local love
from the lavish celebrations , we ' re still a sucker for small gatherings . See how these three couples made it work with a limited budget , venue or guest list .
BY KERRI TALLMAN
Leela & Kiran
DECEMBER 27 , 2021 SIMONE PLUS PHOTOGRAPHY
The Meet Cute : The couple met through one of Kiran ’ s cousins during COVID . Leela resides in Kiran ’ s home country , Trinidad . His cousin reached out to him and said , “ Hey , I ' d like you to meet one of my college friends , you have the same energy .” She added Kiran and Leela to a group chat and , true to most set-ups , left the group chat so it was just the two of them . They began talking , and right after COVID began settling in , Kiran went home and met Leela , a lawyer in Trinidad , a couple of times . “ A COVID love story ,” Kiran says .
The Traditions : Kiran and Leela wanted to honor traditional values from Trinidad . Leela is Hindu and wanted to pay tribute to all those who couldn ’ t make it to the small ceremony in Portsmouth from home . Both decided on cultural wear for the ceremony , and then changed into traditional wedding attire for the small reception .
THE DETAILS
Ceremony and Reception : Private property in Portsmouth , RI Catering : Trio Hair and Makeup : Shimmer Salon & Day Spa Bridal Lehenga and Shoes : Zee Indian Expo , Trinidad and Tobago Groom ’ s Kurta and Tuxedo : Fab Indian Expo , Trinidad and Tobago Decor : Ling ’ s Moments Florals : Les Isle Rose Rings : Eloquence Fine Jewelry and Gifts
The Planning Process : This wasn ’ t your typical wedding planning timeline . In an uncertain world , the two went right from getting engaged in New York to planning the wedding for the following week . “ The night after we said , ‘ why are we waiting ?’” Kiran recalls . “ It ’ s something we knew we wanted to do . It just felt like the right time , like hey , let ’ s do this because we don ’ t know what the future holds . The timing was right .” It was a challenge at first , given the circumstances . The couple had difficulties sourcing anything like flowers or planners . They sourced a lot of things from Amazon . They invited Leela ’ s sisters and booked last-minute tickets from Trinidad . The couple , who decided to expedite the wedding , did it on their own with help from their family . When asked if they plan on a larger celebration , they demurred . “ We ’ re not sure yet ,” Kiran says . “ We ’ re still waiting to see about the location , but we shall see .” Even with just close friends and family , Kiran says his friend said it was the most fun wedding : very intimate and dance-oriented .
56 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2023