Wedding Photography in the West-Midlands | David Liebst Photography
Amy and Gurdas were one of the first enquiries I had as a wedding photographer in the West Midlands and it was for cover of not one, but two weddings in a row! What was even more exciting was that part one was going to be a Sikh wedding. As a West Midlands wedding photographer its all about light and colour which is why many will tell you a Sikh wedding is a wedding photographers dream. I can tell you now, they are not wrong.
I was lucky enough to meet the couple for an engagement shoot before the big days, and I took to them immediately. They are both just so kind and easy to be around that I felt like I was spending the day with friends, just having a good time taking some fun pictures in the fields around my house.
This whole experience was fascinating to me, so I have tried to lay out the days events as accurately as I can, so get comfortable!
The morning of the Anand Karaj every one was relaxed and preparations went by without a hitch. Soon we were on our way to the Gudwara for the start of the days ceremonies! The first thing that hit me on arriving was the colour everywhere! Not only was their a huge variety of it, they were all strong bold warm colours, giving off an incredible sense of celebration and turning everything into a rainbow.
A prayer (ardass) was led by a priest inside the Gudwara followed by the Milni (meeting) which is an exchange of garlands between family members. Following this the guests and family members were led to the kitchen (langar) where they were given a light meal of sweet and savoury pastries. At this point Gurdas and Amy wanted to do a first look, so we headed up into the empty Dabar to take a few pictures of this special moment.
The ceremony begins with the groom entering the Dabar and bowing and touching his forehead in front of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and then sitting on his side of the congregation. Amy entered and repeated the process, taking her seat next to Gurdas. Prayers are said and then Amys dad approached to place Gurdas’s scarf (Palla) into Amys hand, signifying the joining of the couple and the passing over of responsibility of Amy to Gurdas!
The four Marriage Hyms (Lavaan) are central to the whole ceremony and are recited by the Granthi while the bride and groom walk around the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The Hyms are sung by the devoted musicians (kirtani) as the couple make their way around four times. To conclude the ceremony the Granthi reads from the Sri guru granth sahib, and the congregation were then served prashad, a blessed vegetarian pudding. Finally the bride and groom have garlands placed over them by family members and the ceremony is done!
Afterward everyone was welcomed downstairs for food and refreshment, and the rest of the day was spent enjoying each others company before everyone went home at about 17:00. At this point the three of us stepped away for a few portraits, before I headed off back to my hotel to prepare for round two the next day.
I cant express enough how much I enjoyed this wedding, for both the wonderful cultural experience as well as getting to know Amy, Gurdas and their families. Everyone was kind and welcoming and made me feel like part of the gang from the outset, and as a wedding photographer in the West-Midlands the colour was a dream. Below are a few high lights from this amazing day, with part two (the English wedding) coming very soon, enjoy!
West-Midlands Wedding Photographer | David Liebst
I loved being Gurdas and Amy’s wedding photographer in the West-Midlands, and would love to chat to you about your wedding! If you are looking for your West-Midlands wedding photographer, click over to my contact page and get in touch for a chat about your day!
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