Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116from top: henry + mac; danielle brady The Maine Irish Heritage Center is a slice of the Emerald Isle in Portland. a p r i l 2 0 1 7 6 5 Around the World in Maine a wedding–the perfect place for a colorful collision of cultures & traditions. By Olivia Gunn ish chuppah, under which the couple is mar- ried. Jasmine flowers, symbolizing everlast- ing love, also played a central role in Lee and Chivukula’s ceremony. “We gathered friends and family for a shortened Hindu ceremony on our mandap,” Andrea says. “Each ritual had deep spiritual and philosophical meaning. The ceremony is performed in Sanskrit by a priest and sym- bolizes a bond not only between two peo- ple but also two families. We owe so much to our parents, so it was important for us to have both Chinese and Indian ceremonies as a way of showing our gratitude and respect.” W hen we fall in love, two hearts meet as one. Two worlds, too. To- day, couples embrace the excite- ment of cross-cultural connections. Wed- dings can present the perfect stage for two families to explore the merging of new love with ancient customs. Wedding designer Sarah Goodwin of Daisies and Pearls in Portland regularly works with couples to honor the history and heritage of both sets of families involved. This trend will only increase, since “Maine is going to see a lot more people moving into the state,” says Goodwin. “Peo- ple from bigger cities see Maine as a place to get more bang for their buck.” Because Maine is so affordable, and since such cul- tural mergers deserve to feel unrushed, graceful, and appreciated by all, “an event in Maine allows for a weekend celebration rath- er than just one night.” Why a whole weekend? Understand- ings deepen as they grow. In China, for ex- ample, to see if a couple is a perfect wedding match, the in-laws inscribe “their eight char- acters on a paper and put it on the family al- tar.” Translating this to Vacationland, this ritual might happen at a rehearsal dinner or even beforehand at a destination wedding. “If within three days no disaster [befalls], this [means] the couple [is] well matched,” according to the Chinese Idioms and Say- ings Blog. Aha! Just enough time to include a lighthouse expedition and a lobster bake. The collateral benefit is to enjoy Maine with relaxing excursions while we discover each other’s families as fellow travelers. Last July, Adrea Lee and Raghu Chivu- kula celebrated their wedding day with two ceremonies. The first, a traditional tea cer- emony, honored Lee’s Chinese roots, while the second followed the rituals of a Hin- du wedding. How to pull off the miracle of bringing it all here? For Lee and Chivuku- la, a makeshift mandap was designed for the wedding at Marianmade Farm in Wiscas- set. A mandap is an exquisite, intricate frame or four-pillared structure, similar to the Jew- W e d ding inspira t i o n s ’17