Want to take your outdoor experience to the next level? Join our newsletter to be the first to get the freshest tips, tools, and giveaways sent directly to you! One of the most beautiful things about living in a melting pot of a country like America is that we can freely celebrate the coming together of two cultures for love!
From outfit changes to the symbolism of traditional Cambodian wedding ceremonies, I wanted to share how we incorporated our American, Cambodian, and Tunisian cultures into our mixed cultural wedding!
Deciding to do a modern Cambodian wedding ceremony instead of a traditional American one represents the celebration of me finally reaching the pinnacle of understanding and being proud of my Cambodian American identity. Growing up in Connecticut as the first generation to parents that are survivors of the Cambodian genocide, I struggled with my identity as an American minority, especially at a young age.
As soon as I went to school, I knew I was different. And I hated it. I just wanted to feel and look like everyone else. Throughout my 20s, I dedicated myself to learning and embracing more of my heritage as I continued to evolve and understand what it means to be a Cambodian American woman. Celebrating my marriage with a modern Cambodian wedding is not only my way of paying tribute to my unique roots but also symbolizes my evolution into a woman that has finally understood her identity as a proud, first-generation Cambodian-American.
I wanted to honor and embrace my interracial love! As a Cambodian woman, I was expected to marry someone within my community or at least ethnicity. But as they say, love is blind and the heart wants what it wants. And that was the random Tunisian guy I partnered up with in Muay Thai class back in named Mohamed.
