After receiving Shahrzad Lalezari’s number from his best friend, Henry Elyashar gave her a call. There was no answer, so he left an awkward voicemail. The next day, Shahrzad called Henry back. Once again, there was no answer, so she left her own awkward – but slightly cuter – voicemail. Finally, the two spoke on the phone, leading to an incredible connection.
No date was planned yet, however, as Shahrzad was off to New York for a trip and Henry was off to Canada for his brother's bachelor party. Little did Henry know it was going to be his own de facto bachelor party as well.
HENRY WAS IMMEDIATELY STRUCK BY SHAHRZAD'S SMILE AND MAGNETIC ENERGY
Two weeks later, Henry and Shahrzad went on their first date, which consisted of sushi in Santa Monica. Henry was immediately struck by Shahrzad's smile and magnetic energy. Shahrzad is still trying to figure out what it was that she liked about him. Nevertheless, the seeds of love were planted and slowly blossomed over the next year.
A little over a year later, Henry took Shahrzad for a hike in Ojai on a sunny June day. It was over 100 degrees outside and Shahrzad could not figure out why Henry insisted they go on a hike that day. Henry, knowing full well what was to come, excitedly began sprinting up the mountain. Shahrzad, pretending to be morose, slowly lagged behind, hoping to end the hike early. This turn of good fortune allowed Henry to run into a fellow hiker and explain he was going to propose.
Before Henry could even ask, the fellow hiker requested to film the proposal, and Henry explained how they would execute the plan. Henry told the newest member of the proposal party to pretend like she was going to take a picture, while secretly filming, and Henry got down on one knee and proposed to the love of his life.
Next came the wedding planning process. Fortunately for Henry, the largest building west of the Mississippi was recently erected next door to his apartment. Being a man of convenience, Henry suggested the wedding take place there, and Shahrzad agreed.
After that, Shahrzad took over most of the wedding decisions with the vision of an elegant, modern wedding celebration that was brought to life by a great team of planners, florists, photographers and caterers. In terms of the catering alone, the smorgasbord contained food from all over the world. The party was a nonstop blend of Persian, Hebrew, Spanish, and EDM music, concluding with Henry serenading the bride with his own rendition of Sweet Caroline.
The newlyweds honeymooned in Maui, where every day was sunny and consisted of laying at the beach or pool, with one exception. One day, the newlyweds took their convertible on the Road to Hana. The convertible turned to be of little use, as the torrential rainfall would not allow an open top. Despite the inclement weather, Shahrzad and Henry got to the end of the road and, as the rain stopped, took a quick dip in the red sand beach. Flying back together, Shahrzad and Henry sat hand in hand excited for the rest of their lives together.
