I have worked with many Persian Weddings and many of them are not familiar with the tradition. I have learned many couples may not be familiar with the standard of persian ceremony. Here are some great information for you to learn about the Persian ceremony.

How is the Persian Ceremony looks like?

The groom is seated on the stool at the end of the sofreyé aghd. He is facing the guests with the mirror and candlesticks faced towards him. He can see his reflection in the mirror, representing eternity. The candlesticks are lit before the ceremony begins. There are two of them representing the bride and groom and the eternal light and passion they will share with one another. This fire element comes directly from Zoroastrian tradition, like most of the other traditions of the ceremony.

The bride enters wearing a veil, often accompanied by her mother and father. She has a seat to the left of the groom. After having a seat, she lifts her veil, and the groom’s first image of her is in the mirror before him.

The bride and groom sit beneath a canopy held up either by female family members, or in modern weddings, by the members of the bride’s bridal party. This canopy signifies that the bride and groom are now combined under the same umbrella or roof.

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What is Persian Sofreh? 

sofreyé aghd is very similar to the sofreh set at nowruz, the Persian new years. Like the one set for nowruz, the sofreyé aghd also directly hails from Zoroastrian tradition, and it has changed very little in the last few thousand years. The tablecloth itself is normally either on the floor on a rug to prevent slippage in an indoor wedding, or constructed on wood raised from the ground about 6-8 inches in an outdoor wedding. It is usually covered by either a simple cloth, or an elaborate cloth called a termé. Usually the bride's mother spends several months before the wedding gathering elements of the sofré- these elements are both objects that are near and dear to the hearts of the bride and groom, and elements that contain imagery and symbolism relating to their impending union