It’s a classic story of opposites attract. Tony calls himself a “super geek” who found Negin, his own “Persian princess.” Tony’s “geek smarts” are balanced by Negin’s outgoing, fun-loving personality. And their respective passion for their cultures—Tony’s Italian-American affinity and Negin’s closeness with her Iranian roots—only enhanced a love that began at work and was sealed with “I do” in a magical wine country wedding.
Negin and Tony met when she became his boss at Best Buy in Folsom. After getting involved in community events together, they quickly realized there was more to their connection, and Tony transferred to another store so they could freely pursue their romance. Although marriage wasn’t on their minds initially, their future took shape over time. “It evolved and became evident that it was something special,” Negin remembers.
It was her good fortune that provided the perfect setting for Tony to ask Negin to marry him. She won a cruise through work, and on the cruise departure day, as the ship pulled away from port, Negin was on the balcony to their room calling Tony to come join her. “I was wondering why he wasn’t coming [out to the balcony],” she recalls, “and then I turned around and saw him on one knee, and he proposed. Of course, I said yes!”
The couple soon enlisted the help of wedding planner Lora Ward of A Day to Remember Wedding Consultants, to make sure that all of the details were perfect for their August nuptials. Key decisions for the couple included special seating for their first cousins, with whom they both share a special closeness. They had so many close friends and family, they couldn’t choose anyone for the attendants, so decided to only have two young ring bearers and two flower girls instead.
Negin made sure that Tony would never forget the moment that she walked down the aisle. “In the middle of it, the music changed from traditional wedding music to upbeat Persian dance music, and she started to move to the beat as they came down the aisle,” Tony recalls. “Everyone was surprised, including me!” The bride’s Persian heritage also took center stage in her cultural tradition of gold and jewelry gift giving immediately following the wedding ceremony.
The reception continued the emphasis on upbeat dance and celebration, yet exuded an old-fashioned American carnival feel with strands of market lights and a photo booth as an added attraction. The couple flew in a world beat music DJ from Negin’s native Texas, and the guests went crazy for it.
For Negin and Tony, the stunning beauty of their wedding and reception was only topped by the love and pride that they felt from their families.
Negin & Tony’s Wedding Highlights from Jensen Films on Vimeo.
