We shot Rupi & Vikram’s Sikh Wedding on Saturday at Huntington Beach Hyatt, what a beautiful hotel! It was  filled with zest and vibrancy and in fact the truth is that no wedding can bring the kind of excitement and flavor that a wedding of this kind can. Please visit our Facebook Page for more Indian Wedding Pictures. The only thing is I got Sun Burn lol but I applied Aloe on my back = works like a charm<3

Credit:
Event Planner: Sandy Kaushal
Day of Wedding Coordination – Wendy Dahl
Videography: Robles Video
DJ/Lighting: Legacy DJ
Makeup Artist: Jacqueline Gonzalez
Mendhi: Lishma Patel
There was traditional Sikh rituals, including that of traditional Sikh music and all the merriment possible. In Sikh weddings, a special wedding ceremony is held and the couple getting married unites and vows to spend the rest of their lives with each other. This event is filled with festivities and there is great pomp and show on display.

This kind of a marriage is almost always performed in what is known as a Gurudwara. In case it is not held in a Gurudwara, then it would be held in a place where there is the Holy Book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib.

It is important to note that these wedding rituals are never held in a marriage hall or in a hotel. Almost always, the religious wedding ceremony will take place in the morning and it will not last for more than a few hours. This is because this kind of a wedding ceremony is not as elaborate as the kind seen in Hindu weddings. This kind of wedding ceremony is really a very simple one and it will always only center around religious practices. For a wedding ceremony of this kind, the customs and rituals play an extremely important role.

What makes a Sikh Wedding unique?

A marriage of this kind is extremely unique due to the fact that it does not have to be solemnized in the presence of a priest. This marriage can very simply be conducted with the Holy Book of the Sikhs being present and a woman or a man reciting various required verses from the Holy Book, in the presence of the couple to be married.

Also, the bridegroom and the bride would need to take 4 rounds around the Guru Granth Sahib. Plus, another reason why such a marriage is unique is due to the fact that there is no specific time that needs to be set for the marriage – unlike the case in most Hindu weddings, where a certain auspicious time is set for the marriage to take place. Thus, though this kind of marriage is mostly held in the morning, it could also be held in the night.

What takes place prior to a Sikh Wedding

Before the actual wedding, there is an engagement ceremony that may be performed by both, the family of the bride, as well as the family of the groom. But, it is not mandatory that this ceremony should be done.

In case there is an engagement ceremony that is going to be carried out, it is normally done at the house of the groom or else it is carried out in a Gurudwara. This ceremony will comprise of the following:

• Ardas, this is a Sikh prayer
• Kirtans, these are hymns
• Langer, a meal

In this ceremony, the groom will be given a gift of a “Kara” or “Kirpan” or Indian sweets. And the bridegroom will be given gifts of traditional Indian dresses and also Indian sweets.

The actual Sikh Wedding day itself

The wedding day celebrations start off with a big bang, literally speaking, as the “Baraat” (Family members and all the friends of the groom), start bursting all kinds of crackers to announce the wedding ceremony that is being held.

The “Baraat” would then travel to the house of the bride-to be. They would be welcomed amidst great merriment and joy. They would then spend the entire night at the house of the bride-to-be. The next day, all the rituals that are needed to be carried out, would then be carried out at the place of the girl or at a Gurudwara in the locality. After all the ceremonies have taken place, the marriage celebrations would continue all through the day. And the next day, the newly wedded couple would then leave to begin a new life.

The attire of the bride and the bridegroom

A Sikh bride-to-be will almost always wear a salwar kameez that is very bright in color and it will also be very heavily embroidered. This salwar kameez also has a dupatta (scarf), that the bride must use, to cover her head, all through the wedding ceremonies and rituals. There are times when a bride may also choose to wear a lehenga chunni.

A Sikh bridegroom will normally wear what is known as a kurta pyjama. Along with this, he will also wear what is called as a pagri (turban).

A grand meal too

There is also a grand and very sumptuous meal that is laid out for the guests who attend the wedding. If you attend a wedding of a Sikh, you can be sure that you are going to get one of the finest meals that you will have had in all your life, at the wedding ceremony.

And then at last, all the festivities and rituals of the wedding come to an end amidst great joy and merriment and to the thundering bursts of firecrackers. And, the newly married couple departs to embark on a new journey in their lives. This is how a Sikh Wedding would take place.

Since India is a diverse nation, there are different customs followed by different people, and weddings have the most intricate and time consuming rituals. Although most Indians are Hindus, we also have many Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs and other communities who practice various wedding traditions. Generally our close family members take the responsibility of each task but nowadays, many prefer to hire a wedding planner.

Here are a few tips on how we can have a memorable Indian wedding:

1. By having a meeting between the couple and both the family members before the wedding, we can discuss the various preparations to be made, any expectations related to the customs, especially if it is an inter-community marriage, what kind of ceremony we are looking for (North Indian, Sikh or South Indian) and how long the wedding ceremonies will continue and so on.

2. The guest list is very important so that all our friends and family members are invited and no one feels left out. In India, a wedding is seen as an occasion where two families come together and even distant relatives and acquaintances are invited. By getting an early headcount, we can find out how large a reception hall needs to be booked, how much must be spent on catering and how many gifts we need to give, as most Indian communities give gifts to immediate family members during a wedding.

3. An auspicious wedding date must be selected. Hindus always hire an astrologer or priest to consult a traditional calendar and find a date which is considered good for a wedding.

4. It is better if we discuss the various ceremonies, how many people will be invited and if we will have only traditional customs or have some western influence.

5. We must set a budget and divide the expenses between the bride’s and groom’s family, depending on how much we can afford. In some communities, the bride’s family solely pays for the wedding. It is better to discuss any monetary issues early so that there is no confusion later.

6. Hiring wedding vendors by researching on the internet or through personal recommendations will help us to fix a ceremony site, caterer, photographer, florist etc, according to our budget. We can contact local Indian restaurants if we are looking to serve Indian food, and Indian musicians and DJs if we want to have Indian music at the wedding.

7. The wedding attire is very important and we can either get the saris, sherwanis and lehengas custom made or shipped from India. We can also buy it from online stores like Redd Bridal, which specializes in wedding dresses for Indian brides.

Three Day Pakistani Wedding of Rabia and Ayyaz

It was a lot of fun covering Pakistani wedding of Rabia and Ayyaz. It was very vibrant and lovely colors all over the place. What made it even better are the radiant faces of everyone especially Rabia and Ayyaz, the bride and the groom. It was a great experience to capture these moments f such a happy and extraordinary wedding.

Day One: Mendhi

On day one of the wedding, We were able to capture the Mendhi, which is a tradition of Pakistani weddings. The MendhWe were held at Anaheim Hills Golf Course, an ideal location for weddings and relevant celebrations. The ceremony itself was held in one of the function rooms that are very spacious and ideal for guests of over 100. It is heavily decorated with beautiful colors such as pink, yellow, and purple as these two are the popular colors that are used for a Pakistani wedding.

Day 2: Shaadi

On the 2^nd day, We covered the Shaadi, which was held at the Hilton LAX, a great venue for the signing of the marriage contract of The Bride and The Groom. It is a classy venue that is surrounded by beautiful palm trees and just near the LAX airport – perfect for The Groom and The Bride’s guests who are joining the wedding from Pakistan and other countries.

Day 3: Valima

On the last day of the wedding, the Valima was held at Hyatt Irvine, an amazing place to hold a reception or a Valima. The room was beautiful decorated with tables and chairs draped in purple fabrics with tall centerpieces of beautiful flowers standing tall at the center of every table. The cake caught everyone’s attention as it towered high and laden with beautiful red roses in between every layer of the cake.

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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir: California’s well  Known Indian Temple

Meera and Vikas’s wedding was awesome  at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.  This temple is located in Chino Hills California. Meera’s stunning traditional Indian red wedding dress and Vikas’ handsome complementary garb perfectly matched the visions of majesty, love, peace, and harmony of the temple, as it is beautifully described on its website. There was magnificent colors, flowers and spirals that reach for the sky. If you’re planning a traditional Hindu wedding, visit this temple!

Truly Magnificent

This BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Chino Hills reflects its kindred sites around the world.  The USA itself houses more than 60 of these Mandirs or ‘Houses of God’ and they are open to all faiths, welcoming people into – and reaching out to become a vital part of – the community through the following activities:

• First, becoming involved in the welfare of the youth.  They have diversified activities that guide the youngsters back to God via cultural presentations, religious practices, and even language training.  Weddings such as that of Meera’s and Vikas’s are perfect examples of the temple being a place of ‘love, peace, and harmony.’
• Second, nurturing a morally, spiritually, and socially strong society.  The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organization behind the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, involves themselves actively in this aim.  Right after 9/11, they deployed doctors and volunteers to provide immediate relief as well as pool together resources to give financial aid.  The family of Meera and Vikas were engaged in these activities themselves and it warms my heart to see this love of family and community radiating in their smiles!
• Third, their love for the environment.  The temple structures, its grounds and gardens are a sight to see!  They convey balance, rhythm, and harmony in their lines and designs.  You can’t help but be calm and at peace when in their temple grounds!

A Fascinating Faith

This BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple is a reverent manifestation of the Swaminarayan faith, a 200-year old socio-spiritual organization, which counts more than a million followers around the world!  Meera and Vikas and their families are beautiful representatives of their faith!  True joy and love emanates from their beings as seen in the images I’ve captured in their wedding: smiles that come from the soul, the holiness felt from their prayers, and the happiness that embrace the event were manifested!  No wonder the organization flourishes!

It’s awesome to be a part of this wonderful opportunity to cover a wedding in  BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. Can’t wait for the next one!

Tip No. 1: Decide on The Style of Your Photographs

• Professional photographers have different styles and approaches to wedding documentation.
• Do due diligence and study up on the techniques and styles that you would generally prefer for your wedding pictures.
• Search the net for bridal photo ideas as well as wedding picture ideas and themes for inspiration
• Because there are just too many wedding photo services out there, it is best to narrow down your choices by style and experience.

Tip No. 2: Wedding Photo Ideas Fit For Your Budget

 It is every woman’s dream to have the best crew with her all throughout her wedding. However, not every couple have the means to go overboard and go for extravagant wedding photography ideas.

• Always consider your budget. Depending on the package that you’ll be getting, different professionals charge differently as well.

Tip No. 3: Summarize Your Preferences to Set Some Basic Photo Ops

 To make sure that you get all your wedding picture and bridal photo ideas done, be sure to meet with the team to summarize how you envision the wedding photo coverage to go.

• It would be better to give them at least 5 basic ideas, poses or scenarios so that the photographer will be keen on taking candid shots and making them look more natural than forced.

Tip No. 4: More Candid Photos Than Forced and Conscious Poses

• Speaking of candid shots, one of the most popular wedding photo ideas in this generation is the stolen shot.
• People love to see behind the scenes and genuine emotions, rather than getting them to say “cheese” just to make everybody show their teeth as if they were really smiling.
• Instruct your photographer to lessen catching the guests’ attentions and just capturing stolen and candid moments instead.

Tip No. 5: Get Involved With The Editing of The Wedding Photos

 It is true that you should have full trust in your wedding photographer and that he or she will execute all your wedding picture ideas and requests. However, things are very different during the editing period of the photos.

• You should be hands on when selecting the photos to use for your album, changing hues and color schemes and other editing options. Just don’t be too pushy, otherwise you will have a problem with your photographer. The last thing that you’d want is to look over your photographer’s shoulder every single time.
• Be the one to choose which pictures are not so important but be sure to have a back up for all the files.