This is totally okay! Not every event is mandatory. Please feel free to come to any and every event you feel comfortable and able to share with us.
It is most important to us that our guests feel confident and comfortable in their attire at all times. Indian clothing is not required to be bought or worn for any event and you may choose to wear western or Indian clothing based on your comfort level. For the Sikh marriage ceremony, you will be asked to sit on the ground for the duration of the ceremony (chairs will be available for those who need them), so we recommend that you wear a comfortable floor length outfit that you can move easily in. Typically, pants with a long tunic or a floor length dress are worn by women.
Our wedding ceremony will be conducted in Sikh tradition. All person entering the Gurdwara (the Sikh temple) will be required to remove their shoes and cover their heads out of respect for the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Scripture). Head scarfs and coverings will be provided at the entrance of the Gurdwara for those who need one.
After entering the Gurdwara, worshippers walk down the center isle towards the Guru Granth Sahib and pay homage by kneeling and bowing down. Worshippers then take a seat on the floor among the Sangat (congregation). Men will be seated on the left side of the room and women will be seated on the right. After the Sangat is seated, the bride and groom will enter and sit directly in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Granthi (Priest) asks permission of god to begin the ceremony, during which the groom, bride and parents stand. The Granthi then reads the Mukh Vaak (the Guru's orders to the Sangat).
The Palla (scarf) ceremony follows in which the brides father gives one end of the scarf to the groom and tge other end to the bride. This denotes the "giving away" of the bride. The Anand Karaj (marriage ceremony) is solemnized by the reading of the Four Lavan (Wedding Hymns) from the Guru Granth Sahib. The Lavan is analogous to the progression of love between husband and wife and that between the individual and God. Each Lav is read by the Granthi then repeated in musical verses. As each Lav is sung, the bride and groom, united by the Palla, walk around the Guru Granth Sahib. At the end of the fourth Lav, the bride and groom are officially married. The entire Sangat stands and asks the Lord to bless the couple and all of mankind, as in all of Sikh prayers.
The ceremony ends with a distribution of Karah Prasad (wheat flour cooked with butter and sugar) to the Sangat as a blessing from God. Following the ceremony, Langar, a community meal shared by all who enter the Gurdwara, will be served.
A shuttle service will be provided to and from the Airport Hayatt to the Maiyan/Sangeet location. The shuttle service will begin at the Airport Hyatt at 3:30pm and run to 5:30pm. It will begin again with pickups at the Maiyan/Sangeet location to the Airport at 8:00 pm and run until 10:00pm. For guests flying in who do not have a car, a small shuttle will be provided to and from the Airport Hyatt and the Gurdwara on Sunday morning for the Sikh ceremony. Please let us know if you are interested in using the Sunday morning shuttle.
To celebrate both cultures, there will be a mix of both traditional American and Indian food options available at the reception. The Maiyan, Sangeet and Sikh Ceremony will have predominately Indian food, although other smaller options will be available. Following the Christian ceremony, there will be a light reception with coffee, tea, pastries and other breakfast items. If you are staying in the Airport Hyatt hotel, a congregation room will be available in our room block with light food, drinks and snacks. We encourage you to utilize this room to meet and grab a bite to eat to hold you over between meals :)