Never in my life did we think we would have our families tune in to our wedding over Zoom and have a wedding where we couldn't have more than three people physically in attendance, but now that it's all over I honestly can't imagine a more special wedding day.
Q: How did you meet?
Anish: Gurdev was in her third year of Internal Medicine residency and I was new to the city, having just moved to Vancouver for my MBA. Being busy young professionals we actually met online and things blossomed from there.
Q: What do you love most about one another?
Gurdev: Anish is the kindest, most patient, caring human being I have ever met. He makes me laugh all the time. He respects and supports who I am as an individual, but we also have common goals and passions that we work on together. He is someone that I am privileged to build a life with. Anish: Gurdev is the most caring, loving, and hard working person I have ever met. She makes me extremely happy and really understands me. She makes me strive for more and want to achieve incredible things in life. I can’t wait to do that together with her.
Q: Could you share your proposal story?
Anish: Gurdev is a private person and she loves being outdoors, especially close to the water. She had a lifestyle photo shoot set up with Sohal Studios. With the help of her sisters and Sohal Studios, I was able to surprise her during the photo shoot by proposing at Pitt Lake. It was a private moment with beautiful nature surrounding us which I know she really appreciated. Gurdev is not someone who is easily surprised, so it was amazing that we were all able to pull it off! Kam and Gurm were able to capture some incredible moments which we will cherish forever.
Q: Describe your wedding day. What was your favourite moment?
We loved that our civil ceremony was small and intimate. There was something beautiful about the simplicity of it all. We were supposed to have our big Indian wedding in July, however, given the circumstances and the uncertainty of when it would be safe to celebrate in person with our loved ones, we decided to have a COVID-friendly civil ceremony. Never in my life did we think we would have our families tune in to our wedding over Zoom and have a wedding where we couldn't have more than three people physically in attendance, but now that it's all over I honestly can't imagine a more special wedding day. We especially loved the surprise car parade after the ceremony and appreciated the surprise decoration of our house by our family. Our new neighbours mentioned in the days after that it brightened their days especially with the current climate of COVID-19.
Q: Could you tell us about your reception?
Gurdev: We are yet to have a formal reception but we were pleasantly surprised after our civil ceremony. Our closest family and friends showed up in a huge car parade. They dressed up in their Indian outfits & had beautiful signs and balloons. Music was blasting from their cars, and people were dancing out of their sunroofs. It brought so much cheer and joy to our special day. We are so happy and blessed to have such incredible family & friends. The show of love and support that day is something we will never forget.
Q: Can you describe your outfits?
We had gone to India in November and bought outfits for our week long big fat Indian wedding which was planned for July of this year. Unfortunately, we had to cancel, as many couples did, due to COVID-19. Gurdev: I settled for a comfortable knee length white dress with lace sleeves & nude pumps. Anish: I wore a tailored grey suit with black shoes with a black tie to match our dog Max’s black bow tie. Definitely very different from the decadent Indian outfits we had planned to wear to our religious ceremonies and wedding events.
Q: Where did you honeymoon?
Gurdev: Nowhere yet! Anish was back to work first thing Monday morning and I went back to work within 48 hours in ICU. This was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic here in BC. We have yet to travel for our honeymoon (for obvious reasons) but would welcome any suggestions!
Q: What are your goals as a couple?
We want to be happy, healthy, and contributing members to society. Our goals will continue to evolve as we do, but I know we will be there to support each other. We believe it’s very important to have respect for your partner, support each other’s ambitions, and to make sure to lift each other up. We hope we continue to do that for the rest of our lives.
Q: What are the strengths of your marriage?
We both have similar upbringings in terms of our principles, beliefs and values. It’s so important to have that foundation. We have mutual respect for each other as individuals but most importantly, we are both each other’s best friends and balance each other’s personalities well.
Q: If you could provide any advice to other married couples, what would it be?
We are in no position to be giving advice at this point! We are newly married so we are learning & getting advice as we go along. We will say that finding someone who is your best friend and who has similar core fundamental beliefs just makes everything a bit easier. Be patient, support each other, and grow together.
Wedding Photos: Prabhjit S. Sabharwal
Engagement Photos: Sohal Studios