Couple who went viral for grand Hindu wedding, now expect first child: 'We won’t be gay parents, we’ll just be parents'

The two had taken the internet by storm with their grand Hindu marriage held in New Jersey, US, in 2019.

And now, the couple -- Amit Shah and Aditya Madiraju, are set to welcome their first baby in May. The partners also had a paternity shoot and its photographs were shared by People magazine on Instagram.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Shah and Madiraju have been learning about the nuances of having biological children -- from understanding the differences between egg donors, surrogates, and gestational carriers to taking a call on which of those partners would be part of the growth of their family.

The duo found that the expenses were higher for them than for heterosexual couples.

Nevertheless, they had the happy news confirmed after four rounds of in-vitro fertilisation after finding the egg donor.

“We are hoping us having a baby normalises it even more, that it doesn’t matter if you’re a same-sex couple, you can just lead the life you want. I want this to be a guide for those who are trying because so many have gotten married after we have, and they have reached out to us thanking us because they figured out how to convince their parents and families because of us. So this might very well help too," Madiraju told People.

The couple have plans to celebrate family occasions such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, and all other holidays. They are excited about the baby and are pleasantly curious about how their lives would become once it arrives.

"We won’t be talking about gay couples like we do now. We’ll just be talking about couples," Shah said.

“We won’t be gay parents, we’ll just be parents,” his partner said.

The couple also celebrated their third wedding anniversary and Madiraju wrote on the occasion on Instagram, “I had a dream and it came true. Now I cherish and hold on to it with love. And I thank the universe everyday that he made you for me @amit_aatma.”

“If someone told me that a Telugu boy from New Delhi would marry a Gujarati American from New Jersey I would have learnt to make Dhokla sooner. Thank you for putting up with my drama and thank you for making me a part of your dreams and goals. Cheers to 3 years. Ps – It will happen! Let’s have FAITH!” he added.

The two had met in 2016 through a mutual friend and there was no looking back since then.

“We met three years ago in a small Lower East Side bar for a friend’s birthday. Since that night, we have been together,” Vogue quoted Shah as saying in 2020.

“Although we have completely different personalities, thanks to our similar interests we hit it off instantly. Aditya is very creative. For me, being in performing arts, that was very important. I desired a partner who is passionate," Shah added.