STEEPED in CULTURAL TRADITION, Parisa Jassim and Ike Chidi wed along the DANA POINT COASTLINE
One LOVE
P HOTOG RA P HY BY M.K. SADLER W R I T T E N BY LINDSAY KINDELON
Feature tbd Ike Chidi realized he found someone special when he introduced his crush, Parisa Jassim, whom he met during a law school internship, to his Stanford University buddies for the first time. “She fit in like a piece of the puzzle,” says the lawyer of the telling encounter. Five years later, Ike popped the question to fellow lawyer Parisa and the duo soon began to consider ways to integrate their cultures (Ike’s heritage is Nigerian and Sierra Leonean, while Parisa is Iranian) into their big-day plans. For the Orange County-bred bride, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel nearby was an ideal choice. And on a balmy summer afternoon in June, the two exchanged vows there against the backdrop of the Pacific and a symbolic spread of items— from a mirror to radiate light onto the couple, to evil-warding wild rue—called the sofreh aghd. The traditionally festive Iranian ceremony included lively strikes of a hand drum and violin as well as family cheers. “Our friends were taken aback, like, ‘Why is no one being quiet?’ ” recalls Parisa with a laugh.
Clockwise from top left: IKE CHIDI’s vibrantly dressed family members. Married female friends and family hold a veil over the couple while grinding sugar cubes to represent a transfer of their happiness and energy. The newlyweds. The symbolic sofreh aghd adorned with a palette of soft peach and lavender blooms.
After the magical, open-air “I do’s,” the affair continued indoors, where the couple shared their first dance to Hozier’s “Work Song” (“We danced to it in his living room 100 times,” Parisa reveals of the romantic choice). Ike’s female family members donned African ankaras and head wraps, while his father dressed in a Nigerian agbada for the rehearsal; the weekend seamlessly blended their backgrounds from start to finish. Up next: a honeymoon in South America. But until then, the couple’s thrills come from living with one another for the first time. Says Parisa, “Sharing a home and building a life together is a new adventure for us.” • VENUE The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel PLANNER Chelsea Seviane of Details Details FLORIST Moon Canyon ENTERTAINMENT West Coast Music, Matt Commerce, The Dancing Fire RENTALS The Hostess Haven VIDEOGRAPHY Andrew James Abajian DRESS Monique Lhuillier BRIDESMAID DRESSES Custom Paty Castillo SOFREH AGHD DESIGN Terry Ajdar of Elegant Sofreh Design