She’s a Westport teacher from Minnesota who majored in art. He’s a Brooklyn computer programmer, born in India.
They met through OkCupid — how else would their paths have crossed? Despite their disparate backgrounds, they fell in love.
Unsurprisingly, their wedding Monday afternoon at Longshore was — well, different.
Some of the actors at Kerstin’s wedding. They’re part of her improv group. (Photo/Pam Einarsen)
The theme was “The Princess Bride.” Sure, any couple can have a wedding based on the Rob Reiner-directed love/adventure/story-within-a-story movie.
But Kerstin and Vijay are not “any couple.”
“We’re so far down the nerd rabbit hole, it’s amazing,” the Bedford Middle School instructor laughs.
She nailed it.
David Pogue played the narrator. He read the “Princess Bride” story to his son Jeffrey. (Photo/Pam Einarsen)
They got the original movie script, and edited it down to 30 minutes. They enlisted the help of friends like David Pogue, who played the father reading the love story to his son Jeffrey.
Then everyone changed — did I mention the couple rented costumes for the “cast”?– and the actual wedding took place outside.
Kerstin and Vijay spent weeks making an enormous mockup of places from the movie: The Cliffs of Insanity, the Fire Swamp, Miracle Max’s Hut, the Castle of Florence. It served as a cake stand. Where else would you put it?
Kerstin and Vijay cut the cake. They created the “Princess Bride” tableau themselves. (Photo/Pam Einarsen)
There was a sword fight too. It was not really planned out. Well, Kerstin and Vijay knew about it. But many guests were members of her improv group, so…
Bill Derry as the Impressive Clergyman. He also performed the actual ceremony. (Photo/Pam Einarsen)
Bill Derry — the Westport Library‘s assistant director of innovation and user experience — served as officiant. He was not some random choice. He’s the visionary behind the “MakerSpace” at the library.
This was very much a “Maker Wedding.” The Maker movement brought Vijay and Kerstin closer. It introduced them to David, Bill and Mark Mathias (another member of the wedding). And the wedding combined elements of the Maker movement: model-making, Arduino programming, improv comedy, costumes, old-fashioned calligraphy, modern Photoshop editing and Etsy craft vendors.
Even the choice of day and time — Monday afternoon — was unique.
“We’re not rolling in dough,” Kerstin says. “We wanted a beautiful venue in the fall, and Longshore is less expensive on non-weekends. We looked at the calendar, and chose Columbus Day.”
But — oops! — in March, the Board of Education decided school would be in session that holiday.
Kerstin took a personal day to get married. A few fellow-teacher guests worried they’d be late, because of a faculty meeting.
It all turned out fine. The affair went as perfectly as any improv-filled, “Princess Bride”-themed wedding between an Indian programmer and a Westport teacher should go.
No word on what they’ve planned for their honeymoon.
Kerstin and Vijay walking back down the aisle. The ceremony included both American and Hindu traditions. (Photo/Katherine Hooper)
