Love needs no grandeur

Mona

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove

… the Shakespearean sonnet rings true as love-struck celeb couples ditch the dreams of big, fat, fancy weddings for simple, small ceremonies as love triumphs over the lockdown.

1. The most recent couple to tie the knot is Yami Gautam and Aditya Dhar, smiling in the backdrop of deodars as they take their first step as husband and wife. The Uri actor and its director got married on June 4 in Yami’s home state Himachal Pradesh among close family members. Reportedly, the low-key celebrations took place at Yami’s farmhouse at Mandi.

2. Throughout the pandemic, home has become one popular space for small ceremonies. Home was the setting for Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s big day at Montecito, California. The songstress and the real estate agent were engaged in December 2020. Dressed in Vera Wang, she exchanged vows with Dalton in mid-May in a small ceremony attended by just 20 friends and family members making it to the guest list.

3. Year 2021 started with Varun Dhawan making it ‘official’ with his long-time girlfriend Natasha Dalal. The star went for a small intimate ceremony on January 24 at Alibaug. With only close ones in attendance, the couple shared pictures from their traditional Hindu ceremony with haldi, sangeet and pheras over social media. Dressed in a Manish Malhotra outfit, the couple posed for shutterbugs outside the venue.

4. Actor, environmentalist Dia Mirza found love again in businessman Vaibhav Rekhi. The duo tied the knot on February 15 in an eco-friendly ceremony in Mumbai. The Thappad actress chose a red Banarasi saree and local flowers for sustainable practices.

5. “We had one thing in common as kids, we both never smiled for photos. Here’s hoping we can make each other smile every day for the rest of our lives. #YouAndMe”, posted singer Shilpa Rao on social media as she tied the knot with her long-time friend Ritesh Krishnan in January. The Ghungroo singer had a small, private ceremony in Mumbai. She announced it on Instagram with a selfie.

6. Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah and TV presenter Sanjana Ganesan had a dream wedding in Goa on March 15. Dressed in matching pink by Sabyasachi, the duo looked ethereal in a traditional Sikh ceremony. “Steered by love, we have begun a new journey together. Today is one of the happiest days of our lives and we feel blessed to be able to share the news of our wedding and our joy with you,” posted Bumrah on Instagram.

7. Evelyn Sharma married her long-time beau Tushaan Bhindi, an Australia-based doctor, in May. The couple decided to keep the ceremony low key as not to draw attention in the pandemic-stricken world.

8. Television actor Ankit Gera married Nigeria-based NRI Rashi Puri in the presence of just about 10 people on June 5 at Chandigarh. Never a fan of big weddings, it’s an arranged match for the Agniphera actor.

9. Mardaani 2 actor Vikram Singh Chauhan got married to Sneha Shukla on April 30. Announcing the wedding, Vikram said, “With the blessings of our parents and God – Sneha and I entered into a new phase of our life. Amidst all that’s going on we decided not to have any grand celebration, but have a small intimate ceremony, though we missed having our friends and family with us on our special day.”