When Chanikan “Pear” Maksrivorawan met Kaelan Nielsen on her 16th birthday, neither of them could have predicted they were meeting the person they’d eventually marry. Pear’s mother, a Thai massage therapist, had invited her teacher – who was a chiropractor – to a family dinner. That teacher brought along his teenage son, Kaelan. “We barely spoke that night,” Kaelan remembers. “But as I was leaving, Pear asked for my email. I had no idea she might have liked me.”

What followed was a year of online chats, late-night calls, and a quiet connection that grew into something lasting. Over the next 17 years, the couple evolved alongside one another, supporting each other through school, career changes, and life milestones. They had always agreed that marriage would come after they were professionally established, and in 2020, Kaelan began planning the proposal.

Pear’s family trip to Thailand offered the perfect setting. Surrounded by her mother, grandmother, and brother, the trip was already filled with personal meaning. What Pear didn’t know was that Kaelan had asked her mother to help him select the engagement ring – an emotional gesture that honored her Thai culture while ensuring a choice she would love. “He knew that meant the world to me,” Pear shares.

The proposal took place in Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its royal palace ruins and setting for traditional Thai love dramas. Under the guise of a cultural photo shoot, Pear and Kaelan dressed in traditional Thai attire and posed among the temple grounds. Midway through, Kaelan dropped to one knee. “It was perfect,” Pear remembers of the romantic moment. “Rooted in history, family, and the surprise I didn’t see coming.”

For their spring wedding, the couple envisioned a celebration that reflected their story, blending culture, elegance, and romance with deeply personal details – beginning with an exquisite invitation suite that teased the sophisticated event to come. Hotel Casa del Mar, a seaside hotel in Santa Monica, offered the ideal setting for the couple’s vision: ocean views, timeless architecture, and a ballroom that felt equal parts European and Californian.

Since Pear has a love of art history, she drew inspiration from the Rococo period when designing the day with her wedding planner, Dee Lee of Dee Lee Designs. Her couture gown – complete with a corseted bodice, tulle layers, and intricate lacework – served as the design anchor for the entire celebration. “It felt like something out of a museum,” she says. “I wanted our wedding to reflect that same timeless, ornate elegance.”

The sunset ceremony began promptly at 6PM, set within a grand floral aisle that gave the illusion of blooms rising straight from the floor. A live string trio played classics, such as “Canon in D” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as guests arrived. Pear entered to Enya’s “Only Time,” as guests stood in awe of the resplendent bride, who opted to carry a feminine, frothy bouquet of peonies in ivory and blush to mimic the other floral arrangements decorating the space.

Kaelan and Pear intentionally blended their heritages throughout the celebration. After being pronounced husband and wife, guests erupted into joyful shouts of “Mazel Tov!” Later in the evening, a traditional Thai dessert station featured artfully displayed sweets hand-selected by Pear. “Sharing our cultures wasn’t a detail, it was the heart of the wedding,” she explains.

“We wanted every detail to be something people would talk about.”

Inside the reception, guests were welcomed into a space that felt like a Rococo painting come to life. Soft blush, ivory, and green florals spilled from gold vessels. Tulips, sweet peas, viburnums, and dogwood branches added dimension and airiness, while hybrid delphiniums gave the arrangements striking vertical movement. Each guest's place setting featured a custom Florentine charger plate – gilded and hand-painted in 13th-century gold leaf technique – that brought the theme full circle. “It wasn’t just décor,” Kaelan describes. “It was storytelling.”

The couple prioritized experience over formality. During cocktail hour, guests sipped signature cocktails by the ocean and visited a Nobu-style sushi station curated by a private chef. Instead of traditional favors, they focused on memorable food moments throughout the evening. “We wanted every detail to be something people would talk about,” Pear illustrates.

One of the evening’s most talked-about moments was their first dance. Set to two songs in two distinct styles, it was a choreographed performance they spent months rehearsing. “We were so nervous, but we nailed it,” Kaelan confirms. “It’s one of the things of which I’m most proud.”

Reflecting on the day, both Kaelan and Pear agree: it went by too quickly. “You always hear that,” Kaelan says, “but it’s true – we wish we had more time to dance.” Their advice to other couples? Invest in a strong planning team and trust them fully. “That’s what gave us the space to be fully present,” Pear adds. From a sweet dinner in Thai Town to a Rococo-inspired wedding by the sea, Pear and Kaelan’s wedding weekend is proof that the most meaningful celebrations are built not just on beauty, but on time, history, and heart.

This real wedding was originally published in the Fall 2025 issue of Inside Weddings magazine. 

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