While attending a masquerade ball, Maral “MiMi” Ansari locked eyes with the one unmasked person. Little did she know that this man, Kambiz “Biz” Nabily, was captivated by her eyes. The two finally met during a group date one month later and were both instantly smitten. Biz eventually decided to propose by tricking MiMi at dinner one night. Thinking he got into trouble, MiMi was escorted by the manager to the corporate office of the restaurant to find a walkway of red rose petals leading her to Biz on one knee.

Working together to arrange all details of their magical day with SoCo Events, MiMi and Biz decided to host their nuptials at a grand venue right at home, in Washington, DC. “I always wanted to get married at a venue that looked like a castle,” MiMi reveals. To complement the regal grandeur she desired, the lovebirds designed their celebration with a splendid color palette of white, ivory, gold, and champagne. Not only did these hues perfectly pair with the plethora of candlelight by the aisle runner, but they enhanced the magnificent floral arrangements created by Amaryllis Floral & Event Design throughout the ceremony and reception. From the tables to the backdrops, blooms adorned the entire venue space. “The smell of the flowers had taken over the whole room,” the bride remembers. “It felt as if we were outside in a garden.”

As guests awed over an array of desserts, they also enjoyed posing for numerous keepsakes in the photo booth. “We thought it would be a better idea to have everyone take a picture in the photo booth and keep the photo as a memory,” the bride explains. Loved ones were also delighted by the gorgeous confection personalized by the couple. “Our cake was seven layers and had our wedding-invitation monogram on there along with the wedding date in roman numerals,” MiMi says. The couple’s 300 attendees danced the night away to the rhythms of a live band and departed by 1AM.

When asked about the best planning advice for brides and grooms, MiMi advocates breaking tradition if you truly want to personalize your wedding details. “If you're not sure why you're doing a certain wedding tradition that everyone has done in the past, feel free to take it out of your wedding plans,” she affirms. “Your wedding should feel anything but generic, so keep only the traditions that mean something special to you and your hubby!”