ABOUT US
GROOM
Nitesh
Kishorbhai
Patel
BRIDE
Svetlana
Aleksandrovna
Pandolfino
About Nitesh
Nitesh was born in the UK and raised in Leicester, surrounded by a caring, close-knit Gujarati family and the comforting rhythm of traditional Indian home life. Weekends often meant the smell of his mum’s cooking drifting through the house, cricket matches playing on the TV, teasing his three younger sisters, and a sense of warmth and togetherness that shaped who he would become.
By the age of seven, it was already clear that Nitesh saw the world a little differently from most children. While others were trading football stickers, he was discovering an early love for numbers, finance, and problem-solving - the sort of things many adults still pretend to understand. What started as curiosity soon turned into actual talent: Tesh was the kid who was trading pokemon cards for extra cash and it turned into negotiating bills, spotting financial opportunities, and helping his parents with their tax returns… and he genuinely enjoyed it. He earned a scholarship to a Grammar school, and by sixteen he was already following stocks and quietly building a future for himself.
Alongside his love for logic, Nitesh had a natural gift for cricket. For a while, he thought he might follow that path all the way to the national team. But life, as it often does, offered him a different road - one he embraced fully. He chose to study Finance & Investment Banking at the University of Reading, a decision that shaped the next chapter of his story. University brought lifelong friendships, mischief, late nights, and memories that still make him laugh today. Despite the chaos, he always aced his assignments - so much so that in his final year he was penalised for “plagiarising” his own work from memory - one of those things in life that you simply can’t believe, so can only laugh about! His university days were followed by a few exciting global work opportunities before settling in London.
Outside of his successful career in finance, for everyone who hasn’t heard him mention it within the first few minutes of meeting him (which is unlikely), Nitesh is a devoted Liverpool F.C. fan. Football was once a big part of his life too, until an ankle injury put him on the spectator side permanently - though not even that can dampen his passion and a little casual game of footie with his mates.
Family has always been at the heart of who Nitesh is. He’s incredibly close to them, travels to India often to see his extended family, and cannot wait to celebrate his wedding day surrounded by the people who shaped him.
Over the years, he’s grown into a man who balances his natural charisma - the humour, the charm, the big personality - with a grounded, hardworking nature. He’s still the life of the party, but also the person you can rely on without question. Logical yet warm, ambitious yet deeply rooted in family and love, Nitesh is someone who dreams of building a secure, joyful home… and is well on his way to doing just that.
About Svetlana
Svetlana was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on a cold November day in 1992. Her early memories are filled with days spent in the heart of the city - helping change the lighting and sound at the Mariinsky Theatre while her mother danced in ballet shows, watching prima ballerinas prepare backstage, wandering through grand parks, visiting palaces and museums, riding fairground carousels, hugging fir trees, and sledging through fresh layers of snow.
Summers were for the dacha, the family country house where Sveta and her friends turned every day into an adventure. She would sneak into neighbours’ gardens, imagining entire worlds hidden beneath every branch and stone - usually startling the neighbours, who couldn’t help but laugh at her boundless curiosity. She picked flowers, berries, and chives straight from the ground, drank cool water from the well, listened to steam trains “chuff-chuff” and “choo-choo” through the forests in the distance, built sandcastles, and splashed away afternoons in their simple outdoor setup of a “pool” or the nearby clay lake.
A few years later, Sveta and her mother moved to the sunny Mediterranean island of Malta, where her parents met and married. The move was a bit of a culture-shock, but she learned English through American and British films/TV shows and embraced the sea, sun, and new lifelong family waiting for her there.
Years went by - Sveta loved putting on dancing and singing shows for her family, spent days on the beach with her best friends, danced ballet until age ten, and then competed in the Junior Olympics gymnastics event and was awarded a participation medal at twelve. She built a life for herself - new friendships, explored new languages, spent a year in Bournemouth, UK, for university, finished her studies, even lived in Japan for a while, and began her career in SEO. Svetlana worked for over 10 years as a professional photographer, a performer (dancer, singer, actress), and a crew member on multiple film and theatre productions in various roles from Head of Costume to Production Assistant, Casting Marshall and Stage Manager.
In October 2020, right in the middle of COVID, Sveta made one of the biggest decisions of her life: leaving Malta and permanently immigrating to the UK to build a new life for herself. It was a high-risk move - bold, brave, yet completely her. Because if there is one thing that defines Svetlana, it is her unwavering determination and persistence. Sveta doesn’t simply dream; she strategically plans, builds, shapes, and manifests. When she wants something, she commits with full heart and focus, turning visions into a magical reality.
Today, Svetlana continues her work in SEO at a fintech and, in her spare time, trains in aerial hoop at the National Centre for Circus Arts in London.
At her core, Sveta is someone who strives for beauty, adventure, and meaning - but also for warmth, joy, and home. She dreams of building a life filled with love, laughter, and stability; a home where culture, compassion, and childlike wonder all live side by side. And every day, she’s creating exactly that.
How They Met
Svetlana and Nitesh first crossed paths in Berlin, Germany in September 2021 - of all places - on a bar crawl. She was on a solo trip, he was on a lads’ trip, and somehow the universe conspired to bring them together. They spent a full night laughing at each other’s jokes, learning about one another, Svetlana buying shots for him and his friends and starting a round of the game “never have I ever” with a few witty icebreakers, and some embarrassing dance moves (on Tesh’s side, of course).
Two weeks following Berlin, their first proper date in London over food, drinks, lots of walking and more laughs, confirmed that this was the start of something special.
Their story is a tapestry of cultures, adventures, and laughter. Sveta brings her Russian soul - curious, deep, ambitious and delightfully playful, while Tesh with Indian roots, adds warmth, care, humour, and a natural ability to make every day a celebration. Together, they’ve explored the world, backpacking across continents, discovering hidden gems, and collecting memories along the way.
The early days of their relationship were full of new experiences, late nights and plenty of shared adventures. Over time, the late nights have (mainly) faded, but they’ve found a rhythm that’s just as joyful and loving; balancing life’s responsibilities with curiosity, humour, childlike delight and radical optimism that guides them through their days.
The Proposal
The proposal happened in the Sahara Desert in November 2024, a moment that perfectly reflects their personalities. Tesh had planned for their tour guide to be the proposal photographer after their sightseeing day came to an end - but at the last minute, the guide decided he wanted to stay with his friends for a beer at a local tavern.
Internal panic ensued for Tesh.
The buggy ride back to their tent through the desert was further stress-inducing for Tesh as his seat was missing a seatbelt and he thought he was going to die… Sveta was busy laughing. Once they got back to their tent, Sveta was adamant about taking desert photos before sunset, unknowingly adding to Tesh’s stress of wanting to propose at sunset.
When the time came, Sveta had a feeling of what was to come and decided to stay delightfully unaware, letting him orchestrate the moment - but giggling internally as the panic definitely showed on Tesh’s face at that point! In the end, Tesh begged a Berber nomad (in sign language) to step in to capture the moment with his phone camera, while Nitesh got down on his knee and Svetlana said “OF COURSE!!!“ - creating a memory to last a lifetime.
The Future
Since then, they’ve built a life together filled with love, ambition, and shared dreams. They bought a house in Greenwich, London, in March 2025 - a milestone they’re proud of, and continue to balance their careers with quiet comforts, laughter, and the occasional trip across the globe.
Sveta and Tesh’s journey is one of love, persistence, and joy. A story of two cultures coming together, exploring the inner and outer magic of the world, and building a life that’s as vibrant and unique as they are.
They can’t wait to celebrate their next chapter with the people they love most.