Nupur Sarvaiya
Sehar Nurpuri looks back at her sporadic time in Chandigarh with blissful gratitude and a sort of wistful tenderness. The cosmetic scientist grew up in Punjab’s capital, then moved to Canada at the age of 12, before relocating to the former city for good in 2023. She met Angad Mann through mutual friends on a visit to India during her summer vacation in 2011. It wasn’t hard for them to get along. “There was an instant attraction between us and Angad didn’t miss a chance to see me,” she reminisces.
Nurpuri and Mann’s initial encounters were during their formative years. Yet, they had the prudence to not rush into a relationship, which allowed their bond to go the distance (quite literally). Eventually, they lost touch. But fate persisted and reunited them in 2019 when Nurpuri’s father was diagnosed with cancer. “My family and I came to India for his treatment. This was a difficult time for me, and Angad was my biggest strength throughout.”
She pinpoints Mann’s high emotional quotient and strong value system serving as the catalyst to reinforce their rapport. Soon, their platonic friendship blossomed into feelings of pure love, which sustained their long-distance relationship for three years. Against Whistler town’s idyllic background, Nurpuri said yes to their happily-ever-after.
Having Punjabi roots, the couple had always envisioned an extravagant walk down the aisle that doffed the hat to their rich culture and faith, along with ancillary celebrations that captured their contemporary lifestyle. Their four-day wedding itinerary, replete with dance, music, authenticity and colours, was exactly that. The couple’s family members stepped up as wedding planners, “with Angad’s mom Beenu Mann, our sisters Shirin Mann and Saba Nurpuri and brother-in-law Udai Sangha playing leading roles,” recalls the bride.
They locked down on the venue for their 800-guest wedding. But an unforeseen licensing issue forced them to change their location just a week before the big day. “Naturally, it caused a lot of stress.” But the couple admits they have learnt how to sail through adversity together with grace. They serendipitously stumbled upon their dream destination — Baikunth Farms, “an untapped private space that is colossal in size, lush in verdancy and gave our events a blank canvas.”