An Exquisite and Glamorous Wedding at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC

On December 8, 2013, Maral Ansari (MiMi) locked eyes with the only unmasked face amongst the masses at Hedieh's masquerade birthday celebration – a face she knew she needed to know. That same night, Kambiz Nabily (Biz) admitted to his sister Nasim that there was a girl who captivated him with her confidence and pierced him with her unprecedented eyes.

A few weeks later, at Giselle's birthday brunch in SAX, over mimosas and eggs Benedicts, MiMi clicked with the most charming girl named Nasim, who was nothing but awesome in MiMi's eyes. Unbeknownst to MiMi, it was the very girl that had a brother who “met a girl with captivating eyes.” With the universe on their side, Giselle spearheaded the most sisterly role – playing matchmaker with Nasim!

On January 11, Biz arrived at the anticipated arranged group date early, a deliberate attempt to sit across from MiMi. He courageously inched closer by the minute, switching seats as people would depart for the bar or bathroom. Finally, numbers were exchanged.

Biz wanted their first date to break the dinner-and-a-movie archetype, because this girl proved the love-at-first-sight archetype could be true. Less than a month later, bowling proved there was a tangible energy between the two. “Her energy made my heart race,” Biz recounts. “Her passion for life, her inexhaustible thirst to improve in every way, capability to forgive, and love for others was something I wanted forever.”

“I was comfortable with him and myself,” says MiMi, reflecting on her flirtatious and celebratory leaps into Biz’s arms when bowling a strike that night. “I just knew he was someone that was going to change my life.”

An elaborate proposal at the Willard took place in October of 2015, which included a rose petal runway and a harpist playing “All of Me.” The couple’s names were displayed in lights on the roof, where MiMi was met by Biz waiting for her on one knee. “I couldn’t feel my legs,” she recalls. “I fell into him. It was a release of pure happiness!”