This Maryland Couple Sent Dessert to Virtual Guests in 5 Different Countries

The couple: Anandi Bhusry + Anuj Bhatnagar

Wedding date:  July 4, 2020

Number of guests: 29

Occupations: Assistant director of nursing for home care company and family medicine doctor

Tech specs: A bluetooth microphone, two iPhone cameras, tripods, and a wifi hotspot

// Tea Party for Two

When Anuj and Anandi connected online in January 2019, they bonded over their love of food, Bollywood movies, and their similar career paths. But neither expected to find out they had the exact same morning routine: drinking tea with an Indian cookie called Parle-G! Seven months later, Anuj proposed after dinner at Guapo’s, which was their first date spot.

// Finding a Venue

A year before their wedding, Anandi and Anuj attended a friend’s graduation celebration at Chartwell. “We loved the location, its scenic views, and the food,” Anandi says, which made deciding on a venue a few months later easy.

// Their Pre-Covid Plan

Anandi and Anuj were planning to have an evening wedding with 150 guests at Chartwell Golf & Country Club. They had organized choreographed dances, a sparkler exit, and an elaborate menu featuring both Indian and American cuisine. But when the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, they were forced to pare their guest list down by 80 percent and shift the majority of their celebration online. They hired a virtual wedding planning company to help handle the technical logistics and ensure that their guests, located across six different time zones, could tune in seamlessly. 

// Mailbox Cake

Anandi and Anuj worked with bakeries around the world to ship dessert to each guest who couldn’t attend the wedding in-person. “In India, sweets are always shared with guests on [special] occasions,” Anuj explains, “and we wanted to [give everyone the opportunity] to cut the cake with us.” The couple asked Anuj’s cousin for help researching bakeries overseas and arranged to have each delivery arrive in the three days leading up to the wedding. UK guests received red velvet cake, Swiss guests had chocolate truffles, and the Indian guests got butterscotch cake. Anandi took the lead on the North American treats with cake truffles from Milk Bar (US) and cookie truffles from Sweet Flour Bakery (Canada).

// Streaming In

Anandi and Anuj were very intentional about making sure their virtual attendees felt as honored and engaged as their in-person guests. Besides inviting Zoom participants to dress up and have a drink ready to toast, they also enlisted the help of Anandi’s sister and cousin to create a version of the shoe game with dual moderators (one virtual, one physically present), who alternated asking the couple questions. Speeches were conducted by a friend of Anuj’s and Anandi’s father, but the couple also arranged for eight of their virtual guests to speak during the reception. Overall, more than 90 families joined in on the celebration — way more than Anandi and Anuj would have been able to host pre-covid. “It was extremely special!” Anandi says. 

// The Menu

At the luncheon for their in-person guests, Anandi and Anuj served Kathi rolls, daal, spinach chaat, and two different types of biryanis. Dessert was kulfi (Indian ice cream) and a small wedding cake.

// The Details

Bride’s hair, makeup, and outfit draping: Empowder (Amola Surya) / Bride’s gown: Megha & Jigar / Bride’s jewelry: Family heirlooms / Bride’s shoes: Nina ‘Nanelle’ platform sandal from DSW / Caterer: Spice Xing (Rockville, MD) / Decor & Florals: Om Event Decor / Dessert: Chartwell Golf & Country Club, Spice Xing / Groom’s attire: Manyavar / Henna: Bhavna’s Henna & Arts / Invitations: Paperless Post / Music: DCViBEZ / Officiant: Vinay Mehra (bride’s uncle) / Photographer: Justin Kunimoto / Rings: Mughal Fine Jewels (New Delhi, India) / Technical support and videography: Wedfuly / Venue: Chartwell Golf & Country Club