"Marie and I first met at the University of Louisville. We were both majoring in Bioengineering and a mutual friend suggested that we all be in the same lab group together. We hadn't really interacted that much before this but were pleasantly surprised by how well we seemed to get along.

Soon after, we began to have lunches together nearly every day at the McAlister's Deli on campus with Billie (Marie's best friend and Maid of Honor). We'd talk about all sorts of things and as our friendship began to blossom, Marie and I started hanging out just the two of us, seeing movies, going to festivals, and meeting each other's families. Billie kept saying that we'd start dating soon, but of course we kept saying that no, we're "just friends."

Well, a couple of months later, Marie and I couldn't ignore it any longer, we had fallen for each other and on August 15, 2014 I asked her out on our first official "real date" and we began our journey together."

-Evan

"Thanksgiving Day of 2017, Evan, along with his brother, Daniel, and sister, Victoria, came up with what I thought was a spontaneous Christmas trip to Asheville, NC but as it turned out this was actually the culmination of a very well-planed and well-kept secret engagement surprise that they had been working on for months!

While we were in Asheville, Evan suggested (quite strongly) that the four of us should dress up "as fancy as possible" for our tour of the Biltmore Estate so that we could get some great pictures and the morning of our tour, Victoria took me to get our nails done "just for fun!" As you can see, they really thought of everything!

On the afternoon of December 23rd, 2017, with the Biltmore house itself in the background, Evan popped the big question! I couldn't believe it at first and thought he was just joking but that changed as soon as I saw him pull out that ring! I was so surprised and even turned to Daniel and Victoria to see if they knew this was going to happen, only to see them taking as many pictures as possible to capture every single moment! After they finished taking pictures, Evan and I walked up to the top of the hill to really take in what was happening. I was so excited; I just couldn't believe that I didn't realized he was going to do this!

On our way down we saw Victoria waiting for us by the stairs and as we rounded the wall to get to the top of the stairs, to my wonderful surprise we found my mom and Evan's parents hiding in wait for us! All said, it was an unforgettable trip and the most wonderful Christmas."

-Marie

"In March of 2020, due to escalating concerns about the pandemic, we made the difficult decision to postpone our wedding day celebration. After spending over a year planning for April 4, 2020, as our day, it was devastating to come so close, only to have it slip away. We spent the next week calling all our guests explaining the situation. And then, we were left wondering: What now? With no clear timeline for when we could safely gather our loved ones, we were at a loss for how to move forward.

Then, during a conversation with my brother and Best Man, Daniel Das, he casually threw out an idea: “Why not have a Zoom wedding?” At first, we weren’t sure, but the more we thought about it, the more it made sense. We still wanted to get married, and April 4th was our day, after all. So, with no grand venue and no big celebration in sight, we decided to make it happen anyway.

Daniel immediately volunteered to get ordained so he could officiate the ceremony, and from that moment on, we were off to the races. Since our major participants were on the other side of the country, our marriage certificate had to travel cross-country, collecting signatures before making its way back to us in Seattle in time for submission. It was nerve-wracking knowing that if anything happened to that piece of paper, we’d have to start all over again but thankfully, it made it back safely, and we were able to officially become husband and wife!

The ceremony was simple but meaningful in its own way. While it wasn’t the wedding we had originally envisioned, it allowed us to celebrate our love and officially start our lives together. We are forever grateful to Daniel for not only helping us save our day but for taking it a step further and actually marrying us. We love you, Brother! Your love and support truly showed us what family means."

-Evan

"We had discussed adopting a dog for a few years, and in the fall of 2020, we decided it was the right time! However, with COVID restrictions still in place, we quickly realized that everyone else had the same idea, and shelters were experiencing record adoptions. We initially applied within Seattle and the surrounding area, but other applicants were faster on the draw. Still determined, we expanded our search across the western U.S., and that’s when we found him: a half French bulldog, half pug, thought to be around 5 years old, and with the grumpiest little face in his profile picture. We immediately knew he was the one for us. We reached out, held our breath, and finally got a yes! There was just one catch: he was in Nebraska, and we had to pick him up in person. So, just a few days after Christmas of 2020, Evan made the trip to bring him home.

We had been warned by his foster family that our new addition was timid around men, but when Evan arrived, it was love at first sight. He warmed up almost instantly, happily trotting alongside Evan as if they’d been best friends forever. When they made it home to Seattle, I was waiting at the airport, and the second Evan handed me that shivering little bundle of fur, I fell in love too.

We renamed him Eddie, a.k.a. Edward Sebastian Das, giving him the same initials as Evan. Though he had a rough start in life and didn’t even know what a toy was at first, he’s since learned to love his toys, playing, long naps, and snuggling, and has become the perfect addition to our little family. Evan and Eddie remain best friends to this day."

-Marie

"For Thanksgiving of 2022, Marie, Eddie, and I took a trip to Leavenworth, WA, a charming Bavarian-style town located in the Cascade mountain range that goes all out with its Christmas decorations. While we were there, Marie started feeling a little off, and just in case, she decided to avoid drinking. In solidarity, I did as well, except for one German beer that Marie insisted I try on her behalf (we were in Leavenworth, after all). When the feeling lingered even after we got home, we made plans for her to take a pregnancy test the following Saturday. By then, I was pretty sure she was pregnant, so I secretly picked up cupcakes and sparkling juice to celebrate just in case. Saturday morning, lo and behold: Positive! We were ecstatic. For about a month, only the two of us knew, and we were floating on cloud nine.

By Christmas, we were ready to announce. We made a trip home to Louisville, and handed out sealed envelopes to our families, each containing a surprise message. Marie’s mom, Kathy, opened a "Merry Christmas, Grandma!" card, while my siblings, Daniel and Victoria, got Aunt and Uncle cards. My parents, Suresh and Parri, opened "Happy Retirement!" cards since they had always joked they wouldn’t retire until they had grandkids. There were a few seconds of silence as everyone opened the cards, followed by laughter, cheers, and happy tears.

On July 20, 2023, I held my son for the first time, and it was pure magic. He was so small, and all I wanted was to protect this tiny bundle of love. A short while later, our parents arrived, and we finally announced his name: Damian Suresh Das, with his middle name honoring my dad, the best father I could have asked for and whom I strive to emulate as a father myself.

Shortly after, we learned that Damian would need to stay in the NICU for a few days, which turned into nine. Those were the longest nine days of our lives. Looking back, the only reason I know for sure it was just nine days is because we remember the date he came home. It felt so much longer. Through it all, Marie was amazing, recovering from delivery, dealing with the stress of having our son in the NICU, and making trips between home and the hospital. I’m so proud to be raising my son with her.

Finally, on July 29, 2023, we brought Damian home, and just like that, our new lives as parents began."

-Evan