After a stalled start, a lasting match | Canada Voices

In our new Weddings series, Canadian couples tell us how they went from first dates to walking down the aisle

Paulina Munroe and Arjun Chelliah’s relationship began with a false start. They matched on Hinge in September, 2023, but the conversation fizzled out shortly after.

“People might use the term ‘ghosted,’” said Munroe, admitting that she didn’t respond to Chelliah’s follow-up message. They unmatched, only to rematch a few weeks later. “This time, I decided to skip the back-and-forth,” said Chelliah. He asked Munroe, 36, out on a date to Astoria, a bar on Toronto’s Queen Street West.

There, the couple learned about each other’s families – Munroe’s back in Nova Scotia, and Chelliah’s Hindu Sri Lankan culture. “In person, I felt very comfortable with him,” Munroe said. “I was definitely looking forward to a second date.”

They bonded over their shared values: A close connection to family, a love of entertaining and entrepreneurial spirits: Munroe is a lawyer and life coach, and Chelliah, 39, is an accountant and real estate investor. Early on, the couple shared their mutual desire for marriage and kids one day. “It wasn’t meant to be a heavy conversation,” said Chelliah. “It was more about making sure we were on the same page about our relationship goals right from the start.”

Munroe loved how Chelliah would plan thoughtful dates at his house. He would cook her elaborate meals, setting the table with candles. “He’s an amazing cook and cocktail maker, and at those dinners, we just got to get to know each other deeply,” she said.

Six months later, in March, 2024, Chelliah and Munroe made their relationship official. Things progressed swiftly after that. They met each other’s parents and siblings, then spent Christmas together. “I could immediately see that our families shared many of the same values,” Chelliah said. “It made it easy to imagine our lives becoming intertwined.” Over the holidays, he was scrolling on his phone when an engagement-related post popped up. He asked Munroe what kind of ring she wanted.

“I felt certain that he was the one for me after our lives fit so perfectly with each other,” she said. “Our favourite time together was always just the two of us before bed or having coffee in the mornings.”

Chelliah purchased a ring – an oval solitaire diamond on a thin gold band – and proposed in February, 2025, at the Toronto Reference Library. “It’s where Paulina used to study for her bar exams, and I used to walk around there at lunchtime when I worked in the area,” Chelliah said. He sourced a book safe with a combination lock, planted it on a shelf and asked a friend to guard it. When Chelliah returned with Munroe, he unlocked it, revealing the ring. “I was so surprised because he was cool as a cucumber,” Munroe said. “It was just so special, and it was private and intimate.”

Before the proposal, Chelilah had already done some research on wedding venues, and he compiled a spreadsheet comparing prices and dates. “It’s kind of funny because it’s the opposite of what happens,” he said, referring to gendered expectations around wedding planning. They chose the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex, which they loved for its lakeside location, and lucked out with a September date that year.

Munroe and Chelliah settled on a guest list of 135 and a two-part ceremony: First, a Hindu ceremony honouring the groom’s roots, followed by a traditional Western ceremony. “Arjun’s dad’s side is Hindu, and I did my yoga teacher training in India,” said Munroe. “Yoga shares a lot of the same foundations of Hinduism.”

Both events would take place in the Liberty Grand’s private courtyard, separated by a 30-minute Champagne intermission and followed by cocktail hour in the venue’s foyer and dinner in the ballroom. The couple DIYed some of their decorations, sourcing lilies from Costco, buying candles and making name tags and a seating chart on a decorative mirror. In the midst of planning, Munroe moved into Chelliah’s semi in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood.

With many of their guests flying in for the celebration, the couple hosted a welcome dinner at the CN Tower the evening before. “It was a Blue Jays playoff game, so we got to see a home run from up there,” Munroe said.

The morning of the celebration, Chelliah delivered decorations to the venue while Munroe got ready at the couple’s home. For the Hindu ceremony, she dressed in a deep pink sari and bridal jewellery, which Chelliah’s sister helped source from India and Sri Lanka. Chelliah dressed in a Champagne-hued sherwani – a traditional South Asian coat – with matching trousers from RSM Silks.

The Hindu ceremony consisted of 10 rituals. The bride’s mother fed the groom yogurt and honey to symbolize love and care for him, the bride and groom placed garlands on each other to signify their mutual acceptance in marriage, and the groom placed two rings on the bride’s toes for fertility.

For the Western ceremony, the bride changed into a ball gown-style dress from the Brides’ Project, an organization that sells donated wedding dresses to support cancer charities. The groom wore an ivory jacket and black pants from Tip Top. Justice Gloria Epstein, a judge who paved the way for same-sex marital rights in Canada, officiated the ceremony. The couple wrote their own vows. “There were a lot of tears,” said Chelliah. “Pretty much everyone was crying, including us.”

Cocktail hour featured oysters and lobster rolls – a nod to Munroe’s East Coast upbringing. A classic dinner followed: Caesar salad, parmesan tortellini, shrimp and steak and a chocolate hazelnut cake for dessert. Then the dance party kicked off, complete with glowsticks and a handheld carbon dioxide blaster to create atmospheric fog. “We wanted it to feel like a club,” Chelliah said.

Three days later, the newlyweds embarked on a three-week honeymoon to the south of France and the Dolomites in Italy. Since then, they’ve been relishing the simplicity of married life. “We’re so lucky to be best friends and that we love doing everything together,” Munroe said. “We’ll sit in the garden and go for walks in our neighbourhood.”

Their lives are set to change again soon, as they’re welcoming a child due in March, 2027. “The baby’s room is ready,” said Munroe. “Everything is happening with a lot of ease and excitement.”

The rundown

Date: Sept. 27, 2026

Photography: Blue Dream Weddings

Venue and food: Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex

Officiants: Justice Gloria Epstein, Acharya Guruji

Florals: Costco, Leavenworth Floral, Babu Florist

Cake: Kay’s Cakes

DJ: House Party

Munroe’s dress: the Brides’ Project

Munroe’s hair and makeup: Robson Oliveira

Chelliah’s sherwani: RSM Silks

Chelliah’s suit: Tip Top