Kristen Kemp and Amita Mehta wed July 2 at the Centre Bridge Inn, along the banks of the Delaware River in New Hope. PGN featured the couple in last summer’s Wedding Issue, after Mehta staged a surprise proposal at 13th and Locust streets in the Gayborhood with the help of Paparazzi Proposal.
Surrounded by 130 guests, the couple tied the knot in a ceremony that mixed their Hindu and Christian religions: Mehta was carried in and led by her father, while Kemp and her father walked down the aisle to a version of “Here Comes the Bride” featuring the sitar and tabla. Both of their mothers lit a fire, where they took their seven sacred steps in the Hindu tradition.
“Kristen and I find ourselves using the words electric and magical to describe the day,” Mehta said. “We felt the collective energy from our friends and family as they all literally leaned into the ceremony, hanging on every word and action.”
The couple hadn’t sought out the July 4 weekend date, but Mehta said “its significance of freedom and equality was an unforgettable backdrop to the day.”
Mehta said she and Kemp, who have been together for more than 10 years, are surprised that their relationship does feel different after the wedding.
“Having the official recognition and acknowledgement does give us that equal grounding of our union legally,” Mehta said. “What a confidence booster and sense of empowerment as a couple; we can achieve anything together.”
The couple honeymooned in Dubai and Bali.