Near and Far
By Lisa Arnett
February 2025 View more Better Together
From long-distance dating to lasting love

When Samir Patel, 39, and Mansi Desai, 35, first connected on a dating website, geography was not on their side: He was living in Chicago, and she was a lifelong New Yorker. But after spending weeks texting and talking on the phone, they decided that Patel would fly to New York City for a weekend. “We wanted to maximize our time together in person, so I would meet him for breakfast and then we would spend the whole day out together, going home around midnight or 1 a.m.,” Desai says. Their conversation flowed right from the start. “We got each other’s sense of humor and we just felt comfortable right away,” Patel says. They lucked into even more time together when Patel’s flight home was canceled not once but twice. “We like to joke that our first date that was three days long was actually six days long,” Desai says.
They continued to date long distance, making trips back and forth to spend time together and meet each other’s families. In February 2024, they married in a courthouse wedding in Manhattan and then, with the help of Naperville-based DVS Events, planned a long weekend of traditional Hindu wedding festivities in the Chicago suburbs. They hosted a Pithi (a pre-wedding ritual) at The Moment on Main in Wheaton and a Garba (a party with music and dancing) at Haridham Chicago in Schaumburg and chose the Westin Chicago Lombard for their wedding ceremony and reception in July.

Before Patel gathered with family members for the Baraat (groom’s wedding procession), he and Desai met for first-look photos outside the Westin. “I’m so glad that we did that because it really took us out of the whole chaos of the weekend, and it was a moment to ourselves,” she says. “I didn’t think I was going to be nervous, but that day I was really feeling the butterflies…and then when I saw him it was such a sense of relief.”
The couple honored their late grandparents by creating photo keepsakes for each of them to wear, including a lapel pin for Patel and a latkan (a tassel-like accessory) for Desai that pictured each of their respective grandparents. “It was important for us to have all of our grandparents by our side for our ceremony,” Patel says.
In a stroke of bad luck prior to the weekend, Desai had tripped and broken her toe. Thanks to pain medication and a lot of adrenaline, she wasn’t deterred from taking to the dance floor with her guests. “I love to dance, and culturally it’s a big thing for us,” she says. Ditching her heels and lacing on a matching pair of custom Nikes with Patel gave her a bit of reprieve during the reception. Their sneakers featured their engagement photo as well as their respective city skylines, Chicago for Patel and NYC for Desai.
They honeymooned in Punta Mita, Mexico, and are settling into their new home together in the southwest suburbs. “We are working on getting the house decorated,” Desai says. “It’s been nice to do all those home projects together.”
Wedding Details
Venues
The Westin Chicago Lombard (wedding ceremony and reception); The Moment on Main, Wheaton (Pithi); Haridham Chicago, Schaumburg (Garba)

Wedding planner
DVS Events, Naperville
Catering
Ashyana Catering, Downers Grove, and Jigar’s Kitchen, Carol Stream
Bride’s attire
Shilpa Silk Palace and Jayshree Studios in India
Bride’s accessories
Badgley Mischka heels and custom Nike sneakers
Groom’s attire
C.M. Designer and Mandap Ethnic World in India; Men’s Wearhouse
Hair and makeup
Sonu Patel, Chicago

Henna
The Bridal Henna, Chicago
Entertainment
DJ Imallin of Creative Sounds Entertainment, Naperville
Cake
The Baking Institute, Northbrook
Decor
SaniMar Decor Studio, Northbrook
Photographer
R.E.M. Video and Photography, Northfield
Photos: R.E.M. Video and Photography