Surrey BC, Canada Indian Wedding by Pardeep Singh Photography

Good morning, Maharanis! We can't think of a better way to start this week than sharing Gorsharen & Manraj's Sikh wedding with all of you. So get yourself ready to dive into this fantastic journey filled with inspiring ideas and charming scenes. Celebrated during COVID, this intimate wedding took place at the Bride's residence with the help of Always & Forever Weddings, who took care of the planning of this enchanting celebration. The on-point design by LUX Affairs and the captivating decor by Botany and Bloom tied everything up, creating a dreamy backdrop for Gorsharen & Manraj Sikh to say "I do" in the company of their family and closest friends. In case you were wondering who were the masterminds behind Gorsharen stunning look, take a peek at this fabulous vendor lineup. Denise ( Thủy ) Đinh on the beauty department, Vivah Collection on the fashion choices, and last but not least, Jiji Studio on the dazzling pieces of jewelry. Hands down a winning combination that still has us sighing. If you don't want to miss any detail of this celebration, make sure to visit today's gallery by Pardeep Singh Photography for a full reveal of all the charm. Believe us; it is worth the while!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Manraj and I met in high school. We were close friends in grade 8, and later began dating in grade 10. I knew he was the one when I realized there was no one else I wanted to spend my days with.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
In grade 10, Manraj asked me to be his girlfriend on an old couch from the 80s in my parents basement. Exactly 7.5 years later, Manraj asked me to marry him on that same exact couch. With the help of some friends, the couch was moved to a forested cliff area at Whytecliff Park. The area was adorned with candles and lanterns. He popped the question and I said yes!

Tell us how you went about planning your wedding, and your overall experience with the Venues, Hair & Makeup, Outfits, Decor Theme, and all of the other important details.
Planning this wedding was definitely interesting. Manraj and I began our planning in 2018, pre-COVID-19. We originally planned a 750 person wedding at an outdoor venue, with an equally as large reception the following day. We-replanned just four months before our wedding date with a lot of help! Thankfully all of our vendors were available for our new date and were excited to be a part of our new plans. There was not a lot of time to discuss nitty gritty details, so we put a lot of faith into our vendors and gave them a lot of creative liberties. We were not disappointed!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Like many brides, the lengha I wore was not the lengha I originally envisioned. I knew I wanted to stick to traditional colours, so I opted for a red and gold lengha. I originally saw myself in an incredibly simple lengha with minimal embroidery. Instead, I went for a moderately embroidered lengha, which I loved!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
While the planning and re-planning process was stressful, I enjoyed all of the planning sessions with my family and friends. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many family members and friends were not able to attend the ceremony. But they were excited to see all of the details we discussed as they watched via live stream. I also enjoyed working with an incredibly creative and insightful vendor team. My vendors made incredible suggestions throughout the whole planning process. I felt lucky to be working with so many wonderful creatives.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved the intimacy of the wedding. The wedding Manraj and I originally planned was quite large and our guest list was bursting at the seams. COVID-19 was almost a blessing in disguise and allowed us to host incredibly intimate events that we wouldn't have under normal circumstances. Many guests commented that this was the first wedding they attended that they actually got to spend time with the bride and groom!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The chaos before the wedding often replays in my mind. We chose to host our ceremony in my parents backyard. The morning of the wedding there was an unexpected shower of rain. Vendors were scrambling to make sure nothing got wet and guests were being rained on as minimally as possible. As soon as the ceremony began the rain let up, and as we finished our fourth laavan the sun came out and it turned into an incredibly sunny day. It was definitely something out of a movie!

For events other than your ceremony, please tell us as much as you would like about the decor, style, dances, and all the special details.
We wanted our pre-events to be bright and lively, paying homage to the energetic and cheerful ambiance of traditional Indian weddings. For our wedding, we envisioned a lot of greenery and florals but trusted our decor team to make final calls with colour schemes and specifics.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Planning a wedding is a lot of work and often takes years of planning. In uncertain times such as these, the best thing Manraj and I did was accept the situation for what it was. We knew we wanted to be married and that was all that mattered. We also had a phenomenal team of vendors who we felt went above and beyond for us. We definitely suggest getting to know your vendors and choosing personalities you think will understand your wants and needs.

What a great way to start the week! If you want to enjoy more inspiring stories, make sure to join us tomorrow. We have new content every day!