From a quiet City Clerk’s office to a three-day spectacle guarded by special forces, their ceremony had two acts.
Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji had a modern fairy tale wedding on two continents. First came a low-key elopement in New York, quiet, intimate, and deeply personal. Then came the glittering sequel: a luxury wedding celebration in Uganda.
Zohran Mamdani stands with his wife Rama Duwaji after delivering remarks at his election night watch party at the Brooklyn Paramount on November 4, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City | Source: Getty Images
The couple, who first met on Hinge in 2021, got engaged in 2024 and decided to elope in February 2025. It wasn’t until May 12 that Mamdani, now newly elected as Mayor of New York City, shared photos of their special day online.
Democratic Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, pose for media after voting at The Frank Sinatra School of the Arts on November 4, 2025, in the Queens borough of New York City | Source: Getty Images
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A Winter Elopement in New York
Mamdani posted a carousel of wedding images to Instagram, taken by photographer Kara McCurdy, showing him and Duwaji posing across the city in the winter chill. Wrapped in long dark coats and scarves in some shots, the couple still radiated joy.
Duwaji wore a lacy white gown that fell just above the knee and was often seen holding a bouquet, while Mamdani opted for a white tunic-style shirt over dark pants, reminiscent of a kurta, a nod to his heritage.
In the caption, Mamdani addressed the hostility he often faces online as a politician. But this time, the criticism had turned toward his wife, and he wasn’t having it.
“Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk’s office,” he wrote. “[…] Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family.”
Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, vote in the local election at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School on November 4, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
The following day, McCurdy posted a few more snapshots of the newlyweds, offering clearer glimpses of the minimalist yet heartfelt details that defined the moment. But their wedding bliss was hardly over.
A Surprise for Haters
On July 20, Mamdani took to X with a pointed message. After receiving xenophobic remarks online telling him to “go back to Uganda,” he responded with biting irony and good news: he was going to Uganda to celebrate his wedding.
And celebrate they did.
A few days later, the New York Post published exclusive details of the event, which reportedly began on July 22 at Mamdani’s parents’ private estate in the upscale Buziga Hill area just outside Kampala.
According to anonymous sources, security was as tight as the guest list. Masked guards were posted at three separate gates. Invitees, who arrived in buses and luxury cars, partied past midnight.
“Outside the Mamdani house were more than 20 special forces command unit guards, some in masks, and there was a phone-jamming system set up — and all for the strictly invite-only Mamdani event,” one insider told The Post.
The property, owned by Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani, sits on two lush acres filled with trees, gardens, and a sweeping view of Lake Victoria. Christmas lights reportedly lit up the estate as people celebrated deep into the week.
Zohran Mamdani, Mira Nair, and Mahmood Mamdani celebrate during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025, in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City | Source: Getty Images
“Then on Friday, inside the compound, there were military style tents being taken down when the party had finished,” one witness said. “Then what looked like Mamdani personal security guards took over at the gates.”
From Million-Dollar Views to a Rent-Stabilized Apartment
Despite the family’s sprawling Ugandan estate and nearness to elite neighbors like billionaire real estate mogul Godfrey Kirumira, Mamdani and Duwaji live in a rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria, Queens.
During his mayoral race, opponents tried to use his modest living situation against him as he was earning $140,000 annually as a state lawmaker, but only paying $2,300 per month in rent. However, this was a unit he found back when he was earning just $47,000 as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor
In a New York Editorial Board interview earlier this year, Mamdani explained that he hadn’t even known the apartment was rent-stabilized when he moved in. He also made it clear he never intended to stay there forever.
On October 10, when David Remnick asked him if he planned to move to Gracie Mansion, Mamdani replied he was “definitely moving out” of his apartment.
A general view of at Gracie Mansion is seen during Spoons Across America’s Dinner Party Project on June 4, 2010, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
The 1799-built estate has served as the official mayoral residence since 1942, when Fiorello H. La Guardia made it his family’s home.
NYPD officers patrol Gracie Mansion, the Mayor’s residence, on September 26, 2024, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
While Mamdani has not yet formally announced his plans, most expect the move to happen. After all, he and Duwaji have had a landmark year.
The Artist Beside the Candidate
Duwaji was with him through the entire race, including his shocking Democratic primary win. Almost overnight, her Instagram following surged, and the public’s fascination with the newly minted political couple grew exponentially.
But she didn’t just stand beside Mamdani. She continued to work, illustrating for New York Magazine, attending Fashion Week, and even contributing to humanitarian causes. At one fundraiser for Sudan, several of her artworks were auctioned off.
Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, vote in the local election at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School on November 4, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
“She’s our modern day Princess Diana,” said friend and photographer Hasnain Bhatti to The New York Times. Her precise role as First Lady of New York remains undefined, but the attention she’s drawn is already transforming the image of what a political spouse can be.
From an intimate ceremony in downtown Manhattan to a heavily guarded, several-day celebration in Uganda, Zohran Mamdani and Duwaji’s wedding was a testament to their love.
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