Photo: John Armstrong
George & Aiperi’s Story
We met in Bloomington during grad school. At the time, Aiperi was a Fulbright FLTA Kyrgyz language instructor and George an Anthropology student. Sparks flew, and now, like many international couples, we're celebrating with two weddings. In June, we celebrated with Aiperi's extended family in Kyrgyzstan at a Kyz Uzattu bride's wedding. In September, we'll gather again in Indianapolis with family and friends from across the U.S. to keep the celebration going. We're excited to bring together the people and places that have shaped our lives before heading abroad this fall for both of our PhD research.
Photo: Noble Guyon
Photo: John Armstrong
The Kyz Uzattu
In Kyrgyzstan, it is common celebrate both a bride’s wedding and a groom’s wedding. Earlier this summer, we held our Kyz Uzatuu—a traditional celebration for the bride and her send-off into married life. Surrounded by Aiperi’s extended family and friends, we enjoyed a-lot of Kyrgyz food, heartfelt blessings, and celebratory toasts. Instead of exchanging rings during the ceremony, the groom’s mother, Cheryl, ceremoniously placed earrings on Aiperi as a symbol of welcoming her into the family and symbolically replacing girl’s earrings with a woman’s earrings.
Photos: Meikin
The U.S. Wedding
In September, we’ll celebrate again—this time with our friends and family in the U.S. We would love to spend some extra time with our friends and IU grads for on Saturday, September 19th, at a lakeside lunch on Lake Lemon.
The main celebration will take place on Sunday, September 20th, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Laurel Hall in Indianapolis. We’ll have an outdoor ceremony and reception that bring together American and Kyrgyz traditions. Please wear fall formal (coat and tie, dresses, etc)
Saturday, September 19th
Optional IU Friends and Wedding Party Lakeside Lunch: 2-6 PM
Lake Lemon, Bloomington
Update 9-12-26:
Meet at Riddle Point Park, 7599 N Tunnel Rd, Unionville, IN 47468
Bring a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, and a beach chair if you have one
Beach/Water games welcome
Catering & beverages provided
*Optional Saturday event is for Indiana University friends and wedding party only. More info will be announced to the RSVP’d group closer to the event.
Sunday, September 20th
Ceremony + Reception: 6PM - 10PM
Laurel Hall, 5395 Emerson Way, Indianapolis, IN 46226
*Parking is available on site at Laurel Hall.
Wedding Gifts
Rather than a traditional wedding registry, we’ll have a card box at Laurel Hall and a collection of experiences on Zola for our next adventure together. This fall, we’re heading to Madagascar, where we’ll spend several months exploring, learning, doing PhD research, and beginning our next chapter together. If you’d like to give us a wedding gift, you can help make one of these experiences possible through our Zola registry. We’ve also included a few ways to share some of that generosity with the communities we’ll be living alongside. With most of the next year spent on the move, we’ll be living more like nomads than newlyweds with a fully stocked kitchen—so experiences are much easier to pack!
