A Persian wedding with all its intriguing conventions and mores is a festive topic replete with stunning visuals; delicious food; and cultural and historical notes of interest. I’ve long pined to cover the subject and it is one that merits more than a superficial glance – so it is destined to be a series of posts instead of a singleton. (And that’s not a threat, it is a treat! Trust me!)
Consider this a clinking-the-glass-making-an-announcement post, so no tackling anything of substance just yet. For its first installment, I think it will be fun to kick off this “Iranian Weddings” series with a picture-story post chronicling the historic and glamorous weddings of the last and late king of Iran. (Yes, weddings, as in plural. The Shah married 3 times. Consecutively – no overlaps!)
As a teaser and to get you in the mood, I’ll leave you with this wedding-party group-shot of the Shah’s first matrimony, when he was not yet 20, to the absurdly beautiful Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt, who was herself barely 18. Their wedding took place in the Abedin Palace in Cario, Egypt, and was followed up with a Persian wedding ceremony back in Iran. (I hope it won’t be a spoiler to tell you that their marriage ended in a divorce a few years down the road.)
Next up: The complete picture-story post of the royal Persian weddings and the profile of the three distinctly different yet equally intriguing (each in their own right) women who went on to become queens of Iran.
[Note to those of Persian persuasion: If any of y’all irooniha or half irooni or irani by marriage or proxy care to share your pix of sofreh ‘ye aghd that could potentially be posted to the blog, I’d love and appreciate it. If so, please contact me!]
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This series is dedicated to my lovely friend: Nirvana
A lovely post… thank you.
Thank you! The best is yet to come 😉
Wonderful illustration and photograph! Not wedding related, but now I’ll have to search for the photos of a relative’s visit with the Shah…
Wow, seriously? If you find it I’d love a peek
Very interesting. Looking forward to reading all of the customs and traditions…and food!
Thank you Amanda! I hope I’ll find the time to do it justice. There are lots of cute/pretty and downright enchanting stuff about Iranian weddings.
Ooh Azita, that first miniature (?) painting is beautiful! The colours are so iridescent.
Agreed and the artist has such a sense of humor I think. I wish I knew whose work it is. Tons of repros of it float around the Internet but couldn’t figure out who the artist is.
Now I want another wedding! A Persian wedding!
By the little (but alluring details) I know about you and your life I’m sure yours was an enchanting affair as it was. But have a Persian wedding when you renew your vows! 🙂
– This is going to be interesting, Azita! Looking forward to your upcoming posts! I had not seen this elaborate wedding photo before.
– I own and read the book, Faces in a Mirror: Memoirs from Exile’ by Ashraf Pahlavi. Obviously, her version/perspective/wanna-believe! 😉 I found the book in a furniture store as a prop. 😀 )))
– There are many beautiful sofreh photos on internet, which I’m sure by giving credits, you can use. Especially the ones which are advertised by wedding planners.
Ooo… can’t wait! 😀
Fae, that little detail about finding the book as a prop in a furniture shop is a treasure! Only you would stumble on something like this! 🙂
Thank you for the tip re using the wedding planners pix – I agree and recently they seem to be doing brisk business but also doing a beautiful job of setting up the sofrehs. (Some are way too GLAM though … lol.)
What a huge wedding party for the Shah in Egypt, I didn’t know he was married twice. Very interesting post. Lot’s of pomp and circumstance.
Not even twice, three times! And counting the follow up wedding for his first marriage, he has 4 weddings! Not nearly as much pomp as let’s say British monarchy but for sure quite enough of it. I think it’ll be fun to cover it, that’s why I stretched the subject to include it, ha ha! I like sparkly things! 😉
Azita, I’m totally in the mood. Let’s say that my mouth is watering. 😉
I want to know more and more about Persian wedding. I’m sure I’m going to fall in love with your traditions.
That’s awesome Francesca! I am fairly confident you won’t be disappointed! 🙂
What a classic and traditional wedding, Azita! Absolutely love every single one of your post. Focusing on traditions is a good thing. 😀
Looking forward to reading more Azita. (picked up the celery and stewing beef for the stew yesterday….just need to pick up saffron!….Looking forward to trying it.)
Love this post Azita. So interesting… great photograph too (I love seeing how photography was done a few generations ago. No ‘happy snaps’ in those days!!). Hm, the Shah sounds like my dad! He’s currently divorcing his fourth wife (don’t worry, I half find it funny, which is why I’m joking about it!). By the way, I bought some ‘Persian fairy floss’ last week… is this a product that you’re familiar with, or is it a con for Australian markets?! It tastes like rosewater. Hugs xx
Hello Azita, I was redirected her by an iranian friend.
Your blog is lovely.
My cousin married last month and they had an iranian ceremony too, I loved every bit of it…the food and the people I have met were just awesome
I will follow your blog and surely try out some of your recipes.
Have a lovely day
Lou
Awww, the kind of comment that makes keeping this blog so worth it. I’m happy happy happy to hear this. Feel free to share pix of the Iranian wedding if bride/groom don’t mind, I’d love to use that for the Aroosi series.
It’s wonderful to meet you Lou and I’m already full on stalking you on the Internet and Twitter, ha ha. Good luck with the mille feuille! 😉
I would but I am pretty sure they would mind 🙁 the bride is a very very shy and discreet, I think she would mind 🙁
I am so happy I found you out, please stalk me I’ll stalk you too 😉
millefeuille, yes, hope it won’t take it’s toll on me 😀
I totally get it! Still c’est dommage since I’m sure it must have been a beautiful wedding.I forgot to say to please give my best to your Iranian friend who referred you here 🙂
sure I will 🙂
Lovely. I rather randomly got invited into a family home in Shiraz for a couple of days to attend a wedding in 2010. Despite the language barrier and the fact that I rarely knew what was going on it remains one of my finest travel memories. The home-cooked wedding feast was a marvel.
Hi Richard, I thank you so much for sharing this lovely vignette! I was delighted to read it and hear of it. You wouldn’t happen to have any pix of the feast, would you? 🙂
Thank you for visiting the blog and commenting!
No pics, sadly. But I won’t forget the food. Ash-e-reshte, chicken with barberries and saffron rice, too many other dishes to list. Good times with great people. Can’t wait to go back there!