Love In The Time Of COVID: Khamini & Matthew’s Intimate Wedding

I first came across a photo of Khamini and Matthew during a perfunctory quarantine scroll of my IG newsfeed. It was a stop-your-IG-scrolling-in-your-tracks kind of photo. Khamini looked radiant an ombre pink skirt and gorgeous flowing white top and Matthew was sharp in light blue two-piece suit. They were seated among bursts of pink hydrangeas and a colorful assortment of tulips. It was a beautiful photo. They looked triumphant. And happy. It didn’t take long for me to learn from the caption that Khamini and Matthew, like so many other 2020 couples, had to postpone their wedding celebrations. In the six years of their relationship Khamini and Matthew have experienced a lot together. Graduating from Syracuse University. Flourishing careers in civil engineering and real estate. Traveling to the Caribbean and sky diving in Hawaii. And in 2020? They were navigating the most unexpected scenario that no one could have predicted  – a pandemic during their wedding. When the CDC recommended canceling mass gatherings of 250 people or more in mid-March, Khamini and Matthew knew that their April 17^th wedding with family and friends wouldn’t be happening. “I went to my bachelorette weekend on Friday in NYC knowing in the back of my mind we would have to postpone our wedding that Sunday.”

In a time like this when everything feels so out of control, our love and commitment to each other was still our choice.

With guidance from their day-of coordinator Meeta Gidwani, founder of Planories Events, they took the necessary next steps to contact their vendors and move forward with a different wedding date. “Meeta Gidwani…was right by our side the entire time. She swiftly reached out to all our vendors and within a matter of days we had new contracts prepared and ready. When you’re going through all these emotions and everyone you know is reaching out to you and offering their condolences, it is nice to have someone like her on your team handling the emails and phone calls.” Even though their wedding celebration was postponed to April 16, 2021, they still found a way to celebrate their original wedding date – by having an intimate wedding ceremony at Matthew’s childhood home. “Matthew’s parents’ home where he grew up in Hopewell, NJ has a beautiful wide front lawn on a quiet street. We both love spending time there and it was the perfect choice [for our ceremony].” https://www.instagram.com/p/B_GOCLjFxXX/ Flowers and a cake were brought in by Matthew’s mom, sister, and grandmother. And Khamini and Matthew were married as originally planned, albeit in a different way than they had first envisioned. “We hope that in a year from now we can have the big celebration we planned for. If all goes well we will have our wedding reception on our one year wedding anniversary!” When asked if they had any advice for other couples with circumstances similar to theirs, they had this to say: “We acknowledge that we are in a privileged relationship given our age, that we already live together, and that we are still both working in our respective industries from home. Being legally married did not change the partnership we have already established in our daily lives. That said, it is not easy to let go of your wedding plans. It is still an important day that every couple should get to experience on their terms. In a time like this when everything feels so out of control, our love and commitment to each other was still our choice. It is up to you how you let the times define your union and make the most out of your situation.” Cheers to the gorgeous couple!

An important note from Meeta Gidwani, Founder of Planories Events:

[Planories is] willing to help existing as well as new couples with any concerns they have regarding postponements and rescheduling their wedding. Even if they choose to go with our coordination package, we are offering to contact vendors for them to obtain date availability and updated contracts although that typically would come under our planning package. In addition, we are helping to organize remote weddings/baby showers/other events.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Tips or comments about this article? Have a topic you want us to research and write about? Drop us an email at [email protected]