COVID-19: ‘We managed a grand element in an intimate wedding’

Akshita Maheshwari and Raunak Mohnot realised that the pandemic was not going anywhere, and so, cut their guest list from a few thousand to 50

First Couple To Hold A Destination Wedding During Pandemic

Akshita Maheshwari and Raunak Mohnot, 24 and 29, Jaipur
Maheshwari is a lifestyle blogger and the founder of an e-commerce brand; Mohnot is an entrepreneur

Before COVID-19, we were going to have a grand wedding with a few thousand people at the reception, and around 300-500 people at smaller functions. The wedding was originally meant to take place in May. But then, the lockdown happened and we started looking for options. We didn't know how long the pandemic would last and also realised that the grand wedding we had initially imagined was now out of the question. So, we accepted that, and decided not to waste more time. In the first week of May, we decided to postpone the wedding to June 30. Our families were supportive and promised to be present virtually.

Things were organised in 15-20 days. Everybody from the pandit to the photographer was put under quarantine in the fort [at Udaipur]. We arranged for a 4K 360-degree camera which would present the live event to all those watching it. We also sent VR headsets to close family members while YouTube links were shared with all our groups.

The dance pieces for the mehndi and sangeet were sent in virtually by relatives and played on projectors.

When we think about it now, it feels like we made a practical decision. Rather than inviting a lot of people, we could just have those who really wanted to participate. At our weddings, the bride and groom generally have the least amount of fun, but we were really able to enjoy ourselves.

Celebrating love and togetherness is most important, and now that we have gotten married with under 50 invitees, we realise that big events are not necessary.