Pariyada and I got married at the Manhattan courthouse in January this year, but just recently we had our big wedding celebration with family and friends. Here I’ll share our relationship story which I wrote for our wedding website (with some photos added in) and the readings we chose for our ceremony.
Our story
Meet cute
Patrick and Pari met by pure good fortune, at a night market in Bangkok in 2023. Patrick was in Thailand on vacation visiting a friend and training Muay Thai. Pari had finished a day at work and was waiting at a table to meet her friend. They made eye contact as Patrick was walking by, and Patrick decided to go talk to this beautiful, bored girl in a lovely red dress. In the balmy nighttime air they got lost in conversation. Patrick noticed Pari was interested in culture and curious about the world. Pari noticed Patrick very slim and tall, and she was drawn to the way he spoke about his love of writing. Pari’s friend arrived, so they exchanged contact information and each went on with their night.
Later Patrick asked Pari out for drinks at a rooftop overlooking the city. They got to know each other better, then ran inside to escape a sudden thunderstorm. In a cozy lobby, they shared a kiss as lightning cracked open the sky.
During the rest of Patrick’s trip, they saw each other as much as possible, traveling and doing tropical excursions together. They said a poignant and uncertain goodbye.
Over the next year, they stayed in touch about news and life events. Pari left sweet and sincere voice messages on Patrick’s birthday and on New Year’s Eve, which weighed on his heart as he realized what a special person she was.
Travels
The next summer, Patrick planned another trip to Asia: to visit friends in Japan and Taiwan, and hopefully to see Pari again. Echoing their first meeting a year earlier, she agreed to join his travels. They met in Taiwan, where they survived multiple earthquakes, soaked in the natural hot springs of Wulai valley, and explored the eclectic nightlife of Taipei. They made another goodbye—more difficult this time.
Soon after that they started planning Pari’s visit to New York. She applied for a tourist Visa, and they rejoiced when she got it. Pari visited in December, and together they felt the timeless magic of Christmastime in the city. At this point Patrick knew he wanted to see her in Thailand again, hopefully very soon.
On Patrick’s next trip to Thailand, Pari planned a beautiful three weeks of island exploration, arts and crafts, and trendy restaurants. Patrick also had the pleasure of meeting some members of her family—sweet and gracious and always wanting the best for her. On a pedalboat in the middle of a lake, Patrick and Pari talked openly about what they hoped for the future.
Together in New York
Pari visited New York again, this time in the Summer. She met Patrick’s entire family at different events and holidays. Along the way she saw the sunny beaches of Margate, NJ, the rugged Adirondacks of upstate New York, the quiet luxury of West Palm, FL, and the American audacity of Disney World. In between these trips, they experienced everyday life together, and it felt right. They adapted to each other, laughed often, and cared for each other.
Proposal
Patrick knew he wanted to propose to Pari on a beach. The two had enjoyed beach walks together on both sides of the world, since the first days they met. “Italians are water people, and Thais are water people.”
In early December they took a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico to celebrate Patrick’s cousin’s birthday. Patrick told Pari they’d stay an extra night, just the two of them, so they could take a UTV tour Pari had picked out. They zipped around and got covered in mud, then checked into a fancy hotel and cleaned up.
Patrick brought Pari out to the beach for a walk before dinner. There they came upon an auspicious arch and sign, and everything fit into place. Patrick proposed, and Pari said yes, just as she had said yes to a drink on a rooftop in Bangkok, to a trip to Taiwan, and to a flight across the world. They celebrated with a romantic dinner at a nearby rooftop and quiet conversations in the hot tub at the resort.
Wedding photos
Coming soon!
Wedding ceremony readings
Excerpt from On Love by José Ortega y Gasset:
There are situations, moments in life, in which, unawares, the human being confesses great portions of his ultimate personality, of his true nature. One of these situations is love. In their choice of lovers both the male and the female reveal their essential nature. The type of human being which we prefer reveals the contours of our heart. Love is an impulse which springs from the most profound depths of our beings, and upon reaching the visible surface of life carries with it an alluvium of shells and seaweed from the inner abyss. […] By observing our neighbour in love we are able to deduce his vision or goal in life. And this is the most interesting thing to ascertain: not anecdotes about his existence, but the card upon which he stakes his life.
How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
