This Chicago Wedding Broke the Internet

When lockdown hit in mid-March, Puja and Reza were nervous because their wedding dates were set in early August. They were torn between continuing to plan or postponing to 2021.  When gatherings were allowed of up to 50 people, in the middle of June, they called their parents. “We are keeping our original date”, the couple announced… “We are getting married!” Puja comes from a Hindu Gujarati family and Reza,from a Muslim Pakistani and Iranian background. Puja says: “Despite the cultural and religious differences, I have never met someone who is more like myself. Little by little we brought two different families together. We like to call ourselves “the modern-day Romeo & Juliet”, we proved that love truly does conquer all.

The Haldi Ceremony
“We had a vibrant sunflower theme. I was adorned in yellow, floral jewellery and wore a traditional Banarsi yellow and green gharara. My sister-in-law did my hair makeup!”

Decor
“We made sure everything was safe by having gold, silk masks custom-made for every guest. We added small sanitisers to every table, covered with gold and red ribbon. All tables for every event were spread out.”

Family
“We had both grandparents at the events, and ensured they would be safe by putting them at a special table away from the crowd. They could watch the celebrations from afar and still be with us!”

All Together
“We live-streamed all events via Youtube, so everyone could watch everything happen in real-time! It was one of the best ideas we had. Everyone felt like they were still there and we will forever have the stream saved.”

True Love
Puja says: “The pandemic made me realise that nothing matters except the health and happiness of your loved ones. I am grateful for being able to smile, laugh and hug the love of my life.” Reza says: “Puja makes me feel loved and pushes me to be my best self. True loves helps you to find light in the darkest of times.”

Viral Video
“Reza and I LOVE to dance! We performed our first dance during the reception, and it’s now gone viral on Youtube and TikTok. We were getting so much love from millions of people around the world, we were so overcome with joy.”


The Bride: Puja Tailor, 23
The Groom: Reza Khan, 24    
Married: August 2020
Venue: Cotillion Banquets, Chicago
Photography: Shaista Photography
& Paraagon Films

As seen in Khush Wedding 25. Buy this issue here