I always love photographing weddings. There is so much love in the air and bride and groom spend so much time carefully planning the details. It was not any different for Shabnam & Gordon’s wedding, either!
Their gorgeous wedding & reception was held at One Ocean which presented the perfect backdrop for their day. Shabnam stunned guests in her Maggie Sottero gown when she walked down the aisle with a beautiful bouquet by Seahorse Florist.
Their reception was catered by One Ocean, and guests enjoyed dancing to the tunes provided by Feedback Entertainment.
Their other Fabulous Vendor team included:
Dress – Bridal Shop at the Avenues Makeup – Carrie Wilson Hair – Grazyna Mercado Ceremony Music – Wehner Weddings Cake – One Ocean Videography – Films & Photos
How Did You Two Meet?
We were both referred to one another by a friend and were given each others email address. For weeks we sent emails back and forth . At first they were quite short and standoffish but soon escalated to biography length letters. Then one day I sent an email to Shabnam confessing to her that I thought she was too good to be true and since I had not seen her in real life, only through a couple photos sent via email, I began questioning if I was being duped. So, I requested a “meet and greet.” Shabnam, wanting to prove her legitimacy, accepted my challenge and agreed to meet strictly for coffee. She tells me now-a-days she didn’t want to commit herself to dinner because she wanted to be able to bail on me if I was a disaster! I, of course, can not easily be defeated, and, so, our 30 minute “meet and greet” on a beautiful evening of June 1st, 2013 turned into a 3 hour conversation. Everything went so well, so, I asked her for another date the following day. I couldn’t get enough, I was blown away and completely addicted to her from that moment.
The next day,June 2nd, Shabnam, her puppy, Saffron, and I had our “first date” and from that day forward, we became an inseparable part of each others lives. We went on several more dates, many of which were in odd times of the night since we both had strange work hours. Most of which ended up being what we call “car dates,” where we would just sit in Shabnam’s car drinking what seemed like gallons of coffee while we shared stories. Countless nights we would lose track of time, completely engulfed in conversation. After about two weeks of dating I finally mustered up the courage to ask Shabnam to be exclusive with me. I didn’t want to worry about anyone else asking her out so I made sure to take her off the dating market ASAP!
How Did He Propose?
Our engagement happened in a very non conventional way. Gordan and I were very forthright with each other from the very first date we went on and talked about the reason why we date. We did not waste each other’s time and we asked the big, important relationship questions from the beginning. on December 1st 2013, exactly 6 months after dating, He and I discussed the idea of getting married and after about an hour of talk we realized that we wanted to get married sooner than later. By the end of the conversation we both came to the realization that we just essentially became engaged without any of the traditional formalities. It was quite an organic proposal. Gordan had apparently got me a ring after that conversation and waited until march 2014 to officially ask the big question.
I was in Boston for two weeks. This work trip was the longest time we have been away from each other since we had met. Gordan came to Boston to stay the last few days of my trip with me and Saffron and to scout the town. On Thursday, March 6th 2014, after a beautiful dinner in the North End of Boston at Bella Vita restaurant, we were walking back to our hotel when Gordan asked me if I would like to take Saffron for a late night walk to the Boston Common park. I did not want to go because it was so cold and I was freezing! Helpless Gordan started walking towards our hotel and stopped by Christopher Columbus park. I was cold and did not want to stay there for long but he insisted that we take a walk on the ice!! I knew something was not right when Gordan started saying that he wanted to grow up in Boston. I asked him if he meant he wants to grow old in Boston and he said yes that’s what he meant and tried to walk his way under a beautiful lit arched tunnel. I thought he was being strange but did not know why! I noticed the beautiful view and asked him to take a photo here before we leave. He agreed and reached to his pocket for his phone. He was taking his time getting the phone out of his pocket and I was getting impatient and wanted to just take a photo and go back to our hotel.That was when he kneeled with this beautiful emerald engagement ring in his hand and asked if I would marry him. I was in disbelief and shocked so the first words that came out of my mouth was NO! And then I noticed his droopy face. I realized he took the NO as my rejection, so I had to correct myself and say that of course I want to marry him and Of course I said YES! It was a no in disbelief and surprise. We were the only people in the park and It was a breath taking moment and and unforgettable view. I could not have asked for a better moment and place to get engaged to the man of my dreams. We picked July 26, 2014 for our wedding date since that is my parents 30th anniversary to commemorate their devotion to each other and their children and hope that it will bless our marriage as well.
How Did You Choose Your Theme?
I wanted an elegant and timeless and romantic look with a Persian royal wedding feel.After many days of discussion with Gordan, We chose gray, Silver, pink and neutrals as our main colors and we used those colors tastefully in our wedding decorations and attire. We also wanted to bring in my Persian roots to the mix and I love Paisleys, we also tried to use some paisley designs in our invitation and wedding decor. My awesome florist helped us pick the flowers after I talked to her about my vision and created floral designs that were beyond my expectation.
What Was The Best Part of Your Wedding Day?
The best part of my wedding day was to finally get married to the best friend I have ever had and declaring our love to each other in front of all our family and friends. I want to remember every little moment..and details.I will always remember the big smile Gordan had on his face when I walked down the aisle. I had never seen him so happy like that. He could not stop smiling.
“If I Only Knew!” – What Is One Piece of Advice You Would Give to Other Brides Planning Their Day?
I planned our wedding mostly by myself. I stressed a lot and freaked out a lot too but at the end it was all worth it. The moment I saw the beautiful ceremony room and our reception room and how everything just came together so well all the stress and tiredness went away. Ask your groom to help you with the planning and decision making. Gordan was with me every step of the way and helped me make sound decisions from color choice to vendor selections. That made him feel much better about this wedding and the fact that bride is not the only one that is important in it. He was also the center of everything all along and he deserved it.My advice would be to make sure you communicate with your vendors thoroughly about your expectations and don’t just assume that it will get done. They can’t read your mind but if you let them know what you want, they gladly make it happen.Also Do your own research and do not rely on other’s advice for vendors because other’s standards may not be as high as yours so you may end up with a team of vendors that you don’t like. AND you probably don’t have the perfect team of vendors unless Kelly from Pure Sugar Studios is part of it..LOL!
