Grand South Asian wedding in Vancouver | Anosha and Saj

South Asian weddings are known for their grandeur, vibrant traditions, and deep-rooted cultural significance.

Anosha and Saj’s a multi-day explosion of colors, music, lots of dance, emotions, and of course, FOOD! My team and I were fortunate to experience and capture visuals that still are fresh in our recent memories, to best describe it was like stepping into a real-life Bollywood movie.

Anosha and Saj’s wedding was not just a multicultural but also an interfaith union. Anosha’s origin is from muslim Punjabi family in Pakistan and Saj’s christian faith family is from the southern state of Kerala in India. When two people from different religious or cultural backgrounds come together, their wedding becomes an opportunity to blend traditions, honor both families, and create something truly special.

The wedding comprised of six events; most diverse of any wedding we have documented so far.

Pre-wedding outdoor photoshoot:

I can say that Anosha & Saj’s pre-wedding shoot was the best that I’ve photographed so far and the reason is not myself or the camera or location, it was the chemistry between these 2 beautiful souls. Their dressing was imaculate starting with a formal outfit followed by the casual. Although the weather was not cooperative at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus that day i.e rainy spring day in Vancouver as usual but the fun and excitement with these two was contagious and it shows in the photos. My point is that it is not just photographer or the camera or lens or even the location these are just tools to work with that surely help but the main contributor to good engagement/outdoor photos is the chemistry and fun-loving attitude of the couple which was abundant in their case; makes our job easier.

Nikah:

A Nikah ceremony is the Islamic wedding contract between a bride and groom. It is a sacred and legally binding agreement in Islam, officiated by a religious leader (such as an Imam). Anosha & Saj’s Nikah ceremony took place at Anosha’s house led by a dear friend to Anosha’s dad.

Nikah ceremony was followed by some couple photos and lunch after which I took the love birds for some tranquil and romantic portraits.

Mayon ceremony:

The Mayon is a pre-wedding ritual celebrated in South Asian (Pakistani & Indian) weddings, It is a traditional beautification ceremony for the bride.

Anosha & Saj’s Mayon was filled with cultural significance, joy, and vibrant festivities Including a colourful stage at Langley Golf Course backdrop.

Mehndi ceremony:

A Mehndi (or henna) ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual in South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, especially in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is a joyous occasion where henna (mehndi) is applied to the bride’s hands and feet, symbolizing beauty, luck, and love in marriage. The event is typically filled with music, dance, and festive celebrations.

At Anosha & Saj’s Mehndi event, the venue The Empire Banquet hall in Surrey was an explosion of rich colors, fairy lights, and draped fabric in shade of magenta backdrop with an elegant flower arch. The air was filled with the rhythmic beats of the dhol, and I could feel the excitement buzzing in the atmosphere.

Main highlight was the unconventional entry by the couple at a traditional Pakistani crafted tricycle. This was followed by an array of dances and celebrations by family and friends at the dance floor.

Traditional mehndi applying ceremony was then performed by close family and friends. The most fun part was yet to come though!

About 2-hour long dance performances by friends and family; something we are yet to witness at any other wedding; pure ecstasy!

The night ended with open dance floor for another hour or so where everyone had loads of fun.

Wedding South Asian Style (Barat and Rukhsati) day:

Barat and Rukhsati day is one of the most emotional and significant events in a traditional wedding, especially in Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi and Fijian cultures. It is filled with emotions and deep-rooted traditions.

Anosha and Saj’s getting-ready and first look was captured by our cameras at Anosha’s parents’ beautifully decorated house in Maple Ridge BC. They both are very receptive to camera and are great ‘posers’ when needed. The wedding day was nothing short of fun, dance and excitement not just the bride and groom, not limited to just the immediate families but extended family and friends.

The most lively and fun-loving wedding party we’ve seen so far.

For the outdoor shoot, we went to Pitt Lake in Pitt Meadows BC. Weather was nice and shooting around the lake with mountain background is nothing less than ideal.

The Barat reception was no less fun. Entertained by beautiful live violin music performances during and after the bride & groom’s entrances. Main highlight was the dashing opening performance by Anosha’s dad along with a dance group from Steps by Sim followed by bride & groom’s first dance, group photographs, a striking magic show and shoe hiding. The friends and close family gather around the groom, grab his shoes from feet and return only on the condition of cash money for the group that typically ends after long negotiations.

Before rukhsati, the dance floor was opened for everyone and the fun became never-ending.

Anosha and Saj’s wedding highlights

Kaliyanum

In Kerala, "Kaliyanum" (wedding) is a grand and culturally rich event that varies based on religious and regional traditions.

Followed by traditional Pakistani wedding, Kaliyanum ceremony was performed the next day to celebrate the tradition in South Indian style. Ladies were wearing off white Saree’s and men with traditional shirt top and lungi.

Ceremony: Exchange of vows and rings, was officiated by Saj’s sister Sonia followed by Minnukettu where Saj tied a sacred thread with a cross (minnu) around Anosha’s neck.

Ceremony was followed by some lively family photos and guests enjoyed delicious South Indian food treated by the groom side.

Wedding ceremony and reception (Western-styled):

Complete contrast, a western style wedding celebrations at the beautiful Newlands Golf and Country Club in Langley shows how diverse the celebrations were in a single wedding. This is why Anosha and Saj’s wedding was the most unique wedding that we’ve covered.

Major highlight was the presence of young energetic and fun-loving bridal party that kept the event alive throughout.

After getting photographed and filmed for getting-ready bridal party moved outdoors at the Sendall Gardens in Langley for some formal and fun-filled moments to be captured. Outdoor session was followed by a distinguished ceremony at the iconic gazebo at the golf club. The entrances at the reception was nicely choreographed and executed well by the bridal party and the lovely couple. First dance, cake-cutting followed by speeches by some close family and friends. A funny shoe game and a family quiz game followed which created great interest among attendees. After the bouquet toss by Anosha, everyone enjoyed prolonged session at the dance floor.

The couple was farewelled by everyone with a warm sparkler exit to end the night.

Final Reception

There had to be the grand finale of this grand South Asian wedding which was not only a union of two individuals but also two families, two cultures and two faiths.

Day started with Bride & groom’s portraits as couple followed by the outdoor photo/video shoot at Bear Creek. After a grand and loud entrance, friends and family made some speeches. Dance performances by family and friends took over the centre stage including bride and groom. Like mehndi event, these vibrant and high energy performances choreographed by talented Simran Sidhu from Steps by Sim.

Final thoughts Anosha and Saj’s grand multicultural South Asian wedding was a mesmerizing blend of colors, traditions, music, and emotions. Imagine vibrant décor with marigolds and lights while the air filled with the sounds of dhol beats and Bollywood melodies; one of the most memorable weddings for our entire team.