It was Saturday, January 25, 2020 on a frigid day in Boston. Soni, a Northeastern student, and Shub, a pharmaceutical professional, met for the first time in the middle of the city. For the first date, she was early while he got lost and was late - sounds about right.

Together they filled the city streets with laughter and warmth as they drank pineapple bubble tea, took a stroll through the grand public library, went high-end furniture (window) shopping, geocached in the rain, ate delicious mediterranean food (she bought him dinner!), and ended the night with going to the movies. It was the best 7+ hour date they could imagine.

Fast forward 2 months, and their hearts were on fire. Unfortunately, so was the world. COVID-19 was in full swing, making it almost impossible to go out on dates. Our 2 protagonists had no choice but to skip much of the city exploration in lieu of a more domestic dating scene. Heading to the movies turned into movie nights at home, going out for dinner shifted to home cooked meals, and going "clubbing" meant having a 2-person dance party in the living room. For one of their dates, Shub even gave Soni a haircut! Very romantic, indeed.

Soni and Shub quickly realized that they complemented each other perfectly. He liked cooking, she liked cleaning. She liked the tops of muffins, he liked the bottoms. She liked the brownie edges, he liked the middles. On second thought, maybe Shub is just weird? But they were also similar in the best ways - goofy, positive, and constantly laughing. They found hours of entertainment through conversation, puzzles, games, movies, shows, friends, family, travels, spontaneous activities, and adventures.

That's not to say their relationship hasn't had its fair share of trials and tribulations. Moving beyond dating during a pandemic, Soni was in the middle of switching careers. Date nights turned into PA School application nights, interview preparation nights, and studying for exam nights. Soni moved to NJ while Shub had to stay in CT as in-office work resumed. Their love has been tested and has endured - at the height of the pandemic, during life-changing events, and through long-distance. I think it's safe to say...it's the real deal.

S&S

The Merion

Baraat

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception