The wedding day is really important, and it's always good to know who the bride is:
I soon realize I'm the only guy in here this morning, and I do feel strangely comfortable around all the makeup.
The bride-to-be is surrounded by her bridesmaids and all her family, including Choco, the Dog of Honor:
The only one missing is her father, who passed away when she was twelve. But he'll be with Danisha when she walks down the aisle later, in a locket, in her bouquet:
The white and gold Tasbih on her wrist is a gift from her grandmother.
The groom shows up just in time, joined by his brother, the Best Man and Charlie, the Best Dog.
He has to go through the line of bridesmaids to see his future wife. He knows exactly what to do:
Danisha's mom feeds them sweets and sherbet to bless them with a happy day:
I guess Charlie is not too impressed because he didn't receive any sweets:
A most appropriate ride for the couple to arrive at the brand new Aga Khan Garden, in Devon.
The family bonds are really strong with these two. The bride wears her mom's wedding sari, and the groom is dressed in his dad's wedding suit.
The board that Danisha and Adil were serving on together toured the garden before it was constructed, and Danisha immediately said that she wanted to get married here one day.
That day is today and the guests enjoy a little stroll around the place before the ceremonies commence.
They bring well wishes and much love for the bride and groom:
The ceremony is about to begin and the officiants are taking their seats.
The bridal party follows suit.
Being the first ever wedding at the Aga Khan Garden, the weather doesn't know the protocol, so the hot sun and blue sky are suddenly replaced by dark clouds and pouring rain.
Hence Zafira, the bride's sister, maid of honor and wedding planner, has to cover one more position, as the umbrella holder:
But a few mm of rain won't stop us.
Everything we need for the Nikkah is right here:
The Ismaili wedding ceremony is composed of three parts: the Khutba, a short homily in praise of Allah, contract signing and Dua, blessings from Allah.
Bogdan, my trusty second shooter is braving the elements, to make sure he doesn't miss a thing.
Signing documents have never been so fun.
After the rings are on, everybody gets a sweet reward.
Blessings come with a healthy dose of sunshine for the newest couple in town.
Lee Foote, the director of the University of Alberta Botanic Gardens, takes a moment to share a few words about the vision and meaning behind the Garden, from His Highness, the Aga khan, and what this space means to our community:
Danisha uses this time to change her wardrobe for the post-wedding formalities.
The first one is the Chandlo ceremony. In this traditional greeting, a yellow mark (Chandlo) is placed on the couple's foreheads to initiate them into matrimony under a sign of good fortune.
During the Ponkwa, the newlyweds are ridden of any evil spirits that may oppose their happiness. The groom's mother wraps a betel nut in a corner of her sari and she makes seven circular motions around the pair. This ritual summons the spirits of goodness to protect the couple from misfortune and to preserve the bonds of amity between them.
For the following part, we're going to need two special MC's. Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi and First lady of Edmonton, Sarah Chan.
In a stroke of inspiration, Adil and Danisha decided to make Saapatia about the oldest rivalry in Alberta, between Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
Alongside the hopes of Alberta for a Stanley Cup, the two clay pots contain lentils - symbolizing the bounty of nature; silver - denoting material wealth; sugar - representing sweetness and harmony; and turmeric - a sign of good health:
And the first one to break theirs is believed to rule the house:
In a clever and unexpected twist, the bride puts on space grade footwear to ensure her future reign.
Based on the reaction of Edmonton's First Lady, I think we have a winner:
And she keeps on winning with the Khobo ritual, where her father-in-law presents her a tray full of coins.
The coins represent blessings, wealth and the number of children that will come, and Danisha got them all.
During the final ceremony, the couple's siblings earn their fee for the marriage. They don't let their new brother and sister in law enter the family until they receive thoughtful gifts.
Like Ali's back scratcher:
In closing, heartfelt speeches bring tears of joy.
Congratulations one more time, Danisha and Adil! May the sun always shine on you!
love.more.cosmin
Vendors 'n' Things:
Nikkah Venue - First Ever Wedding at the Aga Khan Garden, Devon
Makeup - SEN Studios
Hair - ICON Hair
Delicious Catering - New Asian Village
Delicate Cake - La Boule Bakery
Musicians - Sarah & Muskan Visram, Shafik Lalani & Shamila Mathur
Second Photographer - BogDAN Spineanu, Calgary
Ismaili Wedding Photographer - Muslim Marriage Photography
You Like? You want? I'm all yours:
cosmindanilaphoto@gmail.com
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