FAQs
Question
What is the Barat?
Answer
The Barat is where the groom rides in a white horse with his family and friends following in a processional
Question
What is the Milni?
Answer
The Milni is the meeting of the families. Everyone mingles before the ceremony
Question
What is the Anand Karaj?
Answer
The Anand Karaj is the ceremony and is often referred to as "Blissful Union". A Sikh wedding official counsels the couple with the verse "Dhan Pir Eh Na Akhee-an". They are advised that marriage is not merely a social and civil contract, but a spiritual process uniting two souls so that they become one inseparable entity. The husband is to love and respect his wife, encourage her with kind consideration, recognize her individuality, regard her as his equal, offering guidance and support. The wife is to show her love and respect with loyalty, support her husband's objectives willingly, harmonize with him, and share in happiness and sorrow, prosperity or adversity. The couple is to ally themselves with each other in an endeavor to achieve a harmonious union, intellectually, emotionally, physically, materially and spiritually.
Question
What are the Lavan?
Answer
The four wedding hymns of Lavan represent four stages of love. The hymns describe the development of marital love between husband and wife, while simultaneously signifying the love and longing of the human soul for God. The bride and groom walk around the Guru Granth, as the ragis (musicians) sing the words of the Lavan. The groom walks to the left clockwise. Holding his end of the palaa, he walks around the Guru Granth. The bride follows him holding on to her end of the palaa. The couple makes their first marital adjustment by keeping in step with each other. They bow together before the Guru Granth concluding the 1st wedding round and resume sitting. The 2nd, 3rd & final, 4th round, are conducted in the same manner. The entire congregation sings "Anand Sahib", the "Song of Bliss". The hymn emphasizes the fusing of two souls into one as they merge with the divine.
Question
How are you handling the risk for COVID-19?
Answer
Your health and safety is so important to us! We will be taking everyone’s temperature before they enter for the ceremony/reception on Friday and the reception on Saturday. When it’s time for food, you’ll be asked to go through the line by table and to please wear your mask when doing so. Hand sanitizer and extra masks will be available. There will also be people (with masks and gloves) to serve the food from the buffet. Weather permitting, we’ll have some tables set up outside for those uncomfortable with dining inside.