A Soft Pink-Inspired Wedding at the Fairmont San Francisco Hotel in San Francisco, California

Soraia Faizyar and Ali Barmaki met in the elevator at work. Immediately, she knew there was something special about him. Ali could not take his eyes off her. “I wanted to be stuck on that elevator with her,” he said. He had heard about her through mutual co-workers, but when he got to know her she surpassed all his expectations.

Within the first few dates, they knew they had something truly special and could spend the rest of their lives as one. The couple began window shopping, for rings and started talking about the engagement party, wedding and the bridal shower without even being engaged.

On a visit to Los Angeles, for the Persian New Year, Ali decided to purchase a ring without her knowing. When he got back home, he acted very strange. He then told Soraia that they had dinner plans at one of their favorite restaurants, Kokkari, in San Francisco. As Soraia was always running behind schedule, she was rushing out of the house while Ali was waiting in the car. When she opened the car door, she was showered with balloons, a beautiful card and the big question “will you be with me, forever?” However, there was no ring just yet! As confused as she was, she said, “Yes!” 

Both being family-oriented and traditional, they tried to incorporate as many of their customs as they could into the wedding. Ali’s parents came to Soraia’s mother’s home to ask for her hand in marriage. With joy, her mother blessed them both and the following day they had all of their close family and friends over for what was one of the most memorable evenings of their lives. To top off the celebration, Ali surprised her with a beautiful ring.

Soraia had originally thought she would be able to get everything done on her own, but quickly realized she needed the help and expertise of a wedding planner. Once Taleen was on board, the couple was not the least bit stressed and they were able to enjoy every aspect of their wedding planning process.

“The wedding day was the most blissful and euphoric day ever,” remembers Soraia. From the moment they woke up to the last goodbyes of the evening, everything was perfect. They both knew no matter what happened, none of it mattered because they were going to be married. The excitement of being announced husband and wife amongst their closest family and friends kept them smiling and partying all night long.

The Sofreh was a very special project Soraia took on with the assistance of Parisa Kaprealian, owner of Pretty Please Design. Having the best view in the house, Soraia was almost in tears over the fine details of the beading on decorative eggs and the glitter splashed on the cluster of grapes. Shortly after their ceremony, the couple was able to see the reception hall before all the guests had entered. The moment the front doors opened, they lived the rest of their fairy tale wedding. The name cards, the details on the sweetheart table and the little extra décor they added to the king’s tables were gorgeous. Because of everyone’s efforts and Taleen’s expertise, they were able to enjoy their whole day without feeling pressure or stress.

“We truly thank them all from the bottom of our married hearts for making all of our dreams come true,” expressed the couple.