Sepehr and Gillian 's Wedding in Charleston, South Carolina

So, our wedding ceremony, which was held in a garden surrounding the historic Governor Thomas Bennett House (in deference to my Southern roots), began in the Persian tradition, in Farsi (with a translation provided in the programs for our English speaking guests): Sepehr and I sat behind a traditional Persian sofreh table, upon which appeared several items with beautiful, deeply rooted symbolism. Some of my favorites included: the Ayne-Ye Bakht (mirror), which not only symbolized unity as Sepehr and I viewed one another sitting together in its reflection, but also a desire for light and brightness in our future; the Kaas-e Nabaat (crystallized sugar), which was gently ground over our heads by female relatives, symbolically imparting into our marriage the sweetness of those same loved ones’ lives; and Asal (honey), which Sepehr and I fed to one another to ensure sweetness in our life together (this didn’t prevent us from also feeding each other cake during our reception—the American version of this same idea!). We then transitioned into a traditional American exchange of rings and vows in front of a beautiful flower arbor.

After the ceremony, our reception was filled with a series of walks down memory lane—and we were delighted to take our guests along for the ride! For example, Sepehr gave me a scrapbook as an anniversary gift after our first year of dating. Little did he know he had ignited in me a *passion* for scrapbooking; I have gone on to fill 3 scrapbooks with the many beautiful moments and adventures we have shared together. During our reception we displayed these scrapbooks, which was particularly meaningful to us because it gave us the heartwarming opportunity to watch our loved ones look through them and see for themselves just how much they have positively impacted us. Another fun way we chose to reminisce was by placing photos of ourselves, depicted at the age of the corresponding table number, at each of our reception tables. This little detail served to remind us of the journeys we had taken-both individually and as a couple-to arrive at our wedding day.

Our unique celebration was all we had hoped for: highlighting the parallels between our cultures, while also celebrating their difference. Thanks to our hugely talented vendors, we feel that our day captured the immense beauty that can come from a marriage of two different perspectives. It is particularly for this reason that we would be delighted and honored to share our wedding with a greater audience.