The Groom’s Party (“Baraat”)
On the morning of the wedding, the groom’s party, consisting of his relatives and close friends, gather at the groom’s home to accompany him to the “Gurdwara” (sacred place of prayer for Sikhs) where the wedding ceremony will take place.

Arrival of the Groom’s Party
The groom’s party proceed from the groom’s home and arrive at the “Gurdwara” where they are received by the bride’s relatives at the entrance of the “Gurdwara”. A hymn (“Shabad”) is sung to welcome them. The hymn is called “Hum Gar Sajan Aaye” which means, ‘in our house our friends have come, God has united two families’. This is followed by a prayer. For Sikhs, all occasions, whether happy or sad, always start and end with prayer.

Union of Two Families (“Milni”)
The “Milni” ceremony begins with the father of the groom stepping forward and being embraced by the father of the bride, and exchanging a gift. The mother of the bride also steps forward in turn to do the “Milni”. The “Milni” is symbolic of two families being united through the marriage. After the “Milni”, the groom’s party is invited to breakfast. Guests are requested to remove their shoes when entering the dining hall.

Wedding Ceremony (“Anand Karaj”)
Following the refreshments, everyone proceeds to the prayer hall where the wedding ceremony will take place. All guests are requested to cover their heads and remove their shoes when entering the prayer hall.

In the centre of the prayer hall, opposite the entrance, is the throne of the “Guru Granth Sahib” (Sikh holy book of prayer). Sikhs walk along the centre aisle towards the “Guru Granth Sahib” to make an offering and bow. All guests are then seated on the carpeted floor.

The musicians (“Raagis”) perform a few hymns and then request that the groom be seated in front, facing the “Guru Granth Sahib”. The bride then walks down the aisle towards the Guru Granth Sahib. She bows, makes an offering and is seated next to the groom.

The bride and groom sit in front of the “Guru Granth Sahib”, in the lap of God – the source of all love and affection and the blessings of the congregation are with them. A few more hymns, specially composed for the wedding, are sung. The bride and groom and their parents are asked to stand to seek God's blessings for the couple while everybody else remains seated. A prayer (“Ardaas”) is recited by the priest (“Granthi”).

A section of the holy prayer book is read as God's advice to the couple for their marriage. The couple are to vow fidelity to each other as husband and wife. The groom is to protect the life and honour of his wife and provide her with every possible comfort and necessity of life while the bride is to accept her husband and his family. The couple signify their consent by bowing before the holy prayer book.

The father of the bride steps forward and places the groom's sash (“pella”) in the bride's hands while the groom holds the other end of the sash. This symbolises the father ‘giving the bride away' and giving his blessing for the union. The bride and groom holding the sash signifies the couple walking through life's journey together, hand in hand as husband and wife.

The main part of the wedding ceremony begins with the bride and groom walking around the throne of the holy prayer book (“lavaan”). Walking around the holy prayer book signifies the presence of God during the wedding ceremony. There are four “lavaan” symbolising each stage in leading a married life. The bride and groom walk around the holy prayer book once during each “laav” (singular - stage of marriage). This represents that they are walking together in the course of joint life to make themselves immeasurably one, to make their life ultimately a spiritual union. The four stages are:

Farewell to the Bride (“Dohli”)
Following lunch the bride and groom return to the bride’s home for the bride’s family to farewell her before she goes to her husband’s home. The bride then leaves with her husband for his home where she is welcomed and received by the groom’s family.