: Simone Plus Photography // @simoneplusphotography

This modern-day “arranged” marriage (via a group chat with a friend) progressed quickly from proposal to small ceremony.

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 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.

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