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In August 2013, Aman knew the time had come. He whisked Sonia
off to Whistler, hired a photographer to capture the moment and took
her on the Peak 2 Peak gondola. "We were hiking up and down hills on
a hot day, with me wondering what was going on," says Sonia. Aman
was on a quest to find the perfect spot for his proposal, and when he did,
an excited Sonia agreed immediately.
As a teacher she well knew the value of being organized, so Sonia
wasted no time before booking the Khalsa Diwan Society for their July
wedding, and the Fraserview Banquet Hall for their reception. With
close to 700 guests expected, the couple hired Harprit Patal of Always &
Forever Weddings to help them organize the multiple events surround-
ing their big day. Sonia selected two custom lenghas, opting for outfits
that were clean and classy rather than fussy and overdone, while Aman
chose a simple white achkan, the groom's traditional knee-length jacket.
e celebrations began three days before the wedding with the
maiya, two separate ceremonies for bride and groom. At Sonia's maiya,
an exfoliant of turmeric and water was smeared on her skin to beautify
her for the wedding, as attendees made playful fun of each other through
song, dance and games. A day later, henna was applied to both her hands
and feet.
en, most unexpectedly, tragedy struck just two days before the
wedding. One of Sonia's cousins, who had flown to Vancouver from
England for the wedding, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. e
next day, 10 guests left for the funeral in England, leaving the rest of the
family stunned and emotional. "It put things in perspective," says Sonia.
Rather than upset everyone, Sonia and her family decided to keep the
sad news to themselves until after the wedding. With heavier hearts —
but a resolve to celebrate life anew, Sonia and Aman carried on with
their plans.
After a short temple ceremony on Friday, a large reception followed
on the Saturday night at Fraserview Banquet Hall. Bedecked in white,
gold, silver and cream, the tables held centrepieces of flowers and pearls
as 675 guests drifted in.
"Indian weddings are all about eating, drinking and dancing," says
Sonia. To ensure their guests were well entertained, the couple hired a
local DJ to provide the music, while traditional Indian performers
danced for guests before the couple arrived. en, after Sonia and Aman
cut their wedding cake, the dancing continued until 4 the next morning.
Still, it's the ceremony that lingers on in the minds of the two best
friends, now newlyweds. "All I could see was Sonia sitting next to me in
the temple, and we were talking back and forth and laughing, having so
much fun," says Aman.
Sonia agrees. "ere were so many details that went into the
planning of our four main events, and throughout, I told Aman, 'Just
keep focused on the end goal: you and me.' "
rw
realweddings.ca 37
the
Dream Team
See our iPad issue
for even more photos
Photographer
Blush Wedding Photography
blushweddingphotography.org
Videographer
Glimmer Films
glimmerfilms.ca
Venue — Ceremony
Khalsa Diwan Society
kdsross.com
Venue — Reception
Fraserview Banquet Hall
fraserviewhall.com
Wedding Planner
Always & Forever Weddings
alwaysandforeverweddings.ca
Bride's & Bridesmaid Dresses
Crossover Bollywood Sé
crossoverbollywoodse.ca
Hair & Makeup
Charrisse Mae (ceremony makeup)
charrissemae.com
Sarah Braim (ceremony hair)
sarahbraim.com
Kiran Purewal (reception)
kiranpurewal.com
Mehendi Artist
Mehndi Designs by Iti
facebook.com/MehndiDesignsbyIti
Groom's Outfit
Wellgroomed (ceremony)
wellgroomed.ca
Ermenegildo Zegna (reception)
zegna.com
Bride's Shoes
Lord's Shoes
lordsshoes.ca
Décor
Raymon's Décor
raymonsdecor.com
Flowers
Celsia Floral
celsiafloral.com
Catering
Maharaja Catering
maharajacatering.com
Cake
Kien & Sweet
kienandsweet.com
Disc Jockey
DJ Khanvict
decibelentertainment.com
Wedding Rings
M.J. Jewellers
mjjewellers.ca
Photobooth
Goldfish Photobooth Rentals
goldfishmedia.ca
