(Image source from: Instagram/vaibhav86jain)

Parag V. Mehta and Vaibhav Jain fell in love with smashing taboos and reclaimed tradition. They had a big fat Indian wedding in Texas, with full dhoom-dhaam and rituals. They got married on March 30, in a traditional Jain ceremony, attended by family and friends from across the United States and India.

Vaibhav is a research associate with the American Institutes for Research and Executive Board member of the South Asian Public Health Association. Whereas Parag is a Senior Vice President at Mastercard and is the former Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the 19th U.S. Surgeon General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Parag mentioned on his social media that:

“One of the most complicated parts of planning a wedding in the Jain tradition was getting the ceremony just right. So many of the rituals are gender specific and, frankly, sexist. Thankfully, Vaibhav took the pen and designed a brilliant script that kept what warranted keeping and changed what needed changing.”

                       (Image source from: Instagram/paragvmehta)

According to Brut India, they wore mehendi and were given away by their respective parents. The festivities started with a Garba/Sangeet. There were two baraats, topped with a very American reception.

                        (Image source from: Instagram/paragvmehta)

Parag posted a beautiful photo of the two holding their hands with the sweetest caption:

“Boys don’t get #mehndi they told me. It’s only for brides. But when you’re already bucking centuries of nonsense by marrying the man of your dreams, who says change has to stop at the groom? Be you. Be best.”

                        (Image source from: Instagram/paragvmehta)

Vaibhav came to the U.S. in 2011. He was driven out of India due to the existence of the archaic Section 377 that criminalized homosexuality. Talking about his and Vaibhav's journey as a brown gay man in a conservative household, he said:

“My struggles in India growing up as a gay man was real and often very painful. Parag grew up on the other end of the world in a small town in Central Texas but his experience and struggles were definitely comparable to my own, if not more. For him, growing up as a brown immigrant kid in a white town was a constant struggle of identity. Adding the layer of being a closeted gay guy in a conservative household just made things even harder for him.”

                        (Image source from: ScoopWhoop)

Heartwarmingly advocating the idea of change and patience, Parag said:

“Part of what Vaibhav and I (and our parents) have tried to do is to help folks who are skeptical about same-sex relationships see that it's okay to champion the love between two people. It's okay to evolve one's fixed ideas about marriage, sex, and tradition.”

                        (Image source from: ScoopWhoop)

The tilak ceremony was observed by both mother-in-law.

By Sowmya Sangam