Our Story
Check out the "Our Story" section on a laptop or tablet!
2016
Like good Desi kids, we met on a Bhangra team in Cambridge in the fall of 2016. Shivang was in law school, Damini was working, and both of them lacked just enough self-respect to join an undergraduate Bhangra team as non-undergrads. After some failed flirting they ended up watching Dr. Strange together, after which Damini asked Shivang to confirm that they were, in fact, on a date.
2017
We took our relationship to the next level in the summer of 2017 when Shivang flew to New Jersey from his internship in California for 36 hours of Meeting The Family and attending the IIFA awards.
2018
By summer of 2018, we decided we were serious enough about each other to embark on the next step: Long Distance. Shivang was moving to California after graduation, and Damini was moving to Chicago for grad school. But we ended our time in Cambridge with a bang, complete with attending Shivang’s law school prom.
2019
Long distance had its ups and downs, but we made it work with frequent visits and calls. In the summer of 2019 Shivang joined Damini in Italy for their first-ever international trip together. Traveling with someone reveals a lot about someone and we learned that we were shockingly incompatible travelers. Damini wanted to show Shivang the wonders of Rome, but Shivang just wanted to find a good burger (in Italy?!) and some AC. If this wasn’t going to be enough to drive them apart, nothing would.
2020
In the summer of 2020, our long distance came to an abrupt end as COVID hit. With the world going remote, Damini was able to relocate from Chicago to Mountain View. Adjusting to life together, in a suburb, during a pandemic was hard. We barely scraped by with our sanity intact, with the help of lots of TV, snapchat filters, and some getaways with our friends who were also going stir crazy.
2020
In the summer of 2020, our long distance came to an abrupt end as COVID hit. With the world going remote, Damini was able to relocate from Chicago to Mountain View. Adjusting to life together, in a suburb, during a pandemic was hard. We barely scraped by with our sanity intact, with the help of lots of TV, snapchat filters, and some getaways with our friends who were also going stir crazy.
2021
In the fall of 2021, we made some necessary lifestyle changes and moved up to San Francisco. In the best twist, Tanvi moved to SF at the same time, and she and Cody became regular fixtures of our SF lives. They taught us how to adult and set us up for success in the city. Tan helped furnish and decorate our house and adopted us into her Rice friends community, and Cody taught us how to cook and when trying to teach Damini how to drive wore Shivang’s patience down, Cody took over as Damini’s driving teacher.
2022
2022 was the year of Weddings. We traveled all over the country and even to Abu Dhabi for to attend weddings while juggling crazy jobs, a bad back, and a broken collar bone (if you don’t know this story, please don’t ask Shivang about it). We were moving through the year at a breakneck pace, but also partying our butts off with some of our best friends from all stages of our lives. 10/10 would do again, preferably with our bodies more intact.
2022
2022 was the year of Weddings. We traveled all over the country and even to Abu Dhabi for to attend weddings while juggling crazy jobs, a bad back, and a broken collar bone (if you don’t know this story, please don’t ask Shivang about it). We were moving through the year at a breakneck pace, but also partying our butts off with some of our best friends from all stages of our lives. 10/10 would do again, preferably with our bodies more intact.
2023
We reached another important relationship milestone in the fall of 2023 when we both traveled to Mumbai and Singapore together. We took a month off work (we’re very proud about this) and leaned into the Mumbai monsoon season with mangoes, pau bhaji dosas, Red Bull, cocktails, and lots of quality family time.
2023
We reached another important relationship milestone in the fall of 2023 when we both traveled to Mumbai and Singapore together. We took a month off work (we’re very proud about this) and leaned into the Mumbai monsoon season with mangoes, pau bhaji dosas, Red Bull, cocktails, and lots of quality family time.
2023
By the winter of 2023, our families had had enough of our unwillingness to discuss marriages and weddings, and we finally put an end to their misery while walking around the Great Sand Dunes. In all honesty, we’d probably been ready for months, but had been too busy enjoying our lives to make it official. As Damini’s newly anointed “fiancé”, Shivang obviously had to re-enact the Mufasa-Scar scene during the Sharma’s road trip to Arizona.
2024
In the summer of 2024, we got married in a small ceremony in Shivang’s parents’ backyard, with Cody as our officiant and Dada + Dadima as our ring-bearers. We’re excited to make it “Indian” official with all of you soon!
Accommodation
& Travel
Welcome to India! We’re looking forward to celebrating with some of you in Jaipur and some of you in Mumbai.
Jaipur
Venue: ITC Rajputana
We have blocked rooms for all guests at the same hotel that will host all the wedding events. Please refer to your invitation for further details on confirming a booking.
Explore ITC Rajputana
GETTING THERE
Arriving via flight or train
Domestic flights are getting booked up so please book travel soon! Please refer to your invitation for details on pick up on arrival.
If you are flying in from out of the country, you will likely find the best connections to the Delhi or Mumbai airports rather than an international flight to Jaipur. Note that it is only a 4 hour drive to Jaipur from Delhi.
Arriving in Jaipur by road
If you are planning to fly into New Delhi airport and get to Jaipur by road, we recommend the private taxi agency listed below. Note that private taxi rentals in India come with a driver! The hotel does have limited parking for guests driving themselves as well.
Car Service
Shivam Tours and TravelsSuresh Sharma | Whatsapp #: +91 98873 25058
Delhi to Jaipur can be booked through this company. They have offices in both cities, so can charge either for one way trips or for round trips.
E-Visas
If you are not an Indian citizen, you may need a visa to enter the country. Use the link below to find out which countries can do e-visas as well as the online application.
E-VisasNote: Must apply at least 4 days in advance
TOURING INDIA
ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES IN/NEAR JAIPUR
- Hawa Mahal & walking market tour
- Amer Fort & Nahargarh Fort
- City Palace
- Jhalana Leopard Reserve - Safari tickets sell fast!
- Ranthambore Safari - tickets sell fast
Here is a travel brochure highlighting key places to visit in the city: Jaipur Brochure
ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES BEYOND JAIPUR
Especially if you’re coming to India from outside the country, you may want to extend your trip and explore more places. An easy way to do this around Jaipur is to complete the Golden Triangle: Delhi-Agra-Jaipur. This is a great road or train trip, though you can also fly between the cities. Of course, if you have already seen the Golden Triangle, there is no shortage of amazing destinations in India and we’d be happy to make other recommendations!
The car rental agency (a driver is assigned to you with each booking) can be booked from this agency. Mr. Sunil Gupta or Ms. Shilpi Gupta from Travel Bureau India, mentioned on the right, can help you plan and book beatiful experiential trips.
Please note that this is peak travel season in India and things will get booked up fast, so make your reservations ASAP!
Want Help Planning an Itnerary?
Travel Bureau IndiaSunil Gupta | sunil@travelbureauindia.com | Whatsapp #: +91 983.703.3023
Shilpi Gupta | Whatsapp #: +91 982.064.5750
Our family friends run a travel agency that will plan a customized travel plan for you! Please give them a call with your dates and preferrences and they’ll work with you to create your itinerary.
Some Key Sights in Delhi
- Walking tour of Old Delhi: Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sigkh Temple)
- Akshardham
- Kutub Minar
- Lotus Temple
- Gandhi Memorial
Some Key Sights in Agra
- Taj Mahal - note the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, including December 27th
- Fatehpuri Sikri
- Agra Fort
ATTRACTIONS AND ACITIVITES IN MUMBAI
Check out these itinerary ideas for suggestions on what to see in Mumbai:
Explore Mumbai with viatorTRAVEL TIPS
Getting around if you haven’t rented a car for the duration of your trip:
- Uber and Ola app based rideshare
- Local taxis and auto rickshaws
Tipping norms:
- 10% if the bill does not include 'service charges'
Food safety:
- Tap water in India is not safe to drink. Showering, washing hands, etc. is fine with tap water, but be sure any water you drink comes from unopened, sealed bottles unless you are at someone's home. This is a common practice even at restaurants, where they will open the water bottle in front of you at your table.
Weather:
- In December, Jaipur ranges from 24C during the day down to 10C in the evening. It averages 4mm of rain over the month of December, so shouldn't rain on us!
- In December, Mumbai ranges from 27C to 16C, and 0 days of rain.
Schedule of Events
Please refer to your invitation for a schedule of events.
Gifts
Your presence and blessings are the greatest gift! We appreciate the time and effort involved. If you still wish to gift, we request no boxed gifts or you could donate to any of the charities listed below:
Damini has been volunteering with Sakhi for South Asian Survivors over the past year. Sakhi represents the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean diaspora in a survivor-led movement against gender-based violence. They work with people experiencing abuse or violence in the New York City area, and run a number of programs including counseling, housing assistance, legal assistance, as well as a crisis helpline that Damini has been volunteering for.
The Marshall Project is a news organization that focuses on criminal justice reform in the United States and is where Damini began her journey in that movement as a Data Fellow. The Marshall seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system, and helped restore Damini’s faith in careful, neutral, well-researched journalism. You can see examples of her work here here.
Shivang volunteered as a teacher through the Aware Foundation, an organization that seeks to transform lives of children in disadvantaged Indian communities using education as a vehicle. They fund and run schools in those communities and provide shelter to orphans and street/runaway children. As a volunteer teacher, Shivang traveled to numerous communities near Ahmedabad teaching kids basic literacy and life skills.
FAQs
Help! What should I wear?
There is absolutely no expectation for anyone to buy or wear Indian clothing! Western wedding outfits work just fine!
But if you’d like to buy and wear Indian clothes, you’re very welcome to! Read on for some guidance on the different styles. And if you live in the Bay Area and want to borrow something from Damini/Shivang’s closets, you’re welcome to!
Outfits traditionally worn by women
- Anarkali (with pants, with skirt)
- Gown (example) essentially an Anarkali but without pants/skirt
- Salwar kameez / kurta set (example one, two)
- Sharara set (example one, two) - essentially salwar kameez with flary pants
- Lehenga (example one, two)
- Sari (example one, example of a pre-stitched one)- if you've never tied a sari before, consider opting for a pre-stitched sari! Also, this is probably the least comfortable outfit for dancing so considering wearing something different during the reception.
Outfits traditionally worn by men
- Kurta and pants (example one, two)
- Kurta layered with jacket (example with a Nehru jacket, with a Bundi jacket)
- Jodhpuri/Bandhgala (example one, two)
- Indo-western (example one, two) - similar to previous options, usually with a longer jacket
- Sherwani (example one, two)
Where can I order Indian clothes online?
Manyavar also has a Jaipur store within 15 minutes driving from the ITC hotel if you'd like to do some in person shopping.
Are there any colors to avoid?
In general, avoid all black or all white clothing, but prints, suits, etc. are fine!
How cold will it be?
Kind of cold! It’s winter time in Jaipur, so on average expect a high of 76F (24C) and a low of 48F (8C). Some events including evening events will be outdoors. We will have heating lamps in the evening, but we’d encourage to you to carry cardigans, shawls or jackets to stay warm!
In Mumbai, we expect pleasant weather. The event will be both indoor and outdoor – dress as you please!
Contact us
Have further questions? Email us!
DaminiAndShivang@gmail.com