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If there is one thing I love more than a Persian wedding, it's an Indian & Persian wedding combined! Sara and I went to middle & high school together, but had lost touch throughout the years, so I was excited and honored to be able to reconnect and work with her and Rayan in planning their nuptials. Wanting to honor their Persian, Indian and Western cultures, Sara and Rayan opted to have two ceremonies in the Sculpture Court of the Portland Art Museum. The weather was definitely playing tricks on us, being sunny one moment and rainy the next, so we opted for a semi clear tent to ensure guests would stay dry. The bridesmaids all wore colorful saris while the groom wore a traditional sharwani in golds and reds. Sara, escorted down the aisle by her father, wore a stunning green & red sari and held a red bouquet, honoring the traditional Hindu culture. After the ceremony, guests were invited to tour the museum or hang out and enjoy Persian tea and a light appetizer by Art of Catering, until the second ceremony began.

For the Persian/Western ceremony, we utilized the same mandap structure for the ceremony and laid down a traditional Persian Sofreh designed by Homa Behboodi, a family friend of Sara's father. Sara changed into her beautiful Reem Acra gown and the bridesmaids changed into gorgeous one shoulder navy Monique Luhllier floor length gowns. Rayan also changed into a suit to match his groomsmen. A close friend to both Sara & Rayan performed the ceremony incorporating Persian elements and talking about how each item on the sofreh symbolizes a well wish for the bride and groom. A mirror to represent the bright future for the couple, colorful and hand painted eggs to symbolize fertility, fresh baked pastries for sweetness in life, pomegranates and apples for a joyous future, candles for clarity and energy, and coins for prosperity. They then each share a taste of honey with one another to help share in the sweetness of their future together. After the ceremony, a beautiful double rainbow appeared and guests were able to enjoy the Sculpture Court for cocktail hour.

Guests made their way up to the Kridel Ballroom for dinner and sat amongst a variety of round and long tables. Each table was covered in navy linens, with glass gold-beaded chargers, gold flatware and a menu card on each place setting with ivory napkins. Lisa at Crave Design had created a monogram for the couple that we had incorporated into the invitations which we also used as a gobo on screen above the stage and even had Papa Haydn use as part of the cake design. Tables were covered in candles and lush floral arrangements containing white hydrangeas, a variety of purple blooms and touches of greenery throughout. Shawn with Event Team Entertainment played a great mix of music containing songs popular in all three cultures which kept the dance floor packed all night. To top off the evening, Sara & Rayan exited the museum with the torches lit and a sparkler send off that had us all reviling from the night. Loved everything about this wedding, and so did Oregon Bride Magazine!

Sara + Rayan