The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco is a stunning property, and was an amazing backdrop for Venous and Matt’s Persian/British wedding. This wedding was an absolute feast for the eyes! Michelle and I had a great time witnessing these two families and cultures join together for this magnificent celebration!
Venous and her family are Persian, and she shared with me some wonderful tradition around the Persian wedding ceremony, so I thought I would share it with you as well!
During the Persian wedding ceremony, the bride and groom face the wedding cloth, wish is referred to as sofreh-ye aghd. The spread contains food and traditional items for the couple to share in their new life together.
Each item in the sofreh has symbolic significance:
- Mirror (ayeneh): Brings brightness and light to the future of the bride and groom
- Candelabra (shamdoon): Symbolizes energy and clarity in the couples life together
- Sugar cones (kal-l ghand): Showering the coupe with Sugar symbolizes sweetness and happiness. Athte beginning of the ceremony, a selection of happily married women are invited to hold a white lace sheet above the bride groom. They take turns rubbing two sugar cones together to symbolize the raining of sweet joy and happiness down on the couple
- Swets (shirinl): An assortment of sweets and pastries symbolize the bride and groom’s sweet life together
- Sugar-coated almonds (noghl)
- Sugar crystal bowl (kase nabat)
- Bread (nun-e sangak): Represents prosperity for the feast and the couples life together
- Wild rue (stand): A popular incense that keeps the eve eye away an brings good health
- Honey (assal): Ensures a sweet future for the bride and groom
- Decorated eggs (tokhmeh morgh): The colored eggs symbolize fertility
- Walnuts and almonds (gerdoo o badoom): Represent strength for the marriage
- Coins (sekkeh): Symbolize wealth and prosperity
- Bread and Cheese (nun-o-panir) Represents happiness and friendship
Matt and his family are British! Many of his guests traveled in from London for the wedding!
Here are a few of my favorite moments of their big day!
If you would like to see their formal engagement shoot at San Francisco City Hall and the Presidential Suite at the Fairmont San Francisco click HERE!
It is British Tradition for the groom to keep his back to his bride as she comes down the isle
The cake knife dance, known as Raghseh Chagoo, is a Persian wedding tradition that begins the cake cutting. When the bride and groom are ready to cut the cake, they have to earn the knife. A female family member or friend will begin to dance with the knife (most typically to Persian music.) The dancer may act coy, only to give the knife to another woman to continue the knife dance. This will continue until one of the dancers decide that they have been won over and will give the bride and groom their cake knife to cut the cake.
Wedding Vendors
Photography by Brian MacStay & Michelle Davis of Brian MacStay Photography
Wedding Venue – Ritz-Carlton San Francisco
Wedding Cinematography by Studio THP
Sofreh designed by Taraneh Nikoo
Brian serves the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey and Carmel Peninsula, Wine Country including Sonoma County and the Napa Valley, the East Bay, San Jose, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe and wedding destinations worldwide.