Sofreye Aghd 

The Sofreye Aghd (or "Wedding Spread") is a very elaborate floor spread set up for the wedding ceremony that includes several kinds of food and decorations. Items in the Sofreye include:

  • The Seven Herbs: Khashkhash (poppy seeds), Berenj (rice), Sabzi Khoshk (Angelica), Salt, Raziyane (Nigella seeds), Cha'i (black tea leaves) and Kondor (Frankincense).
  • The Seven Pastries: Noghl, Baklava, Toot (Persian marzipan), Naan-e Bereneji (rice cookies), Naan-e Badami (almond cookies), Naan-Nokhodchi (chickpea cookie) and Sohan Asali (saffron almond brittle) are placed on the spread and traditionally served to the guests after the ceremony.
  • Mirror of Fate and two candelabras, symbols of light and fire. When the bride enters the room she has her veil covering her face. Once the bride sits beside the bridegroom she removes her veil and the first thing that the bridegroom sees in the mirror should be the reflection of his wife-to-be.
  • The Blessed Bread: A specially baked bread with calligraphy written on it.
  • "Naan-o Paneer-o Sabzi": Bread, feta cheese, and greens are also placed on the spread to symbolize the basic food that is needed to sustain life. They are traditionally served to guests after the ceremony.
  • Symbols of Fertility: Decorated eggs, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts.
  • The Heavenly Fruits: pomegranates, grapes, apples.
  • Persian Rose: A cup of rose-water and a rose extracted from the Gol-e Mohammadi (or "Mohammadan flower") to perfume the air.
  • Shakh-e-Nabat: A bowl made out of rock candy.
  • "Honey": A cup of honey should be on the spread. Immediately after the couple is married, the bride and groom each dip one pinky finger in the cup of honey and feed it to one another.
  • Esphand: The esphand and frankincense are sprinkled on a brazier holding hot coals producing a smoke to ward off evil eyes and purification.
  • Coins: A bowl of gold or silver coins representing wealth and prosperity.
  • The Sacred Text: The Avesta, Qur'an, Bible, or Torah is placed in front of the couple on the spread. Some families also add a poetry book such as Rumi's Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, Hafiz's Divan, or the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi..
  • Prayer Rug: A prayer rug (Jaa-ye Namaaz) or a traditional Iranian Termeh is placed in the center of the wedding spread. The prayer rug, open in the Aghd-cloth is to remind the couple of the importance of prayer to god, the prayer carpet also includes a small cube of clay with prayers written on it (Mohr) and a rosary (Tasbih). Non-Muslim families may or may not omit the prayer kit.

A scarf or shawl made out of silk or any other fine fabric is held over the bride and bridegroom's head (who are sitting by the Sofreh) by a few unmarried female relatives (bridesmaids). Two sugar cones made out of hardened sugar are used during the ceremony. These sugar cones are softly ground together above the bride and bridegroom's head by a happily married female relative (and/or maid of honor) throughout the ceremony to shower them in sweetness. The sugar drops in the held fabric, not on their heads.

Many thanks to the Wikipedia page from which we borrowed all of the above.