Sikh Wedding Photographer in India | Punjabi Wedding Photographer

As one of the leading Candid Sikh Wedding Photographer / Punjabi Wedding Photographer’s in India, we have had the privilege of capturing quite a few Sikh / Punjabi Weddings. Simran & Ashish our beautiful couple were an absolute blast to work with! They as well as their families, were a bunch of totally fun & chilled out people we have come across.

Simran belongs to a strong ethical sikh culture & Ashish hails from a classy & well cultured gujarati family. They both make for an awesome pair. Their chemistry was excellent & it made my work as a candid photographer that much easier.

When two people are very much in love, it shows! This wedding was a 3 day elaborate affair!

We were asked to cover all the events leading to the final d-day – the wedding day!

As one of the leading Sikh Wedding Photographer, we got the opportunity to cover the following events:

1. Shagun Tilak Roka Ceremony
2. Vatna Gharoli Ceremony
3, Chuda Ceremony
4. Wedding (In A Beautiful Gurudwara)

Shagun Tilak Roka Ceremony:
The Shagun Tilak Roka Ceremony or Engagement Ceremony marks the beginning of the sikh wedding celebrations. It is also called Tilak, which is performed by a bhaiji (preacher) of the Gurudwara. He reads hymns and then applies a tilak on the groom’s forehead, to mark the engagement ceremony. On this occasion, both the families, exchange gifts in order to confirm the engagement of the couple. The bride’s family takes care of the ceremonial activities of the engagement. As a part of the shagun, a thali containing coconut, dry dates, sugar & money are sent to the groom’s family by the bride’s family.

Roka is performed on a mutually convenient date backed by the ‘shubh muhurat’ and it’s a simple function which is attended by family members and close friends. There is normally an exchange of gifts and cash. After this the girl and the boy are considered engaged to each other and are also allowed to court. The wedding date is fixed after the engagement.

Vatna Gharoli Ceremony:
The Vatna Gharoli Ceremony is one of the rituals that explains the importance of Sikh Culture. Vatna is a ritual celebrated a few days before the wedding ceremony. According to the Sikh Tradition, vatna, a scented powder consisting of barley flour, turmeric & mustard oil is smeared on the bride & the groom. This is then followed by an auspicious bath.

Mehndi is another pre-wedding ritual organized on the eve of the marriage. During Mehndi Ceremony, Henna is applied on the hands and the feet of the bride. Gharoli is observed in the morning of the wedding day, at the groom’s home. During the occasion, the groom’s sister-in-law, accompanied by other female relatives, go to a nearby well or Gurudwara to fill an earthen pitcher i.e. gharoli with water, which is later used to bathe the groom.

Chuda Ceremony:
The Chuda Ceremony is generally organized at the bride’s wherein the maternal uncle & aunt of the bride adorn her wrist with white and red bangles. The ‘chuda’ ceremony begins with a Prayer performed by he family. The oldest mama & mami (or those performing this ceremony) keep a fast till chuda. The chuda, i.e., the set of cream and red ivory bangles, is shown to the girl just before the ceremony.On the wedding day the rituals at the girl’s home begin with the Chuda ceremony.

The oldest maternal uncle and aunt play an important role in the performance of the ceremony. They fast till the event is completed. Chuda is basically a set of red and cream ivory bangles that is touched by all present. People touch the chuda and give their heartiest wishes to the girl for her future married life. Also, they sprinkle flower petals on the bride. Sweets are distributed to all.

The Wedding (In A Beautiful Gurudwara):

The wedding of Simran & Ashish was done in a proper traditional sikh wedding style. Keeping the old Sikh tradition alive the groom arranged to arrive by horseback for the meeting of the family. Ardas is the common Sikh prayer and is invoked at the start and conclusion of every Sikh event. Here both families perform Ardas on their meeting each other. A simple ceremony takes place and both families exchange well wishes on meeting each other. This is followed by light snacks and tea before the religious ceremony begins. Ragis perform kirtan (the singing of hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib) as people begin to enter the Gurudwara for the beginning of the ceremony.

This is when the bride makes her first public appearance of the day. Men and women sit on opposite sides of the Gurudwara hall at equal distances from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Non Sikh male and female visitors and guests can usually sit together if they wish.

We had an absolute blast capturing all the functions that constitute a Sikh Wedding and we take this opportunity to congratulate & wish both Simran & Ashish a beautiful life ahead, a life full of love, happiness, peace & prosperity.

Here are a few of our favorite pictures…