A Wedding in the Age of Covid-19 – Justine & Hrishi

Their wedding date was set to be the first day of Spring- a date that was meaningful to the bride and groom. It was to be a grand, multicultural affair- a whole weekend of beautiful events planned to take place in the gorgeous Ojai Valley of California. Just one week prior to the weekend’s kickoff, however, the word that the Covid-19 outbreak was triggering safer at home orders around the state and the country changed it all.

Like for so many couples out there, overnight the big wedding had to be postponed to later in the year due to the coronavirus. But, for Justine & Hrishi, getting married on the first day of Spring was still what they wanted. So, with the help of their wedding planners JOWY Productions and the gorgeous floral artistry of Nancy Kaye of Marks Garden, they swiftly set for a colorful wedding in the bride’s parents backyard.

With many of their family members residing in other states and unable to travel, they relied on iPhones and FaceTime to make sure the most special people in their lives could witness the ceremony digitally. And it was all the more memorable for all of those details.

Despite the disappointment of not having the wedding they had always thought they would have that weekend because of coronavirus, Justine & Hrishi were ALL smiles. It was so obvious that no matter the circumstances, they were just happy to say their vows on that beautiful day and officially be married. It was a beautiful celebration of love that felt so good in the face of all the scary things that were unfolding in the world.

It was such a special day and an honor to be there to document the ceremony with my long lenses and from a safe distance. Here are a collection of my favorite images from the afternoon that were also seen on Brides.com and in The Hollywood Reporter.

I loved that Justine & Hrishi honored both her Jewish heritage with the breaking of the glass and his Indian culture with the exchanging of these beautiful floral garlands.