This Couple Planned Their Modern Persian Wedding in Just Three Months

Quick Invites

With just three months before the big day, the couple needed their invitations turned around quickly. They looked to Minted to create a petite suite with gold flower detailing that directed guests to their wedding website.

Lovely Ladies

One of Sherri's favorite memories from the big day was spending so much time with her aunts, cousins, friends, and glam squad before the ceremony. She didn't have a formal bridal party, but her favorite women were close by her side.

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Red-Eye Gown

The bride didn't have much luck finding the right wedding dress in Seattle or Los Angeles, so she started looking online. As a big Say Yes to the Dress fan, she ended up on Kleinfeld's website, looking at Tony Ward's designs. Drawn to the texture and floral detailing in his collection, she excitedly booked a red-eye to New York to go to his trunk show in May 2018. She chose the mermaid "Sancia" gown with floral appliqué detailing and buttons down the back. She loved how the dress accentuated her curves in a flattering way—and that it was comfortable enough to dance the night away in.

Finishing Touches

Sherri paired her wedding dress with a dramatic cathedral veil and finished her look with Fallon earrings, a bracelet she bought at Bloomingdales, and silver Badgely Mischka shoes with flower details. She also carried a symmetrical bouquet with lush florals in a soft color palette of white, cream, blush, and pink.

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Dapper Groom

David wore a pique lapel black tuxedo with a cream bow tie from The Black Tux; he completed his ensemble with with airplane cuff links to represent his career as an aerospace engineer.

The First Look

The couple met for their first look on the Monte Vista lawn at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore. Sherri tapped David on the shoulder, he turned around, and each of them got more emotional than they expected.

Breezy Ceremony

David and Sherri's ceremony took place on the lawn overlooking the ocean, where gold round-back cushioned chairs were set up on either side of the aisle.

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Garden on the Aisle

The aisle was lined with garden-style flower arrangements consisting of garden roses, hydrangea, amaranthus, maidenhair fern, peonies, ranunculus, anemones, and gardenia branches. White pillar candles in glass votives were placed at the aisle's entrance.

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Meaningful Vows

During the ceremony, a guitarist played as Sherri walked down the aisle with her father. The couple exchanged personal vows they wrote for each other, causing almost every guest to shed a tear. Sherri's cousin read a meaningful love-related Bible verse during the ceremony to incorporate David's Catholic faith.

The Sofreh Spread

Sherri's mom pitched in to create the sofreh aghd, a spread of symbolic items that is traditionally a centerpiece at Persian wedding ceremonies. The spread included a mirror to represent a bright future, candles to symbolize clarity in the path ahead, seasonal fruits to represent a joyous future, and more. They even included a Portuguese "Rooster of Barcelos," a beacon of good luck. "My mother worked on the sofreh for many months," Sherri says. "She hand-sewed many items."

Welcome to Marriage

During the service, the couple took part in a Persian tradition where happily married female relatives and friends hold a fine fabric, or tooreh ghand, over the couple's head to wish them a sweet and joyous marriage.

Portraits Over Cocktails

Sherri and David skipped their cocktail hour to take photos on the lawn and the beach with their photographer. Meanwhile, guitarist David Patt set the mood while attendees enjoyed an open bar and passed appetizers.

The food options included New Zealand baby lamb rack with mint pesto, short rib tostones with pickled shallots, avocado toast with pickled red onions and furikake, and vegetable spring rolls with a plum sauce.

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Floral Chart

Guests found their table numbers at a gold-rimmed seating chart with painted and real floral embellishments.

Opulence Abounds

The reception took place in the resort's El Mar room, where wood-beamed ceilings, oversized chandeliers, and gold floor-length curtains created a feeling of opulence. Long tables were topped with white linens and a variety of flower arrangements and gold-rimmed candleholders.

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Gilded Settings

Place settings incorporated gold flatware, gold-rimmed plates, and ivory linen napkins. Each spot was marked with a pressed-flower nameplate and a menu that matched the invitation suite.

Pink Centerpieces

Peonies, ranunculus, antique hydrangea, amaranthus, viburnum, jasmine vine, and more blooms were integrated into the garden-inspired centerpieces; they were placed in gold compotes for a touch of glamour.

Pressed Details

Table numbers were written in white calligraphy on glass plates pressed with buds and leaves.

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The Fireplace

A mirrored fireplace served as the focal point for the room; the mantle was decorated with large organic floral arrangements that matched those on the tabletops.

The Fun First Dance

Sherri and David considered taking classes to prepare for their first dance, but with a limited timeline, they decided to skip them. "We realized that being serious wasn't going to reflect neither our personalities nor our dance techniques," Sherri says. "We both love electronic and Latin music, and wanted to spice up the energy as part of our first dance."

The couple worked with their DJ, Bennet Schmidt, to come up with a mix of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's "Senorita," Sugarhill Gang's "Apache (Jump On It)," and Pitbull's "Fireball." The couple put a spin on choreography they found online to put together a first spin that was entirely their own.

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Colorful Cake

The couple's three-tiered white wedding cake stood atop a gold cake stand and was embellished with a cascading floral design. The yellow cake was soaked with Chambord liqueur and filled with vanilla cream and fresh raspberries.

To couples who are knee-deep in wedding planning, Sherri recommends sticking to your wedding vision. "David and I ultimately hosted a non-traditional wedding by our cultural standards," she says. "However, our elders were very pleased with how the day turned out!"

Sources

Photography, Ashley Ludaescher
Venue and Catering, Four Seasons Santa Barbara
Event Planning and Design, Rebecca Gigandet Imagine Weddings
Videography, Santa Barbara Wedding Films
Flowers, Camellia Floral Design
Invitations, Minted
Paper Products, Fete & Quill
Bride's Gown, Tony Ward for Kleinfeld Bridal
Hair and Makeup, Luna Bella Makeup & Hair
Bride's Shoes, Badgley Mischka
Bride's Jewelry, Fallon Jewelry; Bloomingdale's
Groom's Attire, Black Tux
Music, David Patt
Cake, Four Seasons Santa Barbara
Rentals, Town and Country Event Rentals
Lighting, Bella Vista Designs