Anita and Haady: a Persian wedding… the ceremony

August 12, 2009

For people from Iran, the official wedding ceremony is an elaborate ceremonial affair that centers on the sofreh aghd, or wedding table.

The first part of a Persian wedding is called Sofreh-ye Aghd (or Payvand-e-Zanshooi) and is the time for the legal process of getting married by signing a contract. In front of the closest friends and family members, the bride accepts the marriage after being asked 3 times… and is then showered with gifts. Traditionally this is at the home of the bride’s parents, and the wedding guests act as witnesses to the marriage.

The lavish, eastward-facing spread, the Sofreh Aghd, is filled with symbolic items meant to bless the couple and prepare them for a happy marriage. For a listing of these items, look here or here.

Remember Hasti, who did the manghal with esfand for Suzy’s wedding? She performed her role at Anita’s wedding as well, carrying the hot coals with confidence up the hill leading to the indoor location for Anita and Haady’s sofreh aghd. [ MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MANGHAL HERE ]

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Look at the people at the top of the hill, waiting anxiously for the bridal procession to walk up! Also, check out my mother-in-law (who was a guest at the wedding) waving and trying to catch my attention!

Persian wedding California

Above you can see some of the very photogenic details of Anita and Haady’s sofreh aghd spread, which was lovingly done in traditional style by a family friend (go, Ghodsi Madani, M.D.!!), with a natural look to balance out the silver and gold elements. Note that each of the designs (the yin-yang motif and the paisley with the arabic script) are done by hand with seeds. Now THAT is a lot of work.

The last black and white image is from the end of the ceremony. After the talking is finished, the bride and groom kiss, exchange rings and do a quick honey ceremony. Relatives throw esfand on the manghal to make it smoke more, family throws candy in the air, and everyone starts to loudly and joyously cheer and sing traditional songs. In the image, you see an uncle greeting the couple and bringing a gift of jewelry. Persian brides are loaded up with gold jewelry and bling as a gift from family members.

traditional persian wedding portrait

One of the traditional portraits that is important to take at a Persian wedding is the bride and groom sitting with the sofreh aghd, preferably with the mirror in view. I have seen wedding photos from some of Ali’s relatives, and laugh because you can ALWAYS see random family members and sometimes even the photographer in the mirror. I tried to avoid that.

One more thing I want to mention about this delightful wedding was the fact that it took place at a private residence – the home where the bride grew up. When the kids were still at home, her family would often hike together in the hills around the house, and Anita’s mother and father had staked out some lovely places for family portraits.

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