It was an honor to photograph the wedding of two of the kindest, most committed, and genuinely awesome people! I remember leaving their engagement session thinking, “these guys have something special – commitment and patience.” It felt like their wedding was a celebration of these two pillars, and it was a time for friends and family to celebrate love… and a celebration it was! The energy was incredible, and they were surrounded by so much love.
“Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” –Vincent Van Gogh
The Arctic Club in Downtown Seattle is a beautiful wedding venue. It used to be a gathering place for the men who returned from the Yukon Gold rush after “striking it rich.” The main room contains a giant gold dome ceiling, which created a special ambiance for Sean and Jono’s wedding ceremony.
The dancing and celebrating Baraat started at opposite corners of the Arctic Club in downtown Seattle, and moved towards the front entrance. There was so much energy as the family & friends from each side danced to the loud beating Indian drum (called a Dhol). This first ceremony set a fun tone for the evening to follow.
Sean and Jono were surrounded by their closest friends and family as they signed their marriage certificate. During their engagement session, Jono told me “…we waited a long time for this” and I could hear those words during the signing. it made me appreciate and respect their resilience and dedication to each other.
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thank you so much Sean and Jono – wish you both lots of love and happiness!
It was an honor to photograph Kruti and Pritesh’s beautiful Gujarati wedding. Their traditional Hindu ceremony took place at the Westin Hotel, in Bellevue, and came to life with bright colors, loving family, and happy friends.
Throughout the wedding festivities, it was evident that Kruti and Pritesh had developed a deep, meaningful, relationship with each other, their friends, and most importantly with their families. The love & joy in the air was invigorating and it created such a happy and celebratory feeling. Many of Pritesh and Kruti’s guests travelled from all over the country, and the world, to attend their special day. New Jersey, Texas, Canada, London, and India, are just a few of the places.
I hope these photographs show the love, friendship, and joy that we felt from everybody. They are just a small glimpse into some of the traditions of a Gujarati-Hindu Wedding ceremony. Kruti and Pritesh were such a fun bride and groom. They were so relaxed, happy, and stress-free. They just enjoyed their special day, and I think that really added to the overall positive vibe. I’m so thankful to have them as friends, and can’t wait to see them again!
Their Hindu wedding ceremony and reception took place at the wonderful Westin hotel in Bellevue, WA, and the Westin did an excellent job of hosting this special wedding. I also want to thank Parm for second-shooting with me. He has such a happy and fun spirit, and it was truly a pleasure to work with him. Thanks for all your help, and look forward to next time.
Thank you to all the friends and family, who helped to make this evening so special! And a huge congratulations to Kruti and Pritesh!!
Baraat: In traditional times, the Gujaratis’s did not marry within their own town; therefore, the groom’s family had to travel to the bride’s town. The baraat is a processional of the groom and his family making the journey to the wedding. It’s been so awesome to see this same tradition occur in Sikh Weddings, and even Cambodian-Khmer weddings!
During this baraat, Pritesh, his friends, and family, walked around the Westin Hotel, in downtown Bellevue. They gathered in the front of the hotel, where they danced and celebrated.
The photo below shows the “Hasta Milap,” where the groom’s scarf is tied to the bride’s lehenga. This is to symbolize the union of their souls as the pundit (priest) prays to Goddess Parvati and Goddess Lakshmi to bless the couple. At the same time, friends shower the couple with grains of rice and rose petals.
During the “Mangal Pheras,” the bride and groom circle the sacred fire four times. Each circle signifies one of the four human goals: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. (Natural Law, Purpose, Love, Liberation)
Congratulations Kruti and Pritesh!! You guys are awesome! Wish you both so much love and happiness!
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Mick and Karen’s Sikh wedding in Fresno, CA, was overflowing with excitement and joyous traditions. The photographs in the previous post show their traditional wedding mehndi (henna). The day after mehndi was applied, each family performed the Vatna, Maiyaan, and Sangeet, followed by the Anand Karaj (Sikh wedding ceremony). Below are photographs from each of these Indian wedding ceremonies
Vatna
The vatna is a traditional ritual where a yellow turmeric paste is rubbed on to the bride and groom’s face, arms, and legs. The turmeric, flour, and mustard oil paste is applied to make the skin look radiant for the wedding. In essence, it can be compared to going to a spa before the wedding. Prior to the vatna, the bride/groom’s aunts, cousins, and sisters created a beautiful design, called a rangoli, using multi-colored sand. The rangoli laid at the feet of the bride and groom as family members applied the vatna (turmeric paste). The pictures below show Mick and Karen’s rangoli as well as family members applying the vatna.
The multi-colored sand drawing is called a Rangoli, and is common for Sikh weddings. It’s created at the feet of the bride, where it will remain until the Vatna ceremony is completed. Afterwards, it will be swept by the bride’s mother.
Everybody in the family takes turns applying the vatna onto Karen’s skin.
Sangeet | Maiyaan
The sangeet/maiyaan was a ceremony of dancing, singing, celebration, and delicious food. Karen’s sangeet and maiyaan were held at her home, whereas Mick’s family held theirs in a banquet hall. (Traditionally, the groom’s family would do this at their own house, but considering Mick’s house is in Seattle and the wedding was in Fresno, it would have been a long commute 🙂 )
To begin the evening of dancing and celebration, the maternal side of each family brought out the jaggo. The jaggo is a lit lantern held on top of the ladies’ heads. In India, the ladies will dance through the village with this jaggo (lit lantern) to let everyone know about the wedding. Karen’s family actually walked through the neighborhood, singing, dancing, and carrying the jaggo! How awesome is that?!!!! So much fun!
The jaggo (lit-lantern) can be seen above. Some people choose to use candles, others use lights. I love that Karen’s family followed the tradition of having the ladies walk through the neighborhood while singing songs. It was awesome to see them walking through the streets, dancing, and passing the jaggo from one lady to the next.
The Wedding Day
On the wedding day, Karen wore a beautiful red Anarkali lehenga along with a beautiful gold necklace and gold earrings. Her outfit perfectly complimented Mick, who wore a traditional Sherwani and red turban. You’ll notice a plume of white feathers on his turban. This is called a kalgi, which was put onto his turban by his sister, Kim. Mick wore it until he entered the Gurdwara, at which time Kim removed it from the turban.
groom is holding a traditional Sikh sword called a “Kirpan”
Groom’s sister putting the white Kalgi onto groom’s turban
Bharaat | Milni
After Karen finished getting ready, her family took her to the Gurdwara (temple) where they waited for Mick’s family to arrive. The groom is accompanied by his family and friends as they travel to the temple. This is called the baraat. Mick carried a ceremonial sword and arrived on a white horse. It was an amazing sight- full of smiles, laughing, and positive energy as Mick’s wedding party danced to the sounds of a beating and rhythmic dhol. Traditionally, the groom is accompanied by a young nephew or cousin, who also wears similar clothing as the groom. He is called the “shabbala” or caretaker of the groom. You can see him in the pictures of Mick’s baraat.
The Baraat began at the hotel. Here, Mick’s family led him to the car, where he and his mom drove to a location near the temple. Once they reached the Gurdwara, Mick got onto a white horse, and his entire wedding party, consisting of family and friends, followed him to the Temple. Meanwhile, Karen’s family was waiting at the Gurdwara to receive and welcome Mick’s family.
Mick and his Shabbala rode the white horse to the Gurdwara. They were surrounded by their family, who danced in the streets. In this picture, you can see Mick’s sister, Kim.
The baraat walked down the street, laughing, dancing, and singing as they made their way to the temple.
The baraat danced to the sound of the Dhol. The Dhol is a tradition Indian (Punjabi) drum used for dancing and celebrations. The sound is very loud and carries a strong upbeat, fast tempo. It’s impossible not to dance when you hear the dhol. The gentleman playing this dhol is one of the best I’ve ever heard. He was very, VERY good.
Upon reaching the temple, Mick’s family was greeted by Karen’s family and the priest, who said a prayer of blessing (Ardaas). The milni is a formal meeting of both families. The fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and cousins exchanged fresh flower garlands. This is a happy occasion where the families are excited to meet each other. Sometimes, in India, it was here that some family members met for the first time. Once the garlands have been exchanged, the brides family offers sweets to the groom’s family as a welcoming and blessing.
Anand Karaj | Blissful Union (Sikh Wedding ceremony)
The Sikh wedding ceremony is called the Anand Karaj which is directly translated as “blissful union.” The ceremony began with the singing of hymns. Mick entered the prayer hall with his family and sat with the congregation. Before Karen’s arrival, Mick moved to sit in front of the Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book), and at that time his sister, Kim, removed the kalgi from his turban. Karen entered the prayer hall with her father, brother, mother, and cousins. After she took a seat next to Mick, the formal wedding ceremony began. The priest said a prayer, followed by a hymn, and then the lavaan. During the lavaan, the bride and groom walk around the Granth Sahib four times. Each round has a special meaning of commitment and spiritual awareness. After this, to conclude the ceremony, the entire congregation stoodd for a special prayer of blessing.
I hope you enjoy these photographs of Mick and Karen’s Anand Karaj. I had so much fun during their wedding and wish them both a blessed life of happiness.
Sikh groom enters the prayer hall before the wedding ceremony
The groom’s sister is removing the white Kalgi from the groom’s red turban before the Anand Sahib (wedding) ceremony begins.
Mick and Karen’s Indian Wedding Reception
This is one of my longer blog posts and although it contains a ton of photos, my intention is to convey the feelings, customs, colors, and traditions of an Indian Sikh wedding. I plan to elaborate on these descriptions, so when guests attend a Sikh wedding, they can appreciate and understand the culture behind the ceremonies. Because Mick and Karen did such a wonderful job of incorporating these traditions into their wedding, I’m so happy to use these photos as a visual guide to Sikh Wedding festivities. If you have any questions about a Sikh wedding, please leave a comment below, or send me an email!
Thanks Mick and Karen, and a huge thanks to my brother, Tanvir, for helping me photograph this awesome Indian Sikh wedding! I love having him on the team!
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