Florence and Lalitha have been best friends since they were just 15 years old!! They met in the halls of their high school in Ann Arbor, MI and have been joined at the hip ever since. Not only did were they high school best friends, but they then went on to the University of Michigan together as undergrads, roomed together their senior year of college, moved to D.C. together post-graduation, got their first jobs in D.C. side-by-side, lived together during COVID, and have visited each other every year no matter where in the world they moved to. From countless summer sleepovers, snow days, high school and college adventures, music room singing sessions, political protests, holiday celebrations, 8-hour road trips, roommate shenanigans, weekend getaways, family gatherings, and SO much more, Florence and Lalitha have grown up together and have helped positively shape each other's worlds and voices. Now, on Lalitha's big day, they will reunite to celebrate yet another milestone together and will share the dance floor as best friends and sisters always do!
Krsna and Lalitha first met in their college singing group Maize Mirchi. After a rehearsal one night, in October 2014, they walked home together, and what started as a quick hello, turned into hours and hours of conversation about everything from their views on love and life philosophies, to ridiculous Scrubs jokes, ideas about their future careers and SO much more. From this moment on, they felt a unique connection that would continue to blossom and strengthen, no matter how far apart or difficult life got, ultimately forming a deep sisterhood and loving friendship. They claim to share the same brain and have forged a bond like no other, seemingly having a language and world all to themselves whenever they reunite. They have leaned on each other through thick and thin, and Krsna has been not only a sister, but also a second half to Lalitha's internal monologues. So there is no one Lalitha would rather have by her side on her most special day than her little Soulmate Wifey Krsna!
Shray and Lalitha would have never met without Anu in their lives! Anu grew up with Shray in Cincinnati, and they become close childhood friends. Eventually, Anu headed off to the University of Michigan for college, where she met Lalitha auditioning for their singing group, Maize Mirchi. Anu and Lalitha had back-to-back auditions, and within minutes, they became friends and eventually became roommates their sophomore year of college. After graduating, Anu and Lalitha grew even closer and eventually built an unbreakable sisterhood, calling each other for hours a day and not going more than a couple of months without a trip or visit together. Eventually, in 2019, Anu brought Shray and Lalitha, along with a few other friends, to her older sister's wedding, and the rest was history! Anu has been a best friend, confidant, sister, and protector of Lalitha's for nearly 10 years, and is the reason that Shray and Lalitha are standing as one couple today. Anu and Lalitha will forever celebrate and cherish each and every milestone in their lives together, as sisters should!
Arooshee and Lalitha became fast friends through their college singing group, Maize Mirchi. Within a year or two of graduating college, the two of them, along with Krsna and Anu, formed what they affectionately call "The Cysterhood" - which remains a core source of love and strength for all four girls. Over the last several years, the Cysterhood has been a space to share challenges, celebrate milestones, talk through difficult phases of life, and simply be as silly, supportive, and wild as they want to be. Arooshe and Lalitha built an especially beautiful little sister-big sister relationship, and this bond was made even stronger when they moved in together for the summer in 2021, where they created a wonderful little life in Charlestown MA - just a few months before Shray and Lalitha went on their first date! Since then, they have seen each other through so many highs and lows, but even through the roughest of times, they've maintained such a special and supportive sisterly bond. There's no one better human to complete Lalitha's quintet of bridesmaids!
Christina was one of Lalitha's first ever friends in high school. They first met backstage during a high school musical production, and that foundation slowly built into a beautiful friendship spanning many years and many cities. Christina has seen Lalitha grow from high school, through college, into adult life, living near one another in New York City for a while, and meeting each year during the holidays and for long coffee chats, reflecting on life, love, family, and friendships. Their relationship is built on introspective discussions, loads of laughter, long nights cuddled up by the tv, long-distance voice memos, and endless NYC reunions. She will travel all the way from London to be by Lalitha's side on her special day, and after a decade of friendship, there is no one Lalitha would rather have standing next to her!
Shray and Edwin go all the way back to elementary school!! They went to Bethany School for one year together, but then lost touch until they rekindled their friendship in high school through a mutual friend, Anu (one of Lalitha's bridesmaids and the same friend that Shray met Lalitha through!). Edwin and Anu went to middle school together and became close friends there, and when Shray and Anu met and also got close to each other in high school, Anu reintroduced Shray to Edwin, and the three have been like siblings to each other ever since. Edwin and Shray have remained close, bonding over their unrelenting and fanatic support of Cincy sports teams, as well as a deep love for the underdog drivers in Formula 1. Throughout their friendship, Edwin has always pushed Shray to explore his passions and new interests in life, and he has truly been a guiding force that helped Shray become a more well-rounded, confident individual. He is undoubtedly Shray's number one hype man and Shray is so excited for Edwin to be by his side, bringing the intensive, loving energy he always does, to support and party together all through the wedding weekend.
Ashraf was Shray's first friend in college. They met at Emory's orientation day after Shray “tripped” while walking on the stairs during the campus tour, when he noticed Ashraf was wearing the exact same red and blue striped Abercrombie and Fitch polo shirt as him. The very next day, Shray got a text from Ashraf asking if he would like to be his roommate, and there was no going back! Being from Georgia, Ashraf took Shray around Emory and Atlanta and showed him what true southern hospitality looks like, introducing him to everything and more that Atlanta has to offer during their 4 years together at Emory. They bonded over their love of The Weeknd and late night McDonalds meals, and have remained close even after Ashraf went off to medical school in New York a few years before Shray moved to Boston. Ashraf will always be the closest thing that Shray has to a brother and he is so excited to have his McBronald by his side this weekend.
Shray and Bryan met in their first year of medical school and lived together as roommates for 3 years. Bryan is just from outside of Atlanta, and since Shray went to Emory in Atlanta for undergrad, they bonded over their mutual love for the city of "Hotlanta" while freezing together in the cold Boston weather. They leaned on each other throughout medical school and pushed each other to hit the books and hit the gym to stay in top mental and physical shape, especially through COVID when things shut down around them. Bryan was the first to know about Lalitha and Shray’s newfound love in Boston and was the ultimate supporter of their relationship during all of the stressful and busy times Shray had in medical school. Shray will be forever grateful to Bryan for not only being a reliable spotter for him at the gym before the barbell would come crashing down, but most especially, for the fact that he can always rely on Bryan to push him to be the best doctor and his best self.
Shray met Seth at Emory through a mutual friend, and from their very first week in college, Shray knew Seth would be a lifelong friend. Although Seth grew up in California, they bonded over the fact that Seth’s family lived in Cincinnati before he was born. Seth always loved taking Shray to new coffee shops around Atlanta and is the reason why Shray is now fully dependent on coffee while working in the hospital wards! Shray has always admired Seth’s passion to help those who were less privileged in the world, and hearing about Seth’s efforts to help those in Rwanda during and after college is what motivated Shray to be a better supporter of his own community in college and beyond. Shray is so happy that Seth has transplanted from the West Coast to Chicago for law school and is thrilled to have him by his side on his wedding weekend!
Shray and Jordan have been friends since middle school. Their friendship blossomed in high school as they both played tennis together (although Jordan was way more athletic than Shray!), and they've remained close friends ever since. After Shray graduated and left Ohio for college and medical school, anytime Shray returned home for a visit, Jordan would introduce him to all the new, exciting places that had popped up around Cincy, and they stayed connected no matter where Shray moved to. Their friendship is built on a shared love of football, tennis, and being a "Bad Boy", with Shray's other groomsmen Hugh, and the boys always reconnect in Cincinnati each year. Shray will always be jealous of Jordan for winning their fantasy football league, but he will put aside his jealousy for just this weekend in order to have on of his oldest friends be by his side on his special day.
Shray met Gopi in medical school through Bryan, and the three of them became close friends very quickly. Gopi and Shray bonded through their love of the gym and their favorite Indian restaurant, Godavari, just outside of Boston. Shray would always playfully cheer against Gopi’s favorite team the Celtics (especially when they would play LeBron!). But of course, Gopi claimed ultimate victory when the Celts won their ring in 2024. Basketball differences aside, Shray will forever be grateful for Gopi’s honest nature and ability to talk through difficulty things with him in an objective and rational way. He has always supported Shray in times of need and embraced Lalitha with open arms, helping her bond and become close to Shray’s medical school friend group since moving to Boston. Shray is thrilled to have Gopi by his side on his special weekend to support him, especially as Shray gets his first (and only!) ring of his own.
Hugh and Shray's friendship blossomed when they became Model UN co-presidents in high school. Since then, Hugh has been a close confidant of Shray's, and they remain focused on their clear and very achievable goal to have Hugh own and Shray coach the Bengals side by side one day. In the meantime, they will work to win their fantasy football league every year (despite never winning to date), and continue to thrive as the two members of their high school friend group to currently live on the Northeast Coast. They will reunite once more back in their home town of Cincinnati, where their friendship first began, and are so excited to be together on Shray and Lalitha’s special day.
"Parents hold their children's hands for a while, but their hearts forever.''
Growing up, one of Lalitha's favorite things to do with her Amma was to go and explore new experiences and cultural events together. From watching beautiful Bharathanatyam performances in Chennai, India, to making frequent trips to the Field Museum in Chicago, all the way to planning vacations focused on learning about history and art in different cities around the world, she planted the seed of curiosity about the world in Lalitha, and spent hours every month curating meaningful, exciting activities and experiences for them to enjoy as a family. Lalitha remembers each one very fondly and not a day goes by that she isn't deeply grateful for the love, joy, and excitement about the world that her Amma gave to her. If you get a moment with the Mother of the Bride this weekend, ask her about her favorite fond memory of Lalitha and the many trips and experiences they had together!
"A mother is the first love of her son, and a son is the whole world for a mother"
From a young age, Shray learned from his Momma how to dedicate himself to pursuing all of his interests and passions, and how to stay true to himself and his values no matter where he went or what he tried. She constantly encouraged him to explore new things and go after any experiences that caught his eye. She has given him unwavering support for everything, from his love for medicine to his slightly concerning but valid obsession with the Cincinnati Bengals. There's not a doubt that he also got his Green Thumb from her, as we all know how precious her garden and boy are to her! Shray's Momma gave him the tools to be successful in all of his endeavors through her love and constant encouragement. If you catch a moment with the Mother of the Groom this weekend, make sure to ask which plants in her garden give her the fondest memories of Shray!
The best memories Lalitha has with her Appa are the unending amount of car rides she would have as a kid, where he would play her his favorite classic musical artists and teach her about the blues, rock, pop, and everything in between. From singing along to Coldplay, Sting, and the Dave Matthews band to jamming out to J.J. Cale, Billy Joel, and Eric Clapton, Lalitha's love of musical art is 100% learned from her Appa! Not only did he bring her into the world of music, but he also imparted his deep love of film (there's nothing like a movie night at the Ramaswamy household!!). Every new Christopher Nolan film release is a bonding experience for them both. If you get a moment with the Father of the Bride this weekend, ask him about his favorite films or classic song and which of them he enjoyed watching or listening to the most with his darling daughter.
"Parents are the first teachers, shaping minds and hearts with love and wisdom"
Shray is so thankful to have such a loving, patient, and free-spirited Dad. As a child, his Dad was always there from him - from being a coach on his childhood soccer team, to taking him to Reds games every year, to tossing a football around the house (and breaking the occasional vase - sorry Mom!), and even driving him to school every morning while blasting 700 WLW. Shray will always remember his dad for one thing: being there whenever he needed him. His Dad's constant presence instilled in Shray the core value of always being there for others, regardless of distance or relation. As he got older, Shray became quickly attached to his Dad's second favorite child: golf! They always love to go play a round together whenever Shray comes home. Although Shray may lose his patience quickly when hooking his shots, he can always rely on his Dad to break the tension with a PJ (Pradeep Joke) and keep his spirits high. If you get a chance this weekend, ask the Father of the Groom to demonstrate how Shray would catch a football with him around the house (hint: 85 is always open!).
"The bond between siblings is a canvas painted with memories and love."
Adithya came into Lalitha's life in 2006, when she was 10 years old, and ever since she held that bundle of joy in her arms, there has been nothing she has loved more (except for maaaybe Shray). Lalitha and Adithya have a special bond and despite their age difference, remain incredibly close. To this day, every home visit brings them so much joy and its so hard for them to leave each other!! Although Lalitha is like a second mom to Adithya, he in turn has helped her learn to be a kinder, more affectionate, and joyous person in the world because of his sweet and loving nature. She is so excited to see him continue his undergraduate journey at the University of Michigan, where she went to undergrad too, and watch him flourish and grow from the adorable little baby she helped look after into the intelligent, caring, adventurous adult that he is. If you get a moment with the Brother of the Bride this weekend, ask him about his favorite memory with Lalitha and how he's enjoying his newfound college life!