How Tinder Played Cupid In Alekya and Praveen’s Love Story

Love is in the air and today we're excited to share Alekya and Praveen's love story! Read on to see how they met and what advice they have for couples.

How did you and your partner meet? What's your love story?

Praveen & I met on Tinder back in 2014! We both actually ended up swiping on each other’s profiles on Valentine’s Day and started talking through the app until we decided to meet up in person later that week. Praveen went to the wrong Starbucks to meet me for the first time. When he finally made it to the right one we hit it off instantly! After a few hours of chatting till we got kicked out of Starbucks & me missing a night class, Praveen & I decided to head out on another date, and let’s just say the rest is history from there.

And how did he pop the question?

Praveen kept the proposal simple yet very special. Though it seemed like any other Sunday afternoon during the spring in Chicago, it was actually Cinco de Mayo and the day before our five-year anniversary. What seemed like a normal walk down by the river to get some margaritas turned into a complete surprise for me: a picture-perfect proposal on the Riverwalk followed by an afternoon of celebration with friends!

How was the wedding planning process for you?

The wedding planning process was great! I’ve always known what I wanted from the beginning & it really helped that my Mom & I shared the same vision. We hired Jankhana Desai (JD Events) as our planner & she was absolutely amazing every step of the way. I will say the toughest part of wedding planning was once Covid hit. While our planning was done it was a matter of understanding whether we’d have to push our wedding or not. Unfortunately, we had to push out our big Indian Wedding to 2021. Apart from that, I'd say planning was super fun!

What advice would you give to newly engaged couples?

I think the best advice we would give newly engaged couples is to be open & honest in their communication. Be willing to share what each of your families wants to happen at the wedding, but also remember that it’s your big day too! South Asian weddings tend to be very focused on what the parents want & a lot of times the bride & groom’s opinions get drowned out. Praveen & I made a list of what we felt was important to us & what attributes of the ceremony we did not want and shared that with our parents. I think if you as a couple can be on the same page it’ll lead to a lot fewer “my family vs your family” conversations throughout the planning process.

What are you guys up to now?

We are happily married (went to the courthouse on our original date) & have a 5-month-old Goldendoodle named Thor! We’re still planning our big Indian Wedding for August 2021, but for now, we’re enjoying married life & celebrating the moments we can!

Stay tuned for more love stories coming up and if you're interested in sharing your love story, contact us!

Love,

Two Love Birds

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Looking for wedding venue tips now that you're engaged? Check out our blog: https://pyaariweddings.co/finding-the-best-affordable-wedding-venue/

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Bride: Alekya Eyunni

Photographer: J. Brown Photography