Oh boy! I am so excited about this wedding that I ended up absconding with the photos. For a bit too long!
But once you see the wedding, you’ll understand why I was hogging them for myself. Alia and Hussein had an Ismaili wedding in Alberta, Canada. Alia wore a white wedding sari with delicate silver embroidery with sequins. To top it off, she had the most lovely bouquet of yellow and purple flowers.
How happy is that?! Those flowers just sing happiness. Matching the bright colors with an elegant white sari, and wow, everything pops!
Anyway, I won’t blabber on and will you let read Alia and Hussein’s interview and see their beautiful photos.
Tell us about the wedding!
We had an East Indian Ismaili wedding in September 2011. There was the pithi, the Mendhi night, a joint puro (where the grooms side brings gifts for the bride) and the wedding ceremony and reception. At the reception, there were a few ceremonies involving the grooms mother giving blessings to us and welcoming me (the bride) to their family.
Tell us about the wedding sari and jewelry. What drew you to it?
I wanted silver beading on my sari, but I didn’t want the sari to be very heavy. I liked that the backside of my blouse had a lot of detail/bead work, as well as the bottom edge and the end that drapes on my shoulder had bead work.
My parents decided to give me diamonds as a wedding present so we looked for a diamond/white gold set that suited my style- simple and elegant. I wanted to get something that I could wear to any occasion. The set I chose is easily versatile, and I have worn many times since my wedding.
You had some fun games and traditions at the reception. Tell us about them.
There was a game that the MCs came up with. I had to try to place as many Hersey kisses on Hussein as possible while he stood in an awkward position. At the end, they counted how many kisses I was able to balance on him, and that was the number of minutes of a massage he had to give me. (I still haven’t received that by the way – no that I remember how many kisses there were!)
One of the traditions we had entailed two sets of clay plates, known as the saapatia. They areare placed in front of the Bride and Groom. Each contains lentils symbolizing the bounty of nature, silver denoting material wealth, and sugar representing sweetness and harmony, and turmeric a sign of good health. The couple must break the saapatia by stepping on them in order to release the gifts they contain. Traditionally, the first to break the saapatia rules the house.
What was your favorite part of the wedding?
Hubby’s answer: Getting married!
My answer: I don’t have one favourite part of the wedding but I loved getting my Mendhi done, and having all my family around me. But most of all, I loved getting married to my best friend (finally!) after waiting 10 long years.
Thank you Alia & Hussein! We wish you lots of happiess and love in life. And now, to photos! Thank you to Just For You Photography for sharing.
{Wedding Suppliers}
{Photographer} Just For You Photography
{Caterer} Mirage Banquet
{Officiant} The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
{Event Venue} St Albert Botanical Gardens,belle rive jamatkhana
