Sikh Chuni Ceremony
Most couples during Covid downsized their wedding to the bare essentials. Nisha & Sunny did the polar opposite. Hey, if you’re only going to marry once, you might as well do it right. Yes, the guest count was small. This Sikh Chuni Ceremony was outdoors and tented in their backyard. So they did follow all the restrictions. However, one of the nice things of having such a small crowd, is it doesn’t stop you from having a big event. Or rather, a fun event.
This Sikh Chuni Ceremony was supposed to be the first of a series of events for this couple. However a sickness in the family caused most of the proceeding events to fall through. So while I would have loved to photograph all the beautiful events they had planned, I’m glad I was at least able to celebrate with them on this day.
How it Works
The Chuni Ceremony is similar to the South Asian Shagun, but directed to the bride. The ceremony involves the groom’s family visiting the bride’s home. The groom’s family brings gifts comprising food and a complete outfit for the bride. Women who are closely related to the groom, present the bride with a red outfit. They usually bring matching cosmetics and nail varnish that they apply to the bride. Gifts like traditional jewellery, bangles, hair accessories, and mendhi for her hands.
Once the bride is dressed, the groom’s mother places the red chuni on the bride to complete the look. The groom’s parents will then give the couple sagan by feeding them ladoo. This same ritual is repeated by the remaining family.
