We might have a plan for the way we want things to happen, but that’s not how the world works. All we can do is be resilient to change. Embrace the situations that don’t go how we plan, and persevere towards our goal. Because you know what? Things always have a way of working out. And often times, they end up better than we could have imagined.

These engagement photos were taken next to a beautiful river, with perfectly-placed fallen trees, a beautiful mountain backdrop, and groves of lush trees – all of which created an amazing location. We hadn’t planned for any of this, and in fact, the story of how we got here is filled with one unexpected twist after another.

For weeks, we had been planning to take these engagement photos at a location in the Cascade mountains. As it turns out, nature had its own plan. Only a couple hours before our session, while Rashi was at her hair appointment, my brother, Tanvir, calls me to say that Washington was declared a “State of Emergency’ because of the wildfires.
{I want to take a moment to thank the firefighters who risk their lives to protect us}

The location we originally planned was inaccessible due to severe levels of smoke. We put our heads together and decided on a second location that was two hours away. About 20 minutes into our drive, we learned that the smoke had beaten us there! It was a no-go. Luckily, each of us was equipped with a state-of-the-art mobile device, capable of pinpointing our exact location via the Global Positioning System. Once we identified our geographical position, we were able to find a third location nearby. Upon our arrival, our pent up excitement was about to erupt because we could finally take photos! But alas, we were greeted by a security officer who proceeded to tell us that the area was closed for a festival that day. (What?! A festival in the middle of nowhere?!) Sure enough, we were blocked by a chain-link fence.

Time to find a fourth location. At this point, it seemed the odds were stacked against us, but like the four kids from Stand By Me, we marched forward with determination to reach our goal. While driving, we found a place next to the river, and… it. was. perfect. Totally unexpected and far from the original plan, but yet ideal in every way.

There’s a learning nugget to take away from this experience. We can try to plan the future as much as we want, and wish for things to happen a certain way, but life just happens. Sometimes in our favor, and other times not. But if we continue to push forward and bend with the wind, whatever ends up happening turns out to be incredible.  Yes, it even happens with love – when we find a partner who is far greater than we could have ever imagined. When the presence of that person fills us with joy, with hope, and with a sense of being greater together than as individuals. It adds to our life’s journey, especially in dynamic times:  the unknowns, the unexpected paths, the no-gos, and the original plans. Here’s to being resilient in the face of change, and to ultimately ending up in a beautiful place.

The photos:

If we become an average of the five people we spend the most time with, I want my five to be motivated and ambitious. It’s inspiring to be around people who have found a passion and work hard to achieve goals. Krishnan and Shilpa are definitely those people – with business and engineering degrees in hand, they are currently pursuing their goal of earning a MBA. Living in the Bay area, they flew to Seattle for their engagement session and we had a wonderful time exploring Capitol Hill, followed by beach time on the Puget Sound. Here are a few photos from our time together.

It’s always fun to photograph a wedding for a day, but as a photographer specializing in Indian weddings, the ceremonies and celebrations often span multiple days. I love it! After a weekend together, it always feels like I get to know the family and friends on such a different level, and that means a lot to me.

Jessie & Kelly had their Indian wedding ceremony (Anand Karaj) on Friday, followed by a civil ceremony at Sodo Park on Saturday. Both ceremonies were beautiful and unique, each with its own feeling. The Indian ceremony took place at a Sikh Temple in Bothell, followed by traditional events at Jessie’s house. The civil ceremony took place at Sodo Park – a building built in 1907 with a rustic feel. (It was once a factory to create woodworking tools for ships, and now hosts weddings and other events)

Surrounded by friends and family from around the world, they celebrated each other with laughter, tears, and so much love. These are just a few photos from Saturday, and I want to thank Jessie & Kelly, their friends, and families, for being so kind and wonderful.

Congratulations to you both!

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A few (many) years ago, I sat in Red Square at WWU, observing my fellow students scurry past one another and file into brick buildings. They rushed to secure a seat in perfectly arranged wooden desks. So many different people from around the country, and world, gathered in a small town for four five years to secure a better future for themselves. I played this little game in my mind where I’d envision each student with an imaginary arrow projecting in front of them designating the direction of their travel. These arrows were always crossing each other, but not necessarily connecting. We’re always crossing paths with others, but how often do we actually connect with them? But then, you’d see people who did connect, in fact it happened all the time; perhaps in a classroom, maybe through an introduction by a mutual friend, at a party, in line to get a slice of pizza, or even because a brave person had the courage to say ‘hi’ to a stranger. All around me, there were so many connections happening, and it was fun to see.

I’ve photographed quite a few multicultural Indian weddings and it’s not everyday that an Irish-Japanese/Chinese bride marries an Indian Sikh groom. But then again, it’s not everyday that you connect with two people who become more than a couple you’ve photographed – but instead your friends. It’s these connections with people that give me so much energy – people like Kelly and Jessie, and their families. And it’s an even greater honor to photograph two people who have connected with each other, just like these two.

I met Jessie and Kelly during the Fall, in Ballard, for an engagement session and I immediately loved them both because they have this calm, cool, kindness and a down-to earth vibe that makes you want to keep hanging out. You know when you meet someone and you think they’re so damn cool, and then later you meet their friends & family and it all makes sense? That’s how it was for them. Their families were so much fun, and they welcomed my brother and I like family, and it really made our experience incredible.

Like many Indian weddings, the festivities spanned three days – the first day was the ladies Sangeet (the bride applies mehndi to her hands), followed by a traditional Sikh ceremony at the Bothell Gurdwara, and then a civil ceremony/reception at Sodo Park on the third day.

Here is blog post 1 of 2.

The Sikh Wedding Ceremony

Sikh groom rides a white horse during his Baraat in Mukilteo, WA

A Sikh groom may wear a headdress, called a Sehra, which is made from flower garlands or white beads. Before the ceremony, the Sehra is removed.

The bride enters the Gurdwara’s darbar and sits next to the groom, in front of, and facing, the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book)

To start the Sikh wedding ceremony (Anand Karaj) the bride and groom stand, along with their parents, while the priest bestows a prayer and blessing called Ardaas

The bride’s father places one end of the scarf worn by the groom into his daughters hand signifying that she is now leaving his care to join her husband

The priest will recite a stanza from the Granth Sahib, followed by Kirtan (music & singing). During the music, the bride and groom will walk around the Guru Granth Sahib – this is called the Laavan, and is repeated four times. The four stanza hymn describes the progression of love between husband & wife, which is a representation of the progression of love between the soul (bride) and God (groom). During the walk around the Granth Sahib, the bride will be helped by her family members or friends to signify their support.

Bride and Groom stand for one final prayer / blessing, called Ardaas, which concludes the Anand Karaj Sikh wedding ceremony

Stay tuned for part two of this wedding – the civil ceremony at Sodo Park.

To follow my work in the future you can ‘like’ my Facebook Page.
I’d also love to connect with you on Instagram (@MandevSidhu)