Cassandra & Rajan

June 14–15, 2024 • Minneapolis, MN, USA

Cassandra & Rajan

June 14–15, 2024 • Minneapolis, MN, USA

There's a lot happening here! What exactly am I invited to and what should I attend??

There are four events that everyone is invited to, and you are strongly encouraged to attend all four events: 1) Friday night party 2) Saturday morning Sikh ceremony 3) Saturday afternoon Catholic ceremony 4) Saturday evening reception

Okay I see the attire is Indian formal or western formal, but what should I really wear?

You should wear whatever is most comfortable for you! The bride, groom, and some bridal party members will wear Indian formal for the Sikh ceremony and then change into western attire for the Catholic ceremony and reception. For most guests, we recommend wearing the same attire to both events and it is totally fine to wear western attire to the Sikh ceremony or Indian attire to the Catholic ceremony. You can change between ceremonies if you would like, BUT there is not much time between them.

If we are flying into Minneapolis, should we rent a car?

You probably don't need to rent a car. Uber and Lyft are plentiful in the Minneapolis area. For the wedding weekend, we'll mainly be between three locations that are all within a mile of each other. There is also a train that runs between the airport and downtown. The Nicollet Mall station is 2 blocks from the hotel.

What's the deal with the registry?

We are not doing a registry! We feel the greatest thing you can give us is your presence for our wedding weekend, so please, no gifts :)

This is my first time attending a Sikh wedding. What should I expect?

Sikhism is a religion from north India and closely connected to the state of Punjab. Therefore, you may see “Sikh ceremony”, "Punjabi ceremony", or the actual name “Anand Karaj” used.


For the ceremony, guests will be asked to take off their shoes and put on a head scarf (similar to a bandana) or shawl that covers their head (no hats or caps). For any guests that need one, there will be clean head scarves by the entrance for you to use and a subsequent discard pile upon exit.


After entering the hall, women will sit on the right side and men on the left. Family close to the bride and groom will sit towards the front and sit on the floor. Other guests are welcome to sit on the floor behind them or in the chairs. While it is traditional and encouraged to sit on the floor, there will be ample chairs for anyone with physical needs or who is uncomfortable sitting on the floor.


The Sikh minister, known as a Bhaiji, will be on a stage at the front of the hall with the Sikh holy scripture, known as the Guru Granth Sahib, on a raised pedestal. The Bhaiji will lead the procession in prayer and song. The core of the ceremony, almost like the equivalent of vows or exchanging rings, is known as the Lavan. At this point, the bride and groom will circle the stage four times with the Bhaiji leading four verses of marriage-specific prayers. And boom! We’re married!


After this, the Bhaiji or family will conclude the ceremony and dismiss the guests for lunch.

This is my first time attending a Catholic wedding. What should I expect?

If you have been to any Protestant or church wedding, this will be really similar! The ceremony should be about 45 minutes (there will not be communion), and will include some readings from the Bible, some songs, and probably a fair amount of organ music. There will be programs available at the church that explain the parts of the ceremony and what's going on. The tradition is that Raj's family will be sitting on one side of the aisle, and Cass's on the other, but we're not really a traditional couple, so please feel free to sit where you feel most comfortable. Also don't be shy about sitting closer to the front--the organ is loud, but the voices in the church are....not as loud. Raj and Cass will make promises to each other, there will be an exchange of rings, a cute little kiss, and then we are married (again!) and ready to start the party!

How can I share and see photos from the wedding?

You can share and view guest photos at this link: https://weduploader.com/upload/Ffoqm4B7JdhUgSPP. We will also provide a link to the professional photos after the wedding.