Photo of Ontario, Canada wedding ceremony speech done by the bride's aunt
A speech was done by the bride's aunt. It was supposed to be the speech of the bride's mother, but as the mother has cancer, she couldn't talk for a long time. So the aunt was giving the speech written by the bride's mother.
It all started when in November 2018, Mark and Kirtana came to meet us. They had this huge destination wedding planned in August 2020. We had it all set up and I was surprised how early they finished up booking all the vendors...!! One night I received a phone call from Kirtana mentioning that they are reconsidering to pull the wedding and do it locally instead of a destination. She mentioned that her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and she wasn't feeling good. I was so sad as this couple had a shine in their eyes when they talked about a destination wedding.
As of January 2019, the whole world was captivated by the coronavirus (COVID-19), but to the worst, Kirtana called me again and mentioned that the wedding will have to be preponed to March 28, 2020. She mentioned that her mother's progression of cancer was severe and she might not be there to attend the wedding in August. I was in shock and did not know how to comfort her. The only words that were - "No worries Kirtana - We will make this wedding happen - no matter what"
The couple decorated the whole house - despite all the shops closed and COVID-19 spreading rapidly. The couple had sleepless nights and kept decorating their house with flowers and other items from the store Michaels. Mark is a former RCMP and current police and was handy with tools, so he made the Altar ("Mandap") while Kirtana with her sister used their decor skills and turned the living room into a beautiful altar. We had only 10 people in the house including the priest. This couple is a classic example of how to love each other and respect each other's wishes and how to be supportive in times of difficulty.
I have no words for Mark being such a supportive groom but even Kirtana being such a supportive daughter who put aside their dreams for the family and made this small wedding possible. Oh let's not forget, it's only because of the coronavirus situation that this wedding was kept limited to only 10 people. :) Despite all these difficulties, the couple made this possible and trust me it was more fun than a 100 person wedding!!
COVID-19 Elopement Ceremony image of the welcome ceremony of the groom and bride
This is the welcome ceremony of the groom where the mother of the bride and aunt welcomes the groom and his family with lit candles. The heat from the candle is believed to rush the evils outside the house and welcome the groom with well wishes. Moreover, it is also considered as a sign of respect to welcome another person with candles.
Canada father of the bride is applying red powder KUMKUM to the groom's forehead at the wedding
The father of the bride is welcoming the groom into his family by applying red powder (KUMKUM) on his forehead. The reason it is done on the forehead as it's believed to be the resting place of one's soul.
At-Home Wedding Ceremony Detail Photo from Ontario, Canada
Because of the pandemic of COVID-19, the couple had to organize the wedding indoors. Due to shortage of time and less available resources, the couple decorated the living room in their dream wedding decor. The whole decor is done by the couple and didn't sleep for two nights.
At-Home wedding image from Whitby, Ontario, Canada of the bride's mom
The bride's mother was diagnosed with cancer and her progression was getting worse. The doctors mentioned that she would not survive more than 2-3 months of time. The mother never imagined that she would be able to see this wedding happen. But when her dream was coming true, she couldn't resist the tears of joy!!
Ontario, Canada Indian wedding ceremony image of the priest with bride and groom
An Indian ceremony being explained by the priest. Mainly a part where he was explaining that a true marriage is when two souls unite, not bodies.
Whitby, Ontario, Canada wedding photo of a speech that was done by the bride
A speech was done by the bride. She mentioned that she has always seen how much the groom has loved her and just because of the situation of her mother's cancer, the groom canceled his dream destination wedding and did a small scale wedding inside a living room ... !! But despite all this love, she still expects a cup of coffee when she wakes up as that's how she was impressed in the beginning.
As the situation was restricted, the bride had to come from her own room upstairs. It was an amazing moment for her and overall when she saw him for the first time, b ut she couldn't resist smiling at him as this was her dream that was finally coming true.
Whitby, Ontario wedding photo of the ceremony where the groom is putting a ring on the the bride's toe
A part of the ceremony where the groom is putting a ring on the the bride's second toe of the bride's right foot. This ring is made of copper and has significance in the medical world as well - as that specific toe has a sensory area that controls the uterus - thus it's believed that putting this ring improves fertility and maintains the uterus health.
Ontario, Canada Elopement Photo - Happy ending to the small COVID-19 wedding
The Grand Finale..!! A Happy ending to the small wedding because of the COVID-19..!!
