Erika and Shayan grew up only twenty minutes apart, but their first meeting wasn’t until five years ago! Once their love bloomed it was impossible to halt that beautiful momentum and their fete planned by Claire Duran Weddings And Events is a sweet celebration of their union, years in the making. Not to mention, an absolute fairytale of a day. See it all through the lens of Asia Pimentel Photography in the full gallery.
Though Erika and Shayan grew up in the same area of Montgomery County, Maryland (Gaithersburg and Potomac, respectively—just 20 minutes apart), they finally met in 2014. At first, their relationship was long distance with Shayan living in Orlando where he had settled after graduating from law school, and Erika living and working in Washington, D.C. For their first date, Shayan took Erika to the Kennedy Center to watch a broadway production of her favorite movie, The Lion King. They have been best friends since.
It didn’t take long for Shayan to realize he wanted to marry Erika—he just had to convince her to say ‘yes.’ While Erika was planning a vacation in Italy in the spring of 2016, Shayan was planning their engagement. Shayan hired a local photographer in Venice to help capture the moment and popped the question during a gondola ride. They couple got married on September 22nd, 2018 at Oxon Hill Manor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.