Denise and Vishal first crossed paths in 2021 after both moving to Philadelphia—and as fate (and Hinge) would have it, they both swiped right. Messaging came easy, and they enjoyed getting to know each other online before meeting in person for their first date at a Mexican restaurant.
But soon after, Denise got caught up in research and ghosted Vishal (oops!). A month later, Vishal couldn’t stop thinking about her and decided to reach out again. They met up during Halloween weekend—and everything changed after that.
From there, their connection only grew. They started going on more dates, cooking meals together, hitting the gym, and enjoying the little things that quickly became big things. At first, Vishal was hesitant about putting a label on the relationship—he “didn't believe in titles”—but as time went on, they met each other’s families and friends, and it became clear this was something special.
On Valentine’s Day 2022, over Vishal's special homemade chicken parmesan dinner and a bottle of cabernet, Vishal officially asked Denise to be his girlfriend. Throughout Denise’s medical school journey, Vishal has been her biggest cheerleader—helping with meals, laundry, and apartment clean-ups—always showing up with love and support. They cherish weekends together, filled with laughter, food adventures (thanks to Denise’s love for trying new restaurants), and cozy moments at home bingeing Netflix.
Fast forward to 2024, Denise and Vishal started building their lives together in their home in Queen Village, Philadelphia with their two sweet boys, Lucky and Cosmo.
Along the way, Denise and Vishal made unforgettable memories traveling together—to New Orleans, New York City, Italy, Florida, and Curaçao—sharing laughter, new experiences, and their love of exploring the world. With more adventures still to come, the most meaningful one yet will be in Punta Cana, where they'll celebrate their wedding surrounded by the people they love most.
They can’t wait to begin this next chapter—and are so excited to celebrate it with you in paradise!
In March 2025, while Denise was away on a clinical rotation in Altoona, Vishal secretly planned the proposal. The weekend of March 15th, both families were set to meet in Scranton for a casual visit. The plan was for everyone to get a tour of Scranton—Denise’s hometown—while Vishal conveniently “had to work” and Vanessa was tied up with a “Graduate Assistant meeting,” Denise, ever trusting, believed it all.
Accompanied by both sets of parents, Denise visited meaningful spots from her childhood—her grade school, high school, college—and even dropped by a few houses to say hello. Everyone was supposed to head straight to dinner to meet up with Vishal and Vanessa, but Denise’s mom claimed she had to stop at home because of a “broken nail.”
As they pulled into the driveway, Denise spotted Milan's car—and immediately knew what was happening. Her mom and Vishal’s mom led her to the backyard, where Vishal was waiting beside a sign that read Will You Marry Me. It was a beautiful and heartfelt moment, made even more special by the presence of their families. Afterwards, they all went for a celebratory dinner to Denise and Vishal's favorite pizza place, Vito's.