grooms sitting on stone steps Credit: Michele Beckwith
` Martha Stewart Weddings View All A Musical Festival and a Green Couch Inspired This Couple’s Whimsical Garden Wedding in California 9 Wedding Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2023, According to Wedding Planners and Event Designers 7 Wedding Dress and Accessory Trends Every Bride-to-Be Needs to Know About in 2023 Princess Eugenie Is Pregnant With Her Second Child—and Is Due This Summer
grooms sitting on stone steps Credit: Michele Beckwith
grooms sitting on stone steps Credit: Michele Beckwith
grooms sitting on stone steps
Credit: Michele Beckwith
Ahmed, right, and Samir, left, met in New York City in June 2015 through an app called Coffee Meets Bagel. They spent the next four years making memories in the Big Apple, when both Ahmed and Samir started to talk to their loved ones about proposing. In the spring of 2019, the couple’s sisters helped orchestrate a double proposal.
Samir tricked Ahmed by creating a fake airline reservation that showed him arriving in New York a day later than when he actually arrived there. To “fill the time,” Samir’s sister invited Ahmed to go on a walk through Washington Square Park—where he found Samir waiting with two dozen red balloons. After Samir proposed and Ahmed said yes, the couple went home to their apartment, where the living room was lit with dozens of candles. Ahmed stuck notes he had collected over the course of their relationship into their houseplants for a special touch and proposed right back to Samir; he received the second yes of the day.
The couple initially planned their wedding for July 5, 2020, but they had to postpone the wedding not once, but twice, due to the pandemic. Ultimately, on July 29, 2021, Ahmed and Samir hosted their wedding with 102 guests at Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, Calif. “Holman Ranch seems to glitter under the Carmel Valley sun, and the venue is an extraordinary combination of a natural, yet refined setting,” Samir says. Wanting their wedding to represent both of their cultural backgrounds—Samir’s Iranian culture and Ahmed’s Pakistani heritage—the couple worked with Atlas Design Studio to execute their vision of a warm celebration with a refined aesthetic representative of their personalities. Although their wedding was delayed, the extra time was used to consider every detail of their big day, inspired by a neutral color palette with pops of citrus hues.
wedding invitation suite Credit: Michele Beckwith
Invites with Pops of Citrus
The grooms designed and printed their invitation suite, which included a map they illustrated of the Monterey Peninsula and a hand-embossed custom seal. The olive green envelopes were lined with a citrus drawing, as a nod to the venue.
grooms wearing sherwanis Credit: Michele Beckwith
Hand-Stitched Details
The grooms wore sherwanis to reflect Ahmed’s South Asian heritage. Ahmed donned an organic cotton ivory sherwani that featured a floral pattern embellishment hand-stitched in an olive tone. Samir opted for an iteration with geometric stitching details. Both ensembles were made by TISA Studio, which the couple came across on Instagram.
wedding welcome sign Credit: Michele Beckwith
A Warm Welcome
As guests arrived at the ceremony, they were greeted by a mirrored welcome sign. They also grabbed white parasols to stay cool in the July heat.
flowers and chairs at wedding ceremony Credit: Michele Beckwith
Setting the Stage
Ahmed and Samir’s ceremony took place on the lawn overlooking the mountains. The platform at the end of the aisle was decorated with florals in a semicircle around the grooms, and the walkway’s entrance was flanked by organic arrangements of greenery and blooms in the couple’s citrus color palette.
Sofreh Aghd at wedding ceremony Credit: Michele Beckwith
The Sofreh Aghd
The couple’s ceremony was heavily based in Persian and Punjabi tradition, with the sofreh aghad—a traditional ceremony spread with items that represent the couple’s union—as the focal point.
musician playing sitar during wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
Music with a Historical Flair
The couple had a South Asian sitar, sarod, and tabla—instruments with a long history in South Asia—at their ceremony and cocktail hour.
Ahmed was accompanied by his parents and Samir was joined by his parents for their walks down the aisle. Their poodle, Mango, delivered their rings down the aisle as a Bollywood classic “Chalte Chalte” played.
grooms during blessing ceremony Credit: Michele Beckwith
A Sweet Ceremony Blessing
During the ceremony, the couple’s family members held a gossamer canopy over them and ground kaleh ghand (sugar cones) into it as a blessing to shower sweetness upon the newlyweds. Ahmed and Samir’s cousins read two readings—one in Farsi and the other in Urdu. One of the cousins officiated the ceremony.
Ahmed and Samir wrote their own vows, some of which evoked some happy tears. “Samir promised to kill all the bugs,” Ahmed remembers.
grooms in second wedding look Credit: Michele Beckwith
A Second Look
After the ceremony, Ahmed and Samir changed into three-piece suits in earth tones from Suit Supply. Their boutonnierès incorporated a mix of ranunculus, roses, and jasmine in citrus shades.
guests at wedding cocktail hour Credit: Michele Beckwith
Non-Dirty Shirley
Along with German beer and Holman Ranch wine, four signature cocktails were offered at the outdoor cocktail hour. The drink options included an old-fashioned, spicy margarita, Pimm’s Cup, and “Pomm’s Cup”—a nonalcoholic pomegranate Shirley Temple. The passed appetizers included vegan rainbow spring rolls and mini spicy chicken masa tamales. The couple took some portraits and family photos and were able to join the cocktail hour with some time to mingle with guests.
napkins with quote at wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
Meaningful Cocktail Napkins
Ahmed and Samir designed cocktail napkins featuring quotes from Obergefell v. Hodges, a landmark 2015 supreme court decision on same-sex marriage.
orange escort cards for wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
Escort Oranges
The perfect sized and shaped oranges were selected from various grocery stores in the Monterey Peninsula to use for the escort cards.
people at escort table Credit: Michele Beckwith
Guided to the Table in Style
Guests found their names and table numbers on the escort cards that were printed in carefully selected fonts and pinned to oranges.
wedding reception tables with long tables in ivory linens and wooden cushioned chairs Credit: Michele Beckwith
The Elegant Reception Setup
The reception took place on the venue’s patio, where long tables were dressed in ivory linens and paired with wooden cushioned chairs.
Low compote centerpieces for wedding reception Credit: Michele Beckwith
Dahlia Centerpieces
Low compote centerpieces were placed at the center of each table, along with bud vases holding single vibrant dahlia blooms.
wedding place setting with white chargers with a printed menu tucked in and a sprig of rosemary Credit: Michele Beckwith
Place Settings with a Personal Touch
Ahmed and Samir’s family members hand-stitched a rope trim on each napkin that they pressed and folded for the wedding day. The napkins were placed on top of white chargers with a printed menu tucked in, and a sprig of rosemary served as the finishing touch. Ahmed and Samir sat at a rustic wood sweetheart table decorated with a garland of roses and dahlias. Gold lanterns on the ground framed the couple. The grooms hand-poured candles with custom scents like Monterey rose and Texas hearth as nods to their California and Texas upbringings and included them in the tablescape.
Dohl drummer at wedding reception Credit: Michele Beckwith
A Grand Entrance with Drumming
A Dohl drummer led guests to dinner and later to the dance floor. The drummer also accompanied Ahmed and Samir as they made their grand entrance through an oversized gate to the reception area.
wedding reception grill Credit: Michele Beckwith
The Festive Dinner
For dinner, a California garden-to-table menu with a grill buffet was featured. DJ Aykut played Iranian and Punjabi wedding songs during the meal, and family members shared speeches full of humor and love.
reception carriage house for wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
Dancing in the Carriage House
The Dohl drummer led guests to the venue’s carriage house for dancing. The entrance was draped in fabric and decorated with dahlia arrangements and greenery. Above the dance floor, a chandelier decorated with greenery created a focal point for the space.
donut wall at wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
Lavish Desserts
In addition to their wedding cake, Ahmed and Samir offered a dessert spread that included a donut wall, macarons, berry Chantilly cake, and an assortment of Iranian desserts baked by their family.
wedding dance Credit: Michele Beckwith
Dancing to the Hits
After Ahmed and Samir shared their first dance to Alicia Keys’ “No One,” DJ Aykut kept everyone on the dance floor.
grooms looking over field Credit: Michele Beckwith
Together at Last
After the wedding, the couple enjoyed a mini-moon with their pup, Mango, in Aspen. To those planning their wedding day, Ahmed and Samir say, “Assemble a top-notch vendor team—our best-in-class team was spectacular at every turn and accommodated us through pandemic-related challenges.”
grooms holding hands at wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
Sources
Photography, Michele BeckwithVenue, Holman RanchWedding Planning and Event Design, Katie Ray and Chelsea HowellsVideography, Amy HungFlowers, Seascape FlowersGrooms’ Ceremony Attire, TISA StudioGrooms’ Shoes, 3DM LifestyleGrooms’ Reception Attire, Suit SupplyCeremony Music, Joanna Mack and Gurdeep HiraReception Music, DJ AykutCatering, Paradise CateringCake, Whole FoodsDonuts, Red’s DonutsRentals, Chic Event RentalsTransportation, Main Event TransportationBar, A Twist of Lime
wedding invitation suite Credit: Michele Beckwith
wedding invitation suite
grooms wearing sherwanis Credit: Michele Beckwith
grooms wearing sherwanis
wedding welcome sign Credit: Michele Beckwith
wedding welcome sign
flowers and chairs at wedding ceremony Credit: Michele Beckwith
flowers and chairs at wedding ceremony
Sofreh Aghd at wedding ceremony Credit: Michele Beckwith
Sofreh Aghd at wedding ceremony
musician playing sitar during wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
musician playing sitar during wedding
grooms during blessing ceremony Credit: Michele Beckwith
grooms during blessing ceremony
grooms in second wedding look Credit: Michele Beckwith
grooms in second wedding look
guests at wedding cocktail hour Credit: Michele Beckwith
guests at wedding cocktail hour
napkins with quote at wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
napkins with quote at wedding
orange escort cards for wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
orange escort cards for wedding
people at escort table Credit: Michele Beckwith
people at escort table
wedding reception tables with long tables in ivory linens and wooden cushioned chairs Credit: Michele Beckwith
wedding reception tables with long tables in ivory linens and wooden cushioned chairs
Low compote centerpieces for wedding reception Credit: Michele Beckwith
Low compote centerpieces for wedding reception
wedding place setting with white chargers with a printed menu tucked in and a sprig of rosemary Credit: Michele Beckwith
wedding place setting with white chargers with a printed menu tucked in and a sprig of rosemary
Dohl drummer at wedding reception Credit: Michele Beckwith
Dohl drummer at wedding reception
wedding reception grill Credit: Michele Beckwith
wedding reception grill
reception carriage house for wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
reception carriage house for wedding
donut wall at wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
donut wall at wedding
wedding dance Credit: Michele Beckwith
wedding dance
grooms looking over field Credit: Michele Beckwith
grooms looking over field
grooms holding hands at wedding Credit: Michele Beckwith
grooms holding hands at wedding
` Martha Stewart Weddings View All A Musical Festival and a Green Couch Inspired This Couple’s Whimsical Garden Wedding in California 9 Wedding Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2023, According to Wedding Planners and Event Designers 7 Wedding Dress and Accessory Trends Every Bride-to-Be Needs to Know About in 2023 Princess Eugenie Is Pregnant With Her Second Child—and Is Due This Summer
` Martha Stewart Weddings View All
A Musical Festival and a Green Couch Inspired This Couple’s Whimsical Garden Wedding in California 9 Wedding Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2023, According to Wedding Planners and Event Designers 7 Wedding Dress and Accessory Trends Every Bride-to-Be Needs to Know About in 2023 Princess Eugenie Is Pregnant With Her Second Child—and Is Due This Summer
Martha Stewart Weddings View All
Martha Stewart Weddings
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Martha Stewart Weddings
Martha Stewart Weddings
