We're celebrating another friend's marriage this weekend (our first black tie wedding! I'm a bridesmaid), and then we're off to France and Greece for our honeymoon. We've had a crazy few weeks around here (I'll be sharing some news soon!) and can't wait to explore and relax for days on end.

Thank you for indulging me in two weeks of wedding posts. I was skeptical I'd think this, but our wedding truly was the best day of my life. There had never been a time when I had been surrounded by all my favorite people in one place, and it was an honor to share our love and commitment to each other in their presence. Thank you again for all of your kind words and support. See you in a few weeks! xo

Wedding Thank You Cards

Throughout our wedding planning process I took pretty much every step very, very seriously. I enjoyed it all, but there wasn't a single decision I didn't deliberate over (I remember drawing out place card sizes on graph paper with Brian one Sunday afternoon for way too many minutes...).  

But while we put a lot of time into every detail, we really wanted a simple, clean aesthetic for everything, especially our paper goods. We opted to send a single card for our invitation (people RSVPed online) and a simple card for our save-the-date. Our programs and menu followed similar designs, as did all other signage day of. 

We were thrilled when Wedding Paper Divas offered to work with us on our thank you cards (we love their embossers so much!) because all of their products are just that: simple and chic. We love the card we picked (from the Elegant Exchange collection), it matched our overall theme and shows off my new last name (!!!). Another bonus is that we can use these cards for years to come. We have a number leftover and have already sent several outside of wedding-related purposes. And, as I've said before, I like using our embossers an inappropriate amount (Bills! Parking fines! Grocery lists!). If you get something from the Hayeses in the mail, it's guaranteed to have some gold and be embossed ;-)

(This post was sponsored by Wedding Paper Divas. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Make the Most.)

Our Wedding: A Little Church Ceremony

We went back and forth on what type of wedding ceremony we wanted to have (I initially wanted my cousin from Australia to marry us in my parents' beautiful, open backyard in the suburbs, but the guest count didn't allow for that. "IMAGINE THE LINE FOR THE BATHROOM," they said) but ultimately decided on a big, fat Iranian wedding — a secular ceremony in Farsi and English. It was the most joyous day, better than we could have ever imagined, but when we first started planning, it felt like something was missing.

Our Wedding: Cake Toppers

We were so, so, so incredibly lucky to be sent custom cake toppers from Esther of Lil' Cake Toppers a few months before our wedding. I was squealing when I received her email offering them to us. They were a big hit on the big day (everyone was asking about them!) and have earned a spot, front and center, on our bookshelf since. I see them every day and can't believe how spot on Esther (who's also the design mastermind behind Little Fury) got all the details — my jewelry, Brian's beard, the front and back of my dress, our respective flowers; it's unbelievable. I also love how she represents different ethnicities and backgrounds. If you're looking to personalize your wedding in a small, classy way, we can't recommend Lil' Cake Toppers enough. Such a beautiful, unique souvenir for us to keep forever. 

That said, don't make the mistake I did! I didn't show my dress to anyone but my mom and sister before the wedding (Brian, my bridesmaids, dad and mother-in-law did just about everything in hopes of me budging), and I was so careful to keep it a secret ... until I showed Brian the cake toppers in extreme excitement and gave it away a bit! That's OK. I couldn't have possibly kept the thrill of these beauties to myself that long. 

P.S. You can find all of our wedding photos, video and details on the planning process here. 

Our Wedding: Video

I'm thrilled to share a sneak peek of our wedding video. It captures the vibe from that day so wonderfully and I love watching the little moments that I either missed or forgot.

We hired Brian Bass, a friend of a friend, months after choosing our other vendors. We had initially opted out of videography, but slowly we worried we'd regret that decision and are now so glad Brian could be there to capture everything. We also received a full, 20-minute video, which we're keeping private to close friends and family, and we're obsessed with that coverage (I've watched it at least 50 times!). I couldn't be happier with both videos. They resurrect the day and depict it in a way that simply couldn't have been revealed through photographs alone. I hope you enjoy!

You can see all of our wedding posts here.

Wedding Vendors 
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Monte Bello Estate 
Photographer: Tim Tab Studios
Videographer: Brian Bass 
Wedding Dress: Bijou Bridal (private label)
Wedding Shoes: BHLDN
Wedding Earrings: J.Crew 
Groom's Suit: Banana Republic
Groom's and Groomsmen's Ties: Tie Bar 
Groom's Cuff Links and Tie Clip: Tie Bar
Groomsmen's Cuff Links: styledgents (Arsenal)
Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew (in dusty thistle)
Maid of Honor's Belt: Jill's Boutique 
Flowers/Decor: Kio Kreations 
Hair/Makeup: Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists  
Wooden Sign: Greenstar Paperie 
Favors: Matchbooks by dippylulu
Cake Toppers: Lil Cake Toppers 

* Other details: The bridesmaids' robes, my veil and hair piece were custom made during a recent trip to Iran. My mom was the mastermind behind the Iranian sweets and ceremony spread. We designed all paper goods with Brian's sister and printed them ourselves.

Our Wedding: Party

Finally, the reception. First, our guests had cocktails and hors devours on the estate driveway, between our ceremony spot and reception tent. With Chicago-area traffic and a lot of out-of-town guests, having both the ceremony and wedding reception at the same place made everything run so smoothly.

Our Wedding: Ceremony

Now for the best part: the ceremony! Overall, the Iranian ceremony, which was in Farsi and English, a traditional sofreh aghd, was a bit of a blur, so I'm extra thankful for these pictures that remind me of all the sweet moments. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many of our family and friends, but also difficult to know where to look!

Our Wedding: First Look

Now onto the first look (and lots of portraits)! Brian and I decided to see each other before our ceremony so that we could take some photos beforehand (and to calm my nerves!). So, our photographer Tim kindly arranged a "first look," where Brian stood with his back to me, and I came down the path to see him. As soon as I peeked from inside the estate and saw my sweet, sweet husband-to-be all dressed up and waiting for me, I became overwhelmed with emotion. I knew he must be nervous (my heart was pounding!), and he looked so sweet and charming that my heart just broke. Then Tim told Brian he could turn around, and we saw each other for the first time, dressed in our wedding attire. It was so romantic and intimate, and the perfect way to start the wedding festivities together.

Our Wedding: Getting Ready

Well, they're finally here! They've technically been with me for quite some time now, but it took me a while to go through all of them, and it was even harder to pick just a few to put up here. Our photographers, Tim and Bethany Tabailloux, did an absolutely amazing job of capturing the most special moments and emotions over the weekend. They are truly two of the most talented people I've ever met. We were drawn to them because of the way they capture moments in time that you'll never get back. Every photo is more special than the last, and having them by our side on our wedding day was a dream.

Simply Framed

For the past year and a half we've been living in our apartment together, our bedroom has remained a hodgepodge of things past and present. There's my gold deer head, my most prized possession (not at all Brian's), a set of new wooden nightstands (our first furniture splurge together) and a number of knickknacks, gifts and souvenirs to each other from over the years. It's a combination of random odds and ends and bare walls, and while I've always favored a clean aesthetic, since there's barely anything on there, it can feel sterile and cold, taking away from the other elements in the room. We're not sure how long we'll stay in this space, but for the time being, we've been looking for ways to bring a bit more personality to our bedroom, which is how we decided to start a little gallery wall we can build on in years to come, regardless of where we live.




Throughout our apartment we have walls and shelves filled with artwork and photograph we've collected over the years, but I wanted our bedroom to feel different, with sweet, personal pieces that would make us happy to see each morning.

We collaborated with Simply Framed, and weeks later, we're still in awe of the smooth process and fast service. The concept is simple: they can frame anything, from digital photos (including shots from your Instagram feed), to physical prints and other art. You just upload your files or send in your assets via a pre-paid envelope, and they handle the rest.




We decided on a variety of frames (white, dark walnut and antique gold) that complement the rest of our bedroom. We picked a personal photograph from our wedding and two prints from our favorite neighborhood store, Foursided. To showcase both of our personalities, I chose a flower print, while Brian went for a funny card, which Simply Framed matted to look like a print.

The end result is exactly what I'd hoped for and adds such a lovely warmth to the room. As we find more prints we love and embark on new adventures, we'll be adding to the wall, but for now this is such a sweet reminder of this beautiful little life of ours.

(This post was sponsored by Simply Framed. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Make the Most.)