Featured Western, Persian and Kurdish Wedding: Ahmad & Paige

Paige Clark & Ahmad Yousefbeigi
A Rainy Intermission
September 2, 2007

Wedding Ceremony: Bride’s Parents Backyard
Reception: Bride’s Parents Backyard
Photography by: Kirsten Hepburn

View Ahmad & Paige’s Wedding Photo Gallery at TheBrideandGroom.com
View Ahmad & Paige’s Wedding Video Highlights

Elements of Western, Persian and Kurdish wedding traditions influenced the theme, location, music and other details of the wedding.   During the ceremony, the bride and groom wore western wedding attire and during the reception they changed into traditional Kurdish wedding clothes for Kurdish line dancing.

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How They Met

Ahmad and Paige first met at Mendocino Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp in 2004. Ahmad is a musician and Paige is a dancer.

Engagement

The couple had a long distance relationship for a year before Ahmad proposed.  Each month, they would fly back and forth from Los Angeles to Seattle to visit.

On September 2, 2005 Ahmad flew down to Los Angeles to see Paige for one of their visits. He got down on his knees and proposed to her the night before they took a hiking day trip to Santa Cruz Island. Their wedding was two years later on the anniversary of their engagement.

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Wedding

Ahmad & Paige held a beautiful wedding and formal garden reception at Paige’s parent’s backyard in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

It was a hot and humid day. For the ceremony they had provided white paper parasols for their guests – with the intent of blocking the sun. At the conclusion of the ceremony, as they were walking down the aisle, Paige felt a couple of raindrops on her shoulders!   A friend handed the newlyweds a parasol as they walked down the aisle to the receiving line area under the trees.

The rain quickly increased from a few drops to a mini-downpour.  After they hugged their guests in the receiving line, the guests proceeded inside the house while they wedding coordinators tried to figure out how long the rain was going to last. 

Fortunately, the rain stopped almost as suddenly as it started, not making much of a disturbance in plans.  The table clothes, chairs, plates and glassware were wet, but the staff quickly dried everything off.

As planned, cocktails were served in the front yard and they were able to have dinner and dancing in the backyard despite the rainy intermission. Having it rain on your wedding day is considered lucky so the bride and groom felt blessed.

After the brief rainy spell the temperature, light, clouds and sky were spectacular in the backyard while they enjoyed dinner.  Even though there was an unexpected element that could have held back the rest of the wedding, the bride and groom felt like the wedding turned out just right.

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Wedding Details

Best Part of the Wedding Day

“Reading our vows to each other.”

Favorite Wedding Detail

They had a monarch butterfly release after the wedding ceremony.

Sofreh-Ye Aghd

The bride and groom designed the Sofreh-Ye-Aghd themselves. The Sofreh-Ye Aghd is a traditional Persian wedding spread including flowers, fruit, spices and objects that symbolize things they want in their marriage. The maid of honor is an artist and delicately hand-painted the eggs (symbolizing fertility) that went on the Sofreh.

Wedding Dress

Cicada Bridal of Seattle designed the brides western wedding gown. The ivory dress was fit to flare with an internal corset and a flirty, dramatic bustle. The green and silver lace Kurdish dress and coin hat that Paige wore during the reception was Ahmad’s mothers.

Wedding Cake

The wedding cake included three delicious flavors – coconut, chocolate and lemon with chocolate icing and a henna design.

Wedding Flowers

Blue hydrangea, coral roses, green bells of Ireland and Madagascar jasmine adorned blue and white china vases.

Reception Décor

Reception décor included blue table clothes, white lanterns, and blue and white china centerpieces.

Wedding Dinner

Menu selections included jeweled saffron rice, gormeh sabzi, halibut with fennel tomato broth, beef tenderloin with onion marmalade.

Reception Entertainment

The bride and groom’s first dance song was “I Believe in Miracles” by Hot Chocolate. Music and dancing continued throughout the reception, accompanied by the Joe Muscolino Band.

Wedding Vendors

• Wedding Cake: Carrie’s Cakes
• Caterer: Culinary Crafts & The Greek Broiler
• Bridal Dress Shop: Cicada Bridal
• Event Coordinator/Designer: Scenemakers
• Floral Designer: Scenemakers
• Hair/Makeup: Chisty from Michael Hovey Salon
• Music: Joe Muscalino Band
• Photographer: Kirsten Hepburn
• Videography: Iris Videos
• Invitations: Ilee Custom Invitations
• Wedding Program: Varella Design Studio