Swati and Harsha’s Shaadi Ceremony, like so many other couple’s, was effected by Covid. Thus, the large Indian wedding they were planning in New Orleans wasn’t going to be feasible. With guests from all over the world and working in healthcare, they knew the risks were too great. We pivoted and instead planned a small Shaadi in Denver, where they live, at their local temple. Most Indian weddings aren’t able to take place at a Mandir temple because of their size, however, with Swati and Harsha’s pared down group, this presented a unique opportunity for them to be married at this holy site.
All seventeen immediate family members and the very few vendors we had on hand were tested for Covid prior to the weekend starting. Two Airbnb houses were rented out, just a block or so from each other and very close to the couple’s own home. The groom’s family stayed in one house and with permission from the home owner, the bride’s family hosted events at the larger home they had rented. We took additional precautions to minimize the number of staff present by having the catering dropped off and we managed it as well as doing the place settings and other tasks that typically most vendors handle themselves. Additionally, we set their post Shaadi dinner in the back yard so we had not only the beautiful scenery, but the open air as their guests dined. The entire weekend was also live streamed on Zoom and recorded as well so their family and friends who were not in attendance could watch live or in the case of those in India, go to our Dropbox link and watch the recording once they’d woke up the next morning due to the large time difference. Swati’s Mehndi body art featured the tradition of hiding the groom’s name among the intricate design which he was tasked with trying to find. We all hunkered down together for three days and this weekend felt all the more special for the intimate group of close family that were present. Laughter rang through the house constantly, whether it was as the bride’s Mehndi was applied, sitting around the fire pit at night making s’mores or eating traditional Indian food following their beautiful Shaadi at the Mandir. Love is still going strong, even in the time of Covid!
