❤️🎊 Vibrant colors, heartfelt traditions, and genuine moments of Victoria & Amro’s Sikh wedding at the Bridgewater Gurdwara. From the Baraat parade to the Anand Karaj ceremony, every image radiates love and connection, and makes me proud to be a Sikh Wedding Photographer!

 

Why Rhinehart Photography?

Victoria shares, “Lisa is so fun and approachable; her excitement and support are palpable throughout the day. She is so kind and able to address the worries I had directly, and made me feel so comfortable. I was having anxiety about how I looked. She showed me a preview of one of the photos she took, and my anxiety went away. She is able to make you feel beautiful and special.”

 Amritpal adds, “Lisa and her partner did a great job navigating the personalities involved in a large event, including family members. Oftentimes, photographers are pulled in many directions by those with even the best of intentions. Lisa was able to handle that while executing our vision and plan for how we wanted our big day captured.”

 

Preparations: Sikh Wedding Photographer

Victoria smiles, “I absolutely loved my red outfit. I remember when I tried it on after we got it, I was just so happy. I really appreciate Amro’s aunt’s help with assisting me with covering my head properly and pinning things in a secure way, so when I would bow down, the scarf would not move. It felt really special to be a part of this important cultural and religious ceremony.”

 

Twin Sisters!

Victoria talks about her bond with her twin sister, “We have done everything in life together, including college, grad school, and work. When we finally moved apart after 30 years together, that was really difficult. But we still see each other very frequently and talk all day, every day. It meant so much to have her there for the whole week, and she was very attentive to my needs!”

“Apart from Amro, no one knows me better, and it’s true she can practically read my mind at times and my needs!”

 

All the details: sikh wedding photographer

Victoria says, “For Friday, the dress was much lighter than other garments I had tried on, and was actually quite comfortable. I loved the gold jewelry and accessories, and they brought out the details of the suit so well. The kaleer attached to my bangles, and would get a little tangled at times, but otherwise I was very comfortable!”

Victoria & Amro both got their stunning wedding attire from Sindhar Boutique!

 

The Parade: Baraat

Amro shares, “The parade and dancing are known as the Baraat, which serves as an introduction for the groom’s arrival. The upbeat music and dancing help set the tone for a joyous occasion. This  evolves over time, as more modern takes on the Baraat could include arriving in a fancy vehicle, while arriving on an elephant is still possible in India.”

 

Groom on Horseback: Sikh Wedding Photographer

Amro laughs, “I had actually asked my family *not to get a horse.* Namely, I thought it would be an unnecessary cost and extravagance that didn’t align with my vision of a modest religious ceremony. While I appreciate their gift, I was also concerned about the animal’s well-being on a potentially oppressively hot August day.  Thankfully, the weather was mild.”

 

Friends and Family Dance

This was probably the most fun and most challenging part of the day for me!  I was trying to capture all of the beauty and excitement of this tradition as everyone moved, including a horse that was many times larger than 5 feet me *and* wearing blinders.

I kept pace, lifting my camera above my head, crouching down low, all while creating lively compositions that avoided parked cars and showed the stunning attire, fabulous emotion, and stunning architecture.  I’m happy to report that 5-foot me was not stepped on by any human or animal!  🙂

 

Victoria’s Perspective

Victoria laughs, “Amro’s mom completely surprised us with the horse! We had discussed this possibility and decided against it. But we have to admit this was such a cool addition to the morning, and our guests loved it! Amro looked very regal.”

 

Sikh Religious Ceremony: Anand Karaj

Amro shares, “The Anand Karaj is the Sikh wedding ceremony, which involves the singing of hymns and the couple walking around the Sikh holy scripture four times. The hymns sung while the couple walks around the scripture emphasize the spiritual connection between the couple and God, as the marriage ceremony represents the ideal of a unified spirit – two bodies, one soul.”

“Generally, a free meal is served after every service at a Gurudwara, prepared in the communal kitchen by volunteers in the congregation. This meal, known as Langar, promotes equality and community spirit, and is a long-held tradition in Sikhism. So, the vegetarian meal served after our wedding ceremony falls into this tradition.”

 

 

A few of the Grooms’ Family members

Amro says, “It means a lot to me just to have our families and close friends present and peaceful to help make the wedding ceremony something special. I am genuinely moved by everyone’s support and how genuine it all feels.”

 

Artistry and Photojournalism

Per the request of the couple, I placed my focus on real moments, photojournalism, timeless artistry, and deep emotion.  I still captured posed group shots as time allowed, but my focus was photojournalistic, and I’m so happy with these images!

 

Milni: Families Meeting

They share, “The Milni, which literally means ‘Meeting,‘ is about the unification of two families. For us, this is represented with each of our families coming together to embrace each other to begin the joining of our families and entering the Gurdwara together.”

 

Sisters:  Sikh Ceremony Attire

The colors and artistry of everyone’s attire *blows my mind*, everyone is dressed to the nines!  I appreciated that as well as the large windows and bright interiors.  I absolutely love photographing Sikh weddings and welcome many more!

 

 

Bridgewater Gurdwara fills with people: Sikh wedding Photographer

Amro explains, “The Bridgewater Gurdwara is where I attended services with my family growing up. I have seen it evolve through numerous iterations, as the prayer hall, langar hall, and kitchen have all seen their share of construction over the years. I am happy we were able to have our ceremony there, a place that my family members and the related community are intimately familiar with, and bring Victoria’s family into. 

 

 

The Groom’s Family Traditions: Bridgewater Gurdwara

Amro shares, “It was important for my family to arrive together for the Baraat (groom’s entrance) to formally join the families together. There was more of a delay getting hair/turban, and outfits ready than anything else!”

 

The Bride’s Family

Victoria shares, “Amro and my dad have an amazing relationship. It felt very powerful to know I had full support from him in our union. I felt lucky to have both my parents present, and I love having them both by my side as they have been through my whole life!”

 

Amro’s Perspective

Amro shares, “My family and I were just happy to bring Victoria and our families all together. One of the hallmarks of Sikhism as a religion is to be welcoming and inviting of all, regardless of their background or familiarity with customs. It was great that Victoria took the time to learn these things and embraced them. But I loved that the focus was on the ceremony and its meaning beyond anything else.”

 

Pala Scarf Tradition: Sikh Wedding Photographer

They explain a special tradition, “The red scarf, known as the Pala, represents a literal and symbolic connection between the couple as they commit to marriage and start their shared journey. The beginning of the ceremony sees the bride’s father connect the couple together with the Pala, to represent his blessing on the couple’s union. Staying connected with the Pala, along with walking around the Sikh holy scripture, is a commitment to God in marriage. The traditions involved, such as bowing, are all ways to demonstrate respect to the holy scripture, its teachings, and commitment to God.”

Friends and Family Members’ Reactions

Amro says, “I think those who are unfamiliar with Sikhism are appreciative of how peaceful and meaningful the ceremony was. Some of our friends describe the ceremony as beautiful and something that they felt really focuses on what is important about Victoria and I coming together. I am grateful for the translations displayed during the singing of the hymns so that everyone could follow along.”

 

 

Victoria Embracing Sikh Traditions

He adds, “Everyone is congratulatory and so appreciative of how well Victoria embraces everything culturally.  My family is overjoyed that the day has finally come and that they can all gather together and enjoy the moment.”

 

 

Photojournalism: Sikh Wedding Photographer

As I mentioned, capturing real moments and emotions through photojournalism was most important to me on this day. Capturing everyone and everything else in perfectly straight lines (men, women, the door frame, the carpet) as their flower girl rolls on the floor, totally tickled me. What a beautiful and sweet moment. Family members on both sides nodded sweetly: peace, acceptance, joy, love, appreciation…

 

Prashad Tradition

Amro shares, “This is called Prashad. It is a mixture of sugar, butter, and flour that has been blessed and is customarily served at the end of a Sikh service. This represents grace and blessings being equally bestowed upon all, regardless of their status. This tradition has grown over time to symbolize a spirit of community and equality. Prashad is prepared in a communal kitchen and shared amongst the congregation.”

 

 

Amro & Victoria

Amro smiles, “When looking back on our day, I have a great sense of pride for what Victoria and I accomplished. I think our trusted teamwork is a hallmark of our relationship. Our wedding week festivities are a great example of what we can do as two dedicated, thoughtful, and detail-oriented people. We bring this energy to our relationship and other parts of our lives (we plan the amazing vacations together!) We truly deserve each other in the best way.”

 

Secret: Names Hidden in Henna

Victoria laughs, “Given the design is so intricate, it was fun to see how the artist was able to incorporate his name into the work. However, Amro is very detail-oriented and analytical, so he found it fairly quickly! Versus other people, who needed me to show them where it was!”

 

Victoria & Amro: Slideshows