Our traditions · The ceremony
The Anand Karaj
The Sikh wedding ceremony, and the heart of our weekend.
What the Anand Karaj is
Anand Karaj means the “ceremony of bliss”, and that is exactly what it is.
It is the Sikh wedding, held in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal Guru of the Sikhs. There is no stage and no aisle: the whole congregation sits together as equals, and at the centre of the room rests the Guru.
The couple walk slowly around Guru Maharaj four times while the four laavan, the wedding hymns of Guru Ram Das Ji, are sung by the ragis. With each round a verse is sung and a promise is made; by the fourth, the marriage is complete.
The Anand Karaj is not a contract between two families, and not a transaction. It is a covenant between two souls and their Guru, two people choosing to walk one path together, in faith.
The four laavan
Four rounds, four promises
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I
The first laavan · walking together in faith
The couple accept the duties of married life and begin it the way they mean to continue: guided by the Guru's word, living righteously, side by side.
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II
The second laavan · growing in devotion
Ego falls away as the couple meet the Guru together. Awe and humility take its place, and their love grows deeper.
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III
The third laavan · a love that fills the heart
The mind turns from worldly attachment toward the joy of the Divine. The couple's love becomes part of a greater love, found in the company of the holy.
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IV
The fourth laavan · union, and peace
The soul finds stillness in the Guru, and the journey reaches its purpose. As the teaching says, they are not husband and wife who merely sit together, they are husband and wife who have one light in two bodies.
Why the ceremony matters
In the Sikh tradition, marriage is a sacred union, a shared journey toward the Divine. The Guru Granth Sahib is not a backdrop to the ceremony but its centre: the couple take their vows before the Guru, and the Guru's teachings become the map for their life together.
That is why the laavan are not promises made only to each other. They are promises made in the Guru's presence, about the kind of people the couple will strive to be, humble, devoted, generous, and always growing.
Why we chose it
The Anand Karaj is ours
We thought long and hard about how we wanted to be married.
The Anand Karaj is a ceremony that matters deeply to both of us, because of what it stands for, and because of what it will bring into our future. We wanted to begin our married life by seeking Guru Maharaj's blessings, with our families beside us. Their love and support is what makes this possible.
We want the Guru at the heart of its teaching, and at the heart of our home. For Nina, this is the beginning of her Sikhi journey, and that is exactly how we see it: Sikhi is a journey, not a destination. We are all learning, always, and we are so happy to be learning together.
Nina & Himmat
On the day
Saturday 14 August 2027, at the Ramgarhia Gurdwara, 344 Newhampton Road East, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton WV1 4AD (free on site car park, including accessible spaces). Heads are covered inside the Gurdwara, head coverings are provided there for everyone. Langar, the community meal, follows the ceremony: everyone is welcome.