In a story that perfectly blends modern inconvenience with digital-age solutions, a newlywed couple from Bengaluru was forced to attend their own wedding reception virtually after widespread flight cancellations by IndiGo left them stranded hundreds of kilometers away.
The Stranded Newlyweds and the Planned Celebration
The couple, Medha Kshirsagar from Hubballi and Sangama Das from Bhubaneswar, are both software engineers based in Bengaluru. They had legally tied the knot in Bhubaneswar on November 23. A formal post-wedding reception for family and friends was scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, at the Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi, the bride's hometown.
Their travel plans were meticulously charted: a Bhubaneswar–Bengaluru–Hubballi route on December 2. However, their journey began to unravel due to the ongoing operational crisis at IndiGo, attributed to a nationwide pilot shortage. Their flight was initially delayed from its 9 am departure on Tuesday, pushed repeatedly into the next morning, before being outright cancelled on December 3. Notably, relatives traveling on alternative routes, like Bhubaneswar-Mumbai-Hubballi, also found themselves stranded.
A Digital Solution for an Unavoidable Event
With the reception hall decorated, guests arriving, and no practical way to postpone the event, the bride's family made a quick, innovative decision. The show had to go on—digitally. The bride's parents occupied the seats of honor meant for the couple and performed the customary rituals.
Meanwhile, Medha and Sangama, dressed in their full wedding attire in Bhubaneswar, logged into the ceremony via a video conference. Their live feed was broadcast on a large screen for all the assembled guests in Hubballi to see and interact with.
Speaking about the unexpected turn of events, the bride's mother told NDTV, "The wedding took place on November 23, and we had planned the reception for December 3. But suddenly, at 4 am, the flight was cancelled… We felt very bad… After discussing as a family, we decided to have the couple attend the reception online."
Viral Reactions and the Larger IndiGo Crisis
Footage from the unique digital reception quickly spread across social media, sparking a wave of humorous and insightful reactions. One user quipped, "First words of this newly wed couple… 'are we audible?'" Another commented on the nature of such events, stating, "This proves that the reception and big wedding are actually for the parents, by the parents, for the guests."
Others praised the tech-savvy fix, calling it a "modern problem solved by modern techniques." However, some placed blame on the couple's planning, suggesting a buffer of 24-36 hours for critical occasions.
This personal ordeal unfolded against the backdrop of massive disruptions at IndiGo. The airline cancelled hundreds of flights across major metros including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Chennai. On Thursday, December 4, alone, IndiGo scrapped over 500 flights, marking the highest single-day cancellation in its two-decade history.
The airline informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that the chaos stemmed from planning lapses while adapting to new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. IndiGo has warned that cancellations will continue until December 8, with some service reductions extending further. The airline expects normal operations to resume only by February 10 next year.
The story of Medha and Sangama's virtual reception is a poignant, real-life example of how widespread logistical failures can impact personal milestones, and how families are leveraging technology to ensure life's important moments are still shared, against all odds.
