Although there may be some minor differences in the regional customs leading up to the religious ceremony and following the ceremony, there is very little variance in the actual Anand Karaj ceremony in the Gurdwara. The Sikh wedding presented here is a typical example of a traditional Sikh wedding being performed in a North American context. You can either proceed through it sequentially watching the events unfold or jump to any particular section.

If Sri Guru Granth Sahib is installed at home, it is usually kept in a separate room out of reverence and respect. Any religious ceremonies at home center around Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

• The family reads Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the morning before departing.
• Bowing down before Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
• Receiving the ceremonial sword for the day from his uncle.
• Everyone performs Ardas the common Sikh prayer.
• Receiving a mouthfull of traditional sweets from his mother.

Close family and friends are invited to the house to depart together for the Gurdwara.
The family departs singing traditional wedding songs.

Keeping an old Sikh tradition alive the groom has arranged to arrive by horseback or car for the meeting of the families.
The bride's family and friends await the arrival of the groom.
The Braat approach the brides family outside the Gurdwara.

Ardas is the common Sikh prayer and is invoked at the start and conclusion of every Sikh event. Here both families perform Ardas on their meeting each other.
A simple ceremony takes place and both families exchange well wishes on meeting each other. This is followed by light snacks and tea before the religious ceremony begins.
The groom distributes Karah Prashad to his family.
Everyone enjoys tea and snacks in a large tent beside the Gurdwara.

people begin to enter the Gurdwara for the beginning of the ceremony. This is when the bride makes here first public appearance of the day. Men and women sit on opposite sides of the Gurdwara hall at equal distances from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Non Sikh male and female visitors and guests can usually sit together if they wish.

• The sounds of kirtan(the singing of hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib) are heard as people enter and pay their respects before Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
• The groom and his parents enter and he presents a cash offering as well as a rumala, a new silk covering for Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
• The groom sits before Sri Guru Granth Sahib and listens to kirtan as he awaits the bride's arrival.
• The bride and her family enter the Gurdwara.
• The bride sits down beside the groom and waits as people continue to arrive.
• The granthi (caretaker of the Granth Sahib) sits in attendance of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which is covered when not being read.

The ceremony officially begins with the officiate after having ascertained that both the bride and groom are Sikh asking the couple to stand up as well as their parents for Ardas. This family Ardas indicated the public consent of the parties involved to this marriage taking place.Every time the bride and groom arise or sit down during the ceremony they will bow down to Sri Guru Granth Sahib out of respect by touching their foreheads to the ground.

• After the conclusion of the recitation of each stanza the groom followed by the bride holding the end of the scarf go around Sri Guru Granth Sahib in a clockwise direction while the ragis sing out the recited Lavan stanza. After each round the couple sit down and listen while the officiate reads the next stanza. The ragis then sing it while the couple completes another walk around Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This process is repeated four times in total for each stanza of the Lavan after which the couple sit down.
• During their walk around Sri Guru Granth Sahib often there will be members of the girls family who help her complete her rounds with her husband.

After the Lavan the Anand hymn by Guru Amar Das is recited. This is followed by lectures and kirtan. The religious ceremony is formally concluded by the entire congregation standing for the final Ardas of the marriage. After this Sri Guru Granth Sahib is now opened to any page at random and the hymn is read out as the days order from the Guru for the occasion (hukamnama). Karah Prashad, ceremonial sacremental pudding is then distributed to everyone to mark the formal conclusion of the ceremony.

Both parents now congratulate the couple. In many cases guests now follow to present the couple with gifts of a cash offerings in their lap. In this wedding the couple declined these as they said they had received the ultimate gift, the blessing of the Guru. Everyone then leaves for the dining hall to sit on the floor in langer (the community kitchen) and enjoy a meal in the spirit of equality and humility.