Maral and Kourosh Fard met through mutual friends when they were in high school. The two teenagers did have a connection “back when AOL was a thing,” but nothing progressed at the time. Being so young, neither of them had any inkling that they’d end up together someday.
In December of 2013, Maral was traveling with her family and Kourosh was traveling with his friends. They just happened to reconnect after running into each other at the same gym. After they returned home, Maral started hanging out with Kourosh and his friends regularly. It was casual at first, with no strings attached. Starting off as good friends soon led to building a strong foundation for a romantic relationship to grow. Eventually, Kourosh asked Maral to be his girlfriend.
“I could not picture my life any differently.”
A Thanksgiving Engagement
“It has now been almost nine years that we have been together and I could not picture my life any differently,” says Maral. “We have grown so much together, through the very low and very high moments of life.”
The proposal took place when Maral and Kourosh were enjoying a beautiful morning walk with their dogs, Chewy and Baloo. It was Thanksgiving morning, and the last thing Maral expected was a Thanksgiving engagement.
“We walked to our favorite viewpoint overlooking the ocean and were both emotional after reflecting back on the last year,” she describes. “I remember us sitting and enjoying each other’s company and listening to the sounds of the ocean. Right after this moment, we saw an amazing family of dolphins swim by. It was magical. Next thing I knew, Kourosh got down on one knee. I was beside myself and couldn’t believe what was happening! The moment was very pure and intimate. No one was there, just us and our two fur babies. It was so perfect! It was such a special moment and later that evening, we celebrated with our families over Thanksgiving dinner.”
Planning a Haiku Mill Wedding in Maui
With Maral being a natural planner who loves to coordinate and host events, the process for planning a Haiku Mill wedding in Maui turned out to be more enjoyable than she had anticipated.
“It was so fun seeing my vision come to life on our wedding day,” she shares. “We worked with our planner, Lorrie of Unveiled Hawaii, and she made it a smooth and fun process for us! The only stressful part of the planning process was to navigate having a destination wedding during a pandemic, as Hawaii had strict guidelines at the time for everyone to get tested prior to their arrival.”
After having to postpone their original wedding date due to the pandemic, Maral and Kourosh were even more excited when the big day finally arrived. It was an intimate wedding for 75, and the bride and groom were surrounded by their closest family and friends. The décor was simple, yet chic and elegant with white florals and lush greenery surrounding the couple and their guests.
The Haiku Mill’s ambiance is beautifully ethereal in and of itself; but Inspiration Events Hawaii, Signature Fine Event Rentals, Designs By Hemmingway and Bella Bloom made the intimate wedding celebration even more unforgettable for everyone in attendance.
A Haiku Mill Wedding with Persian Traditions
“One memory that is forever instilled in me is the first look my husband and I did,” the bride recalls. “We were both so emotional and it was such a special moment for us. I am so happy we did it before I walked down the aisle because we had that moment just for ourselves and no one else. During our ceremony, we had a traditional Iranian ‘Sofreh,’ which is a spread of various beautiful decorative delicacies and items that symbolize: love, fertility, abundance, good health, wealth and prosperity in a marriage. Our dear family friend, Shiva, was our officiant and it was so special to have her wed us on our big day. We also flew our favorite Iranian DJ and percussionist, Farjad, and it was such a treat having him there. There's nothing like a Persian dance party!”
The cocktail hour featured an open bar that served up two curated specialty cocktails, expertly crafted by Garnish Events. Both cocktails were named after the bride and groom’s three pets: Baloo, the dog, and Belle and Bagheera, the cats. A delectable dinner was served by Cutting Edge Catering, during which family and friends gave their speeches. This included the maid of honor, the two best men, Maral’s brother, and Kourosh’s sister.
“Not to be biased, but they were the best five speeches I have ever heard at a wedding,” says Maral. “Everyone was so well spoken and their speeches were so touching and beautiful. We were all very emotional, especially after losing my father in law several years ago. We truly felt his presence that day. He loved birds so much and I swear we could hear the birds singing all throughout the night of our wedding. Everything flowed together seamlessly thanks to our vendor team, and Chris J. Evans and Zeb films captured it all to perfection.”
A European Honeymoon Tour
For their honeymoon, the newlyweds traveled to Iceland, France, Switzerland and London for a honeymoon tour that lasted 21 days. By the end, they were ready to return home to their fur babies, but still revel in the memories they created.
“The most memorable part of the trip was being able to witness the Northern Lights in Iceland,” says Maral. “It was absolute, pure magic. I could not even describe the feeling of being able to experience something so amazing in this lifetime!”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Haiku Mill, Maui, HI; Planner: Lorrie Betsill Nelson – Unveiled Hawaii, HI; Event Design: Set Maui, Maui, HI; Floral Design: Designs by Hemingway, HI; Rentals: Inspiration Maui, Set Maui, Maui, HI; Linen: La Tavola; Cake: Cake Fanatics; Wedding Dress: BERTA; Cinematography: Zeb Films; Photography: Chris Evans Photography