I worked with Zara Khayatian, now my sister-in-law, and she was amazing. She made my dream wedding come true. For cocktail hour, we served ceviche of rock shrimp, chateaubriand, roasted tenderloin of beef on baguette, and chicken spiedini stuffed with sautéed spinach.
We also had nine stations for our guests, including a tapas style Tuscan table with grilled squash, eggplant, golden beet, and roasted pineapple. Our Mediterranean station had hummus with tahini and pita bread chips, tabouleh salad, and Israeli couscous with a mint and lemon dressing. Our taste of Italy and risotto station offered gnocchi in a classic bolognese sauce, risotto with sautéed baby shrimp, and rollatini stuffed with sundried tomato-infused ricotta. The chef’s carving station also had rib-eye seasoned with sea salt and herb-crusted leg of lamb with apricot chutney.
Other favorite stations were our Mexican station, Spanish paella station, and a sushi and sashimi bar. There was an ice sculpture with our monogram on it. We served “Persian Sunset” and “Tehran Mule” as our signature drinks. The cocktails had rose water and saffron in them. A live band played during the cocktail hour with a violin and tonbak, a traditional Persian instrument. They also played during the dinner.
Our ceremony was a traditional Persian ceremony with a beautiful table set called sofreh aghd, each item on the table representing something in life. The sofreh table is comprised of a variety of edibles and artifacts all of which tie together to symbolize health, love, and good-fortune for the couple. The sofreh aghd was made by my talented mother-in-law.
