Vipul Wadhwa, 29, and Shreya Kant, 31, are set to get married on May 12. Photo / Supplied
Vipul Wadhwa, 29, and Shreya Kant, 31, are set to get married on May 12. Photo / Supplied
A couple who planned on having a big four-day wedding in India have moved forward the date to instead marry in an Auckland backyard.
However, hundreds of guests have still made the invite list and will watch the couple tie the knot from all parts of the globe via Zoom and Facebook on May 12.
It's the day after the Government is set to decide whether the country will move down to alert level 2.
Under level 3, the limit for a wedding is only 10 people and everyone must stay 2m apart but under level 2, the Government's Covid-19 website says, public venues can open but gatherings must be fewer than 100 indoors and people must keep 1m apart.
However Finance Minister Grant Robertson said on Friday that Cabinet was still assessing what can and can't happen at alert level 2.
But Shreya Kant and Vipul Wadhwa felt like it would not be right to have a lavish wedding when so many people were struggling because of the impact of Covid-19.
Their original plan was to hold their wedding in Delhi in October.
But the past five weeks or so had put a lot of things into perspective, Kant said, and the pair are just excited to start the next chapter of their lives as a married couple.
It is also not clear when border restrictions will relax.
"Our families are more than happy for us to start our lives together," Kant said.
The 31-year-old gospel musician and part-time fitness trainer already has her dream Vera Wang dress, but will be doing her hair and makeup herself on the big day.
"I don't think at this point any of these small details really matter. I am just so excited about the fact we are doing this," she said.
"Love can be celebrated with simplicity. In India especially there is a lot of pressure for us to do big-budget weddings. I think this is a good opportunity for us to tell people love can really have a small start."
Sticking to a low budget, the couple plan to decorate the backyard of Wadhwa's Three Kings home with some lights for the ceremony. There Kant's father will still walk her down the aisle. Their pastor and a photographer will also be there, counted among the 10 people allowed.
But the humble setting will also welcome up to 550 guests from countries such as Australia, Canada, India, the United States and Indonesia via Zoom and Facebook Live.
The bride-to-be admitted she was a little nervous about the technology standing up on the day but said everyone who had been invited to the private event was an extremely close family friend.
"I know that even if things go wrong their love goes beyond the technicalities. They are absolutely supportive of us," Kant said.
The couple met at the church where Kant's father is a pastor and while they believe God had a hand in their relationship, it wasn't always obvious to both they would end up together.
Vipul Wadhwa and Shreya Kant. Photo / Supplied
Wadhwa is a chef and long tried to win Kant over by bringing his cooking to church after Friday services where everyone shares a meal together.
Seven or eight months into their friendship Wadhwa proposed, telling Kant: "I really love you and I don't see us not being together. I really do see you as my life partner.
"I never anticipated that any of this would happen," Kant said.
Despite her parents being very fond of Wadhwa, she initially turned him down but he remained convinced she was the one and they stayed good friends.
Last Christmas, when the conversation again turned to marriage Kant said she was still trying to find the right man.
"The right guy is in front of you," Wadhwa recalled saying.
"Why are you still waiting for the right guy? And she started laughing."
He asked that she just give him six days where they could spend some time together doing everyday things - dining out, walking along Mission Bay and driving over the Harbour Bridge during outings.
She said yes on the seventh day.
Laughing about the way their story had unfolded, the pair admit people often tell them the story has the makings of a movie.
