Kate+Ashkan : Oheka Castle Wedding Photos

What are your wedding colors and/or themes? 
For the ceremony and the reception we used an array of blush, champagne, and ivory tones and for the cocktail hour and after party we chose a striking red with gold accents. We wanted some parts of the wedding to feel classic and others to really pop when we wanted to dial up the party!


How did you meet?
We met one random night out with mutual friends in Boston. Though we only spoke for a few brief moments, Kate was immediately struck by Ashkan’s intelligence and charisma. Before Ashkan left the bar, he handed Kate his business card just in case she wanted to continue their conversation. A few weeks later, Kate reached out to grab dinner and the rest is history!

Do you have a special proposal story? 
Whenever we go out to dinner we play this game where each person shares something they love about the other, and something they’d change. We never go overboard about the something we’d change part – it’s usually along the lines of please don’t leave the towels on the bed! (ha!)

Last August we had plenty of opportunities to play our game when we took an epic two-week Europe trip across London, Barcelona, the south of France and Italy. While staying at a beautiful hotel in the Almalfi Coast, overlooking the mountains and the coastline, Ashkan started to play our game. He started with the things he loves about Kate, how she puts up with his craziness and how great of person and friend she is to him, and then began to say…

But there is one thing I’d like to change. I want us to be together forever.
Ashkan then got down on one knee and asked the question!


What is your inspiration when planning your wedding?
We really wanted the wedding to feel like we were in Europe so when we visited Oheka Castle and saw the venue’s Italian inspired gardens and grand ballrooms we knew it was the perfect place to get married. Luckily the venue is gorgeous on it’s own so we didn’t need to do too much to make it stand out. We just added some lush floral arrangements, gold accents and a touch of inspiration from the film The Grand Budapest Hotel – Kate’s a big Wes Anderson fan.


Did you include any special traditions, old or new? 
Ashkan comes from a Persian family so we blended the Persian Sofreh with a traditional Christian ceremony. In the beginning of the ceremony, sugar was ground over our heads to symbolize a sweet marriage, a Farsi poem was read aloud and we fed each other honey all while being seated and facing the crowd. We think it was a unique experience for guests in addition to running through our vows.

Dress Designer: Vera Wang Dress, Berta Skirt
Dress Shop: Musette Bridal in Boston
Hair/makeup: Tiffany Hayden (hair), Sophia Cerchia (makeup)
Bridesmaid dresses: We mixed it up! Some were by the Dessy Group and others by Weddington Way
Flowers: Pedestal’s Florists
Cake: Daniel Andreotti, Executive Pastry Chef at Oheka Castle
Catering: Oheka Castle
Band: Elan Artists – Sound House
Coordinator/Planner/Designer: Karyn LoCicero