We first met in 8th grade during the Eisenhower Jr. High musical Aladdin and became friends right away. We grew closer throughout high school—performing in musicals, being class clowns in choir, attending each other's volleyball and badminton matches, and going to several dances together as each other's date.

After high school, we went to different colleges and lost touch for a few years. After graduating, Natalie stayed in Illinois while Dhruv moved to LA. When Covid hit, Dhruv moved back to Illinois to be with family, and we reconnected in June 2020. Natalie sent a simple "Happy Birthday, hope you're having fun in LA!" text, and Dhruv responded with, "Hey, I'm back in town! Let's hang out!" From there, we kept spending more and more time together—so much so that our parents eventually started asking, "So what is this exactly? Are you two dating or not?"

We made things official around July 2020, and a few months later, Dhruv landed a job back in Illinois. In October, he packed up and moved back from LA—only to be surprised when Natalie decided to join him on the road trip. That journey ended up being one of our most cherished memories. We knew we had found something special when, after three days alone in a car together, we still wanted to spend more time with each other and weren't going at each other's throats.

Since then, we haven't left each other's side. We've cheered each other on while in grad school, spent our weekends discovering cute coffee shops throughout the city, traveled to amazing places both internationally and across the U.S., and become regulars at our local Phở place. Most importantly, we've built a life together filled with laughter, love, and unwavering support.

N&D

Wedding and Reception

5:30 PM

Ceremony

6:00 PM–11:00 PM

Cocktail Hour & Reception