These two are just so awesome. I think we spent the majority of our engagement session chatting with each other. Nick contacted me regarding engagement photos for his quickly approaching wedding, He mentioned that his fiance, Kiran, lives in San Francisco, but is planning to fly to Seattle. So we made it happen!
I was even more stoked that they wanted their engagement photos at Alki Beach, in West Seattle. It’s such a beautiful location, with great views of the Seattle Skyline and the Space Needle. It was an absolutely perfect sunny Seattle afternoon!
These two were naturals! They felt so comfortable in front of the camera, and with each other. It was a super fun time. Also, I gotta give them props for being in a long distance relationship. It can definitely be challenging at times, but they pushed through it, and have a fantastic relationship. I love how happy they were the entire time.
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
Hope everyone enjoys these engagement photos of Nick and Kiran- they both look so good!
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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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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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Mick and Karen’s traditional Sikh wedding in Fresno, CA, was absolutely beautiful! Surrounded by acres of almond fields, fruit trees, and rolling hills, the area provided the perfect backdrop for a wedding. Palm trees lined the road as we drove through fields and fields of fruits and vegetables. I love photographing Indian weddings because of all the celebrations, traditions, and the excitement from both families.
We spent 3 days in Fresno, capturing the memories and traditional festivities of the Sikh wedding. As we photographed the many cultural traditions and events, it felt as though we were part of the family. Everybody opened themselves up to us, showing love, and that truly made our job memorable.
Over the past 8 months, I’ve witnessed the kindness and friendliness of Mick and Karen. Throughout the entire wedding, they placed a lot of trust in us, opened themselves up to creativity, and were just so cooperative. From the day we took engagement photos in downtown Seattle, I knew Mick and Karen were going to be awesome! They make such a perfect couple – Karen has a funny personality and a warm heart, and Mick is hilarious and always so understanding. There’s a sense of calm and peace in their relationship that I can only imagine developed through their years of long-distance. They’ve really established a deep level of trust and understanding with each other, and it stems from their communication and openness. After spending time with their families, I can see where they got these wonderful qualities!
Mehndi (Henna)
Mick and Karen’s Indian wedding was comprised of several Sikh traditions, each of which were performed with happiness, huge smiles, and love. Sikh weddings often occur over the span of several days, traditionally beginning with the application of Mehndi (henna). The photos below show the mehndi being applied to the hands. Usually, only women will have mehndi applied.
Another tradition is for the grooms family to visit the bride’s family with gifts. During this ceremony, the groom’s mother (bride’s mother-in-law) places a chunni (scarf) over the brides head. This is a sign of respect from the mother-in-law and signifies a lifelong of protection and care from their family. Mick’s family brought gifts and sweets to the Karen’s home. These following are just a couple (of many) pictures we captured for them during this ceremony.
Mick and Karen make such a beautiful couple. These pictures in the orchard are some of my favorite. Even in the 100 degree weather, these two were troopers. Here are a few of the pictures…
Thank you, Mick and Karen, for giving me the opportunity to photograph your beautiful, traditional Sikh wedding!
I’d love to connect with you on Google+ and Instagram (@MandevSidhu)
You can also find me on Facebook here. <– ‘like’ my page to follow more photos