Wedding: June 2-3, 2017
Ceremony & reception: American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis
Honeymoon: Kauai, Hawaii
Srey Man and Neil Rollins saw their wedding as an opportunity to embrace the cultural traditions of their Cambodian and Irish heritages. It meant two days of celebration, starting with a traditional Cambodian ceremony honoring Srey’s family. During a groom’s processional, Neil delivered heartfelt gifts to his bride and her family, which included 30 pounds of palm seeds, a traditional representation of children and future generations. In keeping with ritual, the couple participated in a knot-tying ceremony, where family and friends gave blessings as delicate white strings were knotted around the each of their wrists. The second day of celebrations was their garden wedding at the American Swedish Institute’s Turnblad Mansion. Irish elements were woven into the day, like a lucky penny kept safe in a satin satchel made from Neil’s grandmother’s wedding dress that was pinned into the tulle of Srey’s gown; Neil wore vintage porcelain cufflinks adorned with four-leaf clovers. The couple displayed a rose-gold globe etched with “Whatever our souls are made of, yours and mine are the same” representing their love of travel, where guests could leave envelopes. The evening also involved plenty of joyous dancing, appropriate for this couple who hit the dance floor on their first date. Apparently Neil made quite the impression that day, because Srey typed a note under his name in her phone: “Guy who can dance.” Years later, they shared dances as husband and wife, dedicating songs to one another and closing the evening with a waltz as their final spin.