Elegant Persian Destination Wedding in Los Cabos
Kayla and Arshia's wedding ceremony was elegant, glam, and romantic, and dressed in white. For their ceremony they wanted a very romantic vibe. With all white flowers, piano playing as guests entered, and Sofreh Aghd - a Persian Ceremony tradition dating back hundreds of years. They wanted to honor the Persian culture and Arshia’s (groom) family/culture by incorporating both English and Farsi throughout the ceremony. Grooms grandmothers who attended the wedding are both from Iran and speak only Farsi. It was important for the couple to find an officiant who could deliver the ceremony in the many traditional aspects and both languages.
After the beautiful ceremony and exchanging of vows, rings, and a sweet honey kiss, the guests were invited to the cocktail hour overlooking the Sea of Cortez and the popular landmark of Cabo San Lucas, Land's End. The cocktail hour was vibrant, fun, encompassing the beauty of Mexico and Mexican culture. Mariachi band led guests from the ceremony deck to the beachside cocktail hour overlooking the pacific ocean and iconic cabo arches. Guests were welcomed with an open bar and passed appetizers as the sun set over the ocean. Reception setup was bright, fun, vibrant, and indicating this will be the best party you’ve ever been to! Kayla and Arshia wanted their reception to be everything and more! For dinner they wanted guests to feel as if they were at an elevated dinner party. They perfectly coursed out service to allow for speeches between courses as well as photos and the opportunity to walk around and talk to all our guests and still enjoy the amazing dinner! They also added several elements of fun and surprises! They had a cigar roller with custom monogrammed cigar bands, 360 photo booth with their monogram, a late night food station with a neon sign “it was all a dream” and a beautiful hot pink Persian rug in the lounge area. The groom also surprised the bride with an amazing firework display! As guests partied on the dance floor to a combination of Persian, Hispanic and American music a saxophone player joined the crowd for an hour and guests couldn’t believe the fun!
They got engaged in Iceland! Kayla used to joke with her friends that her dream was to get engaged in Iceland and Arshia put that little nugget of info in his back pocket. They planned a trip to Iceland with their friends Kendall and Zack and Kayla's sister and her fiance Jared. On a very cold and rainy day Arshia decided he wanted to visit Studlagil Canyon. After an attempt to get Kayla to change into a cuter outfit and the response "I'm cold; I'm wearing this" (three pairs of pants, two coats, boots, hat, and gloves) he took a deep breath and put the ring in his pocket. At the top of a rocky ledge with scenery that was unlike anything they've seen before he got down on one knee! It was truly such a beautiful moment with their best friends! They laugh to this day at the moments before and leading up to the proposal.
The bride wore The Huntleigh Gown with Detachable Skirt (two looks in one!) by Jane Hill. The bride's veil was purchased along with her gown from Bridal Beginnings in Pittsburgh PA. Knowing she wanted the exquisite Jimmy Choo Pearl heels, the veil was also adorned with pearls and an overlay to cover her face (an important aspect of the Persian ceremony). Paired with Jimmy Choo heels, Cartier ring and earrings, diamond necklaces courtesy of the mother of the bride (something borrowed!). The bride's engagement and wedding band were designed by the groom at Carnegie Jewelers in Peachtree Corners, GA. A solitaire round diamond paired with an emerald infinity band. The bride did her own hair and makeup (with an assortment of her favorite Charlotte Tilbury, Dior and Patrick Ta makeup products).
They did not have groomsmen or bridesmaids which made the day a lot less hectic, says Kayla. "We were able to enjoy getting ready at our own pace! We wanted everyone to enjoy their time in Mexico and not be on our schedules 100% of the time. We wanted our friends and family to enjoy the pool, beach, downtown Cabo and more as much as we have. It was so fun to then take pictures with all our friends at cocktail hour! One of my favorite pictures is my friends cheering me on as she says hi to them for the first time post ceremony! I’m so happy Romana or LA76 Photography captured this moment!"
The groom's ring is Cartier trinity band with diamonds. His tuxedo is from Suit Supply with custom embroidery of the couple's wedding date. Arshia wore Ferragamo shoes and Tom Ford glasses. Grooms bracelet is Cartier and gold cufflinks honoring his Iranian Culture - the same cufflinks as the cufflinks of his father.
For the Welcome Party we had a delicious Mexican food with food stations at Sur Beach House. For the wedding day, The Cape, A Thompson Hotel culinary team created a feast, starting with delicious appetizers during our cocktail hour, and served dinner during our reception. Later in the evening we had a Carajillo station with a cigar roller and late night food stations with mini burgers, French fries, churros, and more. Our guests raved that the food was the best wedding food they’ve ever had. Their signature cocktails were a Cucumber Margarita, with tequila, cucumber, and lime juice; a passion Heart cocktail with tequila, hibiscus, and citrus; and Italy inspired Spritz Mint with Aperol, Prosecco, and mint.
The Bridal Bouquet was all white flowers and adorned with her late grandmother's bow pin (something old), as well as her grandmother who could not travel to the wedding's blue rosary (something blue). The rosary also symbolized the brides Catholic faith. Ceremony used florals around the Sofreh Aghd as well as on the Sofreh Aghd. For the reception, vibrant Mexican hot pink took center stage, influencing the flowers, hand-painted maracas, and a gorgeous Persian rug. The event designers at Look at me Brides infused Mexican artistry into the plates with handmade Talavera. To ensure a lively celebration, the couple requested a dance-filled atmosphere, so they added numerous disco balls, creating a lively and energetic vibe that kept everyone on the dance floor. They used the flowers from the ceremony for the lounge room at the reception.
The couple loves the song Perfect Sympathy by Ed Sheeran featuring Andrea Bocelli. For their first dance, they started on the dance floor and once Andrea Bocelli started singing in Italian (also honoring the bride's culture & Italian Heritage), they were joined for the Mother/Son & Father/Daughter. Together they danced with their parents while Andrea Bocelli sang and were then joined back together as their parents danced together. It was a beautiful moment! They were so happy to do something a bit different and shared their first dance with their parents! Several of their guests said they were brought to tears by the beauty of the song, dances and joining of our parents during the first dance.
A special detail was the Ragsheh Chagoo (Persian Wedding Knife Dance), a tradition for cutting the cake! Mothers, sisters, and female family members of bride and groom families danced with the knife while tricking the groom into paying them to hand the knife over to the couple. This was such a fun moment incorporating both families into a Persian tradition dating back many years! The moment started with the groom's mom dancing and passing the knife off to the brides sister who danced and carried on the momentum of dancing and passing the knife to the groom's sisters, bride's sister and cousins till the bride's mom was handed the knife and then handed it off to the bride.
The Sofreh Aghd was set up by the Groom’s family who created the many different elements on the Sofreh Aghd. All elements were brought to Cabo from Iran and Atlanta (where the couple lives) many of the elements were used in the groom's parents and grandparents weddings.
As part of the Persian Ceremony they personalized pearl ornaments made in Iran for all guests. All stationary was customized and created by Mad Made. They created a ceremony pamphlet with information on the ceremony, Sofreh Aghd, and the seating chart for the reception on the back. Their invitations showcased beautiful traditions of Mexico and the iconic Cabo's Land's End. They designed custom maracas for all guests sat at each guests seat for the reception, and treated guests with monogrammed cigars and a cigar roller.
