This was by far one of the most special parts of our wedding. Our Persian ceremony, also known as the sofreh aghd, was so meaningful because we got to design a spread that not only represented us, but our families and heritage.
Each element that was on the table was symbolic and intentionally chosen with a specific purpose. I wanted to make sure that each part of the sofreh was highlighted so guests could understand the explanation behind them. I drew up a ceremony program that included each element with their meaning in Farsi and description in English. A few of my favorites:
Ayeeneh/ Mirror: Symbolizes a physical and spiritual reflection. It allows the bride and groom to see each other together for the first time as a married couple.
Shamdoon/ Candelabras: Symbolizes energy and clarity in the couple’s life together.
Esfand/ Wild Rue: An herb which is burned as part of a ritual and tradition for purification.
Kaleh Ghand/ Sugar Cones: Used during ceremony over couple’s head, to shower the marriage with sweetness.
Quran/ Holy Book: Symbolizes God’s blessing for the couple, as a representation of faith.
Soozan Nakh / Thread & Needle: Symbolizes the ritual of two people and families becoming one.
Noon Sangak/ / Flatbread: A decorative display of flatbread symbolizes prosperity and the feasts in the future.
Our sofreh was unconventional in many ways but that is exactly how we wanted it. We wanted the style to be unique and fit with the atmosphere of our venue, the Hacienda. @ne_designstudio and our two amazing Moms visualized a spread that was perfectly cohesive with the look and feel of our whole wedding.
Beginning with our wooden platform table, that our incredible planners @bodasdelsur sourced and problem solved seamlessly, like many other things. Several of the items were handmade by the talented @ne_designstudio, who prepared each of these one by one in her studio in London. Other larger items were specifically chosen for our wedding so they are delicately packed and sent to the venue.
My sister-in-law, did us the honor of officiating our wedding. Her impeccable speech enlightened our guests about the significance and history of the sofreh aghd. In such beautiful words, she was able to connect our story to the meaning of each element on the table.
Our ceremony was the definition of a group effort and took a tribe of people who were part of this process to have it all come together. Each individual’s strengths really shined through and worked in harmony. A huge thank you goes out to the people who made the weekend absolutely flawless, Javier & Ana. We are forever grateful to you, your expertise and your friendship. Niusha, thank you for pulling together our dream sofreh, we know much love you put into this and we couldn’t have imagined a more meaningful display. Sogol, thank you for tying it all together with your magical words. To say you exceeded all of our expectations would be an understatement. To our families, especially our Moms who were such a big part of our ceremony, thank you for being there to support us every step of the way. We are so beyond appreciative of your unconditional love. To our guests, thank you for making the journey to celebrate our marriage in Sevilla, we will never forget how special it was so share these memories with you in our magical place.
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