Akshata Honawar, 35, got married in January 2020. This was before physical  boundaries around safety and health, confusing government guidelines, and the finer points of air filtration systems were added to the fraught mix of wedding planning.

She opted for a “simple” ceremony over a full-blown gala; her wedding functions spread across two days including the mehendi at her mother’s home, nuptials at Juhu’s Iskcon Temple, and a “big party” at Escobar, Mumbai. She wore a nauvari saree, like traditional Marathi brides do, and changed into a lehenga—a gift from her North Indian in-laws—post the wedding rituals. “As Mayur [Aggarwal, husband] and I come from different cultural backgrounds,the Iskcon Temple felt like neutral space,” shares Honawar, creative director at Runah Salon, a family-owned enterprise. Her husband Mayur Aggarwal is a software engineer and entrepreneur.