Traditional Persian Sofreh Aghd

A traditional sofreh aghd was placed under Simin and Nicholas’s chuppah for the Persian portion of their ceremony. The spread featured items that symbolized the couple’s new life together, including mirrors and candles for light and purity, pastries for the sweetness of life, eggs and nuts for fertility, coins for wealth and prosperity, pomegranates for a joyous future and incense to guard against misfortune. “The Persian ceremony was joyous, playful and interactive,” Simin says. “Keeping with tradition, when my uncle asked me if I would accept Nicholas to be my husband, I did not answer right away, coyly pretending to be unsure. Guests called out excuses for my silence, also a typical custom at Persian weddings. At the same time, women from my family held a cloth over us, taking turns rubbing kalleh ghand [sugar cones] to sweeten the union. Once asked three times, I accepted.”