A Big, Fat, “Oh Crap There's A Pandemic”, Wedding: Gita & Ryan
It’s hard to imagine a Big, Fat, Cultural Wedding during these pandemic times. However, here are some stories behind the choice to proceed, downsize, and/or reschedule to a later date! As plans may still questionable for 2021, I hope this series of stories will give you ideas or inspiration on how to deal with the situation in the new year.
GITA & RYAN
When I first met with Gita & Ryan about their wedding last year, they were excited to have an enormous wedding at the Hindu Temple in Maple Grove, followed by a luncheon and an elegant reception at the Hyatt in Bloomington. Gita’s family and my family have been close friends for decades, so it was an extra special one for me to be involved in.
Me & Gita - some years ago.
Many rough plans and bookings had been made, but due to the pandemic much had to be changed. In April they started making calls and considering their options, but decided that despite the pandemic, they wanted to move forward with the wedding with any and all precautions, including a major reduction in size. This was the hardest thing, making that decision of moving forward with a downsized wedding, and being the decisive couple they are, once they made it they didn’t look back. They did not want to re-plan, deal with rescheduling vendors, stress over deposits, etc. Plus - they really just wanted to get married and were ready to move forward with their lives together.
A smaller wedding meant they had less to think about, less stress, and of course a significant reduction in cost. It also meant making modifications and taking lots of precautions - as both Ryan and Gita are in healthcare, they really wanted safety to come first. In place of a formal rehearsal dinner on Friday night, they had a small family picnic style gathering outdoors. Luckily - the weather was perfect! The morning of the wedding Gita had her hair done safely at a salon and opted to do her own makeup so she wouldn’t be mask-less.
Gita and Ryan’s ceremony started in the early afternoon with the setup and the priest from the Hindu Temple. Deluxe masks were distributed to all the guests. The ceremony was followed by seated & socially distanced cocktail hour with guests being ushered in their groups to an outdoor area for pictures. Since they had a large space originally booked, it was easy to use half the space and have a smooth and quick transition from ceremony to reception without having to flip the room.
For the reception, as plated meals were a safer option, Gita and Ryan definitely cut back on the extensive buffet & desserts they had planned. However, they still went ahead with their favorite splurge - a mini wedding cake for them to enjoy! They also had to cut back on dancing and entertainment, but they more than made up for it with trivia games and family performances.
Still, their largest stressor was ensuring the safety of their families and guests. Their venue really did an excellent job of putting all of the family, friends, and vendors at ease. We all were able to set up the day before and go through any possible issues. The staff were informative, proactive and had many safety measures in place and helped us to carry out the day safely.
With both our families
No hugs - but we all managed!
As they look back on the day, Gita & Ryan were thrilled that everything went smoothly, and that having the smaller celebration meant they could really interact with everyone - even while masked and socially distanced!
Total in Attendance: 55
Budget Range: $20,000-$30,000
Reception Decor/Florals + DOC: Kahani Events & Design
Photo & Video: Eyetography
Venue: Hyatt Bloomington
Wedding Setup & Priest: Hindu Society of MN
DJ: Super Good DJS
Cakes & Cupcakes: Queen of Cakes
Cookies: @sweetgscookies
Hair: Twisted Hare Salon
Nails: Nail Ninja
Mangalsutra: Sampat Jewellers
Wedding outfits: Samyakk & Manyavar
Reception outfits: PurplePink Couture & Balani Custom
Masks: Astha Fashions