A Cool Modern Persian Reception!
Their Story
Ashkan & Jena first met in school. Both of them went to Harry Ainlay School in Edmonton. Their story started with Askhan’s wardrobe! Askhan would only wear formal clothes to school and Jena would often make fun of him for that. To say the least, this was not the beginning of the lifelong romance but it does offer an interesting start to the story 😛
Their romance actually started with friendship. They reconnected in University due to a similar group of friends. Eventually, they ended up on a trip to Sylvan lake together. Ashkan made the first move and started the conversation that kinda led to this wedding! They were friends for a year before Askhan said to Jena: “I think I could date you”. One week later Jena responded with “I’ll give you one month”. So this trial of 30 days turned into 5 years and now they are married! Clearly, the trial was a massive success!
They got engaged in October of 2015. The proposal was a surprise on top of a mountain near Lake Louise!
Group 1 Getting Ready
The day started off with me and Amanda joining Askhan while he was getting ready. He was getting ready at the couple’s apartment (which btw is super cool and stylish!). We took some photos of his Louis Vuitton Tie and black velvet shoes that looked so classy together. We also took photos of other details including his Bulova watch (very classy!).
After photographing the details, we photographed Askhan as he got ready and dressed up in his tailored suit. He was joined by the rest of his groomsmen who shared a drink with him and helped him get ready for his big day ahead!
Group 2 Getting Ready
After photographing the guys, I went over to Jena’s parent’s house where she was getting ready for her bridesmaids and her family members. We started this part of the day by photographing some of the details including the bride’s jewelry, her beautiful dress (which she designed herself!) and her Manolo Blahnik shoes.
We then photographed some candid moments with Jena as she had fun with her bridesmaids. All the bridesmaids wore Sari’s that complemented Jena’s dress so well! We also photographed some of the family members as they got ready for the ceremonies ahead!
The Creative Formals at University of Alberta, Edmonton
The creative formals for Ashkan & Jena were done at the place where their love story started: The UofA! The Universtiy of Alberta has some of the best locations within the City of Edmonton for taking photos. It is a vast campus that offers so many opportunities for amazing photographs.
We took some classy photos of the couple in the footsteps of the Old Arts Building followed by hilarious photos of the groomsmen hanging the groom by his feet. One of the groomsmen actually fell in the pond at some point during the photos…
Jena switched outfits and she wore this Beauitufl Sari! It was designed by Tinni Kanji and looked absolutely beautiful!
Their Ceremony at Nisku Inn & Conference Center, Nisku
Askhan & Jena had their wedding in France in July! They wanted to do some of the cultural ceremonies during the reception. Here are some of the ceremonies that took place during the wedding:
1. Mandhvo
The Ismaili pineapple ceremony! During this ceremony, four men from the couple’s family accompanied by the bride’s mother place four decorated pineapples on the four corners of the ceremony room. This symbolizes protection from evil entering the couple’s future life together!
2. Sofreyé Aghd
This is considered one of the most important parts of the Persian wedding ceremony. Sofreyé refers to tablecloth in Persian. During the wedding, sofreyé refers to a variety of things put together by the bride’s mom. This includes Mirrors & Candlesticks. The mirror symbolizes eternity while the candles reference Zoroastrianism, in which light and fire play a major role. The fire and light symbolize brightness of future and eternal love. There are quite a few different items set on the tablecloth as well including bowls made of crystallized sugar, a bowl of coins, a basket of fruit, flatbread and finally the canopy!
Ashkan and Jena sat beneath a canopy while happily married members of their families took turns to grind two sugar cones together so that sugar granules fell into the canopy. This symbolized sweetness in the couple’s life ahead together.
The Shoja-Nia’s Reception at Nisku Inn & Conference Centre
The Dinner provided by the Nisku Inn & Conference Centre
Decoration by Priya Mahindru of InVogue Weddings & Events
The Shoja-Nias really know how to pull off an event with class. Their reception was one of the most well designed and thought out reception I have ever had the pleasure to photograph. It combined elements of Jena & Ashkan’s personality with an Arabian nights theme.
Following the wedding ceremonies, the couple was greeted with a dance performance by the Bride’s parents. The performance was a surprise that blew away everyone watching! They danced like seasoned veterans to two Bollywood songs!
Cutting the beautiful cake
Their cake was one of the most unique cakes I have ever seen. It was a triple tier hanging cake that had their logo on the cake itself!
First Dance!
This was followed by some toasts and then the first dance as the newlyweds showed off their choreographed moves! This was followed by an all-out party as the couple’s friends and family joined them on the dance floor.
https://vimeo.com/244284694
The Shoja-Nia’s Wedding Day Slideshow
Above is the beautiful Wedding Slideshow that came with Jena & Ashkan’s wedding package. It was created from a selection of their best photos.
It was amazing to work with BRIDE & GROOM on their wedding day and we can’t be more excited to share their final images with them in the coming weeks! You can check out the rest of our work on our blog!
Want to share the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or to book a portrait session!
Edmonton Wedding Photography by Box Cube Photography © 2017
Some of my Favourite Photos from Jena & Ashkan Wedding
The Shoja-Nia’s Wedding Credits:
Date: 09.02.17
Ceremony Location: Nisku Inn and Conference Centre
Reception Venue: Nisku Inn and Conference Centre
Hair and Makeup: Sheba Levoir
Dress: Tinni Kanji
Decor: InVogue Weddings by Priya Mahindru
DJ: Pure Entertainment
Photography by Sharyar Memon & Amanda
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