We are thrilled to announce the re-launch of SK Love Stories, which celebrate the timeless narratives of special couples falling in love. We are kicking off this series with an enchanting and beautiful couple, Ghazal and Payam Doostzadeh. Try not to shed a tear after reading their innocent high school friendship turned lifelong partners, love story.
Names:
Ghazal + Payam Doostzadeh
Current Location:
Venice, CA
Wedding Date + Location:
November 4th, 2017 at the Ebell of Long Beach.
How It All Started
Ghazal and Payam’s story started back in 2000, when her family won the green card lottery and immigrated to the United States. But the luck didn’t stop there, because only 4 years later, Payam would win a lottery of his own and meet the love of his life. Ghazal and Payam started their relationship when they where both in high school in Irvine, CA, tackling dances, honors classes and strict curfews. Ghazal recalls their first date. She went to Payam’s show at The Spectrum, and promised her parents that she was just going to support her best friend… and to be fair, she wasn’t lying. Ghazal and Payam shared a very deep connection from the very start. They would talk on the daily, discussing their goals, dreams and desires to take on the world together. The strong foundation that they were building would guide them through the good times and the bad.
The Proposal: How It Went Down
On July 3rd, 2016, Payam and Ghazal headed up to Big Sur, one of their favorite places in California to reconnect with Mother Nature and the goodwill she brings. They decided to wake up in the early a.m. in hopes of catching the sunrise but ended up with thick marine layer and the peacefulness of the coastal morning all to themselves. They found a big hill that they hiked up to which had beautiful views of the ocean, and Payam suggested that they come back to the vista point later to take pictures when the sun was out. So later that afternoon the soon-to-be engaged couple hiked back up that same hill, now boasting impressive views of the California Coastline, and started taking pictures at the top. Payam asked Ghazal to turn around and face Bixby Bridge, instructing Ghazal to stay put while he was reloading his film. The truth though was that Payam was reaching into his backpack to take out the ring and then got down on one knee and asked his bride-to-be to turn around. Payam went on to explain how the four points of her ring symbolize the cardinal directions of a compass, and that it would be a constant reminder of their journey of love together.
The Ring
From Payam: “Picking a ring out for Ghazal was a little bit of a process. Considering it was something she would have for her entire life, and that conversations about marriage were already on the table, I figured she should have at least a general idea of what I would propose with. We made a trip downtown, and found some other local designers, and we both were just not really feeling it. Then, one of Ghazal’s friends suggested we look into Sofia’s work, and we couldn’t believe we had been walking by the Venice location almost every day without going in. It only took a couple of minutes until we both saw the Genevieve engagement ring and knew it was the one. I tried to play it off cool and said we’d keep our options open, but the next day I started talking to Sofia about making a custom one in a slightly larger size and with a platinum band. We’ve since added two Alethea Diamond Tiara Rings as wedding bands to complete the set and we couldn’t be happier. The rings really complement just how beautiful and unique Ghazal is.”
The Wedding Day
The ceremony was the couples’ favorite part. It started with a beautiful violin performance by Payam’s cousin, followed by a saging ceremony by their best friends. The couple wrote their own vows, which to this day still brings tears to their eyes. The performance by Payam’s band was also one the most special, touching and memorable moments at the wedding for the bride, groom and ALL their guests.
The newlyweds took off to Thailand soon after and gushed that it was truly one of the most magical trips. While in Thailand, they were approached by a lovely Canadian photographer when walking on the beach and got asked to take some “casual” wedding photos during sunset. Without any preparation, they ended up having their own private/tiny wedding #2!
Credits:
Wedding Photographer: Winsome & Wright
Thailand Photographer: Zsuzsi Pal Photography
Engagement and Wedding Rings: Sofia Kaman
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