Ancestor Blessing Ceremony (Nandi Mukh)

Haldi Ceremony

Mehndi Party

Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Post-wedding hike

Summer

Our Wedding

In August 2015, Annika drove cross country from Ohio to begin graduate school at University of California, Irvine. That same month, Dhruba stepped off a plane from Portugal to start medical school at UC Irvine. For three years the two likely crossed paths but never met, until one fateful day they connected on campus. Over a series of dates, they shared their love for the rice balls at the Irvine Farmers Market, hikes through the OC trails, and TV shows like Breaking Bad. They also expanded each other’s horizons: Annika introduced Dhruba to rock climbing, while Dhruba attempted to convince her that Weezer was the best band in the world (neither were very successful). Their connection deepened over a blissful year of trapezing throughout California, meeting family and friends, and falling deeply in love. At the end of 2019, Annika defended her PhD and accepted a dream job at Virginia Tech. The couple committed to continuing their relationship long distance for the foreseeable future, with the assurance they would visit each other as much as possible. But it turned out the world had other plans, and flights became out of the question during the global pandemic. Stir crazy from playing hundreds of hours of online Catan together, they connived a plan to drive and meet halfway in the middle of the country—well, not quite the middle, as Colorado seemed more appealing than Kansas. Once vaccinations rolled out, such desperate acts of love were no longer necessary, and they were able to visit each other more frequently. Happily, in 2022 Annika landed another job at UC Irvine, and the couple was able to reunite after two and a half years apart. On a crisp day in October 2022, Dhruba proposed to Annika on a hike overlooking Lake Arrowhead and after asking ‘are you serious?’ several times, she said yes. Annika grew up in Denton, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Her family traces their ancestry back to Swedish immigrants who migrated to Minnesota generations ago. Dhruba was born in Kolkata, India, and moved with his parents to San Jose, California, when he was six years old. The couple is excited to unite their two families in this wedding and can’t wait to celebrate their marriage with you!

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

What are the addresses of the wedding ceremony and reception venues? Are they wheelchair accessible?

The wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception will all be at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel. The address is 3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The ceremony and cocktail hour will take place at the lakeside, and the reception will take place upstairs in the ballroom. All locations at the venue will be wheelchair accessible. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or concerns about accessibility that we can help address.

What is the easiest way to get to and from your wedding venue(s)?

If you are a guest staying at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel, they offer a complementary shuttle that will pick you up from the Santa Ana Airport (SNA). Please call the hotel when you land at SNA to schedule a pickup. You are also more than welcome to drive to the venue. If you are staying overnight at the hotel, there is a charge for parking. However, if you are visiting just for the day, you can get your parking permit validated at the front desk in the hotel lobby.

Is there parking available near your wedding venue(s)?

Yes, please feel free to park in the parking garage on-site at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel. Note that you will receive a parking pass, which you can validate at the end of the night in the hotel lobby.

Will your wedding be indoors or outdoors?

Please dress for the weather! Our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour will be outdoors, but the reception in the evening will be indoors.

What is the dress code for your wedding?

Please wear semi-formal Indian or Western attire. The more colorful, the better!

Will you be live streaming your wedding?

Yes, we will be live streaming our wedding! If you would like to stream it, reach out to us for the link.

Would you like any gifts?

It is not at all necessary to give us any gifts! We are excited to just get to celebrate our marriage with all of our friends and family, and we really appreciate you traveling to California to spend time with us. If you would like to give any gifts, however, feel free to check out the Registry page of our website.

Where should we bring/send our gift?

No gifts are required, but if you would like to give a gift, please see the "Registry" page of our website. There will also be a gift table available at our wedding.

What health and safety measures will be in place?

If you are feeling sick, please test yourself for Covid-19 before attending. We will have a small number of masks available if you need one, although masks are not required. We highly recommend that all guests be vaccinated for Covid-19 and the flu before attending. Thank you in advance for your consideration of the health of our guests!

I have more questions about your wedding, who can I contact?

Please feel free to reach out to Annika at 940-368-9081 or Dhruba at 408-444-0303.

Q & A

The John Wayne (Orange County) Airport is the closest airport to our venue. It is an approximate 10-minute drive, and for guests staying at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel (our venue), there is a complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.

John Wayne Airport

The Los Angeles Airport (LAX) is the closest major airport to our venue, although it is about a 40-60 minute uber or bus ride away. We would recommend instead flying into SNA, although this is another potential option.

Los Angeles International Airport

There is a 15% discount rate for guests to stay at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel, which is our wedding venue. Here is the booking link: https://www.marriott.com/reservation/availability.mi?propertyCode=CSMTX&amp;cc=K6Y.

Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

This hotel is a quick walk (no driving necessary!) to the venue of our wedding ceremony and reception. We do not have any room blocks or discounts from this hotel, but it may be a good option if staying at the venue does not work for you.

Costa Mesa Marriott

Travel

We love hiking, hanging out at the beach, and searching for awesome sea creatures in the tide pools at Crystal Cove State Park. Parking is $15.

Crystal Cove State Park

If you're looking for a great meal on the beach, look no further! The Beachcomber has delicious meals, including brunch, and will validate your parking pass, so you can visit Crystal Cove State Park for free.

The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove

We have had a great time going whale and dolphin watching from Newport Beach! Cruises are typically about two hours and ~$30-40 per person. However, we would recommend checking for coupons / deals online before booking, as we have been able to find cheap tickets on Groupon.

Davey's Locker Whale Watching & Sportfishing

UC Irvine's campus is pretty and has a nice central green park (called Aldrich Park). Annika and Dhruba first met as students at UCI. If you have some spare time, you might enjoy walking through campus.

University of California Irvine

If you have the time, we'd highly recommend stopping by Laguna Beach. Check out the Thousand Steps Beach, art galleries, and fine dining!

Laguna beach

El Chinaco is our favorite spot to get pupusas with friends and family. They're delicious!

El Chinaco

We love eating Asian food at Diamond Jamboree and then eating Somi Somi ice cream afterwards!

SOMISOMI

If you want to check out a hip "anti-mall" that, well, feels sort of like a mall, check out The Lab! There are a variety of hip stores, restaurants, and breweries in this area of Costa Mesa.

The LAB Anti-Mall

South Coast Plaza is a huge mall with many fancy and unique stores. We particularly enjoy visiting the "Please Do Not Enter" store, which sells wacky art pieces. Din Tai Fung has delicious Taiwanese dumplings, although the wait time is sometimes 3+ hours, so we recommend getting your name on the list early if you plan to eat there.

South Coast Plaza

To get a great view of Orange County, we enjoy riding the orange balloon at the Great Park. The balloon rises 400 feet above the surrounding landscape, tethered to a cable, with 360° views of up to 40 miles away.

Great Park Balloon Ride

We love visiting the Irvine Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. There are TONS of stands, with a variety of handmade crafts, food trucks, and fruit and vegetable stands. We especially enjoy the free samples!

Annika + Dhruba