Wedding Planning for a Toronto Sikh Wedding
Dilpreet Kang and Mandip Singh met through friends and quickly went to search for each other on social media soon after. After taking a group trip to Europe, the duo realised their compatibility. “Two months later, we were ring shopping!” says Dilpreet (more on the rings later). Read on as Dilpreet shares some of her wedding planning tips that she learned along the way.
Give yourself enough time – we don’t believe one year is enough time for planning out several wedding events unless everything works out just right that year. There’s not much of a buffer!
How much of your wedding planning budget did you spend on outfits?
Ohh the poor budget. Although we had initially come up with these imaginary numbers for our wedding outfits, we ended up falling in love with two Anita Dongre designs. I didn’t think twice about the price because we had already been through hell and back in terms of wedding planning. A local vendor had played games with us, really ruining our chances of getting anything custom done. We already had this elaborate vision in place, so there was just no more room for negotiating this one. What was the point of hiring great photographers and videographers if we didn’t love our outfits? Anita Dongre herself had to okay the last-minute order.
What’s the most memorable moment from your wedding day?
Mandip: The moment I looked over my shoulder when she arrived and saw her next to me.
Dilpreet: When the ceremony had begun, all the noise had left my mind. We had made it. Everything was beautiful and felt serene, just as I had imagined. I was sitting here in God’s presence next to my love and it all felt so real. The bond between us grew in that moment. I felt certainty, security and freedom all at once.
Our Wedding Coordinator Sonia saved us. She was our therapist, shoulder to lean on and wedding savior. Somehow she stayed on top of everything and got every last detail that we had mentioned to her done.
How did you choose the wedding rings?
My ring is a Ceylon Sapphire in a vintage setting. I’ve been a major diamond fan since forever. The sapphire is also my birthstone. But when we started diamond shopping, I learned more about the disturbing information about the industry, including how unethically these stones are sourced. I no longer felt that I could with any clean conscience get a diamond that wasn’t either Canadian or from Botswana in particular (the two places where the diamond trade is entirely tracked and ethical). I felt like I wanted something that could spark conversation, while also spreading the word about what I’d learned. It was hard letting go of my own personal attachment to diamonds, but I am obsessed with how my ring turned out.
What did you learn from wedding planning?
Remember why you’re getting married. There will be so many moments where you may feel your dreams for that weekend are slipping away, but amidst the chaos, you have to fall back on why everything will be breathtaking no matter what. You’re marrying your soulmate. It’s simply impossible for it to not be as beautiful as it is memorable.
Wedding Location
Nanaksar Gurdwara, Castlemore
Reception Venue
Bellevue Manor, Vaughan
Continue to fantasize about your future the same way you looked forward to your wedding. After your wedding, it truly is only the beginning.