Balboa Bay Club | Newport Beach Wedding Photography
As an Orange County wedding photographer, I love photographing cultural weddings! Vida and Z had an intimate and private Nikah with their immediate family and close friends. In keeping with their Islamic faith, certain traditions are performed during their Islamic wedding ceremony. For instance, the rubbing together of cones of sugar above their heads is a favorite ritual for me. This is done to keep their lives sweet. You’ll notice specific cultural items at their Nikah such as a mirror, sweets {which were all handmade by family members} and their Koran. It’s also part of the tradition for the man to give a type of dowry to his wife. Well, how’s a Rolls Royce and a 3 carat Harry Winston diamond?
Something Borrowed & Something New
When you meet Vida the first thing you notice is her smile and then you notice her rock! Oh my! Z and Vida’s glamorous Orange County wedding was held at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, with a reception for 350. In keeping with wedding tradition, Vida wore something new, her wedding dress from The White Dress in Corona Del Mar and her mother’s wedding dress was her something old. The Cake Studio produced one of the largest wedding cake I’ve ever seen in my life! It was for 350 wedding guests but I think it could have easily fed 600. Vida and Z’s wedding was also published in Ceremony magazine.
Balboa Bay Club | Newport Beach Wedding Photography
The Balboa Bay Club is one of my favorite places to photograph weddings in Newport Beach. There’s an abundance of space and lots of fantastic views. The Balboa Bay Club is many things at once: Located right on the causeway of Newport Harbor, its both a waterfront resort, a private club and its bar and restaurant are open to the public. The Balboa Bay Club has a great bar called the First Cabin to have a cocktail at. Heck John Wayne used to hang out there. The BBC has wonderful waterfront views and its a wonderful make gorgeous wedding photography at sunset.
Love Vida’s dress from The White Dress in Newport Beach.
She wanted a Honda. But settled for a Rolls.
Vida was so giddy she kept laughing throughout their couple’s session.
The Nikah – Wedding Tradition
Their Nikah a private Islamic wedding ceremony, included just very close friends and family. Their grandmother, pictured left, looked as if she just arrived in America.
Their ceremony was carried out in both Farsi and English. The Khutbah-tun-Nikah begins with the praise of Allah. Part of the tradition of the Nikah is the giving of a Mahr or gift to the bride. Kind of like a dowry. Part of Z’s Mahr was a diamond-encrusted Rolex, a Rolls Royce and a 3-carat diamond ring.
Many of the items on their Nikah table were very special to them. In front of the bride and groom are assorted items called Sufra which consists of fruits, candles,differentt kind of sweets, bread+cheese, rice, honey, and yogurt and other little things. The customary use of the mirror Mooh Dikhai also called “Aarsi Musshaf” has an interesting history. Mooh Dikhai is the ceremony of first time “showing of the face” after the Nikah. The couple see each other in the mirror and the bride unveils her face that she keeps hidden during the Nikah. In the olden days, a covering was placed over the bride and groom’s head and a mirror was placed on their laps. The couple would take a good look at each other for the first time. It is also said that the bride enters the room veiled. She then sits beside the bridegroom and removes her veil from her face. The first thing that the bridegroom sees in the mirror is the reflection of his wife-to-be. 
Their Qur’an was specially made for their Nikah.
During their wedding ceremony, 2 hardened sugar cones are rubbed together over a fine silk cloth to symbolize a sweet life.
Praising Allah. 
Most of the sweets were hand-made by family members. 
The Grand Ballroom at the Balboa Bay Club. The flower arrangements were prepared by Ed Bellingeri Design and Wildflower Linens supplied the gorgeous chair covers and table linens. 
The chairs almost throne-like are traditionally used for the Valime or Walima: A party and dinner given by the groom’s family for friends and family after the Nikah.
A wonderful candlelit grand entrance. 
An amazing cake that looked like it could have served 500 people even though there were only 350 in attendance.
Newport Beach Wedding Photography & Beverly Hills Wedding Contact Info
The Balboa Bay Club & Resort | 1221 West Coast Highway Newport Beach, CA 92663 | 888-705-5427
Harry Winston {diamonds} | 310 North Rodeo Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210-5106 | 310-271-8554
The Cake Studio | Serving Southern California Weddings | 714.964.7338
P.S. I love wedding cake. We were so busy photographing that I didn’t get to taste this one. So sad. Lately, I’ve been fascinated with the cupcake trend at weddings. I love cupcakes too! Especially coconut and lemon are two of my favorite flavors. I’m also a sucker for real buttercream! I could probably live off of sweets. Truth is I’m a very healthy eater and run and lift weights like 3-4 times a week.