Matt grew up in Bedford, was known as something of a ‘wiz kid’ at Fox Lane, and went on to graduate from Columbia University. Swetha was born in Hyderabad, India, and immigrated to the United States with her family at age 6. She too excelled academically, graduating from Princeton University with a degree in Molecular Biology.
After college, while the two were living and working in Manhattan, Matt and Swetha became what is now a millennial rarity – a couple that ‘met in the wild’ – not on an app, but in-person and through a happen-stance meetup. Matt was living with a group of his buddies from Pound Ridge and Bedford, and one invited him to come grab drinks with a few of his friends; one of those friends was Swetha’s co-worker, who implored Swetha to join as well. Later that night, each mentioned to their respective friends that they wanted to see the other again… and so a few months later the group went out again and Matt and Swetha again joined – but this time just for a chance to see each other. Matt got Swetha’s number, and later that week, in early 2019, they went on their first date at Balzem in Nolita. The pair have been together ever since.
“We became a couple almost immediately. We were seeing each other every week and just loved being together,” Matt shared. “I don’t know the exact moment I knew Swetha was the one, but I remember it was sometime around when we went on our first vacation together about six months into the relationship. We spent a really nice long weekend together in Montauk. We went to the beach, and as soon as we sat down together we saw two humpback whales!”
Through covid, the pair spent months together at each of their parents’ homes, and got to spend lots of quality time getting to know each other’s parents. Swetha, an only child, also got to know Matt’s siblings, Ross and Elaina, and the family’s three rambunctious dogs.
In September of 2021, Swetha started her MBA at Harvard Business School, and Matt took an apartment in Manhattan – without the roomies – so the couple would have a place of their own whenever Swetha could get down from Boston. While she was in the City visiting Matt for a weekend, they took a walk to Madison Square Park…and Matt got down on one knee.
The couple decided to have their wedding in Bedford this past summer, and it was a gorgeous and elegant event at Glen Arbor that brought in cultural elements from each of their backgrounds. Swetha astutely said, “An inter-cultural wedding means everything is up for discussion – and the beauty of it is that every single thing at our wedding is something that we chose and wanted. And the venue was an easy choice – Glen Arbor is stunning! The day we toured it together, Matt showed me the house he grew up in on Quarry Lane, took me for a hike at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, and then to a late lunch at the Bedford Post. We even toured the Fox Lane campus.”
Swetha walked down the aisle with her Dad, with a string quartet playing, in a traditional Indian lehenga, and wearing jewelry that she’d picked out with her Mom. The couple did a beautiful flower garland exchange at the ceremony, and then exchanged traditional vows. Matt had his Brother, Ross, as his Best Man, and the best- friends who he’d grown-up with, and roomed with in Manhattan as his groomsmen. Swetha had Matt’s sister, Elaina, as her Maid of Honor and three of her own close friends as bridesmaids.
The Bride and Groom’s Father’s each made heartfelt speeches, and Ross and Elaina toasted with funny stories about the couple. And Matt and Swetha – who changed into a traditional white gown for the festivities – partied the night away with their families and friends.
In the category of ‘you just have to laugh’ – when the couple returned late-night after the wedding to their Manhattan apartment…they realized they’d forgotten their keys…and had to wait two hours for a locksmith to show up!
The newlyweds honeymooned on the Amalfi Coast and in Tuscany, taking cooking classes, visiting wineries, horseback riding, and even taking a hot air balloon ride.
The pair now split their time between Boston, where Swetha is finishing up her MBA, and Chicago, where Matt just moved for a six-month stint for a new job as a Quant Trader. But when Swetha graduates this Spring and starts as a Consultant for BCG in Manhattan, and Matt finishes his training in Chicago, the couple are planning on moving back to the B&NC Mag area to set down roots. Swetha shared, “I really love New Canaan, and the feel of this whole area, and it just makes such natural sense for us.”
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