Vadodara couple wedlocked amid lockdown with 20 guests only

Vadodara: When the pheras were done and the newlywed couple sought blessings, all the 20-odd guests blessed them saying, “Stay safe!” Amid the pandemic threat, a new chapter began in the lives of Amit Arya and Kanchan Santlani, who got married on Thursday in a small get-together.
Shorn of all the usual wedding extravaganza, the couple took their sacred vows in a simple ceremony surrounded by their immediate families, and of course, the priest.
Dressed to the hilt, all the guests were seated with face masks at a distance from each other at the Arya Samaj Temple in Warasia, while even the couple and the priest, who was reading the sermons, too kept their masks firmly on.
The relatives earlier wanting the first wedding in the two families to be a grand affair, had indefinitely postponed the event. But they came to know that the wedding can take place, albeit within the restrictive norms including social distancing, masks et al. The families then sought permission from the district collector and got a go-ahead.
While the groom, Amit, helps in his father’s business, the bride, Kanchan, is a student of chartered accountancy.
Amit’s father Ved Prakash Arya told TOI: “We had planned for a big wedding as it is the first in both the families after many years. But nobody can can go against nature, or destiny. If it has to be this way, so be it. Hence, we followed all the guidelines and in presence of 20 people, solemnized the ceremony.”
Ved Prakash, who is in the garment business, said that the extended family members watched the entire ceremony through video calls.