A Persian wedding honors family traditions while elevating beauty, love, and nature. Friends, family, and even acquaintances come together to celebrate the happy couple. In addition to time-honored rituals, Persian weddings often feature a lavish reception filled with feasting and dancing.
PartySlate reached out to Haleh Tafteh of Details by Haleh to learn more about this stunning cultural celebration. Keep reading to discover Persian wedding traditions, how these traditions vary by religion, and other valuable insights.
Plus, you’ll discover video footage and wedding albums from real Persian weddings — so you can see how each tradition can be beautifully incorporated into your celebration. Make sure to click “See More” to discover other beautiful details from any given ceremony and reception.
*All answers from Haleh Tafteh of Details by Haleh
1. Who has a Persian wedding?
As the name suggests, people of Persian heritage and culture partake in a Persian wedding. Ninety-five percent of couples choose to follow a traditional Persian wedding ceremony, no matter how modern they are.
Most Persian wedding traditions originate from the Zoroastrian period. Zoroastrianism is an ancient religion, the first monotheistic religion in the world dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. These rituals point to nature, love, and the spiritual world.
2. What is the average guest count for a Persian wedding?
Iranians like to make a big bang, and everyone is invited — from acquaintances to close family members. You can expect an average guest count of anywhere from 300 to 1000 people.
When it comes to cost, nothing is spared. The day is filled with laughter, joy, music, dancing, and feasting. As Massoume Price, a social anthropologist, wrote in her piece on the Iranian Marriage Ceremony, ‘For Iranians, marriage is an event, which must be celebrated not quietly but with glory and distinction. It is the most conspicuous of all the occasions and is celebrated in the presence of a fairly large assembly.’
3. What are some common traditions and rituals included in a Persian wedding?
Khastegari
The first step before the wedding can take place is the Khastegari stage, also known as the courtship or the proposal. Back in time, and often still to this day, the family of the eligible bachelor would seek a suitable bride, usually of the same background for their son. The family would then set a date to meet with the elders, typically the parents of the bride, for a meet and greet. During this stage, the groom and his family would visit the bride’s home with sweets and flowers. As times have modernized, and young couples have started dating and choosing their own partners, they often still follow tradition and ask the elders for permission before the engagement takes place.
Bale Boroon
If all goes well, and the bride says yes, we enter the second stage, also known as Bale Boroon. A gathering is thrown with close family and cousins. The couple exchange rings, and typically a conversation of the Mehrieh takes place. The Mehrieh is a legal writing from the groom to the bride, usually of a settled agreement of gold coins, money, or a house that can be honored at any time if the bride chooses to do so. It’s a means of giving a feeling of security to the bride’s family for her future in case of a divorce.
Persian Wedding Sofreh Aghd
After this, the Persian sofreh aghd or ceremony takes place. The couple sit in front of a sofreh, meaning spread. The sofreh symbolizes the traditional union of the couple in front of intricate elements. The elements include a mirror which signifies eternity, candles which signify light, nuts and eggs that represent fertility, and coins that represent wealth and prosperity.
Close female friends and members of the family are invited by the officiant to partake in the sugar blessing part of the ceremony. A sugar cloth is held over the bride and groom. As the officiant weds the two, the sugar blessing ladies grind and tap two sugar cones over the couple. The sugar raining over their heads blesses their sweet futures.
Lastly honey is exchanged between the two. The couple dip their fingers into a goblet of honey and feed each other the sweet nectar to symbolize the sweetness of beginning their lives with one another.
Reception
photographer: Duke Images | Details by Haleh
The reception features a lavish night filled with dance, music, laughter, and a feast fit for royalty. The night ends with a flower petal dance also known as Gol Baroon. Guests form a circle around the couple and throw flower petals on them as they dance and cheer, signifying beautiful wishes for the newlyweds.
4. How do ceremonies differ depending on religion?
Unlike other wedding ceremonies held around the world, religion does not play a major role in Persian ceremonies. The main elements of a Persian ceremony reflect on unity, love, nature, and spirituality.
However, different rituals of the couple can be incorporated into the ceremony. For example, the main book of their religion could be one of the centerpieces of their spread, although many opt for poetry books from Iranian poets like Khayyam, Hafez, and Rumi to emphasize the importance of literature as it portrays love and unity.
Your officiant may be a religious figure: a Sheykh, Imam, Rabbi or Priest. If you’re having a Jewish Persian wedding, men may wear kippahs. The signing of the contract may be labeled differently. For example, those of Jewish faith call theirs a ketubah, those of Muslim faith call theirs aghd nameh. Most Christian couples will stand at an altar facing each other, while Jewish couples will stand under a canopy called a chuppah. Having said all that, the foundation of the Persian ceremony remains the same.
5. How have Persian-American weddings evolved over the years?
What’s fascinating is even though the majority of Persian weddings originated from the Zoroastrian period, over 4000 years ago, they are still celebrated today with very little change. We must keep in mind that over the millennia, Iran has dramatically changed: through empires, war, revolution, and technology. That said, the traditions are still carried out in the same manner.
Even with the migration of Iranians all over the world, and as more and more 2nd-generation Iranians marry non-Iranians, the celebrations have become more customized and symbolic to beautifully represent both cultures. This festive event, where months of planning and preparation take place, beautifully lends itself to include the rituals and customs of other cultures.
People Also Ask…
How many days is a Persian wedding?
While traditional Iranian weddings will often span several days, Persian-American weddings are likely to follow the Western tradition of a single-day event. That said, it’s important to do what feels right for you and your family.
Where can I find a venue for my Persian wedding?
Head to PartySlates’s curated venue directory to find a wedding venue for your Persian wedding. Make sure to use the filters to narrow your search by location, guest count, amenities, and more.
Lastly, if you see a venue that you like, make sure to click into their PartySlate profile. You’ll find real examples of their work, testimonials, FAQs, and more.
Where can I find vendors for my Sofreh Persian wedding?
PartySlate can also connect you with the top vendors for your Sofreh Persian wedding. Head to the curated vendor directory to begin assembling your vendor team. You’ll find wedding planners, florists, photographers, entertainment companies, caterers, and more.
Use the filters to narrow your search by location, services, vendor type, and other factors. Moreover, make sure to click into their PartySlate profile to see real wedding albums of their work and to learn more about their business.
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Details by Haleh
We love how this bespoke luxury wedding planning and design team curates stunning celebrations and Sofreh designs. Details by Haleh wows with their artistic designs, superior management skills, and ability to balance tradition with any personal wedding style. photographer: Belluxe Photography