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It’s always tough when a wedding which is originally supposed to be a grand affair turns out to be an intimate one and we’ve seen quite a lot of these instances all thanks to the pandemic. One such couple who had to switch to an intimate wedding is Harneet and Sim. This duo had initially planned on having a big fat Indian wedding but as fate would have it, they had to cut down the guest list to a total of 34 people and have the ceremony in Harneet’s parents’ backyard, which was dreamy and beautiful beyond words! 

Introducing Harneet & Sim's Intimate Backyard Wedding 

About the ceremony, the couple said, "It is especially interesting to see the Indian community embrace such celebrations! COVID-19 has urged the community to rethink the big fat Indian wedding and the health risks of hosting mass gatherings and embrace smaller wedding celebrations like this one!"

Currently, British Columbia has a 50 person limit on gatherings, but to ensure social distancing practices would be safely met this couple invited only 34 guests where all safety precautions were taken at this adorable intimate wedding such as having amenities like outdoor handwashing, sanitising, staffed food stations instead of self-serve buffet service. And, the best part was that Finesse Décor created family pods, in which only family members living in the same household were seated together!

Now, coming to their beautiful love story, the bride tells us, "When Sim and I met, we instantly connected and felt like we’d known each other our whole lives. We spent our first date talking about our shared love for travel; particularly Bali, where we both hoped to spend more time in the future. We realized that we’d grown up in the same neighbourhoods, attended the same high school, and numerous members of our families were friends. All these possible encounters and it wasn’t until we both went online that we finally met. After our first date, we spent most of our days with each other. We spent a lot of time outdoors, eating sushi, or searching for the best chocolate dessert. It wasn’t long before we knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together." 

She further added, "When we first began planning our wedding, we wanted it to feel intimate, which isn’t always possible when you have huge families as we do. It had been a dream of mine to have a boho style summer wedding in my parents’ backyard, under a pergola adorned with fresh florals. I loved the idea of being able to watch my husband-to-be arrive at the house and walk down the aisle, and watch our guests be seated for the ceremony as they await my arrival. It was also a comforting thought that I could be married in my family home, where I have so many cherished memories. We pondered the idea of having the wedding in my parents’ backyard, but it didn’t seem possible to be able to have all our family and friends attend, so this wasn’t an option at the time." 

"As we worked on planning our ceremony in the Gurudwara, COVID spread and introduced a lot of other challenges. We knew we wanted to move forward with our lives in marriage, regardless of these challenges. However, it was important for us to plan a wedding that was safe, and was also a great experience for us and our families. While everyone was supportive of our wishes for a wedding this summer, it took some time to get people to feel comfortable breaking away from some traditions such as large indoor weddings and a week of festivities," said Harneet. 

Our bride also said, "We ultimately planned the intimate, boho-garden wedding in my parents’ backyard that I’d always dreamed of! Although we weren’t able to have all of our family and friends attend the ceremony, we got to share the experience with them through a live stream. Hundreds of our family and friends tuned in and watched our ceremony. Everyone was so pleased that they got to be a part of our day, wherever they were in the world. We enjoyed every bit of our intimate wedding, and couldn’t have dreamed of anything more magical! Now we’re looking forward to our future move to Bali post-COVID!"

Wedding Vendors: 

Wedding Photographer: Amrit Photography | Wedding Videographer: Studio 101 | Wedding Venue: Bride’s Backyard in Vancouver, British Columbia | Makeup & Hair Artist: Aquarius Art | Wedding Design & Decorator: Finesse Decor | Floral Design: Da Fiori Floral Design | Canopy: Natural Oasis Events | Ribbons: Cfleursdesign | Attire: Vivah Collection

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Isn’t their love story just the most adorable one you’ve ever heard? 


Harneet & Sim’s Intimate Backyard Wedding With Only 34 Guests is Going To Steal Your Heart!

by Shweghna Gursahaney

Harneet & Sim’s Intimate Backyard Wedding With Only 34 Guests is Going To Steal Your Heart!