Before I begin, I would first like to acknowledge that it has taken me an embarrassingly long time to get my you-know-what together and post this amazing wedding to my journal. While I actually photographed this wedding last October, life has been BUSY (I have three kids, what!?) so my apologies on making you all wait this long. I am proud of this work and more importantly, of this opportunity to document something so special and unique. So, here we go…

Simran and Doug’s Sikh wedding is one I will always remember and cherish when I look back on my  favourite opportunities as a wedding photographer. The celebration was stretched over several emotional days.  The ceremony and reception were both held at the Horticulture Building in Ottawa, where Doug arrived on a horse(!) led by a parade of his family and friends.

I learned so much, I witnessed so much and I captured so much. I was continually overwhelmed with emotion whether I was watching Simran slip into her beautifully custom-made two-piece dress (and all of her accessories) or witnessing the colourful customs of the Sikh ceremony and everything that followed thereafter. From the smallest of details to the seamless mix of western and Indian traditions, this wedding was perfectly Simran & Doug and watching as their families were united made me a blubbering mess (luckily I was never the only one in that state). It was emotional and exhausting in all the best ways and I lovingly gained some new friends as a result.

This is definitely my longest journal entry, so settle in, maybe grab a drink and some snacks and enjoy the story of Simran + Doug.

With love, Chels

Something that made this wedding so special and unique was following the Sikh ceremony (where Simran + Doug were surrounded by their family and friends), they decided to have a private ring exchange where they spoke from the heart with spontaneous vows. It was just the two of them, myself and the videographers. Their words and their contact was so personal, there was not a dry eye in the room! It’s one of the most beautiful moments I’ve been witness to and another reason this day was so memorable.