Sixteen years ago this day, I picked up the phone to make conversation with a stranger for the first time. He sounded genuinely nice and completely honest. Within minutes of starting the conversation, he confessed to me how he was too broke to make a trip home to have this conversation in person. He shared with me what his meagre paycheck was and what he was doing in a country far away from home. He talked a little bit about himself and asked a lot of questions. He requested me to think long and hard if I was comfortable with the information he was giving me & the conversation we had shared since it would have a long-term impact on our lives.
I didn’t think much or for too long. His honesty touched my heart and I agreed to share the journey of life with him after a 15 minute conversation that was preceded by a quick glance at his photo. A couple of months later we were engaged. He couldn’t make it to the engagement. He was saving every dollar towards the trip he had to make for the wedding.
We were engaged for nine long months. We emailed each other occasionally, he called about once a month and we wrote letters frequently. That was the only time he wrote letters to me and I still have them saved along with a few other pieces of memorabilia. The months flew by. Wedding preparations were in full frenzy. My mom was busy with all tasks that needed to be complete except for one single key activity. She had the invitations back from the press but her heart would not give her the permission to hand it out to friends and family till she had seen the groom in person. That in her mind was the final irreversible step.
Not a single person we knew prior to my wedding had agreed to get married to someone without meeting each other in person. Everyone we spoke to was amazed and a tad weary about the decision. Mom had done everything she could but all we really could go by was sheer luck and pure intuition. Even my closest friend was scared for me and was silently praying for things to go well.
Finally the day dawned on us when the groom landed home for the wedding. Most of the family went to the airport to welcome him home and to catch a glimpse of him before completing the one final task. The OH landed and everyone in my family heaved a collective sigh of relief when they finally got to see him. We had twenty days before the actual wedding day to meet, spend time, get to know each other and be mentally and physically prepared.
After all the preparations, excitement, and anxious moments, here is a sneak peek at the bride on her wedding day.
Many a folks have asked us since how things worked out and we met a host of other couples who made their decisions without meeting each other in person. To every single one who asked us for feedback, the OH & I have had just one this to say and that was to go with their gut & instinct.
Fifteen years, some fun memories and two lovely kids later, I can safely say it worked just fine for the two of us. The beginning of forever indeed…
In addition to this being a special day from our lives, this post is also a response to Terri’s mom, who tagged me to post a blog-friendly photo of me as a bride 
