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.

- ARZOO DINA

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.