For those of you who may not know the story of how we met, you're probably wondering why two University of Michigan grads have a picture of Toledo, OH on their wedding website...and not one of Ann Arbor, MI.
Well, Toledo, Ohio holds a special place in our hearts since it's where we first met at a mutual friend's birthday party in April 2014.
Told from Alex's perspective
Even though it was seven years ago, I remember this night vividly. My best friend (and Maid of Honor), Jasmine, sat in gum while on the party bus. As soon as we arrived at the bar, she and our friends went the bathroom to remove it, leaving me to talk to the boy who was hitting on her moments before. I must have looked incredibly bored (and I was) because another guy (i.e., Sharvil) interrupted us, saying that my friend was asking for me. Slightly panicked, I asked him to take me to my friend and walked away with Sharvil.When we were out of earshot, Sharvil told me that my friend didn't actually need me, but he thought I looked incredibly bored and needed a drink, and what would I like to order?
And that, is how Alex Gortat met Sharvil Shah.
Impressed by his boldness and drawn to his good looks, we ended up talking the rest of the night. Talking to him just felt easy; like we had known each other for years, rather than hours. When we parted ways, I remember feeling disappointed and certain I would never see him again.
Fast forward a few days later when Sharvil contacted me and asked to see me again the next time he was in town. We started dating a few weeks after we met (our anniversary is on May 5th) and now we're getting married!
TL;DR: Girl talks to a (boring) boy. A new boy (Sharvil) interrupts and whisks her away. Girl is intrigued. New boy buys girl a drink. They talk all night. Now they're getting married (almost eight years later) in May.
Not long after meeting in April, Sharvil invited Alex to attend the Kentucky Derby with him in Louisville! Alex was introduced to mint juleps, big hats, Churchill Downs, and many of Sharvil's close friends.
Alex and Sharvil became “official” after that weekend on May 5, 2014 and would spend the next few years traveling back and forth between Louisville and Farmington Hills to see one another while Sharvil was in dental school.
Sharvil would travel to India every year to visit his family and friends and invited Alex to join him in June 2016!
India was the first country Alex visited aside from North America (do Canada and Mexico really count?) and India did not disappoint! Alex was grateful to have Sharvil as her guide to navigate the beautiful, loud, and densely populated country.
From the visiting the Taj Mahal, to riding elephants at Jim Corbett National Park, to hiking (yes, hiking!) in Nainital, and meeting Sharvil’s family in Ahmedabad, it was a memorable trip that helped Alex to better appreciate and understand Sharvil's upbringing and culture and for Sharvil to share such an important part of his life and background.
Not long after their first international trip to India, Sharvil and Alex decided to take a euro-trip and visit Venice and Rome!
Sharvil initially wasn't too keen on Venice (there are so many wonderful cities in Italy, after all) but after some convincing from Alex, he decided to give Venice a try and it did not disappoint!
Rome had a lot history while Venice had a lot of charm. Sharvil and Alex had an amazing time eating their way through Italy (Gelato became a food group), riding in Gondolas, exploring the city of water and touring the historic sites. Italy remains one of their fondest travel experiences.
Sharvil graduated from the University of Louisville in May 2016, officially becoming Dr. Shah! Pictured here are Alex and Sharvil after the graduation ceremony. Sharvil was sad to leave the delicious food in Louisville and the friends he made but he was excited to begin practicing dentistry and Alex was glad to have him back home in Michigan!
Sharvil likes to joke that he lost his independence on Independence Day - even though we all know he lost his independence waaaaay before then ;)
Joking aside, he planned an incredible proposal at the Domaine Carneros vineyard in Napa Valley, setting the bar high for future trips to wine country! After drinking amazing wine and eating delicious food, Sharvil surprised Alex by getting down on one knee, while a photographer stealthily captured this moment!