Aliya & Aleem - Ismaili Wedding by the Book

Aleem: "I'm not sure where I'd be without Aliya. She is such an amazing person. From the moment we met, she's accepted me for who I am and has loved me unconditionally. She's smart, beautiful, kind, thoughtful and everything! I know that with her by my side anything is possible for us and I can't to start a new chapter in our lives together."

Aliya: "Every girl dreams of meeting her prince. I met mine on October 24, 2008. He is smart, funny, handsome, loving and has a smile that melts my heart. He has shown me what true love is by being by my side, making me lough, understanding me and loving me for who I am. I look forward to our future together with lots of special memories. I'm the luckiest girl!"

The wedding ceremony begins under a petal shower:

Here comes the bride:

Here goes the bride's father:

The contract is the indispensable element of marriage in Islam, reflecting mutual consent and acceptance of definite rights and responsibilities:

The last part of the Nikkah is the Du'a which invokes Allah's blessings for the newly weds.

The ceremony ends with seeking Mawlana Hazar Imam's blessings that the couple may also receive Allah's favours for a happy marriage and fine posterity.

All the guests line up to congratulate the really happy newly weds and their families:

The reception night starts with some outdoor shots:

Ready or not, here we come:

A very creative guest sign in book:

And a classic one, using our images from New York:

It's easy for Faizal to talk down on people:

Actually, not that easy. He needs a stool:

Ladies and gentlemen, please stand up and put your hands together:

Chandlo ceremony - the rose petals symbolize prosperity:

Dukha ceremony wishes good fortune upon the new couple:

By placing the knuckles on the sides of the couple's heads and placing her hands on either side of her own head and cracking her knuckles, the groom's mother symbolically removes all their 'dukh' - suffering and misfortunes. The louder the cracking the greater the certainty that these misfortunes have been vanquished:

Ghadi ceremony - the bride's mother in law pours water from a vessel, called a ghadi, onto the couple's feet to cleanse them and provide a fresh start for their life together:

Saapatia ceremony - two clay pots are placed in front of the couple. They have to break the saapatia by stepping on them and releasing the gifts they contain: lentils - representing the bounty of nature, silver - denoting wealth, sugar for sweetness and harmony, and turmeric - a sign of good health. According to tradition, the first one to break the pot is going to wear the pants in the family. According to Aleem, why even bother to try:

He's gonna wear the pants, too, right after Aliya:

Baandhni ceremony - the groom's mother wraps a protective shawl, called a baandhni, over the couple. Symbolically she leads them to the family home where they formally cross the threshold into their new lives:

Khobo ceremony - a tray full of silver coins is presented by the groom's father to the bride. She's invited to accept blessings and as much as she can hold of the family wealth:

That's Aleem's part:

He's gonna need it later:

Rather sooner than later:
Tie/Chero ceremony - the bride's sister and the groom's brother now hold the couple at rensom. By holding on to Aleem's tie, Shazya demands to be paid off by him before she will allow her sister to join her new husband's family. Known for his generosity, Aleem offers her a rock:

After fearsome negotiations, Shazya gets what she wants:

Or not. She want more:

Looks like the sisters are a formidable team. While Aleem's new sister in law keeps him busy, his wife empties his wallet:

It's Raheem's turn:

As always, men are much easier to please:

It's hard to believe that Aleem is still hungry after the food bath from two days ago:

The first wedding ever to feature a casino:

So everyone can gamble, not just the newly weds:

There's drama in the speeches:

Someone is still hungry and doesn't want to share:

Congratulations one more time, Aliya and Aleem!

Thank you so much for such a relaxing and fun celebration!

love.more.cosmin

Vendors 'n' Things:

Nikkah Ceremony - Calgary Headquarters Jamathkana
Reception Venue - Coast Plaza
Puro Venue - Nirvana Restaurant
Decorations - Posh Events
Wedding Coordinator - Rahim Rajan
Henna Artist - Abeer Merali
Flowers - Amborella Floral Studio
MC's - Zarah, Faizal, Shazya, Anil
Music - Kombo Studios
Video - Zzijan
Photo - Ismaili Wedding Photographer