Please dress conservatively as the ceremony is taking place in a Sikh Temple. i.e. Pants or a long dress with leggings. It's also helpful to bring a scarf or head covering, as it's required to cover your head inside the temple. Hanker-chiefs are provided. Everyone is seated on the ground for the entirety of the ceremony, so you want to be comfortable and be prepared to sit for about 45 mins criss-crossed. Avoid: Low-cut tops, short skirts/shorts, or short dresses.
When entering the prayer hall, please remove your shoes as they are not allowed inside. You may see some of the guests walk up to the front of the hall and bow their heads in front of the Guru Granth Sahib, a religious text of holy scriptures. For non-Sikh guests, this is NOT mandatory. It is recommended that men sit on the right side and women on the left. Close family members or the bridal party make up the first few rows. When seated in the ceremony hall, please sit criss-crossed or kneeled down with your feet behind you. Everyone sits on the floor symbolizing the equality of all people in the eyes of god.
1) The Baraat aka the grooms parade: The grooms procession arrives to the venue, and the bride's family greets them. 2) Milni aka unification of the two families: showcasing the bond that the families have created. 3) Breakfast aka tea and snacks: everyone is served food in the food hall. 4) Kirtan aka spiritual music: The wedding begins with shabad kirtan (music). The Groom arrives first, shortly followed by the bride.
5) Ardaas aka the first prayer: The couple and their parents stand and request God for support and blessings for the marriage. 6) Palle di rasam aka giving away the bride: The father of the bride hands one end of the Grooms scarf to his daughter. 7) Laavan phere aka the four rotations; four prayers are chanted as the couple moves around the holy book. 8) Ardaas aka the final prayer; signifying the wedding ceremony is complete. 9) Kara Parshad aka a sweet offering; a sweet pudding is given to all wedding guests, please accept. 10) Lunch is served in the Langar "food" hall
Reception will be held at a separate venue, and there aren't any restrictions :)
- The reception begins at 6:30pm and goes all night, usually ending at 12am. - The first 2 hours mingle, enjoy cocktails from the open bar and appetizers. Open seating. - The couple usually walks in the reception between 7:45 pm to 8:15 pm and usually followed by the first dance, speeches, cake cutting or performances which may take about 45 mins to an hour depending upon the number of events. - After the first dance, there will be a couples’ dance, and then the dance floor will be open :) - Dinner is served buffet style, and will be set for you to enjoy when you need a break from all the dancing ;)
Please RSVP directly to either the bride or groom.
While we appreciate your generosity, we won't be accepting any gifts in person at the wedding or reception due to the large number of family and friends attending. We have set up Zola as an option to send us a gift to the address provided, and we do get notified as well. There is an option to keep the gift and sender a surprise until a certain date too. Please coordinate with us directly if you want to send any other way :)