How many guests did you have?
20 in person, 300 on Zoom
What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
When our wedding got cancelled because of the pandemic, we decided to do a virtual wedding. Everything we did was creative and personal because there were no rules about how to do this- A Gay Marathi Indian Zoom Wedding during a global pandemic(also leading up to June in NYC we didn’t even know if vendors would be open to help us and so we enlisted the help of our friends).
We did both a Western Ceremony and an Indian Ceremony. Our best friend Gena was our officiant. Our friends all pulled together to decorate our rooftop on the day.
Did you do any DIY projects or create any handmade items for your weddings?
Our friend David made us a funfetti wedding cake shaped like a peacock. My husband Tushar did mendi on our hands and feet. We made a comedic welcome video for our guests as well as a more heartfelt video where our LGBTQ friends read out the Supreme Court decision that made Gay Marriage legal in the US. I’m a Broadway actor and a voice teacher and we had a group of Broadway folks, talented family members, and an Indian classical singer perform on Zoom.
What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
We wanted food that we loved, and we didn’t care if it was expensive. So we ordered pizzas from our favorite pizza place (NY Pizza Suprema) and some Indian treats.
What was most important to you two? Was there anything you chose to splurge on or skip?
Photographer- we wanted great photos of the day and also we hired a Zoom coordinator- who the wedding would not have been possible without.
What was your favorite detail?
The garlands we wore made of fresh red roses shipped from India
What is the most memorable moment of your day?
After it was said and done and all of the Zoom friends and family logged off, we were able to drink and eat cake with the few friends/family that were there in person(socially distanced on our roof which overlooked the NYC skyline). As we did this there were groups of people who happened to be setting off fireworks all around the city 360 degrees. It was a truly magical memory.
What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
Get creative. Spend money on the things that matter to you, don’t spend money on things you don’t actually care about.
