A Festive Elopement at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada

Talk about wingwoman goals: Seema Shah’s (31, an interior designer) older sister knew Karan Purewal (33, a physician) was the perfect match for her sibling after meeting him on the dance floor at a wedding. One might think living in cities that are, give or take, about 2,000 miles apart would hinder romance, but sparks flew over Facebook messages following their matchmaker’s intro. The pair officially met IRL in New York City—Seema was in town from San Francisco on a work trip, while Karan flew in from Chicago to attend a friend’s housewarming party. Their first date was at The Otheroom, a cozy wine and beer bar in the West Village. The romantic jet-setting didn’t stop there: “He flew out to meet me for our second date in SF,” Seema says. That’s when she knew that this was no ordinary romance.

Eventually, Seema relocated to Chicago so they could be together, and the couple later moved to New York. It was there, during a January 2022 snowstorm, that Karan asked Seema to marry him before the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood. While the proposal location recalled the first time they met, their wedding paid homage to their cross-country adventures as a couple. Ahead of an epic multi-day wedding celebration in Miami, Florida, Seema and Karan made their marriage official with a quick jaunt to Las Vegas. The couple eloped at the iconic Little White Chapel with an Elvis impersonator acting as the officiant. 

After the couple was pronounced married, they explored around Vegas for a fun midday portrait session with their photographer. The couple snapped photos in front of the iconic chapel, with an adorable pink vintage car, and even in front of multiple neon signs that felt quintessentially Vegas. To cap off the adventurous day, Seema and Karan made a trip to a casino and dined on pizza while enjoying the Las Vegas nightlife.