Persian Wedding at Castello di Bracciano

Castello Odescalchi in Bracciano is one of my favorite wedding locations in Italy and although I have worked there several times now, I always go there with great pleasure. The great thing about photographing Destination Wedding is that each time is a different experience and I found myself photographing a Persian wedding for the first time.

The Persian (or Iranian) wedding is a ceremony rich in history, symbolism and tradition, combining cultural, religious and family elements. It is distinguished by its aesthetic beauty, spirituality, and rituals rooted in ancient Persia..

The heart of the ceremony is the Sofreh Aghd, a richly decorated ceremonial tablecloth on which symbols of life, fertility and prosperity are arranged. Some traditional elements include: Mirror and candelabra: The mirror represents light and truth; the bride and groom are to look at each other for the first time as husband and wife through it. Nuts, almonds and dried fruits: symbols of fertility and abundance. Decorated bread (noon-e sangak): represents blessing and food in the new home. Honey: the bride and groom let each other taste honey to symbolize the sweetness of life together. Herbs, spices, eggs and rice: each has a meaning related to protection, fertility and prosperity.

Brittany and Kian’s Persian wedding at Castello di Bracciano was characterized, then, not only by the many traditions of their home countries, but also by a truly wild party. The icing on the cake, however, was the beautiful sunset light that illuminated the Odescalchi Castle and allowed us to take some really impactful couple portraits. In this shoot, I integrated digital photography with analog photography, opting for a black and white film that gave me the possibility to make this photographic tale even more poetic and timeless.

So thank you to Brittany and Kian for choosing me as their wedding photographer for their persian wedding at Castello Odescalchi di Bracciano.