How did your love story begin?

A mutual stranger’s rooftop party in NYC. One Georgia girl with Indian roots, one Korean boy from Oregon wine country. A 5-minute intro turned to a 3-hour conversation about life turned to a first date over pea velouté turned to an engagement on the French Riviera. Every moment can turn into a silly laugh or a bad Dad joke or introspection about our future. The more we learned about one another, the more we realized this was going to work.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

The setting: Cinico Italian café by the Empire State Building. It’s the middle of the workday, and Mike is ignoring work calls to bother me with silly questions like “what’s your favorite color” or “what kind of coffee do you like” not noticing the latte in my hand. We sat there so long that the ice melted in our drinks, realizing that we really liked each other. We only had eyes for each other. We only stopped talking when the manager came over to say “we’re closing soon”, with a smile.

What would you do with $20,000?

Two cultures. Two weddings. Twice the costs. We want to celebrate with both of our families, and that means one wedding in Oregon and one wedding in Bangalore. The money would go towards making sure our friends and family share in celebrating our love across the globe. We’d be sure to document the journey and share it with America’s favorite couple to show how much of a difference the award can make.