Our Story
Where It All Began
Shawn grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Madhu in nearby Novi — just thirty miles apart, yet their paths wouldn't cross until they both arrived at the University of Michigan. It was there, amid maize and blue, that two lives wove together into one.
Reuniting a Partitioned Land
Shawn's family hails from Chittagong and Madhu's from Kolkata — two cities that once belonged to the same Bengal before Partition drew a border between them. Despite this, the ilish fish has never listened to the silly border disputes of men. They migrate from Chittagong all the way up to Kolkata every year. Bangla culture is undeniably linked to the language and the waters of the Ganges, in our food and our fuchka. In coming together, Shawn and Madhu are quietly reuniting what history separated.
One Love
This marriage unites not only two families but two faiths — Hindu and Muslim — in a sacred contract before God. Though the traditions may appear different, they share a common root: namaz and namaste both descend from the Indo-Iranian word namas, meaning to bow in respect. Long before borders or religious divisions, all Bengalis spoke the same languages and deemed each other equals. This wedding is a reminder that we still can.
Our dad's alpona celebrating the signing of our marriage contract, featuring Dida