The Story
Saavan & Divya have been together for 7 years… but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. They met at a friends birthday party, Saavan thought she was cute and fun, and Divya loved his tiramisu and sense of humor. Here are a few photos of us through the years:
Year 0 (Nov 2017): Saavan finishes the Berkeley half marathon
Year 1 (Oct 2018): Divya graduates her masters!
Year 2 (Feb 2019): First international vacation (Paris) together!
Year 3 (Sept 2020): Biking through Monterrey for Divya’s Birthday!
Year 4 (Sep 2021): Hiking in San Louis Obispo
Year 5 (Dec 2022): Visiting Divya’s family in Serangulam, Tamil Nadu
Year 6 (Aug 2023): Divya & Saavan get engaged!
Year 7 (Oct 2024): Religious Wedding Ceremony in India
Saavan’s famous Tiramisu (it tastes better than it looks)
Divya & Saavan first met at their friend Vikram’s birthday party. Saavan made tiramisu for the party, and after trying it she agreed to give him her number.
When we first met… What did you like the most?
Saavan: She was really cute, had a witty sense of humor, and radiated positivity and happiness. And she liked my tiramisu!
Divya: I’m not going to lie, I was only at Vikram’s birthday because I knew Saavan going to be there, and I thought Saavan was really cute. Turns out, he was quite the smooth talker, with a lovely home (he’s a boy…), and made delicious Tiramisu. It only took 11 arm touches before Saavan asked me for my number.
Divya & Saavan’s first date was Cafe Milano in Berkeley! They talked about their love for all things food, living very far (Saavan) and very close (Divya) to their parents, and what they wanted in life together. Divya also shared how she never wanted to become a PhD student… while Saavan was a first year PhD student.
Cafe Milano in Berkeley, where Divya & Saavan had their first date
The First Date… Why did you agree to go on another?
Saavan: Divya was just as fun the first time as she was when we met. She was happy, talkative, and filled the air with a positive energy that I had never seen before.
Divya: I really liked Saavan’s vibe and was intrigued by him. He was clearly very smart and social, but very chill. How could a nerdy Electrical Engineering & Comp Sci kid from UC Berkeley be social but also so cool? I needed to go on more dates to figure out what his deal was. It just felt too good to be true.
Divya & Saavan moved in to Oakland together at the end of 2020 after dating for a few years. The move was a mess, Saavan found out he had COVID halfway through the move, the apartment building hadn’t set up our apartment properly and all mayhem broke loose. It worked out in the end though!
Setting up a tent in our first apartment, before we had any furniture.
Moving in together… What was the biggest change when you started living together?
Saavan: Divya always needs to be watching a show when she’s showering, doing chores, or anything else. I personally witnessed her watch “Friends” at least 4 times while we were together. The TV or laptop was constantly on running her shows.
Divya: I learned that Saavan likes to leave his clothes in little piles. Monday’s pile of pants & shirt, Tuesday’s pile of pants & shirt….it was like little tsunami swirls of clothes. But I loved that I got my own personal barista who makes amazing pour overs, mochas, and does interpretive latte art!!
After almost 6 years together, Saavan finally proposed on a summer day in Berkeley. With a dance number of all of their friends and family, it was quite an event!
The video of the proposal and dance number!
The Proposal… What was on your mind before it happened?
Saavan: I decided to plan a proposal flash mob with all of her friends…. but I don’t know how to dance. I didn’t have time to learn either, so I tried my best!
Divya: I thought we were going on one last nostalgic date around Berkeley before we moved to Montreal. I was asking Saavan about the first time he moved into the Berkeley dorms, the friends he made…just trying to add all the feels about loving the East Bay before we moved.