Zara & Mehdi | The Rockleigh | Rockleigh, NJ

“A Wonderful Experience”

Mehdi and my brother have a construction company together, so when my brother had to go to Florida to work on a job, he asked me to help out as a design consultant. Mehdi and I met often to discuss what needed to be done and gradually we realized we were a great team. Our working relationship blossomed and, after discussing his intentions with my brother, our first date was at the Cheesecake Factory, followed by lots of talking and walking around Hoboken.

As our relationship flourished, we began a business flipping homes. It became clear we were perfect for each other in all aspects. When Mehdi proposed, we were at Liberty House in Jersey City. He arranged for a table outside and, despite the rain, we sat out there on a stormy night. Our friends were inside and he didn’t want me to see them! After a quick drink order, Mehdi got down on one knee and asked me, in Farsi, to be his wife. I said, “Yes” and we went inside to celebrate!

When we first got engaged, I was working at The Rockleigh as an admin. Shortly after, I was promoted to the sales team. I knew they were stellar at pulling off weddings with culture and diversity. Being Persian and Middle Eastern, we had multiple cultural aspects to include in our wedding. From the food to the experience to the ambiance, The Rockleigh was the perfect place.

Being on the opposite side of the wedding experience was wonderful. Everyone was so easy to work with; the operations manager, the chef, the maître d’, and the entire staff were so on point! Everything I asked for was meticulously noted and executed to perfection.

We had our cocktail hour before the ceremony. We wanted a fun, not-too-formal ceremony, and this way everyone had a few drinks and some food before the festivities began. We had everything; a sushi bar, a seafood bar, a Mediterranean station, a cajun station, a meat carving station with all halal meat, a Persian tea station, a caviar and champagne display, and an ice sculpture. Guests could sit indoors or outdoors. Our signature drinks were a pomegranate martini, which was so good, and a cucumber margarita called “Cool as a Cucumber,” since Mehdi is very chill and laid back.

Moving inside for the ceremony, The Rockleigh set up the traditional Persian sofreh, which is a stage for the bride and groom to sit on looking out at their guests. We had the big, beautiful chandelier over us, the fountains behind us, and everything looked absolutely magical. Our reception was equally stunning. Our florist created beautiful table arrangements of orchids overflowing onto the tables and on other tables, tall candelabras with similar orchid arrangements. We used the gorgeous backdrop from our ceremony, created by Wedded Events, which incorporated orchids, candles, and other fresh flowers. All the flowers lasted a long time after the wedding, making our house smell beautiful for weeks!

We started dinner with a walnut and salad appetizer paired with a Mediterranean family-style set-up on every table. Our guests then chose a 10oz filet mignon, an Asian sea bass, or a Tuscan roasted chicken for their entrée. Our wedding cake was displayed on a custom stand, painted and designed with crystals hanging from the bottom of each tier. We had passed desserts of zeppoles, fried Oreos, mini cannolis, mini lava cakes, mini ice cream sandwiches, and assorted cookies.

Our guests could enjoy all these without ever leaving the dance floor! We hired DJ Taba to perform all Persian music with a live drum band. A renowned musician knowledgable about our culture, he was phenomenal! As our guests exited, there was a to-go pizza station with regular pizza and Nutella pizza, as I’m a big Nutella fan.

Our day was perfect from beginning to end. Thank you to Maryann and her team from Blush and Brush. She was with me all day doing touch ups, making sure my makeup was event ready all night! Thank you to our florists, Arcadia, and Wedded Events; both of whom made our wedding as gorgeous as it was meaningful. Thank you to Anthony, our maître d’, and Daniella, my bridal attendant, as well as the rest of the staff at The Rockleigh for making our day run as smoothly as possible. It was the best night of our lives!

The Rockleigh, Rockleigh, NJ
201.768.7171, www.therockleigh.net