She Was Leaving for England When They Met. He Told Her She'd Come Back

Amanpreet and Harsimran met at a mutual friend’s going-away party, just as she was preparing to move to England for school. The timing wasn’t exactly ideal, and Amanpreet assumed whatever had started between them would probably end there.

Harsimran didn’t agree.

“You’re going to come back,” he told her. “It’s not like you’re leaving forever.”

He was right.

Distance became part of their relationship, but never a reason not to have one. “He believes in me even when I don’t believe in myself and always pushes me to chase my goals,” Amanpreet says. “His unwavering support, calm presence, and ability to make me laugh through anything are just a few of the many reasons I’m so grateful for him.”

For Harsimran, it’s her ambition and the way she cares for the people around her. “She’s passionate, determined, and always striving to grow, personally and professionally,” he shares. “She inspires me every day, and I feel so lucky to walk through life with her.”

Years later, while Amanpreet was in Italy for work, the two spent a day sightseeing in Tivoli, just outside Rome. She thought they were simply wandering through the gardens of a villa. Harsimran had other plans.

“The whole day felt simple, peaceful, and effortless like something out of a dream,” she says. “As we wandered through the gardens, soaking in the view, he suddenly got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”

Six months later, they were getting married.

From the beginning, Amanpreet and Harsimran knew they didn’t want to include every tradition simply because it was expected.

“One of the biggest challenges was asserting how we wanted to celebrate our day,” Amanpreet shares. “We didn’t want all the traditional events that typically come with a Punjabi wedding, we envisioned something more simple and intentional.”

On Amanpreet’s side, that meant a small choora ceremony, the Anand Karaj the next morning and a dholi done differently.

“One of the best decisions we made was to do the dholi from the gurdwara.”

Traditionally, the bride returns home after the ceremony before leaving again for the dholi. For Amanpreet, who had already spent years living away from home, that symbolism didn’t quite fit.

“I’ve been living away from home for so many years that the idea of a ceremonial ‘leaving home’ didn’t quite feel authentic to my situation.”

Instead, they held the dholi immediately after the Anand Karaj.

“It still honored the cultural significance of the dholi, while also allowing the day to remain calm, intentional, and true to how Harsimran and I envisioned starting our married life.”

Their fashion followed the same approach: considered, but very much their own.

For the Anand Karaj, Amanpreet wore a custom deep-plum Marwar lehenga with a high-neck top and raw silk dupatta. The entire look was ordered virtually, without so much as a fabric swatch.

“It was definitely a risk,” she says. “I really just had to trust the process… and somehow, it turned out even better than I could have ever imagined.”

Harsimran wore JJ Valaya, a choice they gave just as much attention.

“So often, the groom’s look gets overlooked, but we made it a priority to ensure his style was just as thoughtfully put together. He looked absolutely perfect.”

For the reception, Amanpreet switched gears completely with a crystal-covered Manish Malhotra two-piece.

“The moment I saw it, it gave major Kim K in her Balmain era vibes, and I instantly fell in love with it,” she says.

Looking back, Amanpreet’s advice is simple: stay together in the decisions.

“Wedding planning can definitely be stressful,” she says. “But the most important thing is to be in it together. Support one another, communicate openly, and stay grounded in the vision you both have for your day.”

Especially with Punjabi weddings, where expectations can pile up quickly, that mattered.

“There may be pushback, especially if you’re doing things a little differently, but if you stay rooted in your decisions and keep showing up as a united front, people will come around.”

For Amanpreet and Harsimran, doing things differently never meant leaving tradition behind.

It just meant keeping the parts that still felt like theirs.