Chic Perisan Wedding in the heart of central texas: Mina and Bijan’s March wedding
PERSIAN WEDDING VENUE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
Persian couples, if you're looking for a venue to celebrate your love and culture, Shiraz Garden is the perfect place to host your Persian wedding.
With its diverse population and welcoming atmosphere, the Texas Hill Country celebrates all cultures. Persian weddings are no exception. From the traditional sofreh aghd to the lively music and dancing, Persian weddings are a feast for the senses.
If you're looking for a unique and memorable wedding experience, Shiraz Garden, named after our father’s hometown of Shiraz, is the perfect place to say "I do." With its stunning scenery, delicious catering options (see our list here), and friendly people, Shiraz Garden is the perfect Persian setting to start your new life together.
Here are some of the benefits of hosting your Persian wedding at Shiraz Garden, Bastrop, TX:
Austin has a large Persian community, so you can find all the vendors and services you need to plan your perfect wedding. This includes amazing Persian dance groups, desserts, and sofreh design.
Shiraz Garden was designed around our beautiful natural scenery that reminds my dad of his home, Shiraz, in southern Iran. The landscape will be a treat to your guests.
The Farsi on the main gate and throughout the buildings is a small nod to those who will recognize it and feel at home.
Join us as we reminisce about one of our all-time favorite weddings with the sweetest couple, Mina and Bijan.
MINA AND BIJAN - TRUEST OF LOVES
These two sweethearts stole our affections right away. You can see their love and hearts for each other so clearly. They choose Shiraz Garden in part to honor and delight both their families and history. The Persian elements throughout Shiraz Garden and the amazing hand-knotted Persian Rugs they chose were the perfect way to honor their heritage while having a chic and elegant wedding.
VENDOR TEAM
Bijan and Mina choose a fantastic vendor team, one of the best! We adore every Hill Country vendor they choose and put our full recommendation behind each and every one! If you are looking for a stunning wedding without stress, then this is a great list to start with!
But first, the couple’s TOP FOUR VENDORS they worked with:
Faith and fire photo & video (times a million times!)
Pearls & Sapphire - absolutely gorgeous job with our sofreh and flowers
Johnson's Bakery - most delicious cake and BEST service
HMU (Sapphire hair) - Adrienn
Shiraz Garden Team + Persian Rug Rentals
FULL VENDOR TEAM
Faith and Fire - Photo & Video
Byrne Rock DJ Services - Eddie G
Catering & Bar - Sterling Events Austin
Pearls & Sapphire - Florals and Sofreh Aghd
Cake - Johnsons Bakery
Hair and Makeup - Makeup by Adrienn and Team
Folkoholic Dance Group and Drummers for Grand Entrance
A NOTE TO YOUR VENDORS
Persian couples, if you have vendors involved in your wedding day unfamiliar with Persian ceremonies and the Sofreh Aghd see the sweetest note from our couple to help explain! This is a thoughtful idea and one we highly recommend so all vendors feel included and can follow along with the joyful noise!
As many of you know, Bijan and I will be having a traditional Persian ceremony called a Sofreh Aghd.
We wanted to share some information as to what that entails.
At our ceremony there will be a beautiful table set up with items symbolizing a happy life for the couple. Each item represents different things to bless the marriage.
The bride and groom sit in front of the mirror (facing the Sofreh and their guests). On the table, there are various items like a mirror which represents light, the bread which represents good health; and so on. Read below for more information on the Sofreh Aghd!
During the ceremony, the officiant will ask Bijan (in Farsi) if he promises to be a good husband, a good future father to his children, etc. and Bijan will say "baleh" (yes in Farsi). The officiant will ask me similar questions. Traditionally, the bride does not say "yes" right away. The officiant will ask 3 times, and during this time, the guests will be yelling out things and laughing and truly making light of a sweet tradition. On the 3rd try, I will say baleh! All this to say, please don't worry if you don't hear me say yes right now - it's just tradition and I am very excited to say yes & marry the groom :)
Lastly, after we say yes, it's tradition to slightly dip a finger in honey and feed it to one another. Again, to symbolize a sweet life. This is another time during the ceremony where the audience might "oooh" "awww" and yell other things in Fasri to join in the fun.
I wanted everyone to just be aware because I understand it might be considered rude when audience members yell during a wedding ceremony, but Persian ceremonies are very inclusive and interactive like that.
Please don't hesitate to ask us any questions! We are so excited to have you all be a special part of our wedding and are so grateful for all your hard work!
Love, Bijan & Mina
AUSTIN PERSAN WEDDING CEREMONY AND SOFREH AGHD
The sofreh aghd (Persian for "marriage contract spread") is a traditional wedding ceremony spread that is customary at Persian weddings. It is a symbolic representation of the couple's new life together and is decorated with many items that represent different aspects of marriage, such as love, fertility, and prosperity.
The sofreh aghd is typically set up in the bride and groom's home, and is arranged in a semicircle in front of the couple. The most important item on the sofreh aghd is the marriage contract, which is signed by the couple, their witnesses, and the officiant. Other items on the sofreh aghd may include:
A mirror, which symbolizes purity and reflection
A candle, which symbolizes love and light
A piece of fruit, which symbolizes fertility
A coin, which symbolizes prosperity
A handkerchief, which symbolizes the couple's shared future
A cup of water, which symbolizes purity and cleansing
A bowl of sweets, which symbolizes a sweet and happy life
The sofreh aghd is an important part of the Persian wedding ceremony, and it is a beautiful way to celebrate the couple's new life together. Here are some additional details about the sofreh aghd and its symbolism:
The mirror symbolizes purity and reflection. The couple is looking at each other and themselves through the mirror, and they are seeing their new life together reflected back to them.
The candle symbolizes love and light. The candle is a source of light in the darkness, and it represents the love that will guide the couple through their lives together.
The fruit symbolizes fertility. The fruit is a symbol of new life, and it represents the couple's hope for a family in the future.
The coin symbolizes prosperity. The coin is a symbol of wealth and abundance, and it represents the couple's hope for a happy and prosperous life together.
The handkerchief symbolizes the couple's shared future. The handkerchief is a symbol of the couple's love and commitment to each other, and it represents the shared journey that they are about to embark on.
The cup of water symbolizes purity and cleansing. The cup of water is a symbol of the couple's new life together, and it represents the hope that they will be able to cleanse themselves of any past pain or suffering.
The bowl of sweets symbolizes a sweet and happy life. The bowl of sweets is a symbol of the couple's hope for a happy and fulfilling life together.
The sofreh aghd is a beautiful and meaningful tradition that is celebrated at Persian weddings. It is a way for the couple to celebrate their love and commitment to each other, and it is a way for their families and friends to wish them well on their new journey together.
SHIRAZ GARDEN RECEPTION AND PERSIAN RUG DANCE FLOOR
Several of our couples have used the Folkoholic Dance Group and Drummers for Grand Entrance and other fun moments during wedding receptions for various fusion couples! If you are looking for something truly unique and a fun, entertaining surprise for your wedding guests, then consider this fantastic addition to your day.
But we have to give it up to Mina’s father for bringing his A-game to the father-daughter dance and how much fun it was to watch! They were both having the time of their lives, and it showed! How amazing are these photos to remember this sweet moment!
Now that we’ve gushed over the dance floor we’ll move inside to swoon further over the beautiful florals that Pearls and Sapphire created for this sweeet couples chic and classically beautiful wedding.
Before we go, we have to say it one more time — this couple is why we do what we do and host weddings at Shiraz Garden! Sharing this stunning property that is so meaningful to the Khonsari family all together with other couples, especially Persian couples, is something the entire team and famil cherish.
If you are looking for a unique and beautiful setting for your Persian wedding, then Shiraz Garden is the perfect choice. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you plan your perfect day.