We met online through Bumble and had our first date at Malt and Mortar in Edmonton, AB on August 18, 2019. Needless to say, we hit it off. What followed were many more dinner dates and trips to the movies before we made our relationship official a month later.

We had the opportunity to meet some of each other’s loved ones that holiday season and spent as much time together as we could watching movies & attending festivals and special events in the city until the pandemic hit in 2020. Living apart at the time, we stayed as connected as possible when restrictions were at their highest, often going for walks or texting each other as we watched the same TV show or movie. Ian had the opportunity to celebrate his first Diwali with Akshay’s family and friends later that year and learn more about the cultural traditions that Akshay holds most dear.

We moved in together in early 2021 and started to combine our lives even more, spending most of our days together as we both worked from home. Our dog Simba joined our little family later that year and the experience of training a new puppy, though challenging, strengthened our relationship. We spent our first Christmas together at Ian’s family home in Banff that year.

In the summer of 2022, we made the decision to move to Calgary to be closer to friends and family.

After attending a wedding in Hua Hin, Thailand in May 2023, we spent some time in Bangkok with some friends. On May 18, 2023, after drinks at a beautiful sky bar in the city, Akshay surprised Ian with a proposal, which Ian (of course) accepted! Shortly after, we traveled to India, where Ian met Akshay’s brother and extended family for the first time. Ian had the opportunity to propose himself to Akshay a couple of months later after we saw a show together in Calgary, arranging for Akshay’s Mom and best friend to be there to witness.

Our travels have taken us as close as Jasper to as far as Delhi, and we hope to see more of the world in the years ahead. We have been a support to each other through life’s ups and downs and learned to love each other for all that we both are.

We are so excited to celebrate our love with family and friends this coming May and continue to spend our lives together. In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy watching Housewives and the 9-1-1 franchise, being silly with Simba and steadily increasing Ian’s spice tolerance.

Our wedding will be the next chapter of what we hope will be a long life together.