Q: Where did you first meet?
A: We met at Starbucks, in the Chapters book store at Metrotown.
Q: What do you love most about one another?
Sonia: I love Rick’s sense of humour, generosity and his smile. He always has a way of making me smile no matter what. He has a heart of gold, he is so loving, and reminds me of that every day. He truly is the man of my dreams. His smile is infectious and it warms my heart. He is my rock, my source of strength. For the last six years, he has shown me how much beauty, light and love there can be in this world, if you are lucky enough to be with the right person. I count my blessings every day.
Ricky: There are many things I love about Sonia, too many to list. If I had to choose one, it would be her empathy. How she cares for others with all her heart and puts other’s needs before her own. She always makes sure everyone is taken care of around her.
Q: Could you share your proposal story?
Sonia: It was a surprise proposal. Rick (boyfriend then), planned our vacation to Oahu, Hawaii. He planned a 14-day vacation for us in the same month as my birthday, November. It was our first visit to Hawaii and we had the most magical time. A couple of weeks before going, Rick had mentioned he was entering into some free contests and giveaways for attractions and things to do in Hawaii. He later told me we had won a free photoshoot in Oahu. I was so excited! Who wouldn’t want a photoshoot in paradise?
For the photoshoot, we drove up to the North Shore, to Waimanalo Beach. The location that Rick had chosen took my breath away. We met our photographer and she took a couple of casual photos. She then asked me to look into the ocean for a shot. I had my back turned to Rick and was looking into the ocean. The photographer asked me to turn around, and there Rick was on one knee. It felt like my heart stopped. He then went on to state how much he loved me, and asked me to marry him.
Q: Describe your wedding day. What was your favourite moment?
Sonia: Our wedding day was magical. We are so thankful and blessed to have our wedding the way we wanted it. We have amazing parents, who supported us in doing a destination wedding from day one, and who supported us in making our dream wedding a reality. Our wedding was at the Royal Hawaiian Luxury Resort in Waikiki, Oahu.
We describe our wedding as tropical Indian fusion. We chose the traditions that meant the most to us and customized our ceremony to how we wanted it. We started the ceremony, with an ardaas andmilne. We honoured the Sikh traditions by having the ardaas and we gave respect to all our family and friends by including them in the milne ceremony. We wanted to signify the joining of our two families.
My favourite part of the ceremony was when I was walking down the aisle, and I saw Rick standing at the altar waiting for me. The look on his face, as our eyes met, melted my heart, seeing how happy he was to see me, and to feel that same happiness beaming inside me.
Ricky: My favourite part was seeing Sonia for the first time on our wedding day. She was so beautiful, I forgot where I was. She is more beautiful than Hawaii! I also loved it when the Reverend announced us as Mr. & Mrs. Lasher and I finally got to kiss my wife!
We said our vows that we had written ourselves. We did alternating vows, where we each took turns. We wanted to symbolize the unity and equality in our union, by alternating. We also did a sand ceremony, where we each poured different coloured sand into a vase, symbolizing our unity and the two of us becoming one.
Q: Could you tell us about your reception?
A: We had practiced a choreographed song that we danced to. It was ‘Moondance’ by Van Morrison, and we had our musician John Valentine sing it for us live. We sang, danced, laughed, cried and partied our hearts out on Waikiki beach that evening, under the blue Hawaiian sky. The sun set upon us, and we celebrated with all our family and friends. We had Punjabi bhangra music playing and we took over Waikiki Beach; it was unreal.
Q: Can you describe your outfits?
Sonia: All of my outfits were of Indian-Western fusion. For the wedding ceremony, I chose a glittery gold-sequined gown that was inspired by Sabyasachi Mukherjee. I love all his designs, and this piece was inspired by him. It was made by Sunny’s Bridal. My jewellery was from The Trove. I wore a coral net dupatta for the ardaas and then wore a fresh floral Haku Crown for the civil service. For the reception, I wore a coral gown, an Indian fusion piece designed by Royale Libaas.
Q: Where did you honeymoon?
A: We are planning our honeymoon for this fall - somewhere tropical and relaxing.
Q: What are your goals as a couple?
A: Tell each other how much we love each other every day; communicate openly and freely; continue to be spontaneous and experience new things together; and always be ourselves with each other and don’t be afraid to hold back. We want to travel the world together and experience life to the fullest!
Q: What are your favourite quotes?
A: “In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine” - Maya Angelou
Q: If you could provide any advice to other married couples, what would it be?
A: Always be true to yourselves, and cherish the love you have for each other today and always. Build a world together of love, honesty, respect, compassion and laughter. Have fun together, and remember to always laugh.
Photos by Eugene Kam Photography