Elegant Persian Wedding in Santa Barbara


"My life with Sassan has been one filled with love, adventure and never-ending laughter and I couldn't wait for the day we would start our lives together as husband and wife. Since we both come from a Persian background, we wanted our wedding to be rich in our cultural roots. For our ceremony, we included a traditional “sofreh aghd” which translates to “marriage tablecloth” in Farsi. It is an intricate spread composed of various symbolic elements all of which represent an element of the couple’s new life and marriage together. For the reception we had a traditional Persian fruit and dessert table for guests to enjoy as well as a DJ who would seamlessly alternate between Persian and American songs on the dance floor.

Our venue search was beyond extensive and since many of our guests were coming from out of town, we wanted our venue to offer a unique charm and a little getaway. The Belmond El Encanto fit those criteria and was anything but the typical "cookie cutter" of a venue. After our initial walkthrough, we both knew it was "the one". It was the perfect harmony between the West Coast lifestyle and Midwest charm. Situated high in the Santa Barbara hills and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the El Encanto is nestled among lush flora and Spanish colonial-style bungalows. It houses a horizontal Arbor Lily Pond inhabited with fish and turtles and a wooden deck that draws across it. At the head of this pond is where we placed our “sofreh aghd”. 

My advice to future brides is to enjoy every second of the wedding planning process and to not sweat the small stuff. If you are feeling the burn of all the planning just remind yourself it is part of the process and that it will all be worth it in the end. It was such a great feeling seeing all the planning come together and unfold and seeing joy in our guests’ eyes as they witness such a special milestone in our lives. Lastly, don’t forget to take a moment and soak it all in because despite it being the best day ever, it will be finished in what feels like a blink of an eye."


Photographer: SanazPhotography | Wedding Planner: Cluster Events | Venue: Belmond El Encanto | Videographer: Mood PV | Floral Design: Precious & Blooming | Officiant: Persian Wedding Officiant Morteza Mohtashami | Linen: Luxe Linen | Beauty: Nazeera Aqa | Entertainment/Lighting/Draping: Dashing Events | Coffee: Welcome Coffee Cart | Sofreh Aghd Design: Elegant Sofreh Design | Fruit & Desserts: Samira Wedding & Events