Dia Mirza-Vaibhav Rekhi wedding: Actress reveals 'We said NO to kanyadaan & bidaai'

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Bollywood actress Dia Mirza on February 15 tied the knot with Mumbai-based entrepreneur Vaibhav Rekhi. It was an intimate wedding ceremony with just their families and close friends in attendance. Several inside videos and pictures of their rituals and ceremonies have been doing the rounds on the internet. As per Hindu traditions, wedding ceremonies are always conducted by a male priest who reads the mantra and makes the couple take their wedding vows but Dia had a woman priest who conducted her wedding rituals. Now, the actress revealed that they chose to forgo the traditional rituals such as Kanyadaan and Bidaai since 'change begins with choice'.

The actress took to her Instagram and shared a beautiful photo from their wedding. In her caption, Dia Mirza wrote about having a woman priest solemnize the wedding and the minimal decor they went for which was completely biodegradable and natural. "The garden where I have spent every morning for the past 19 years was an absolutely magical setting and the most intimate and perfect space for our simple and soulful ceremony! We are so proud to have been able to organise a completely sustainable ceremony without plastics or any waste. The materials used for the minimal decor we went for were completely biodegradable and natural," Dia wrote.

Talking about the woman priest, the actress added, "the highest point for us was the Vedic ceremony conducted by a woman priest! I had never seen a woman performing a wedding ceremony until I attended my childhood friend Ananya’s wedding a few years ago. Ananya’s wedding gift to Vaibhav and me was to bring Sheela Atta who is her aunt and also a priestess, to perform the ceremony for us. She also painstakingly went through several hours of training to imbibe the essence of the scriptures so that she could assist Sheela Atta and translate the shlokas! It was such a privilege and a joy to be married this way! We do hope with all our heart that many more couples make this choice."

"For it is a woman's soul that contains love, wonder, benediction, magical energy, tenderness and deep empathy for all that lives. It is time for women to own their own agency, their divinity, their power and to redefine what is old and birth what is new. As Charles Bukowski said, "there is no lie in their fire." So what can be more uplifting and empowering than to see the sacred fire within a woman's heart and soul taking centre stage at a wedding? I am still overwhelmed by the magic of this one moment," Dia stated. 

Revealing about forgoing the traditional rituals such as Kanyadaan and Bidaai, Dia said "Also, we said NO to ‘Kanyadaan’ and ‘Bidaai’ change begins with choice doesn’t it? #GenerationEquality #SunsetkeDiVaNe #ThankYouPreeta."

Take a look:

For the wedding, Dia looked extremely beautiful in a red zari work saree, with red dupatta and traditional wedding jewellery. The actress tied her hair in a bun covered with gajra. On the other hand, groom Vaibhav donned a white kurta churidar, white jacket and golden dupatta. 

Industry colleagues like Aditi Rao Hydari, Jackky Bhagnani, and Gautam Gupta were clicked at the wedding. Dia took to Instagram and treated fans with beautiful pictures from her wedding ceremony.

This is Dia's second marriage. She was previously married to Sahil Sangha from 2014 to 2019. The couple had announced their separation with a statement they issued in August 2019.