Seema & Rishi - Hindu Wedding at the Shaw

 Day 1 of the festivities brings everyone together at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald for the Ladies' Sangeet:

 What may be the shortest chunni ceremony in recorded history takes place outside, on the patio.

 Soon after that, the show begins and we move back inside.

 This could be an explanation why Rishi is such a happy guy, always ready to party - Rishi's dad:

  Seema didn't really stand a chance keeping in mind that Rishi proposed to her with a composition made by himself.

 In classic Sangeet style, the ladies make use of the silverware playing the dhol.

 The groom to be and his brother can't help but starting the party:

 It's infectious:

 At some events, I find it rather difficult to catch the groom dancing. This is not one of those events.

 I mean Rishi is unstoppable:

 Sarah Mitchell, with VIP Events, can boogie, as well, now that she made sure everything goes smoothly:

 Day 2 is beauty salon day for the bride to be, where the salon is at home and the beauty procedure is haldi:

 She's going straight to shower from here:

 Meanwhile, the choora is prepared:

 She needs all that kalire for the single ladies in her family:

 If a piece of kalire falls on your head, you're gonna get married soon:

 And this is our next bride:

 Day 3 is the big day:

 A special kind of eyelashes day.

 Mom is having a realization moment:

 Seema leaves her home for the last time as a single girl:

 There's still time to party with her crew at the River Cree resort before she walks the seven steps:

 The same morning, somewhere in the south Edmonton, Ella is witnessing a superhero in the making:

 But no superhero can get out of the house without a massage and a beauty mask, courtesy of mom and dad:

 Sachin, his brother, lends a hand, as well:

 With grandma's blessings, the groom to be heads to the River Cree, where a white mare is waiting for him:

 It's a highly emotional moment even for the horse:

 She's definitely hungry now:

 Soon enough I'm part of an epic baraat.

 If you're doing it right, dismounting the horse can be even more fun than riding it.

 The milni is just another reason to keep on celebrating:

 The mandap's elegant look is meant to cool down the spirits for the upcoming Vivaha Sanskar:

 Seema: "The first time I remember meeting Rishi was at my little brother's first birthday. It was a grand celebration, even Jo-Jo the clown was there! Little did I know that, 27 years later, this guy would be my husband :)"

 Rishi: "The first time I remember meeting Seema was at Chuck E. Cheese. It was my little brother's birthday. I was showing off my amazing Skee-ball skills. Seema was sure impressed! Little did I know that, 27 years later, this girl would  be my wife :)"

 Seema & Rishi: "Over the years, the world took us to different places. While we both moved away from Edmonton, Seema moved to Toronto in 2007 and then to US to do her master's degree; Rishi moved to London to do his MBA. Fate would bring us both back to Toronto and we shared our first second kiss as mayor Rob Ford wished the city of Toronto a Happy New Year."

 The most important rituals are performed around Agni, the Vedic fire god of Hinduism.

 The actual marriage takes place when the couple takes the seven steps together.

 The ceremony concludes with blessings and love coming from everywhere.

 As she leaves her family for good, the bride showers them with prosperity in form of puffed rice:

 She makes sure there's not a single grain of prosperity left in the tray:

 Sometimes, when you have a lot of fun, you can misplace your marriage license, and you have to get another one on the spot:

 Now it's official in the province of Alberta.

 Nothing can ruin a bridal photoshoot more than rain.

 Update: Zombies can definitely ruin a photoshoot more than rain.

 The newlyweds barely make it out alive and arrive at Rishi's place:

 Even worse than the zombie experience is to come back home with your new wife and be stopped at the door by your sisters demanding payment for your entry:

 In a clever twist, Rishi manages to make his sisters dance the limbo for the money:

 Finally, his mom welcomes the happy couple and Seema kicks a pot of rice, thus bringing prosperity into the house:

 A few games, meant to establish who's going to rule the house, ensue. For the first trial, Rishi has to untie the ganney - auspicious red string - off his wife's wrist:

 No victory is too small to be celebrated in the wildest way:

 It's Seema's turn and Rishi is helping any way he can:

 The ever popular "Find the wedding rings in a bowl of milk and rose petals and other stuff" game follows:

 Rain finally stops and the zombies are nowhere in sight, so we go outside for a few more pictures.

 Day 4 begins with a few more portraits at Hotel Macdonald:

 Rishi had his jacket custom made by London Bespoke Club. Worth every penny:

 Shaw Conference Centre is ready for them:

 Or is it?

 Hilarious reminiscing with the bridal party kicks off the evening program.

 To be followed by Bollywood level performances:

 No one is too pregnant to dance.

 Definitely not surprised to see Rishi joining in:

 DJ Nav at Urban Beats takes it from here:

 Congratulations one more time, Seema and Rishi! You put the 'fun' in 'wedding'! It's in there!

love.more.cosmin

Vendors 'n' Things:

Hindu Wedding Ceremony Venue - Marriott at River Cree Resort, Edmonton
Reception Venue - Shaw Conference Centre
Sangeet Venue - Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton
Pandit - Shiv Shankar Dwivedi
Wedding Planner - Sarah Mitchell at VIP Events
Makeup & Hair - Jessie Gill
Decorations - M Wedding & Events
Mehndi - Naz Andani
Limo - The Amazing Legends Limousine
Flowers - Off Whyte Floral Studios
Outfits - Dinesh Ramsey
Groom's Custom made Tux - London Bespoke Club
Seema's Sangeet Outfit - Mani Jassal
Music - DJ Nav at Urban Beats
Lighting - Production Lighting
Video - Bright Bride Photo
Photo Booth - Ready Set Booth
Second Shooter - Ella Anderson & Dave Bennett
Hindu Wedding Photographer - Indian Wedding Photography

You like? You want? Send me a message: cosmindanilaphoto@gmail.com