Negar motlagh & joshua akhtarzad

Joshua Akhtarzad was at a birthday party for his cousin Jessica’s twins when he met Negar Motlagh, who was best friends with Jessica’s younger sister. “We had never met until that day; and although I had a crush on her instantly, it wasn’t until months later that we actually connected,” he recalls.

Despite the time lapse between encounters, the “crush” was mutual. “When I first met Josh, I was attracted to his sense of humor and charm,” says Negar. “He made me laugh, and I knew I had met a new friend. Then he made me love, and I knew I had met my life partner.”

Days before Negar’s birthday, the couple was vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for what Negar thought was an elaborate birthday treat. Josh, however, had a different plan in mind. While enjoying an intimate, private dinner, he arranged for a full Mariachi perform during a romantic and unexpected marriage proposal.

For Negar and Josh, the wedding planning process was a breeze and culminated in a fairytale-like celebration. One of the bride’s favorite moments was taking in the flowers and décor during the wedding ceremony. “Picture this,” she describes, “flower-covered chandeliers above, while walking down the aisle in a meadow of various flowers below. Once we got under the chuppah, which was covered in an ombre of white and purple roses, Rabbi Wolpe blessed us with his words as he pronounced us husband and wife. Also, our vows really knocked it out of the park – lots of laughter and love.”

Throughout the day, the bride kept a particular piece of advice in mind, which a friend shared before the wedding. “It was, as soon as I wake up on my wedding day, to not let anything or anyone bother me,” Negar explains. “It was all out of our control. And I think that really played out. 

Whoever was going to come to the wedding was going to come; whoever was going to have high energy would have high energy; and so on. There was no reason to try and micromanage any details longer. All that mattered was that we had fun, smiled, and danced until we could no longer stand!”

After their wedding, the newlyweds returned to the site of their engagement for a blissful honeymoon. “This was extra special, because we now hold so many beautiful memories there, and feel like it is and will forever be ‘our spot.’”