What is Sofreh Aghd

The Ceremony & the Language

Both bride and groom provide a witness, typically an older married male such as the fathers, older brother or similar. In traditional Persian weddings, the ceremony consists of preliminary blessings and questions to the witnesses, guardians and the couple. After the preliminary blessings and a few words about the importance of the institution of marriage, the officiant typically confirms with both parents that he can proceed with no objections. Then he asks the mutual consent of the couple. First the groom is asked if he wishes to enter into the marriage contract. Then the bride is asked the same question. Here, the bride traditionally plays shy and makes the groom wait for her hand in marriage by not answering the question right away. The guests scream in the background, “she is not here” or “the bride has gone to pick some flowers” or “the bride is thinking”. She has to wait and not answer the question until it is asked a third time. She then says yes on the third try and they are pronounced husband and wife. During the service and the readings, married female relatives of the couple hold over the couple's head a white silky Ghand cloth. Two pieces of crystallized sugar called Kalleh Ghand shaped like cones are rubbed together, showering the couple with white powder. This symbolic act is meant to sweeten the couple's life. You may also have your bridesmaids hold the ends of the cloth but be sure to have married friends or relatives rubbing the sugar on the Ghand cloth. Also, you may modify the traditional readings from the Koran to shorten them, or replace them with beautiful poems to your liking. Today’s officiants are very flexible and will do as asked. In addition, remember to have the ceremony also read in other languages that may be appropriate to the guests. In a bicultural wedding, ceremonies can be done in Farsi, English, and a third or fourth language depending on the origin of the couple.

Husband & Wife

Once the couple is pronounced husband and wife, the officiant asks for God's blessing to be with the couple in their lives together. The bride and groom exchange rings and kiss. At this point, the honey is also presented to the happy couple. Here, the groom dips his finger into the honey and gives some to the bride. She does the same in turn and they are ensured a sweet and happy life together. The legal documents are signed by the couple and the witnesses and the wedding party hands out sweets, and pastries from the sofreh to the guests. Items from the sofreh are always thought to be blessed and bring good luck and great fortune. Bride and groom give each other more sweets such as sweet almonds and nuts. They may then proceed to light the candles on either side of the mirror, one for the bride and one for the groom to symbolize light in their new life.

The Items on the Sofreh

Perhaps the best part of the Persian wedding is the sofreh and its significance. The spread contains many items, all to symbolize different qualities that the couple would hope to bring into their new life together. The illustation above is just a simple sample sofreh that you can use to determine where to place your items. You can make the design as elaborate or as clean as you desire. There are many other items you can place on the sofreh and they include:

Item	Persian Name	Description & Symbolism	Position
One Large Mirror	Ayne-Ye Bakht	To bring light & brightness into the future	Head of the Sofreh
Two Candelabras	Sha’am	Symbolized fire & energy.	On either side of the mirror
Spice Tray	Sini-Ye Aatel-O-Baatel	Tray of seven herbs and spices to guard against the evil eye. These include: Poppy Seeds "Khash-Khaash", Wild Rice "Berenj", Angelica "Sabzi Khoshk", Salt "Namak" (to blind the evil eye), Nigella Seeds "Raziyaneh", Black Tea "Chaay", Frankincense "Kondor"	In the middle of the spread, usually decorated in an elaborate or designed manner.
Flatbread	Naan-e Sangak (Noon-e Sangak)	Prosperity for the feasts and couple’s life. It can be decorated and sometimes has the word “Mobarak Baad” to congratulate the couple.	On the Sofreh. It can be accompanied by Naan-o Panir, which is Iranian feta cheese and fresh herbs to be eaten at the feast.
Decorated Eggs, Walnuts, Almonds, and hazelnuts	Morgh (egg) Ajil (assorted nuts)	Symbolizes fertility	On the Sofreh. Can be as elaborate as desired
Pomegranates and Apples	Anar-o-Sib	For a joyous future, pomegranates are fruits of the heaven and apples symbolize the divine creation of mankind	On the Sofreh.
Rose Water	Gol-Ab	Usually extracted from specific Persian roses called Gol-e Mohammadi to perfume the air.	On the Sofreh
Crystallized sugar	Kaas-e Nabaat or Shaakh-e Nabaat	To sweeten life for the newly wed.	On the Sofreh
Gold Coins	Sekeh	Wealth and Prosperity	On the Sofreh
Honey	Asal	Consumed right after the ceremony to ensure sweetness in life	On the Sofreh
Koran or other Holy Scriptures depending on the faith	Ghoraan-e Majid	Symbolizes God's blessing for the couple.	Traditionally "Avesta" the ancient Zoroastrian holy book was present during the ceremony and readings were made from it. Opened in the middle and placed on the spread.
Sweets & Pastries	Shirini	To be shared with the guests after the ceremony. Usually includes: Sugar coated almond strips "Noghl", Baklava (a sweet flaky Persian pastry "Baaghlavaa"), almond paste	On the Sofreh
Termeh	Termeh	Traditional Perisan silk or gold embroidered cloth, handed down from generations to symbolize family and tradition	In the middle of the Sofreh
2 Large Sugar Cones	Kalleh Ghand	To shower the couple with sugar symbolizing sweetness and happiness	Performed during the ceremony over the couple’s head.
The Spread	Sofreh	The cloth used under the spread should be a fine cloth made of silk or other fine material to your liking
Wild Rue		A scarf or shawl made out of silk or any other fine fabric to be held over the bride and groom's head throughout the ceremony by various happily married female relatives.