A Sophisticated Persian-American Wedding at the Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Ashley Schelling and Farzin Farajzadeh's wedding at the Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was an elegant, romantic affair that blended both American and Persian traditions. While the couple has lived and traveled all over the world, they chose to tie the knot in Sioux Falls where it all started.

The celebration started off in the museum’s outdoor plaza with an intimate Persian-American ceremony. The couple incorporated a sofreh aghd, an Iranian wedding tradition which literally translates to “wedding table” and features different items that signify a specific blessing for the newlyweds. Ashley and Farzin also included a sugar rubbing ceremony and a knife dance ritual before cutting the cake at the reception.

With its unique architectural details, the courthouse required little in the way of decor. A color palette of ivory, blush and mixed metals mirrored the venue’s refined feel and allowed the florals take center stage.

“Florals are a big element of Persian weddings and we wanted them incorporated in a big but elegant way in our sofreh aghd, as that was the focal point of our ceremony,” Ashley says. An arch of lush hydrangeas and peonies framed the couple as they said their “I do’s” to create a romantic, whimsical feel, while cascades of full ivory and blush blooms adorning the guestbook display brought the beauty of the outdoors in.

A tip for the taking from Ashley and Farzin: “Consider taking dance lessons to help with the first dance — it was a fun way for us to spend time together in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Also, seriously consider hiring a wedding planner. She helped us execute our vision of how we wanted our wedding to look beyond what we could have handled or thought of ourselves.”