Even though our home base makes us Santa Barbara wedding photographers, we love going down to Los Angeles. This Mountaingate Countryclub Persian wedding was the perfect excuse!

A Persian wedding has many beautiful elements and symbols woven into it, including a lavish table known as a sofreh–which holds many tributes to the happy couple. First, there’s a mirror and candlesticks, which represent the brightness of the future. Food decorates the table as well, with bread, fruit, and herbs representing feasting and prosperity. Elegantly decorated eggs and nuts represent the couple’s future children, and a bowl made out of crystallized sugar represents the sweetness life will hold. A bowl of gold coins is paired with it to represent prosperity, and fruit around the bowls symbolizes a bountiful future. A tray of spices are also on display, each spice carrying a different meaning. Flowers are an integral part of the ceremony space–representing life and beauty surrounding the couple. One of the largest elements of the table is a book of religious readings or Persian poetry, open to a passage significant to the couple.

To add their own touch t0 a traditional ceremony, Goli + Corey took a moment to whisper private vows to one another.

 

During the ceremony, the bride and groom are seated behind the sofreh. Women of the family gather around them, holding a canopy above the couple. Guests close to the couple take turns grating two sugar cones against one another, so the granules are sprinkled above the bride + groom. This symbolizes a sweet shower that life will bestow on them.

To finalize their wedding, they dipped their pinky fingers in honey, fed one another, and sealed their marriage with a kiss to get the party started!

This Mountaingate Countryclub Persian wedding is filled with inspiration for the modern Persian couple. We loved capturing such a beautiful and significant day for these two.

P.S. Check out this elegant Jewish wedding at the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara.