Fort Garry Indian Wedding – Lucky + Sunny
( Part 2 )
This is the second half of Lucky and Sunny’s epic wedding. The Ceremony and Reception were on two separate days and there are too many beautiful moments to count. I loved this wedding so much!
Enjoy these highlights and if you’re new to Indian Weddings or Sikh ceremonies I have some information below. This is the general structure and process of a Sikh ceremony.
Anand Karaj – Anand Karaj literally means ‘Blissful Union’. The ceremony takes place at the Gurudwara prayer hall during the daytime or during the afternoons. The Guru Granth Sahib is placed at a site of prominence and the marriage ceremony is designed around it. The bride and the groom sit side-by-side – bride on the left side of the groom, facing the Guru Granth Sahib. The ceremony starts with the couple and their parents standing up to offer Ardaas to ‘Waheguru’, after which singing of Shabads or hymns is done. The marriage can be performed by any Amritdhari Sikh that is someone who had undergone the Amrit Initiation in Sikhism. He explains to the couple the significance of the marriage, the duties that each need to perform within the sacred relationship, and the general idea of leading a pious life according to Sikh tenets. The couple then bows down before the Guru Granth Sahib. The father of the bride places a saffron-colored scarf on the groom’s shoulder and the other end of the same on his daughter’s hand. Thus, they are joined and ready to take the Lavaas or vows of marriage.
Lavaan Pheras – The person conducting the marriage recites the four Lavaa or stanzas from the Guru Granth Sahib. After he has completed reading the first stanza, the couple rises from their seats and slowly walks around the Guru Granth Sahib in a clockwise direction, with the groom leading the bride. After completion of the round, they come back to their positions but remain standing for the remaining three hymns. The process of circumambulation is repeated three more times after each Lavaa. The raagis sing the Lavaas in the background while the couple performs the Pheras.
Anand Sahib – After completion of the Lavan Pheras, the raagis sing out the hymns of Anand Sahib. An Ardaas is offered as an indication that the wedding ceremony is now complete. A random Hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib is chosen to be recited while Khatah Prasad is distributed among all the attendees.
Wedding Lunch – At the end of the wedding ceremony, the guests and the attendees are served delicious vegetarian lunch at the Gurudwara’s congregational hall. Thereafter, a ceremony called Roti takes place, which signifies the bride’s first meal as a married woman. Her in-laws cover the platter with a cloth and present it to the bride along with some cash gift. The bride shares this meal with the groom.
For more info on the ceremonies visit here.
Fort Garry Indian Wedding
Lucky and Sunny’s was truly amazing and I couldn’t have been happier that they chose me to capture it. Their friends and family were so welcoming and fun to be around. I wish we could do it all over again. I’m sure they would say otherwise because it must have been exhausting for them but you can see how much fun it was through these photographs.
Thank you again!
Here’s the next wedding
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