September 9, 2023
Tinder was Zohra and Jon’s ultimate matchmaker. The two connected online before meeting in person in Carytown for their first official date. After two years of dating, Jon knew he had met the one. He planned the proposal to take place on his 45th birthday. “He said we had to get dressed up and that my mom and sister were coming over to take photos of us before we went out.” While taking pictures at their home in front of the Christmas tree, Jon dropped to one knee.
After joyful tears, they embarked to celebrate over dinner and dancing. Zohra had previously mentioned how she would love to learn the tango, so he arranged to take their first lesson after dinner on this special night. Though the two never learned the dance before the wedding day, they had a lot of fun trying!
After choosing Bartizan, they came across a post on social media that was full of bright colors. While this wasn’t what Zohra had ever imagined for her wedding, she fell in love with the untraditional and chose to fill their big day with a vibrant palette. Being from Afghanistan, Zohra is used to weddings with hundreds of people. Jon, however, comes from a smaller family in Iowa and hasn’t been to many weddings in his life. They kept the guest list small and incorporated both cultures into their evening. The couple decided against following many traditions.
On the wedding day, Zohra and Jon got ready together at home. Upon arrival to the venue, Zohra walked down the aisle by herself while a friend sang the slow version of a favorite song, Feel So Close by Calvin Harris. After the happy hour, Jon and Zohra entered to a traditional Afghan song, and Zohra’s uncle put henna on their hands while the DJ played the Red Hot Chili Peppers song Hard to Concentrate in the background. (This was a TOTAL surprise, as she was expecting an Afghan song to be played during the traditional Afghan parts.) The couple shares, “It was absolutely perfect for us! It was one of the favorite parts of the night!
