{Real Wedding} Romantic Persian fusion

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Fri-Style Friday’s award for “Slap me, this is so pretty” goes to Austrian-born photojournalist: Rosemarie of Rosemarie Lion Photography.  Now based out of San Francisco, she offers artistic documentary-style photography as she tag teams on site shoots with her collaborative husband, Gerard.

Let’s get right to it, because as you will soon find out from the gallery of delicious art, today’s bride was a gem of information and juicy insights into their Persian Fusion wedding.  It’s not only picture perfect, but filled with creative solutions, family collaboration and practical approaches to executing your ideal fairy tale wedding of any cultural style.

Setting: Classy Family Restaurant in Palo Alto, CA.

Heroine & Hero: Jessica, a discerning & artistic bride by way of Franco-Austri-Italian heritage :-), and  her groom Arshan – of Persian/Iranian Descent.

Scene 1: Aura, Anticipation and Broken-In Shoes.

Both Jessica and Arshan opted to wear pre-worn shoes for their special day. I mean let’s be honest, when you’re fully dress for your wedding, unless you hike up your pants or skirt, who’s going to know the difference.  Clever, and cost effective.

Scene 2: Romance is in the Details.

Persian Wedding Tradition Ideas:

Let me interrupt the flow of images for a second and just state how much I love the many wedding customs for a traditional Persian weddings.  The burgundy and gold rug you see in the image above, along with the buffet of spices, gold colors, candles and/or sweet bread are part of the Sofreh-Ye Aghd ceremony.  The Sofreh (meaning “spread”) is typically set on the floor facing east, and several elements representing different things are put on elegant display for the ceremony.  With roots in Zoroastrian faith, it’s quite common to see islamic versions of this display with verses of the Koran, as well as modern interpretations in which the fabric is more slick, and less intricate.  Either way, it’s what’s on the Sofreh that makes the ceremony.  For example the reflective mirror represents the light that shines into the couple’s future.  For more info on all the approaches to traditional Persian weddings, visit here.  And yes, it seems to be spelled differently, depending on where you go.  Anyway, let’s continue…

You might think that Jessica and Arshan had a strictly Persian style Wedding.  As you know, Wedding Nouveau is all about finding ways to fuse tradition with modern style.   So a “by-the-book” affair, wouldn’t really offer much insight other than pretty pictures.  Fortunately, this one is different. I was thrilled to find out how they tweaked certain “rules” in getting away with the perfect blend of Western and  Middle Eastern.

When asked how their wedding leveraged  tradition vs. personal style, Jessica’s enthusiasm resumed:  “This was the fun part.  Once we learned what was important, we borrowed bits and pieces from Persian traditions as well as western traditions to create something unique for our ceremony.”  Jessica replied: “We chose which direction to face based on what worked best in the restaurant.  We did have some traditional herbs and spices and other items (such as honey), and our holy book was a book of Rumi’s poems (we decided that book was spiritual enough for all of us)! We also included a picture of my grandparents on their wedding day as part of the spread. Our goal was to incorporate things that were important to us in the joining of our lives together and the Sofreh-ye Aghd became a place to do that and to share with all of our friends and family.”

Scene 3: A Plush Palate indeed!

Challenge: How do you blend modern style with the romance of traditional Persian Customs?

How they Did it? :  1. Make a list of the expected traditional “rules”, and remove what doesn’t resonate with you.  For example, Jessica and Arshan decided to forgo the gift giving portion of the ceremony, which involves adorning the bride with jewelry in front of all the guests. 2. With a traditional style event, guests often feel stiff and obliged to be reverential.  Help them relax before the ceremony, by incorporating a very light happy hour before the wedding with beverages and an abridged selection of Hor D’ouvres  3. Comfort, comfort, comfort!  Balance new couture with worn-in shoes.  Leverage long positions in certain traditional poses, for hidden knee pads or cushion pillows..  4. Lace together spiritual readings that resonate with both the bride and groom.  This can involve the use of dual language, scripture and intermixing rituals. 5. Trust the experts.  Sometimes that’s an event planner, and other times that’s family.  Use the insight of family wherever possible, as this will always make for a more personal touch.  There might be some traditional custom that you didn’t know your grand parents practiced.  6. Make it personal where ever possible.  Jessica included a lovely portrait of her maternal grandparents on their wedding day as part of the Soufreh-Ye Aghd.  A simple yet memorable detail.

“There is such a richness in each person/family’s story, and in our experience it was just a matter of letting go and letting it be shared. I think once you understand what is important to each side, and you can find a way to include those elements, the rest just works itself out.”

-Jessica, the Bride-

I can’t thank Rosemarie enough for sending me these beautiful photos.  And to J & A for being so open with their dreamy wedding, I say merci and congratulations on your new baby girl:-)

Spicyhugs,

Fri

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{CREDITS: Photography by © Rosemarie Lion Photography; Bridal gown by Jin Wang; Bouquet by Karen Hsu of Grandi Flora; Shoes from Banana Republic; Groom’s suit from Burberry; Ceremony at MacArthur Park Restaurant);  Traditional Persian Sofreh Aghd by Firouzeh Jahanshahi of Angel’s Touch; Mother of the Groom’s Attire by Dior; Music by The Ebrahimi Brothers; Cakes by Masse’s Pastries; Reception location and Event Planning by Diane Howard at MacArthur Park Restaurant; Outdoor portraits at Gamble Gardens}