RHIPO Photography
Ananya and John did not choose between traditions. They married three times, each ceremony complete in its own right: every Sikh ritual from the Path to the Anand Karaj, a Vedic wedding in the backyard of the family home, and a Christian exchange of vows on the lawn at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, with the Cascades behind them.
For us it meant three ceremonies with three different orders, three sets of customs and one family photo list that kept growing. This is how the celebration unfolded.
Dates are filling fast for 2026-2027
Is your wedding date still available?
Before the wedding: celebrations at home
The wedding ran across five days. It began at home, in a garden strung with flowers and lights, with a Heena, a Haldi, a Sangeet and a Ghadoli, and a Choodah between Ananya and her mother before the Anand Karaj.
The Sikh wedding: from the Path to the Anand Karaj
The Sikh wedding followed every ritual, from the Path through to the Anand Karaj at the Sikh Centre of Seattle gurdwara. John arrived in a pink turban and a sherwani, with the families greeting each other outside the gurdwara before going in.
Inside, Ananya and John sat before the Guru Granth Sahib while the ragis sang. With each of the four Lavan they walked around it together, and the sangat sat close on every side. A gurdwara is a place of worship first, so we work quietly and follow its rules on where we can stand.
More on how we cover Sikh weddings is on our Sikh wedding photographer page.
The Vedic wedding in the backyard
For the Vedic ceremony the family backyard became the venue: a white mandap against the hedge, flowers and strings of lights, and rows of chairs on the lawn. Ananya wore red and John a blue suit and a garland of flowers, with the priest leading them through the rituals around the sacred fire.
A home ceremony is intimate and close. There is no stage and the guests sit close, so we plan with the family where we will stand before the ceremony begins.
See our Hindu wedding photographer page for how we plan Hindu ceremonies.
The vows at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge
The last ceremony was a Christian exchange of vows on the lawn at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, under a pink and white arch with the mountains behind. Ananya changed into a white gown and John into a tuxedo, and they exchanged vows in front of both families.
The reception followed in the clubhouse, with dinner, a champagne tower and a dance floor that filled early.
Planning a wedding like this
Three ceremonies means three officiants, three sets of rules on where we can stand, and three venues on different days. We plan each one with you beforehand, so on the day you are a couple getting married, not a coordinator.
For the family side of the planning, many of our couples use Saath, an app for Indian weddings: RSVPs for each event, ritual checklists for every ceremony and jobs for both families, all in one place.
If you are bringing two families and more than one tradition together, see our fusion and interfaith wedding page, or see the full gallery from Ananya and John’s wedding.
Planning more than one ceremony?