After 4 years of roaming the halls of Stuyvesant H.S., Manan and Joanne's paths finally crossed their senior year. However, they didn't get to know each other well until a senior year trip to Mexico a few months short of graduation. Due to their mutual friend Mamta, they ended up hanging out a lot on the trip. Depending on who you ask, both Manan and Joanne will say that the other person liked them first. This culminated into Manan gathering the courage to ask Joanne to prom and eventually their first date.
The next 4 years in Maryland and Michigan consisted of college football games, college basketball games, greek life, shenanigans and high cell phone bills and airfare. Joanne and Manan would like to thank AT&T, Verizon, and Spirit Air for keeping their relationship alive.
Both hardcore New Yorkers, Joanne and Manan were happy to finally be back home in the Big Apple after graduation. They now reside in Brooklyn, spreading love because its the BK way.
After a 8 month planning process, Manan surprised (shocked) Joanne with a romantic proposal in Koh Samui, Thailand on August 29, 2013.
The proposal happened the first night they were in Thailand. Having just endured a long flight from NYC, Joanne was extremely jet-lagged and exhausted when they landed. Any one close to Joanne knows she gets extremely grumpy when she's sleepy. After multiple protests, she begrudgingly agreed to go out to dinner at Manan's continuous urging that same evening. He whisked her to a waterfront restaurant and proposed under the stars and soft breeze wafting from the gulf of Thailand. The ring was tucked inside a carved-out book to throw Joanne off (check out the gallery).
And when the whole thing couldn't feel more surreal, both their families flew out and surprised Joanne the next morning during brunch. They spent the next two weeks celebrating and soaking up the beautiful Thai culture.
