Joanne + Manan

Joanne and I met almost 12 years ago in Ann Arbor, where we were both freshmen at the one and only BIG TEN CHAMP (sorry, not sorry, Terps!), University of Michigan, GO BLUE!!! =) Jo and I are pledge sisters in our sorority (KDPhi)! Meaning we went through some, let’s just say, SERIOUS "sisterhood building" experiences, out of which some I may still want to block out til this day. Besides KDPhi and Michigan, Jo and I have many more things in common - from Jo/Manan/my fiance's Stuy alum relationships to our love for travel, nice things, and even more importantly, VALUE - Deal Club shout out!

So, I honestly can’t remember the very first time I met Manan.... I know it was definitely sometime in college and there were many funny stories about that, including people mistaking Manan for a different person/race that Jo was dating each time he visited due to his ever-changing hair and look (can we say cornrows?!). What’s so great about the friendship Jo and I have is the fact that it kept growing throughout the years, possibly with accelerating growth trajectory even out of college. Jo and I have established our ritual, fondly called our “meat dates;” you all know Manan is vegetarian and Jo, well, is a carnivore! Our first meat date, to me, marked a new phase of our friendship. Ever since then, we started hanging out and spending a lot more time with each other on a regular basis, this time around in NYC, the playground for adults as opposed to our innocent college days.

Also, everyone knows Manan is a planner, right? Did you know this guy planned his proposal for a good 8+ months?!??? I have to say I’m honored to have received many emails over the years from Manan (mostly around January so he can plan for Jo's bday that April) asking about plans for Jo, and I remember screaming at the top of my lungs, all the way in Beijing, when he told me he was ready to propose. Maybe because I knew if they would get engaged me and my fiancé couldn’t be much behind ourselves, hahahaha, j/k!!!

Joanne and

Joanne & I first met each other at Stuyvesant High. Our paths again crossed at Michigan where we became sorority sisters. From very early on, we shared a proud New York City connection and through countless sorority shenanigans, late night high energy dance practices and an innumerable number of visits to Bubble Island, Joanne and I lived out the best of our college heydays. That's not to say Manan wasn't there in spirit all along.

Despite spending the greater half of their college years apart, Joanne and Manan always managed to stay connected. I first met Manan during one of his many visits to Michigan, back when he still sported cornrows, baggy clothes, and encouraged Joanne to wear ghetto fabulous clothes. One of my favorite times spent with the couple after returning to New York, was when we all took a trip down memory lane back to our high school alma mater to watch SING! We went back to our high school as "adults" to support what is known as the biggest student production of the year. True to self, Manan did not hold back his sentiments and heckled from the crowd multiple times. I remember sitting next to him and wanting to hide. It was so embarrassing yet wildly hilarious at the same. Some things/people never change (much).

Throughout the years, I've had the privilege of seeing Joanne and Manan's relationship endure and withstand the test of time. Together and with their families, they've grown tremendously and it is so endearing to know that time has not distilled their love, admiration, dedication, commitment and friendship towards each other in the least. Their love story is the kind of thing fairy tales are made out of. Manan is the master of all things romantic and thoughtful, and never ceases to pull out all the stops for Joanne. Joanne, with her ever so kind and gracious ways is the perfect gal who knows how to expertly navigate Manan's particular ways. Nuptials for these two fun lovebirds have been a long time coming, and I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate their happily ever after!!!

The first time I met Jo was at the restaurant called Zen Palate without Manan, when I first started dating Kunal, Manan’s older brother. Zen Palate is an all vegetarian restaurant - we even commented on how bad the veggie food was not knowing at the time she would be signing up for a lifetime of vegetarianism with Manan!

One story that has repeated itself year over year is that usually, on one's birthday, you are allowed to drink to your hearts content and can be rest-assured that you will not be the designated driver. However, since our Groom-to-be chooses a dry lifestyle every year on his birthday he has to deal with at least 3 drunk fools, endless driving and pulling over, prevent actual physical fights from happening, carry purses, hold up hair, while finally declaring it another successful birthday celebration!!!

Joanne was the first member of FRESH I met. What's FRESH? 5 very cool girls, who did everything and nothing together. These were the girls that made high school fun. Joanne and I bonded over our shared hyperness, never-ending AIM chats and our post eating workouts of laughing crunches. We had aliases, jilly milly tilly, and codenames based on foods of course, and even our own hand language. I guess you could call us a sophisticated secret society, which roamed the streets, parks and malls every chance we got, and never missed a meal. In a sea of Stuyvies, we found each other.

I've known Manan longer than I've known Joanne, as we have the Jain connection. Before Stuy, I thought Manan must've been the scariest Jain kid in NYC. It wasn’t until I actually started talking to the guy that I realized he wouldn't even harm a potato.

I played an essential role in getting these two together. What if I hadn't gotten up on that seat on the bus? And what if I didn't tell Manan, and the rest of the bus, that my girl liked him? It was my loud mouth that blew Joanne's spot, and I'm so glad I did. You're welcome guys!

Since then, we've inaugurated Manan as an honorary member of our group, and it's always a blast to have his unique perspective at our girly get-togethers over the years. I couldn't be happier to celebrate two of my favorite people getting married, finally.

I first noticed Joanne in my Global History class Sophomore year with Mr. Badgley. She always wore a bouncy ponytail, gold hoop earrings, bootcut blue jeans, and a black North Face butt-pack. I have a pretty horrible memory, but one thing I distinctly recall liking then about Joanne was her voice - it was sweet and girly, but get her debating on the right history topic and there was no denying her nerdiness.

You could guess from my description that she was obviously destined to be Manan's ideal woman, but I'm not sure they even knew each other then. In fact, I never spoke to her throughout that class - we sat two rows away from each other, I was often sleeping through class, and we didn't have any mutual friends.

We didn't become fully acquainted until Junior year, when our motley crew of FRESH began around 2001 amidst a sea of hundreds of students, test-cramming, and with teenage angst. The five of us couldn't be more different, but somehow our unique characteristics melded naturally into this tight-knit group of girls that would wander the streets aimlessly together, enjoying whatever fell into our paths as it came. What did we do together? Pretty much nothing. We'd go out to lunch, sit on the grass for awhile...and go out to lunch again. We'd go to Sephora, lose ourselves in eye shadows and lip glosses and then go out to dinner. We'd spend all day at Toys R' Us posing stuffed animals in offensive acts, wander around the arcades at Times Square without playing any of the games, and literally choke on our laughter. We would have intense conversations in quickly-spoken Pig Latin, mask the names of our crushes by nicknaming them foods we liked (because our love of food was undeniable and shameless), and just chat for hours on end at our lockers on the 2nd floor. Senior year should have been a difficult journey to navigate through, but together we created a sense of home out of these reckless and hilarious moments.

I don't remember how I met Manan, but I believe the reason he was destined to meet Joanne is t

Showing up to high school gym class in a bathing suit every other morning sucked. A lot. No other way to put it. Welcome to Stuy, alma mater to some of the best and brightest in the country. All of whom had to pass a damn swimming test in order to graduate. The dreaded 'swim gym' is where I first met Joanne. We met one of those days that consisted of running up 9 flights (on the escalator) to make it on time to Chemistry class. Where "on time" meant only 10 minutes late, with dripping wet hair. We bonded over our penchant for nerdy science puns and love of food, and other assorted girly things.

Fast forward to senior year where there was this thuggy guy (yes, we used the word thuggy) who Joanne had a crush on. He wore baggy clothes and said "yo" a lot. Little did we know at that time what lay ahead. They went to Cancun and the rest was history. Jo was the apple of his eye, and their days spent together turned into weeks, then months, and later on years. We would listen to Manan refer to Joanne as if she was the only girl in the world. We could tell it was 100% sincere. There's something to be said when all 4 of your closest HS friends immediately and unquestionably give the stamp of approval to your new boyfriend. Their relationship was something straight out of a movie, a happily ever after tale, that's about to enter its next chapter. Are Joanne and Manan meant for each other? I must be missing an electron. I'm positive.