Thank you for visiting our wedding website! We will continue to update useful information on here for you, so please check back every so often for the most up-to-date information!
We are so excited about getting married…we can’t wait! We hope you will be there with us on Sunday, June 15, 2014 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to celebrate our big day!
Looking forward to seeing you soon!!!
With all of our love,
Neeti & Chris
We go way back. Like a recliner chair.
In the autumn of 1996, when Neeti was in her senior year at the University of Pennsylvania and Chris was a drummer for a local band and a teaching assistant at Penn, we met at a house party in West Philadelphia. Neeti is pretty certain her hair wrapped up in Princess Leia buns made a lasting impression on Chris. We became instant friends and have been friends ever since.
Our friendship grew over the years. We stayed in contact and always tried to visit with each other whenever possible. …even when Chris moved to London for three years and Neeti moved to Seattle for five years to attend Naturopathic Medical School.
Then, Chris moved back to Philadelphia and Neeti moved back to the East Coast to Connecticut in 2005. FINALLY! We were in the same country AND the same part of the country! The time and place were finally right and this is when our love story began…
Neeti ended up moving to Philadelphia to be closer to Chris after a year.
We continued and continue to have many fun adventures….always laughing with each other (and sometimes at each other), traveling, eating amazing meals together, listening (and sometimes dancing) to the music we love, and always supporting and encouraging each other in life’s ups and downs.
In June of 2012, we went to the first annual Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Maryland. After an amazing weekend of camping, music, laughter, barbecuing and fun, Chris had an epiphany…
December 22, 2012…the best day ever, well, at least until our wedding day…
On the picture perfect, serene and beautiful day of December 22, 2012, we were so thrilled to be in Puerto Vallarta Mexico to celebrate our friends’, Christa and Arturo, wedding.
After a delicious dinner at the reception, Chris asked Neeti to go for a walk on the beach. We kicked off our shoes and made our way to the beach. We were surrounded by beauty in every sense, the sounds of the ocean waves gently crashing, the twinkling canopy of stars above us, the soft sand beneath our feet, and the warm, salty air encircling us. Chris nervously talked about the constellations before going into his lovely prepared speech about their journey in life and how they were meant to be together….the heartfelt speech ended with him sinking to one knee in the sand and asking “Will you marry me?”
This was followed by Neeti’s very quick response “OF COURSE!!!”.
We returned to the reception, overwhelmed with emotion and excitement and later, when we returned to our already gorgeous room, we opened the door and found ourselves surrounded by gorgeous coral flowers that Christa had secretly arranged to send to our room.
What an absolutely wonderful and unforgettable day!
The wedding and reception will take place at the beautiful Farm at Eagles Ridge located at 465 Long Lane, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603.
Lancaster (LNS)
Lancaster, PA - Approximately 7 miles.
Harrisburg International (MDT)
Harrisburg, PA - Approximately 30 miles.
Philadelphia International (PHL)
Philadelphia, PA - Approximately 70 miles
Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
Baltimore, MD; approximately 90 miles
53 E McGovern Ave (at Queen St.), Lancaster, PA 17602
All the events are at the Farm at Eagles Ridge.
2pm: Assemble for Baraat
3pm: Outdoor wedding ceremony by the pond
4pm: Cocktail hour at the terrace
5pm: Dinner, Reception and general merriment in the Barn
9pm: Conclusion of the wedding festivities at the Farm at Eagles Ridge
After the wedding is over, if you would like to continue celebrating with us… and assuming that we all still have some energy after such a big day, we will plan on going to the Cork and Cap Restaurant and Bar, located in the Cork Factory Hotel.
The arrival of the groom’s family to the bride’s home is called the Baraat. Traditionally, the groom arrives on a horse accompanied by a parade of his family and friends as they set forth to the bride’s home. We invite ALL of our wedding guests to participate in this joyful and festive tradition as we set the tone for the wedding celebration! Chris will wear a turban and sehra (veil) tied by one of his sisters. Guests will surround Chris on his horse, dancing to music and live dhol (Indian drum) until they reach the Milni or the meeting point. A shabad (hymn), titled “Hum Ghar Saajan Aye” is recited to welcome the Baraat, and translates to “friends have come to our home and we are filled with happiness to meet these good souls.” After this short prayer, the two families will exchange flower garlands, which symbolizes the union of our families.
Following the Baraat and Milni, guests will be directed to the site of the Anand Karaj, the Sikh wedding ceremony. As family and friends (the sangat) gather for the ceremony, Kirtan (religious hymns) are sung. Once the sangat is seated on the ground, Chris will enter with his family. Chris will bow and sit in front of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. Neeti’s family will then enter with Neeti. Neeti will bow to the Guru Granth Sahib and sit beside Chris on his left. Chris’ sister will remove his sehra (veil) and give it to Neeti’s mother, signifying that Chris is now her child too and she is responsible for his care.
The couple and their parents will rise for Ardaas, a prayer asking for God’s blessings in their marriage. The rest of the guests will remain seated. Then, the Raagi (Priests) will start the wedding by singing shabads (religious hymns).
A detailed program will be available on the day of the wedding to outline and explain all of the segments of the Anand Karaj ceremony.
Important Wedding Ceremony Details:
We will be having a traditional Sikh wedding ceremony. As a sign of respect to the Sikh traditions and faith, there are a few things we wanted to share with you in advance to prepare:
★ Before entering the area where the wedding ceremony will take place and where Sri Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs) is present, all guests will be asked to remove their shoes and cover their heads. For the ladies, you may wish to bring your own scarves. We will also provide some head coverings for those who don’t have them, scarves for the ladies and bandanas/cloth for the men.
★ Seating: Also, as a sign of respect, guests will be asked to sit on the ground during the ceremony. Traditionally, it is held that the holy book of the Sikhs is kept higher than the guests. The floor will be covered with rugs or linens. We will provide a few chairs for those who are physically unable to sit on the ground. Please let us know in advance if you are not able to sit on the ground, so that we can be sure to accomodate your needs.
★ Attire: It would be appropriate to wear to a Sikh wedding what you would wear to any other place of worship, such as a church or synagogue. For women, it is best to avoid wearing red or white. Traditionally for Indian weddings, it is suggested to wear “auspicious”, bright, and joyful colors such as pinks and corals.
We have arranged for a block of rooms for our guests at two local Lancaster hotels. When making your reservation, please mention Singh/McHugh wedding to receive the special group rate.
480 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17602
Phone: 717-735-2075
The Cork Factory Hotel has rooms available for Sunday, June 15, 2014. The special group rate of $114 plus tax will be honored until May 1, 2014. *** UPDATE *** The Cork Factory has kindly offered to honor this special group rate until May 16th!
25 South Queen Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: 717-239-1600
The Lancaster Marriot at Penn Square has rooms available for Saturday, June 14, 2014 and Sunday, June 15, 2014. The special rate of $139 plus tax and discounted $10 parking will be honored until May 17, 2014.
For those of you who are driving straight to the Farm at Eagles Ridge, there will be plenty of parking available on site at the Farm. There will be parking attendants to help direct you.
Also, for your convenience and safety, we are arranging a shuttle service for transporting guests between the two hotels, The Cork Factory Hotel and Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, and the Farm at Eagles Ridge. Details will be available shortly.
Shuttle service will begin loop from the Cork Factory Hotel to the Lancaster Marriott to the Farm starting approximately at 1pm on Sunday. Total loop time is about 30 minutes. The final loop of the shuttle will drop guests at the venue by 3pm.
Many of our friends and families have inquired about wedding gift suggestions. Please know that your presence in celebrating this joyful occasion is gift enough. However, if you wish to honor us with a gift, we thank you for your kind generosity and for your convenience, we have carefully selected household items that we know we will love and use for years to come. We are registered at Macy’s, Bed, Bath, & Beyond and Wanderable.
Uh oh... we've been informed that there are other Chris McHughs on both Macy's and BB&B, so if you search for us manually, maybe use Gurneet Singh instead.
As you know we love kids…we adore your children. Due to the large collective number of children of our families and friends, we are unable to accommodate children at our wedding and reception, other than the children of the bridal party. We wish we could have and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.