Intimate Sikh Wedding In Vancouver With A Mughal Era Vibe: Paven & Gopi

High school sweethearts Paven and Gopi met when they were 16. Back in those days, Gopi was a hockey player and he came to know via one of their mutual friends that Paven watches hockey. He took a chance and messages her on Facebook and from there, their beautiful journey began. Paven had a feeling that this was gonna be a special ride with Gopi and she was right indeed. After 10 years of dating, they experienced almost everything together - from graduating high school to going to university and then having full-fledged successful careers to now being married!

Proposal Story

Gopi and Paven were preparing everything for their wedding in a good old traditional way. As they were sure about being with each other, Paven was not expecting any kind of proposal.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, they were on their engagement photoshoot where Gopi surprised her with a proposal. 

   

The Engagement Ring

Paven and Gopi’s choice of engagement ring was unique and timeless just like their love. The ring was designed as per their exact specification, a 3 row pave band. They went with an invisible halo underneath the diamond for that twinkle and it was a dainty and thin band. 

Wedding Details

Paven and Gopi are one of those couples who had to postpone their wedding celebrations due to the pandemic. They could not go with a big fat wedding, instead, choose to go with an intimate wedding with 50 guests per event. Everything was done last minute except the wedding and reception outfits. Paven bought all her outfits via website or phone calls with the designer. All her pieces of jewelry were custom-made from JIJI studio to match her outfits. Even after the hurdles caused due to the pandemic, the couple ended up having the most Cinderella-type wedding. 

Engagement Ceremony

All the looks of Paven and Gopi were somewhere inspired by the old classic era and they carried it beautifully with utmost grace and elegance.     

For engagement, Paven wore a beautiful piece of light pink colored sharara with long kurti and translucent dupatta with a detailed multicolored border from Rimple and Harpreet Narula.

She completed her look with a simple hair braid adorned with a long chain wrapped around and a traditional sheeshpatti that was stealing the show.

Paven’s make-up artist Denise gave her a dewy make-up look with sharply contoured cheeks and brownish eyes and shiny lips.  

The gorgeous minimal ‘nath’ added charm to her whole look, and we couldn't stop looking at her.

On the other side, Gopi was wearing a Kurta pyjama with a gorgeous velvet dupatta which was looking simple yet grand. 

Mehndi Ceremony

For Mehndi, Paven wore a beautiful Anita Dongre lehenga, and completed her look with a beautiful loose braid and simple pieces of jewelry.  

Her mehndi was done by Jasmine who made a unique polki design as per Paven’s request. We totally loved her minimal mehndi design. 

Decor

The decor for Anand Karaj and the reception party was done by Universal Decor who bought Paven and Gopi’s vision to life that is, an old-world vibe but with greenery for the wedding and Renaissance for the reception. The couple chose color palettes that looked totally out of the world.  Paven wanted a Jodha Akbar, Mughal-e-azam, or an Umrao Jaan kind of set up for the morning indoor shoot, where InStyle helped to create a custom-made backdrop.

Wedding Day

Paven and Gopi chose an intimate style wedding with an old-charm Mughal vibe theme with a tropical greenhouse photoshoot after the wedding ceremony.

They selected Poplar Meadows for their events, which is 10 acres of a meadow consisting of open greenery, horse stables, waterfalls, and rock displays located in Vancouver, Canada making it a perfect space for outdoor events.

Paven's yellow lehenga was custom ordered from AliXeeShan to her specifications, and looked every bit of regal.

She styled her hair with a low heavy bun and completed the hairdo with a heavy traditional paasa and maangtika.

The whole look was the reflection of her wedding theme and was perfect in every way. The highlight of the whole look was her Mughal Mascot Kaleeras.

The Kaleeras were designed by Mrinalini Chandra and the creation process was not environmentally polluting and did not create any plastic waste. They were made using recycled mixed metals.

Each animal attached to the Kaleeras had meaning related to the marriage like elephant meant good luck and fortune, horse meant grace and beauty, lion meant strength and courage, the deer symbolized harmony and happiness and the peacock symbolized kindness and spirituality. 

Complementing his bride, Gopi wore an achkan designed specifically for him by Neeta Lulla keeping the Jodha Akbar vibe in mind.

His jewelry was also custom-made from Jiji Studio and the pagdi was sewed on the day of the wedding by Maharaja Turban, from whom he got the sword too. 

Reception Night

The theme for the reception was High Fashion Couture Renaissance, kind of what you have seen in the Netflix series, Bridgerton.

Paven’s outfit was something very unique, which we have never seen a new bride wearing and carrying it with such grace. We were totally in awe of it. 

The blue dress with glided gold embroidery and puffed sleeves were designed by Nitin from Kartikeya, India.  

The highlight of the unique outfit was the long trail at the back and Paven looked drop-dead gorgeous in it.

She completed her look with a double braided updo and a pair of earrings were from an Australian jewelry designer, Christie Nicolaides. Paven was very much involved while her reception outfit was being created and it took a year and a half to complete it.

Gopi chose a Modello Bespoke cream-colored tuxedo with tails to give it a vintage touch. Both of them were looking grand and royal.

Photo & Video

The beautiful shots with the regal effects were taken by Amrit Photography. Paven was very picky with everything as she wanted the shoot to look just the way they both wanted and the team at Amrit photography did exactly the same and the result is nothing but breathtaking.  For their wedding video, the couple had Brellow capture the old-world charm showcasing the emotions felt during a wedding in a fun and meaningful way. Their wedding video is a beautiful memory to treasure for a lifetime. 

Essential Tips From The Bride:

Paven shared: “Do not lose yourself in trends!!! Be true to who you are and your style and you will not only be comfortable in your skin but you will glow. You want these pictures to be a reflection of your love and in essence your style as a couple and as an individual. Also, always have a contingency plan! Even pre-covid I had asked myself what 3 things about my wedding could I not do without if something were to go wrong.

Thankfully, because I had asked myself these questions beforehand, rescheduling our wedding during covid/changing select items did not prove to be as difficult for us as expected, and I was still able to ensure I would still have the wedding that I wanted.”

Vendor Credits

Photographer: Amrit Photography

Videographer: Brellow

Venue: Poplar Meadows (Wedding, Reception)

Bridal Outfits: Rimple & Harpreet Narula (Engagement); Anita Dongre (Mehndi); Ali Xeeshan (Wedding); Kartikeya India (Reception)

Kaleeras: Mrinalini Chandra

Clutch: Sabyasachi Accessories

Earrings: Christie Nicolaides (Reception)

Groom's Outfits: House Of Neeta Lulla (Wedding); Modello Bespoke (Reception)

Jewelry: Jiji Studio

Turban: Maharaja Turban

Stylist: Pashion

Hair & Makeup: Denise ( Thủy ) Đinh

Henna: Jasmine's Henna

Wedding Invitation: Customizing Creativity 

Entertainment: Decibel Entertainment 

Florist: Alice de Crom & Team (@floralista)

Decor: InStyle Events (Home Decor); Universal Decor (Wedding, Reception)

Trousseau trunks + lap covers: Pataaree

Tents: DH Tent House

Bar: Travelling Tavern

About Author

Neha Garg Ahuja

Neha, the 'Content & Marketing Director at Pyaari Weddings,' is a true wedding connoisseur, inspiring couples worldwide for nine years!

Her magic lies in a keen eye for detail, seeking out exquisite bridal lehengas, breathtaking decor, enchanting jewelry, and mesmerizing couple dances that elevate every wedding celebration.

Recently, Neha relocated to Paris, savoring its beauty and drawing endless inspiration from its iconic landmarks.

When not immersed in the world of weddings, she explores hidden gems on Airbnb for her next travel escapade.

Follow her captivating journey on Instagram! Find her at @nehagarg2903.

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