Bridal designer Goli Parvinian's Persian-New Zealand fusion wedding

Bridal Fashion Designer Goli June Chicago Wedding – Danielle Simone – Emily Madigan – Bridal Musings 7

Dressing some of the coolest brides in the US (and around the globe) Goli June designer Goli Parvinian was always going to be a cool bride. Marrying styles, cultures, places and traditions, her wedding adds context to her globally inspired bridal collection we adore so greatly.

Engaged at the very beginning of the pandemic, Goli and Jack had an unconventional journey to the ‘Sofreh Aghd’. First, legally (and secretly) marrying over Zoom so Jack (from New Zealand) could obtain his green card. Then, the couple then planned a Chicago wedding merging their Persian and Kiwi cultures and families together beautifully.

We always wait anxiously to see what our bridal friends will design for themselves. For the ceremony, she donned a perfectly fitted high-neck gown. The intricately cut lace in a fan pattern is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Luckily for you, Goli’s relaxed and feminine cotton ruffle reception dress is available in her latest collection.

The joy of adding a minimony to your Covid-era wedding? Extra bridal looks. And, of course, being a bridal designer this means showing off yet another iconic Goli June look. We adore her two-piece bridal separates paired with a weather-appropriate sweater. The look is modern, cozy and fancy enough for your wedding day or casual enough for an extra event.

Oh, and be sure to get your hanky out. Not only does this story have a globe traversing long-distance love story, but the groom Jack’s embrace of Goli’s Persian culture during the ceremony and speeches will absolutely induce happy tears.

Out Love Story

I was alone in a hotel room in a foreign country I had only been in for five days. Realizing that I had no one to talk to because I was seventeen hours ahead of Chicago time, I downloaded Tinder for the first time. I believe in my bio I wrote, “New to Auckland, looking to make some kiwi friends”.

I swiped right because of one particular photo where he was standing next to a golf cart (I think?) and had the biggest smile on his face. I think he swiped right because I had a selfie of myself in front of the Arc de Triomphe and he thought “Ooh, she travels.”

I truly do not know how to explain it, but after Jack and I chatted that evening, I had butterflies all night and could not sleep. I never have trouble sleeping. So, the next morning I essentially convinced him to ask me to get fish and chips on the beach. I was thirty minutes late because I was trying to navigate the Auckland bus system, which in 2015 left a lot to be desired. I met him in front of a fountain in Mission Bay, and we had fish and chips on some benches looking out to Rangitoto, a large volcano. Fish and chips turned into ice cream, turned into mini golf, turned into me accepting a ride from essentially a stranger (sorry mom) to get home.

On the drive home, he really won me over when we passed the harbour and he asked, “Did you know that Auckland has the most boats per capita than any other city?” I did not, and still to this day I tease him about what a ridiculous fact that was if he was trying to impress me. Must have worked, though!

Bridal Fashion Designer Goli June Chicago Wedding – Danielle Simone – Emily Madigan – Bridal Musings 1

I left Auckland when my internship ended and took a job in NYC. It was never a question of if we were going to break up, we just knew we would do long distance. Jack came and visited me twice that year, and I visited him for Christmas in 2016. I had just been laid off from my job, and after exploring my options I decided I wanted to pursue my masters in Melbourne, Australia (conveniently only a 4-hour flight from Auckland). During this period Jack was working on his undergrad degree in Environmental Science.

We both graduated at the end of 2018 and started researching to figure out how we could live in the same country together. I moved back to Chicago in February of 2019, and Jack joined on a working holiday visa in July. Once Covid hit in March, Jack still proposed on the 27th as he was planning to, but instead of on a mountain in Denver, it was in our living room. Now, we were concerned that if his work status changed, he could be deported. We decided to legally and secretly get married (our families knew, but we didn’t tell our friends) so we could start the process of getting Jack his green card. Since City Hall was fully closed, we had a zoom call to get our marriage license, asked a friend of my mom’s to officiate and had a beautiful tiny ceremony in the rain, behind my day job at Ette the Wedding Tailor on April 25, 2020.

Getting Jack his green card in the era of Covid felt like a real struggle. But, once he had it in his hand we felt so relieved that our days of long-distance and forced separation were over for good. We’re so grateful for every day that we get to wake up together and come home to each other.

Bridal Fashion Designer Goli June Chicago Wedding – Danielle Simone – Emily Madigan – Bridal Musings 2

The Venue & Planning

We got married on an unseasonably warm October day in 2021 at Ravenswood Event Center on the North Side in Chicago, alongside 100 guests. The venue was close to our apartment, and we fell in love with the big windows and high ceilings of the ceremony space.

The color palette of our wedding was inspired by autumn in Chicago and the colors of a rich Persian rug: burgundy, soft pink, black, leafy green, ivory and touches of gold. We had a traditional Persian ceremony called ‘Aghd’, where the couple is seated at a low table called ‘Sofreh Aghd’. My mom designed and created my Sofreh, and we included two pages in our program about the Persian ceremony and the table in our programs, so our non-Iranian guests could understand some of the history.

One of my best friends, Farron Martin, who I met seven years ago working in one of my first bridal jobs was our officiant. I had six bridesmaids, but one was attending virtually from Australia. Jack had initially had six groomsmen, but only one lived here in Chicago and was able to participate.

The Fashion

I designed both of my wedding looks. For the ceremony, I did a high-neck fitted lace gown with a nude underlay and cut-out back, accessorized with a solid gold belt from Etsy and a borrowed veil from my friends at Belle Bridal Atelier. This gown is one-of-a-kind, draped to fit my body. My reception look was a fun bustier a-line gown in cotton linen with a ruffle shoulder strap, accessorized with a pearl headband from my friends at Ette the Wedding Tailor. This gown is part of my latest collection for Goli June and it’s called the Joon gown.

The Photography

I knew of Danielle through other industry friends and had admired her work for ages. I always loved the way she captured light and movement in her photographs and each wedding felt different, like she worked to really portray the personality of each couple instead of one particular style. She was the first vendor we booked after we got engaged and secured our venue because I knew she was highly sought after and I wanted to make sure we locked her in. After chatting with her over the phone I knew she would make Jack and I feel comfortable in front of the camera and would be able to capture the day in a way we wanted to remember. On the day, her energy was so positive and laid back, which I loved. She made my family feel so comfortable and natural. Some of my favourite photos are her detailed candid shots, capturing just one moment but emoting so much.

Bridal Fashion Designer Goli June Chicago Wedding – Danielle Simone – Emily Madigan – Bridal Musings 3

Bridal Fashion Designer Goli June Chicago Wedding – Danielle Simone – Emily Madigan – Bridal Musings 14

Cultural Traditions

We tried to infuse aspects of each of our unique cultures into the wedding day, in ways that felt meaningful. We obviously had a traditional Persian ceremony. But, we tried to modernize the altar with the triangle arch behind us. My mom wrote out all of our frosted acrylic signage. Our table numbers not only had numerals but it had the numbers written in Farsi and Maori (the indigenous language of New Zealand) as well. Our florist included a lot of ferns and greenery elements that you would find in traditional NZ foliage. The color scheme of rich burgundies, soft pinks and greens with gold felt like a rich Persian rug.

Bridal Fashion Designer Goli June Chicago Wedding – Danielle Simone – Emily Madigan – Bridal Musings 11

Favorite Moments

The entire day felt truly perfect. My favourite moment was when Jack recited part of his vows to me in my native language of Farsi. I had no idea he was planning this. But, it turns out he had been practicing with a childhood family friend for a few months prior to the wedding. It was a complete surprise to me, my parents and all of the guests, in person and on Zoom. I felt so seen and so special at that moment. It was truly the best way he could have made vows to me. He then later made a speech at the reception directed at my parents and spoke Farsi again to them as well. I think that moment really solidified our union as a family.

The Reception

At our reception, Jack and I did a very quick, very unpracticed first dance. Then, we cut the cake. We really didn’t want to spend too much time on the traditions that take up time and just wanted to have an epic dance party. Which I think we did! Our DJ did a great job oscillating between western and Persian music and got every guest involved at some stage. Guests could go between the dance floor to the outdoor terrace, and around 10:30 pm we served chicken tenders and fries (our favourite foods) as a late-night treat to keep people going. Our guests lasted the entire night and my feet were sore for ten days afterward. It was perfect.

Because Jack’s parents were unable to leave New Zealand due to their Covid lockdowns, I asked them to film their reception speech and our DJ projected it onto a screen during the reception. It felt like they were a part of the ceremony and all our guests got to see a bit more of where Jack came from. I think this was the moment that Jack got the most emotional; the night would’ve felt incomplete without it.

Bridal Fashion Designer Goli June Chicago Wedding – Danielle Simone – Emily Madigan – Bridal Musings 10

Advice to Other Couples

Firstly, get a month-of planner. Even if you think you can manage everything yourself, get a coordinator. It is so well worth it.

Secondly, I tried not to make any wedding decisions based on what we ‘should’ do, and instead focused on what would make the day great for Jack, myself and our guests. My advice would be to figure out where your priorities are from the very beginning of your wedding planning journey. Our top priorities were our venue, my dress(es), food, and the florals. Things like stationery were less of a priority to us. So, we spent less time and energy on it.

Finally, I will also say that TRUSTING your vendors is crucial. These are professionals, and if you have taken the time to research and chose the right ones, you can sit back and let them bring your wedding to life!

The Honeymoon

We decided to take a short mini-moon to Tulum for about five days a week after our wedding to decompress and relax in the nice weather! We are big travelers so we’re planning on taking a longer two-week honeymoon to Greece this April to celebrate our two-year anniversary of being legally married. We would actually really recommend taking a short trip away immediately following your wedding; something that is not time-consuming to plan and doesn’t feel overwhelming. But, that re-sets your mindset and lets you soak in some time with your person.