Q: City of Residence:
Gurleen: I was born and raised in Surrey and lived in Burnaby when I met Amitoj.
Amitoj: I was born and raised in Delta and lived in Seattle when Gurleen and I started dating.
Q: What do you love most about one another?
Gurleen: Having been married for nearly a year, I have come to love each day shared with Amitoj. I love his steady carriage of joy into the quiet rhythms of domestic life. I love his habit of wondering aloud, as it prompts me to confront the seemingly quotidian as entirely unfamiliar. I love his sincere desire to seek out, rather than obscure, his biases and assumptions and understand how they limit his self-knowledge. I love his uniform and unaffected humility. And, most of all, I love that his avowed admiration for reasoning does not sway when reason requires that he reconsider his position.
Amitoj: There isn't a thing that I don't love about Gurleen. She has a very affectionate, kind, and considerate way of communicating, making me feel warm inside. She often writes me delightful poems and letters to celebrate special occasions. She encourages me to be better by holding me accountable for my promises. Her passion for her academics, work and volunteer commitments inspire me. I enjoy the friendly banter between us and the inside jokes we've created through the years. For these reasons and countless more, she's my partner for life.
Q: Describe your wedding day. What was your favorite moment?
Gurleen: Our wedding took place at Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar in New Westminster. My favourite moment was the Anand Karaj ceremony itself. As I folded my hands in prayer and sat in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, I was grateful to have shared in the warmth and love of Waheguruji's eternal embrace with all those present. I found comfort in forging a new set of relations while honouring all those that had brought me safely to that point.
Q: Can you describe your outfits?
Gurleen: My wedding outfit was a pale pink lehenga from Anita Dongre's Love Song collection. I was especially drawn to its hand-painted motifs of forest creatures and ink-feathered cranes. I had never imagined that I would have the privilege of wearing something so beautiful. This great gift, along with many others, I owe to my parents.
Amitoj: I wore a cream-based achkan with thread-work embroidery in shades of both pink and blue to complement Gurleen's lehenga.
Q: Where did you honeymoon?
Amitoj: Our first destination after getting married was Tofino, BC, on Vancouver Island. At the time, our trips were limited within Canada because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. Still, we had a lot of fun hiking, visiting beaches, and kayaking. Our real honeymoon will take place this month. It is a two-week trip where we will visit several cities in Italy (Rome, Florence, Milan, and Como) as well as several historic sites and art museums and explore the local culinary treasures.
Q: What are the strengths of your marriage?
Amitoj: We have reasonable and well-communicated expectations of each other. We are honest with each other and try not to do things we would not want the other person to do.