Moving cities for a new job is rarely meant to come with life-altering romance built in. Yet for Sandhya Srinivas and Conor Burke, the overwhelm of a fresh start in San Francisco in early 2023 came with an unexpected constant: each other. In her very first week in the city, a dating app match turned into something far more enduring. “It was my first week in San Francisco, and he was the first person I met,” recalled Sandhya. Not one for long stretches of texting, she suggested meeting up within half an hour. The result was a first date that unfolded over a hearty lunch, a long walk, and a stop at the Wave Organ, San Francisco’s wave-activated sound sculpture tucked into the Marina, and a spot that would slowly become theirs
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That same under-the-radar landmark would return a year and a half later, this time as the setting for a proposal. Conor planned a morning whale-watching trip in the Bay Area on June 22 as an early birthday present, “a good cover for the proposal,” he admitted. Motion sickness nearly threw off the plan, but spotting whales and then making their way back toward the Wave Organ brought everything full circle. Sandhya remembers him planting the idea with careful misdirection. “He had known we were going to spot it, and cleverly planted it in my head,” she said.
As they reached the end of the walk, Conor got down on one knee. And just when Sandhya thought she’d seen it all, he asked her to look up. A plane flew overhead trailing a banner that read, Conor hearts Sandy, she said yes. “It’s very hard to surprise Sandy,” Conor laughed. But on that morning by the bay, he managed to do just that.
The destination
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After an extravagant Indian wedding at Bengaluru’s Palace Grounds in May, the celebrations continued on a very different scale and setting in Ireland. The couple flew with 150 friends and family to Dromoland Castle, situated on Ireland’s west coast, to mark the next chapter in distinctly Irish fashion. For Conor, the choice was deeply nostalgic. “It’s one of my favourite places in the world, I’ve spent so many summers playing golf there,” he shared. Set in County Clare, the castle’s rolling greens, lake views and layered shades of lush countryside felt like a distilled version of Ireland itself, lending the wedding a sense of quiet majesty. The scale of Dromoland was well suited to the guest list, turning the castle into a living, breathing backdrop for the celebrations. One of the couple’s favourite memories came from simply inhabiting the space. “Running around the castle was our favourite part, up and down the stairs, bumping into everyone on the way to your room,” they recalled. With guests getting delightfully lost in its corridors, staff were stationed to guide people through the labyrinthine layout, adding to the fairytale feel of the setting. For Sandhya, the pull was rooted in the landscape. Drawn to the Temple of Mercury on the castle grounds, she envisioned walking down the long grass aisle, framed by trees and a cloudless sky. “I love everything nature,” she said, and the feeling of moving through greenery to reach the ceremony space gave the destination a sense of intimacy.
The highlights
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