Our Engagement

Making the decision to ask Sapana to marry me did not take long at all, however deciding where and how to do it is another story. Of course, I knew I wanted to make it memorable but I also wanted it to be unique, I toyed with the idea of proposing in front of her family and somewhere locally but something about it just didn’t seem right for her. I knew her favorite city in the world is Paris. So when our friends Heidi and Fani invited us to their incredible wedding in Thessaloniki, Greece, the timing could not have been better.

I also wanted to get the blessing of Sapana’s parents which very ironically also occurred in Paris, the Paris Casino in Las Vegas. I remember walking through the  casino floor with her father looking for an appropriate table for 3 card poker when I told him my intentions. He was happy and told me that we also needed to discuss it with Mrs. Shah.  I can still remember the awkwardness of speaking softly in the kitchen so  Sapana, who was upstairs, would not hear us. I promised her parents to always take care of Sapana and make sure she is healthy and happy. They gave me their blessing and I told them of my plan.

The proposal was awesome.  I couldn’t decide whether to do it on the bridge over the Seine, or at a cafe, or in the gardens.  As the sun was setting, we were crossing the front of the Louvre and we came upon the perfect place, Jardin Du Palais Royal.  We happened to be the only ones in these massive gardens.  There I asked Sapana to marry me and she screamed YES!  We spent the rest of the day wandering around Paris having champagne and then having an incredible dinner in a restaurant that was a hidden gem and personally recommended by a notable chef of the city.