This Joyful Gay Hindu Wedding Happened at a Nursing Home — and There’s a Heartwarming Reason Why

When Harry and Sanjay set out to plan their wedding, they weren’t interested in creating an event that simply looked beautiful. They wanted to create an experience that felt beautiful. Not just for themselves, but for their families, and for every guest who would become part of the celebration.

The result was a joyful three-day Hindu wedding that seamlessly blended centuries-old Gujarati traditions with modern queer love, and the venue was … nontraditional to say the least — a healthcare/nursing home called The Close Care Home which had a particularly beautiful setting. “I used to own The Close, the grounds were exceptional and the residents there were such a part of our lives, it seemed so fitting to share our special day with them,” says Harry. “Also how fabulous — a gay Hindu wedding on the banks of the River Thames at a care home! I mean moment!”

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The festivities began with an intimate legal ceremony at Oxford Registry Office attended by just four people — the two grooms and their siblings — and ended with what they lovingly dubbed the “Happiest Meal,” a celebratory McDonald’s breakfast complete with a custom bedazzled Happy Meal box.

The following day welcomed 140 loved ones for traditional Gujarati pre-wedding ceremonies before expanding into an evening celebration, while the final day brought together nearly 300 guests for the couple’s Hindu wedding ceremony and reception.

“For us, this was a deeply meaningful milestone,” Harry and Sanjay explain. “A groundbreaking celebration as two grooms are united in matrimony. Together, we honoured love, tradition and progress, blending ancient customs with modern significance.”

One of the most meaningful moments of the entire weekend took place during a relaxed pizza and mehndi party held the evening before the wedding. Instead of elaborate entertainment or formal programming, the couple created opportunities for loved ones to contribute directly to the celebration. Friends and family gathered around interactive stations to handcraft elements that would become part of the next day’s ceremony.

Guests helped create the couple’s Antarpat, assembled wedding garlands and arranged floral installations, transforming the décor into a collective labor of love. “It meant we could see people in the details,” shares the couple. “It gave us the old school family wedding vibe that we longed for.”

The result was something far more meaningful than professionally styled decor. Every garland, floral arrangement and ceremonial element carried the fingerprints of the people who mattered most.

“We had a vision that the wedding, while grand with the number of guests, was meant to feel personal and special,” they continue. “Having the right people there was the most special and being present and sharing the wedding with our guests.”

For us, this was a deeply meaningful milestone – a groundbreaking celebration as two grooms are united in matrimony.

Sanjay + Harry