He had hung up 50 pictures – pictures that I sent him while we were dating. Every picture had a message and continued on to his proposal. The last picture read “Will you marry me?”
Q: How did you meet?
Nav: We had the pleasure of knowing each other for about nine years after meeting at a wedding; my cousin got married to Parb’s. We communicated with casual “Hellos” and Happy Birthday messages on Facebook. It wasn’t until Parb had finished a project in New York that we started dating. Despite our busy schedules, we would make time for each other.
Q: What do you love most about one another?
Parb: I love everything about Neetu but one of my favourite things about her is how she is so down to earth and warm, and makes everything seem easier than it can be. She makes it so easy to live and love life because she just does that for everyone, it makes you smile all the time.
Nav: I don’t think I can pick just one thing I love about Prabjeet; I love everything about him. He is so caring and loving. Before we got married, he took care of my grandmother when my family and I had to go away on an international trip. That gesture means everything to me. He gives everything his 110 per cent and motivates me as well.
Q: Could you share your proposal story?
Nav: A few days prior to the proposal, Parb and his family came over and met my parents. I am very close to my dad, so it was really important for Parb to ask my dad if he is 100 per cent okay with our relationship. All went well and our families were very happy.A day before the proposal, my best friend had an engagement celebration. Parb had kept my friends in the loop that he is going to propose but they kept it a secret from me! The next day, I had to be up in the morning for work. I was quite tired from the night before and just wanted to relax in the evening. Parb had mentioned he bought tickets for improv. Improv on Granville Island was our first date, and something we both enjoyed. So I thought we would go to Improv, grab a bite to eat and head home to get some rest. My friend texted me midday and told me to come to Downtown for a post-engagement party since she had guests from out of town. I was hesitant and very tired but I said yes.
That evening, Parb picked me up from work. I noticed he was wearing something really similar to what he wore on our first date. I mentioned it to him and he smiled. We watched the improv show and we sat on the same seats we did on our first date. We then headed to Downtown at the Fairmont in Vancouver. All I did in the car was complain that I was really tired. We got to the hotel, and I told him we will stay for about 20 minutes and head back home. We asked front desk for keys because my friend told me she left a note at the front desk so they would let us in.
When we got to the presidential suite, I opened the door and I was so shocked – the room was filled with fresh flowers, soft lighting, roses everywhere, pictures hung up all over the room and romantic music. I looked at a picture of my mom and I. Parb told me to read what was written behind it; it read, “The moment I first saw you.” Parb had met me nine years ago. He hung up 50 pictures – pictures that I sent him while we were dating. Every picture had a message and continued on to his proposal. The last picture read “Will you marry me?.”I turned around and Parb was on his knee with a beautiful ring. We both were emotional and crying. It was amazing and I said yes!
Q: Describe your wedding day. What was your favourite moment?
For both of us, the favourite moment was waking up the morning before the wedding ceremony and feeling so happy, absolutely no anxiety, knowing we will be seeing each other in a few hours. We both felt so clear and couldn’t wait to complete our journey. Our wedding was a beautiful outdoor Sikh ceremony on a farm. It was decorated with beautiful flowers and blush tones. We shared laughter, tears and so many emotions with each other, and with our family and friends.
Q: Could you tell us about your reception?
Parb: Our reception was held at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. We chose to have the reception the next day as we would be able to enjoy and rest up before the partying began. We both fell in love with our venue because it was the same place I planned the proposal. We had all our close family and friends enjoying the music and drinks. We had opted for a western menu, with a few Indian dishes. We had signature drinks and a cocktail hour. We had our brothers and parents walk in before us with grand entrances, and we walked in after them. We incorporated our first date into our entertainment element. We had the Granville Theatre Company come in and do an amazing improv show for 30 minutes. After a few speeches from our brothers and Nav’s best friend, we slow danced to the song “Fly me to the moon” and began the night off dancing.
Q: Can you describe your outfits?
Nav: I travelled to India for my wedding outfits. My wedding outfit was custom-made, inspired by my favourite colours and embroidery. My wedding set was custom-made in 24k real gold, and was a gift by my parents. Parb’s outfit was from Well Groomed in Surrey. He loved the colours and it matched his personality, staying away from typical groom colours. My reception outfit was custom-made from India; I wanted to make an Indian fusion outfit. I sat down with the designer and went over embroidery and fabrics. Parb’s reception Tuxedo was from Nordstrom. He set up consultations during his free time after work, and after a few trails he selected his outfit.
Q: Where did you honeymoon?
We chose to go on our honeymoon two months after we got married, so we can spend time with everyone who came for the wedding. We started off in Amsterdam, made our way to France, went to Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Marseille and even got to see Monaco. We flew to Italy, and ate some wonderful pasta in Venice, and made our way to Rome (we had the best Indian food there). We wanted to relax in Greece for the end of our trip, so we visited and stayed in Athens, Hydra, Mykonos and romantic Santorini. It was really an amazing dream honeymoon!
Q: What are your goals as a couple?
Simple loving. Some times relationships can get really confusing – over thinking, not being yourself, trust issues. We both are simple lovers. We will just continue to love each other and everything around us. In addition, our goals are to travel and create a family.
Q: If you could provide any advice to other married couples, what would it be?
Be yourselves, we all change but you should always be able to love and respect each other as much as you did from the start.''
Photography: Be True Cineworks, Vrinder Sangha
