Bollywood Weddings during the Pandemic
We all look forward to the Big Fat Indian Weddings of Bollywood. The well-known stars, a who’s who guest list, grand décor and mouth-watering food are all part of the gala events that come together for stunning Bollywood weddings. Marriages may be made in heaven, but these mega-events are made extraordinary by wedding planners.
Recently with the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown and other restrictions, Bollywood celebrities have opted for minimalistic wedding ceremonies with only the family and
a few close friends present and usually no party or reception. Such simplicity and regard for the regulations set in place sets a precedence for all whether Bollywood stars or the general public.
Many Bollywood celebrities tied the knot in 2020 and 2021. Some of the most notable weddings included Neha Kakkar and Rohanpreet Singh (October 24, 2020), Aditya Narayan and Shweta Agarwal (December 1, 2020), Gauahar Khan and Zaid Darbar (December 25, 2020), and Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi (February 15, 2021).
Pandemic Bollywood Weddings
Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma (March 2020)
Sangeeta Chauhan and Manish Raisinghan (June 30, 2020)
Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj (August 8, 2020)
Niti Taylor and Parikshit Bawa (August 13, 2020)
Neha Kakkar and Rohanpreet Singh (October 24, 2020)
Kajal Aggarwal and Gautam Kitchlu (October 30, 2020)
Sana Khan and Anas Sayed (November 20, 2020)
Aditya Narayan and Shweta Agarwal (December 1, 2020)
Punit Pathak and Nidhi Moony Singh (December 11, 2020)
Gauahar Khan and Zaid Darbar (December 25, 2020)
Priyaank Sharma and Shaza Morani (February 4, 2021)
Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi (February 15, 2021)
Harman Baweja and Sasha Ramchandani (March 21, 2021)
Neha Kakkar and Rohanpreet Singh
The “London Thumakda” singer Neha Kakkar married her boyfriend Rohanpreet Singh on October 24, 2020. The marriage was a simple ceremony attended by their family and close friends.
The couple dazzled with twin outfits for nearly every event of the wedding. For the Mehndi, the couple was dressed in traditional green attire by designer Anita Dongre, while for the haldi, they chose the symbolic yellow for clothing. The color theme for the Sangeet ceremony was pink, and the elaborate décor gave the event the feel of being in a fairytale. Neha dressed in a pink Anita Dongre lehenga, while Rohanpreet looked stunning in his white tuxedo by Tisa Studio, with bright pink accessories matching his bride.
The couple married in a traditional Anand Karaj ceremony at a Delhi Gurudwara on the morning of October 24, 2020, both dressed in pink dresses designed by Sabyasachi. In the evening, the couple took part in the traditional varmala or exchange of garlands at the JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity. Neha was dressed in a beautiful red lehenga and Rohanpreet in a pink and red sherwani both designed by Falguni and Shane Peacock. The final celebration was the reception at Chandigarh. This time, Neha looked pristine in a white lehenga with diamond and emerald jewelry, while Rohanpreet looked majestic in a royal blue tuxedo. Designer Falguni and Shane Peacock designed the outfits.
Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi
Just a day after Valentine’s Day 2021, Dia Mirza, actor, producer and environment activist, married to her companion Vaibhav Rekhi, a businessman in Mumbai. Not only was the event minimalistic, the wedding ceremony was completely eco-friendly and sustainable. The no-waste affair was planned by the bride.
Simplicity and elegance were the key elements of this wedding, which was attended by only the family and a few close friends of the couple. The beautiful Dia wore a traditional red Benarasi saree by Raw Mango, while Vaibhav was dressed in an ivory outfit designed by Raghavendra Rathore.
The marriage is unique in many ways. A female priest presided over the ceremony. The décor was made from locally grown flowers along with twigs instead of flowers from around the globe. Dia gifted her guests’ plants in handwoven baskets. The water bottles were not of plastic, but rather of glass.
Dia took all possible care to ensure the protection of Mother Nature in starting this new chapter of her life.
Aditya Narayan and Shweta Agarwal
The playback singer and Indian Idol judge Aditya Narayan married his long-time girlfriend of more than 10 years, Shweta Agarwal, at a closed ceremony on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. It took place at the Iskcon Temple in Mumbai with only family members attending due to Covid restrictions. However, this could not dampen the spirit of the groom’s papa, the famous singer Udit Narayan, who had great fun dancing as baraati with his wife Deepa.
The couple looked graceful in their ivory traditional attire with the gorgeous turban for the groom and wonderfully crafted jewelry including the traditional chooda and maang tika. Later that evening, the reception party included celebrity guests Govinda, his family, Bharti Singh, her husband Harsh Limbhachiya, television actor Ravi Dubey and choreographer Punit Pathak. At the reception, the newlyweds looked stunning with the bride in a flowing red gown and diamond necklace and the groom in a black suit.
Gauahar Khan and Zaid Darbar
Actress and Bigg Boss 7 winner Gauahar Khan married her boyfriend Zaid Darbar on December 25, 2020. After denying their relationship for a long time, they finally made it official. The celebrations were restricted to the family and a few close friends from the industry.
The #GaZa festivities began with the Chiksa ceremony where Gauahar was dressed in a yellow lehenga with floral jewelry and Zaid coordinated in a yellow kurta. The daytime Chiksa was followed by a Mehndi at night. The bride glowed in a bright sharara and the groom looked gorgeous in dark green kurta pyjama set by Mayyur Girotra Couture.
The morning of December 25 marked the Nikah or marriage of the couple amidst the close ones. Gauahar was dressed in a beautiful embellished ivory sharara along with Kundan and Polki jewelry. Zaid wore an off-white sherwani with an exquisite lucknowi print.
The reception took place in the evening at the ITC Maratha, Mumbai. Gauahar Khan wore a gold and red velvet lehenga while Zaid wore a black sherwani with goldwork, both designed by Manish Malhotra. They also had a Waleema function where the bride looked radiant in a cream lehenga, and the groom looked elegant in a suit.
The couple followed their heart and began their journey of a new life while also following pandemic restrictions.
