The staff were efficient and the quality of the food good.  Miles and Clare both sabraged some champagne before cutting of the wedding cake and drank from the loving cup - a ceremony I’ve recently introduced to my weddings.

It was a day of firsts for me - the first time I had worked at Shuttlewrht House, and the first time I had worked with a fabulous photographer called Nick Grove.

Nick didn’t take all day over his shots and this meant that the bride and groom had time to be with their guests before the wedding breakfast was served. I highly recommend Nick’s style of working - a pleasure for me making my life a bit easier on the day.

On the main wedding function the bride and the groom sit together to attend the Guru Granth Sahib Kirtan. The groom drapes a chunni draped by the bride’s father one end held by groom, which is usually red, pink and orange in color around his neck, the other end of which is held by the bride throughout the ceremony. The bhaiji of the Gurudwara recites the hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, which are then sung and the bride and groom circle the Guru Granth Sahib. The bridegroom walks ahead of the bride with a sword in his hand. Relatives and friends garland the newly wedded couple and the marriage ceremony concludes with a grand feast.

Among the post wedding rituals the vidaai or doli ceremony marks the end of the wedding celebration. It is a very emotional affair for the bride’s family as she departs from her parent’s house she throws back handful of rice over her shoulder, thereby wishing prosperity for her parents and family she leaves behind to start a new life with new dreams and aspirations.

Gharoli is another such pre wedding ritual, which is celebrated in the morning of the wedding day at groom’s place in which the groom’s sister-in law accompanied by other female relatives go to a nearby well or Gurudwara to fill an earthen pitcher or gharoli with water which is later used to bath the bridegroom.

The main day wedding ritual or ceremony includes Milni ceremony, which is celebrated at the groom’s place where his sisters tie a sehera or floral veil to the boy’s forehead and a garland of currency notes adorn his neck. On reaching the bride’s house the milni ceremony is held with the elders of both families embracing and wishing each other. Shabads are sung and the ardaas recited as the procession enters the Gurudwara breakfast is served to the guests.

After the tilak ceremony, the groom’s father sends gifts of clothes, sugar, coconut, rice, jewelry and henna to the bride. Similarly the bride’s father also offers gifts to the groom and his family members. Another important pre wedding ritual involves the bangle ceremony or the choora ceremony, which is held at the bride’s place where the maternal uncle and aunt of the bride put white and red bangles on the bride’s wrists. Light ornaments of beaten silver and gold called kalira are tied to the bangles.

Maiya is a pre wedding Sikh custom followed by the bride and the groom where both are not allowed to leave their house for few days before the wedding. Gana is another such ritual where an auspicious red thread is tied to the right wrist of the groom and the left wrist of the bride. It is regarded as a good omen for the bride and the groom and it protects them from ill omen. Vatna is a ritual celebrated a few days before the wedding ceremony where vatna a scented powder consisting of barley flour, turmeric and mustard oil is applied to their bodies to be followed by a ritual bath. On the eve of the wedding, mehndi ceremony is celebrated when henna is applied on the hands and feet of the bride.

In a Sikh Indian wedding, the wedding ambiance is set a week before the wedding. There are various rituals, which are followed before and after the wedding. Shagun or engagement is the first ceremony to mark the beginning of the wedding celebration. On this occasion the two families exchange gifts to conform the engagement. Among the pre wedding rituals engagement is the occasion where both the families meet and the bride’s father takes care of all the ceremonial activities on this day. Various auspicious items are required on this day that includes coconut, dry dates, sugar and money and these are sent to the groom’s family. It is also called the Tilak ceremony, which is performed by a bhaiji or preacher from the Gurudwara who first reads the hymn, offers a date to the groom and applies tilak on his forehead, marking the engagement.

In discussions over lunch it turned out that I was speaking to a mother whose daughter is getting married soon and the couple haven’t booked their Master of Ceremonies for the wedding breakfast. I explained that the Toastmaster fulfills a very important role at the wedding breakfast. Another guest at the at the table asked why is the wedding breakfast when it is eaten at either lunchtime or dinner time. I explained that it is so called because it is the first meal the bride and groom have together as husband and wife following the wedding ceremony.

I shall be asking them questions “like the bridegroom’s Best Man’s name and the bride’s father or representative’s name”.

I shall also ask than questions like “are they planning a traditional wedding breakfast or do they wish to break from tradition”. It is important t for me to know their wishes because it’s their day and their choice. I’m there to ensure that the occasion runs smoothly and how they went it to be. After all the weeding has taken several months plan and we want to ensure the day goes just how they’ve planned it.

Contact Ken for a friendly, no obligation chat if you want to find out how he can help your day be more special.

The show is considered to be the premiere wedding show in the area with over 120 exhibitors. Admission is free and the show runs from Friday 1 October to Sunday 3 October 2010.