Leila and Reza, Taj West End, Bengaluru

Leila and Reza's picture-perfect Persian wedding included a beautiful setup for the traditional 'Sofreh Aghd' ceremony at Taj West End, Bengaluru.

They first met and interacted at a restaurant, little knowing that their conversation would lead them to their dreamy wedding at Taj West End, Bengaluru, down the line. Here, bride Leila shares with us pictures of her wedding celebrations with traditional Persian rituals as well as details of her love story.

How We Met
“Reza and I met at a restaurant. We were sitting at a communal table. He was seated with his friend, and I was next to my friend. We all started chatting and the rest, as you know, is history.”

Proposal
“He took me to a beautiful hotel called Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California. He was saying really sweet things all throughout lunch, which had me very confused because he’s always such a joker and not a serious guy. After a while, he said, ‘Well, I think you have been waiting for this’ and pulled out a box. When I saw the box, I started to get teary. I opened it only to find hideous blue earrings in there. I continued to tear up, but they were more sad tears now. As I tried to put the earrings on and said thank you, Reza pulled out another box and said, ‘But I think THIS is what you wanted!’ There was the ring and my whole family, and best friends all jumped out from behind a door. He had coordinated with my sister to have the most important people in my life be a part of this beautiful day.”

Wedding Venue
“Defined by its heritage and colonial charm, Taj West End is a lush sanctuary in Bengaluru. The hotel is a perfect synthesis of the charms of a bygone era and modern amenities. We wanted a tropical paradise sort of experience in the heart of Bengaluru and hence chose to wed at the Taj West End.”

Wedding
Leila had some ideas in mind about her wedding day and themes. Floral decorator and space creator Poonam Mayank Sharma transformed Leila’s imagination into reality with unique settings. A beautifully laid out traditional ceremony called ‘Sofreh Aghd’ was arranged with an ambiance painted in the shades of lilac and white along with a scrumptious food layout. The word ‘Sofreh’ means ‘Spread,’ and ‘Aghd’ means ‘Ceremony.’ A perfect ‘Sofreh’ was laid for the couple consisting of ‘Ayeneh’ (Mirror), ‘Shamdoon’(Candles), ‘Khoncheh’ (Assortment of seven symbolic herbs and spices), ‘Noon-e Sangak’ (Persian Flatbread), all of which signify prosperity and happiness. With a beautiful floral setup right under a huge tree, the wedding ceremony was dreamy and enchanting in every way.