Bride and groom cross religious divide in style

Jul 27 2009 by Alastair Craig, The Journal

CULTURES collided in love at a Northumberland wedding ceremony which crossed the religious divide.

The Scottish groom and Sikh bride at the colourful service proved convention is no barrier for the heart.

Many guests teamed up the traditional turban head dress with tartan kilts for the ceremony at Alnwick Garden on Saturday.

Dr Alan Japp, 30, a Roman Catholic, married Dr Deepa Rangar, 29, a Sikh, after a four-year romance with the blessing of both families.

The civil ceremony was the culmination of a three-day festival for the two clans which started with a ladies Sangeet on Thursday, a Sikh ritual where henna artwork is applied to the bride.

A traditional Sikh wedding service was held at the home of Deepa’s parents on Friday in Murton, County Durham.

It remains unusual for Sikhs to marry into other cultures, but it was love at first sight for the Edinburgh-based couple who met four years ago at a medics ball in the Scottish capital.