Persian Wedding Ceremony at Hilton Santa Barbara | Sameera + Derek

Love stories are meant to be celebrated, and when it comes to Sameera and Derek, their wedding at the Hilton Santa Barbara was nothing short of a fairy tale. Nestled along the coast, the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort set the stage for a day filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories.

I met these two through Sameera’s sister, whose husband is a very close friend of my husband’s. I had the pleasure of photographing their intimate courthouse elopement during the early days of the pandemic, so it was great to get to work with the whole family again!

Sameera’s family is Persian/Iranian, so the couple wanted to incorporate some of that into their wedding. Their ceremony included a Sofreh Aghd, a traditional wedding ceremony display with rituals. Sameera’s sister made cards explaining the various items and rituals to give to all their guests and help them understand what they were witnessing.

The couple also incorporated a Persian knife dance during their reception, where the knife for the cake cutting gets passed between guests before it makes its way to the couple.

The day was so beautiful and filled with meaning, and I’m so honored to have had the pleasure of photographing it!

Vendors:
Photographer: @beccamaas
Wedding Planner: @luckeleven_events
Venue: @hiltonsantabarbararesort
DJ: @djjasproductions
Videographer: @ladymouseproductions
Florals: @desertroseflorals
Hair: Amanda Moran
Makeup: @noosh.beauty
Cake: @thelittlethingsbakerysb
Persian desserts: Flor de Cafe Bakery (Glendale)
Film scans: @thatonephotolab