those memorable first dates...not because of the great conversation (which it was), but because Ryan actually forgot to order his own meal - which he only realized 20 minutes into dinner. This was just the beginning of the relationship for these two crazy kids.
Throughout college, Ryan and Suhasini had a multitude of experiences. From Bollywood dancing to late-night study sessions; house parties and West Coast pizza; Suhasini’s semester abroad in Bordeaux to summer adventures at Microsoft -- college just felt like never-ending fun. They made some of their best friends at Berkeley; and the campus would continue to play a big role in their story.
Fast forward a few years, and the couple is now based out of San Francisco. Suhasini is chugging along at Apple, and Ryan has just started his own company. Things are going great -- they both live in the city, hang out with their cute dog Ashby, and are just enjoying eating and drinking everything the city has to offer.
We’re now in the winter of 2011. Christmas break is soon approaching, so everyone is excited for the holidays to start. About a week before the break, Ryan asked if Suhasini was free to help out at a work event in Berkeley - distributing brochures, signing people in -- the kind of things that take real talent. Luckily, Suhasini got to work from home that day anyways because of an “office reconfiguration”. They drove to Berkeley on the morning of the 21st; and walked through campus by the Campanile (the big clocktower). Ryan suggested they go up to the top since some of his friends were already up there; but Suhasini, in typical fashion, just kept insisting they didn’t have enough time and were ‘already sooo late!’ After about a minute of convincing, they began their ascension up to the top of the Campanile. Suhasini was completely oblivious to Ryan’s nervousness -- the elevator attendant commented on how nice her purse was, so obviously, nothing else mattered.
Upon arrival at the top, they turned the corner and lo and behold, there was a table decked out with rose petals and champagne. Ryan got down on one knee and began his speech about how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Suhasini. She was in complete shock, so much that the first words out of her mouth were, “Is this a joke??” It very clearly was not a joke; and the next thing she knew, there was a ring on her finger and champagne in her flute. They then got to cut the line for the elevator down (the perks of being recently affianced) -- rode down with the same elevator attendant (who definitely was in on the whole thing) -- and walked out the doors only to see their family and friends with huge smiles on their faces! What a surprise it was -- celebrating this moment with their loved ones only made it that much more special. To top it off, their dog, Ashby, was a special guest at the engagement as well! For those of you who know Ashby, you can only imagine how difficult it was for Ryan to plan his appearance - but he knew how important it was to Suhasini for Ashby to be there.
Cut to several glasses of champagne later, and everyone is making their way back to their respective homes. But it’s not over yet...Ryan planned an immensely special dinner at their favorite restaurant, Piccino, with just Suhasini’s best girlfriends -- he even got personalized menus! After the amazing meal, they headed to the W Hotel in SF for a night of drinks and celebration with all of their friends. It truly was the most unforgettable night for the couple.
A year and a half later; the couple is gearing up for the next biggest night of their lives - the wedding! It’s been a lot of fun planning while living in San Francisco andWashington, DC. Ryan and Suhasini can’t wait to celebrate with everyone and are so excited to spend this occasion with you.
See you in June!
Su & Ry