Ever since Niaz Peyrovan asked Nima Nikroo to join her team for an architecture project during school, the pair has been inseparable. “The most memorable thing about our first meeting was how much we were alike,” she shares. It wasn’t long before their first date, where they enjoyed sushi and a romantic hot air balloon ride, on which Nima asked Niaz to be his girlfriend. As lovers of architecture, the pair planned a visit to Chicago after six years of dating and became engaged while walking along the riverfront. Since Niaz had made a comment during their courtship about wanting her family present at the proposal, Nima made that happen when her two sisters captured the entire proposal on camera, before celebrating as a family at a rooftop lounge.

With two years to organize the details of their nuptials, the pair hired Nahid’s Global Events to execute their vision and turn their dream wedding into reality. Desiring a venue in Southern California that allowed them to feel as though they were hosting a destination wedding, the pair chose a gorgeous Mediterranean-style resort. After a romantic “first look” the couple joined their friends and family, who had gathered on the lawn in front of a stunning pavilion, for the ceremony. To honor their culture, various traditional customs were included, as well as a unique sofreh display on the steps to create a different illusion. “We are both Persian and loved incorporating our cultural aspects with a modern flair,” smiles the bride.

The bride was stunning in a ball gown featuring an illusion halter neckline in a soft blush tone. “The moment I put it on, I knew that was my dress,” she muses. Niaz walked down the aisle with her father. “Having my dad be there to walk me down the aisle was very touching. My father loves Nima as the son he never had, since he is the only man of the family besides our dog!” smiles the bride. Since the couple wanted someone who knew them personally to officiate the wedding, the mother of the bride’s childhood friend Daryanaz Mostajabaldaveh – who watched Niaz grow up – performed the service in both English and Farsi. They also wrote personal vows, which included Nima sharing how long they had been together – up to the minute. “His speech was so touching that almost all our guests had tears in their eyes,” shares Niaz.

Friends and family then moved indoors for the ballroom reception that honored the couple’s timeless and chic taste. The stunning space featuring checkered flooring was decorated beautifully with lush arrangements of roses, hydrangeas, and orchids in creamy tones. Each guest’s place setting was topped with a key attached to a thank-you note that read, “Thank you for being a key part of our past, present, and future.” Votive candles placed on each table provided a romantic ambience. The pair’s stunning sweetheart table included a runner of garden roses, cascading orchids, and hydrangeas that achieved the volume and drama they hoped for.

A towering romantic cake decorated with muted blush sugar roses awed the couple and their guests, and also delighted taste buds with flavors popular in Persian culture, such as rosewater and pistachio. Loved ones then danced until midnight, celebrating with the couple to the sounds of a live percussionist that kept everyone entertained. “We are both fun, adventurous people and didn’t want the wedding to be too serious,” shares Niaz of their goal for the soirée. “We loved incorporating our Persian culture into the wedding but also having it feel fresh and modern!”