Of Serendipity And Spreadsheets: Alka And Abhinay's Heartwarming Wedding Story

Alka and Abhinay’s life (and first meeting) could have been all about their budding business and logical details like money and markets, but their love story began because of serendipity.

Both Alka and Abhinay were working on their early-stage fintech startups in Indonesia when they, individually, decided to head to Bali for a getaway. “I was on a yoga retreat while Abhi was surfing and diving along Bali's shores,” recalls Alka, “We casually met for a sunset walk, and one walk turned into many. With each sunset, a deeper friendship was growing—admiration for each other's journeys, respect for how we wanted to live our lives, and most importantly, the sheer joy of being childlike with one another.”

The deep friendship forged by similar experiences slowly began evolving into their love story. The realisation that Abhinay was The One didn’t hit Alka at one big moment; instead, a thousand small moments confirmed that she was with the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

“It was the way he showed up when I was at my lowest, not feeling the greatest, and he got kadhi chawal in Jakarta (which I had told him in passing that mom ke haath ka kadhi chawal is comfort),” she says, “I knew he was the one because he made me feel at home, even when I didn't know where home was. Because he accepted me, clumsy, messy, and overthinking me, with patience and love. He was never trying to change me; he only ever wanted me to be myself.”

The Proposal

A love story like this deserved a proposal that was just as thoughtful and profound. Abhinay was clearly of the same mind as he planned the “magical” proposal of Alka’s dreams. 

Since Bali was a special place for the couple, they decided to spend Alka’s birthday there, surrounded by their friends from all over the world. When they reached Bali, Abhi suggested that they should do a photoshoot with his friends over at 1Plus1 Studio, as they would get tied up later in the year, which seemed like a logical enough explanation to Alka.

“The day before my birthday, we kicked off the shoot at 5 AM. We went for a sunrise shoot in the paddy fields of Ubud. The sunrise was stunning until it started raining. My makeup was patchy, hair frizzy, and the 1Plus1 team was doing their best to make us laugh and salvage good shots.”

They moved the shoot to inside the villa, where a beautiful flower set-up awaited the couple. In the middle of the photoshoot, John Legend’s ‘All of Me’ began playing, a song that was special for them. In the midst of their dancing, the photographer suggested Abhinay pull the proposal pose, much to Alka’s amusement. However, the pose was not just for the pictures as Abhinay chose the moment to pull out a ring and pop the question. “I have no clue what he said, because I was already crying. Before he finished, I said yes!”

The Wedding Planning

As dreamy as the proposal was, it gave no inkling as to how difficult the wedding planning process could be. Thankfully, both Alka and Abhinay were more than up to the task.

“We treated the wedding like one big live project. We both genuinely love problem-solving together. We’re so aligned, yet we each bring different strengths and perspectives. Planning became a mix of structured project management (just like at work!) and family collaborations, with our parents as key stakeholders.” 

She adds, “We had Google Sheets, timelines, and a master drive called 'Lifetune Wedding of Alka & Abhi’ (not kidding!). We launched communications to guests, designed our wedding website (which we absolutely loved doing), and had creative brainstorms for decor, event vibe, and entertainment. It was like running a mini startup with heart and confetti.”

What kept them going was the belief that their wedding would be a rare occasion when every single person they loved and cared about, across geographies and life stages, was under the same sky. “It felt less like an event and more like a festival — a festival that celebrated our love and union, with all our people around us. That feeling? Worth every single late-night discussion and spreadsheet row.”

The Destination Wedding

The decision to host their wedding in Bali was a no-brainer for the couple. “Bali has always been our place. We’ve spent the most time outside of work together there. We each, in our own ways, found little pieces of ourselves in Bali. We fell in love there. He proposed there!”

Having a destination wedding had its own set of advantages and disadvantages, says Alka.

“Once we got there, we could switch off from logistics and just be present. We were in the moment, soaking it all in, rather than running around fixing last-minute things.” The other big advantage? Only the people who really care will show up. “In an Indian wedding at home, it’s not unusual to have relatives you haven’t seen in 20 years show up. At a destination wedding, people who made the effort to come really wanted to be there. That created a warm, intimate atmosphere where everyone was genuinely invested and present.”

Blending Their Distinct Cultures

Another planning challenge that Alka and Abhinay had to make room for in the myriad of wedding planning spreadsheets was to include both their distinct cultural identities in the wedding. Alka is from Delhi, and Abhinay is from Hyderabad. But seamlessly blending both Punjabi and Telugu traditions into their wedding happened organically. For Alka, it was all about the food.

“Our love language is food. We both actively seek good food, and while navigating which rituals to include was a serious conversation, designing the food menu became pure joy,” she says, “ I’m a proper Delhi girl—chaat, dal makhani, jalebi, and rabri are in my soul. Abhi’s from Hyderabad—so biryani, tomato dal, and peanut bhindi had to be on the menu. We spent hours curating the food across three days, making sure it wasn’t just about our hometown favorites, but also dishes from places we’ve traveled to and loved together. It ended up feeling like a food story of our relationship.”

Abhinay was more focused on the ritual side of things. “I’ve grown up seeing temple weddings — simple, focused on rituals and blessings. The idea of a wedding where people are dancing and celebrating every single moment was completely new for me!” he says, “Seeing how everyone—family, friends, even extended relatives—just jumps in, dances, plays games, and treats every event like a party was amazing.”

Their cultural differences also came to the fore when dealing with various vendors for their wedding. “ I’m a full-on Delhi girl. I’ve grown up going to Chandni Chowk for every family wedding. Bargaining, getting freebies, and finding hacks. That’s just in the DNA. Abhi, on the other hand, is from Hyderabad—hostel boy, super simple, and had never experienced anything remotely like the madness of those markets,” says Alka, “So during wedding planning, every vendor call became hilarious. I’d go into full negotiation mode—comparing prices, asking for discounts, playing an emotional card—and he would just sit there wide-eyed like, ‘I did not know you could do this’”

It’s All In The Details

Both Alka and Abhinay were in agreement that their wedding needs to feel personal and intentional. “We didn’t want to just run around managing things; we wanted to be present, laugh, dance, and soak it all in.”

She recalls their haldi ceremony as an example of how they managed to make this happen. “We kept all the beautiful traditions, with my mom and the ladies singing folk songs the way it’s been done in our family for years. But we balanced that with fun and playfulness. My friends became emcees, made everyone play silly games, and brought in this incredible energy that turned it into a true celebration.”

One of the most important ways in which they made their wedding feel personal was to write their own vows. The couple recited their self-written vows to each other, surrounded by the lush verdant beauty at the Hilton Bali Resort and the roaring ocean behind them.

“We planned every single detail together, from the decor to the music to the tiniest logistics. But the one thing we kept completely secret from each other was our vows,” says Alka. “When we finally read our vows out loud to each other, it was surreal. There were so many uncanny similarities—the same thoughts, promises, and even little inside jokes—all without sharing notes beforehand. It was this beautiful moment of, ‘We really are in sync.’”

According to Alka, the wedding was 100% the dream wedding she always wanted, from the gorgeous Bali weather to the “funny, warm and progressive pandit”. Even the guests’ outfits turned out to be a win. “I still can’t believe everyone followed the dress code! Families in cream, guests in pastel, and me standing there in my bold hot rani pink, just like I had envisioned. The weather, the vibe, the people, the energy—it all felt like pure magic that we somehow called into being.”

Their Happily Ever After

With the wedding chaos behind them, the couple is now looking forward to quiet weekends where they can spend quality time with each other. “There was just so much happening—travel, shopping, decision fatigue, endless checklists (All of this while managing work). Somewhere in the middle of all that, we were constantly on the go and didn’t really get time to just be with each other. It felt like we were always coordinating for everyone else.”

Their meticulous planning and preparation for the wedding yielded an important insight that they wish every soon-to-wed couple would know. “No matter how much you plan, things will go wrong. Something won’t arrive on time, someone will have an opinion and, honestly, it’s okay. The wedding will still be beautiful.”

Here’s wishing Alka and Abhinay a lifetime of happiness.