A Tribute to Tradition

Written by Taryn King | Photos by Daniel Bostwick Photography

Embracing and celebrating their love through cultural traditions was at the center of Chelsea and Aanik’s weekend wedding in November 2021. Planning a typical wedding can be a daunting (albeit exciting) task for most couples, but an intercultural wedding that spans three days, two ceremonies and multiple events is on a whole other level.

Chelsea and Aanik’s meet-cute was not a case of “love at first sight.” In fact, they sat behind each other at work and didn’t speak for months. But when Chelsea responded to an email Aanik sent out about twisting his knee, they struck up a friendship that eventually turned into romance and a relationship.

In September 2020, the couple took a short trip to Flagstaff, Ariz. After a long day of hiking in Sedona, Aanik insisted he wanted to make one more hike to Cathedral Rock to get an Instagram-worthy sunset picture. When the kind stranger who offered to take their photo whipped out a large camera and yelled, “Strike a pose!” Chelsea turned to see Aanik down on one knee with a box in hand.

“Chelsea proceeded to grab [the ring] and put it on herself, because it was so pretty! Then her brain caught up, and she said, ‘Yes!’”

While the couple now live in Arizona, they wanted to have their wedding in one of their home states. Chelsea hails from the Dover region, and she had spent her summers in Rehoboth and other local beaches during college.

Since the couple both love the Rehoboth/Lewes/Dewey area, it made sense for them to have the wedding in Coastal Delaware. When it came to choosing their venue, a location that could make them both happy was important. Chelsea wanted a small backyard-wedding feel. Aanik was used to a multi-day extravaganza, usually in a hotel ballroom. Hopkins Heartland offered them a perfect balance of the two.

The idea of blending their cultures into one ceremony was considered, but the couple felt it was important to pay homage their individual cultures in a way that felt true to themselves and their families. They didn’t want to blend them, because it was important to Aanik and his family to have a mostly traditional Hindu ceremony, including the outfits, but it was also important that Chelsea wear a white wedding gown and have the typical western ceremony, including personalized vows. The answer? Two ceremonies and multiple events!

Occasionally, cultural differences can present difficulties, but how they’re handled makes all the difference.

“Family expectations presented some difficulties with planning, as even Aanik wasn’t 100 percent sure what the expectations were, so those sometimes popped up as a surprise,” Chelsea said. “It was also difficult to try to fit everything from both cultures into one weekend. We had to pick and choose what we wanted to prioritize while still keeping the integrity of the events. It was so hard to keep everything straight for each event and make sure we weren’t missing critical stuff from any of them!”

Fortunately, the way Chelsea and Aanik planned their multi-day celebration allowed them to have several nights of casual get-togethers with their families and friends, rather than cramming all the socialization into one night. It also allowed their guests downtime to explore their favorite coastal town, rest and relax.

For many, the respect and inclusion of cultural traditions may seem like a solemn affair, but for Chelsea and Aanik, this was a time for celebration, fun and merriment!

Fun Fact: Aanik arrived to the Baarat on a John Deere tractor, provided by Chelsea’s brother-in-law (usually, the groom arrives on a horse or in a luxury vehicle).

The idea of multi-day festivities might seem overwhelming, but the couple enjoyed spreading the events out from Thursday to Sunday and the resulting opportunities to see more of their friends and family throughout the weekend.

“We were able to host informal events at local spots in Dewey, within walking distance to the hotel… The small-town, cozy feel of the Delaware beaches made the entire weekend feel like a coming-home party.”

Take a look at the couples weekend itinerary: 

Featured Vendors:

Photographer - Daniel Bostwick Photography

Venue - Hopkins Heartland

Catering - Raas | Bethany Blues

Entertainment - Kings Entertainment

Planner - Make My Day Events

Flowers - Styled.

Hair - Third Eye Artistry

MUA - Lauren Keyes MUA

Dresses | Suits - Fashion by Rohini | Lulus | G3 Fashion | Brooks Brothers

Rings - Safian & Rudolph

Transportation - Jolly Trolley

Rentals - Coastal Tented Events | 227 Rent