Sarah and Mahnaz: Not One, But Two
Sarah and Mahnaz’s love story unfolds like a modern-day fairytale, with, not just one, but two unforgettable weddings— the first, an elopement at the Old Care Hotel in Sydney, and the other, a grand celebration set amidst the tranquil aura of Kangaroo Valley Bush Retreat. From their serendipitous high school meeting to a tearful proposal amidst the Southern Highlands’ wilderness, their journey is a testament to the power of love and authenticity. With each detail meticulously curated to reflect their essence, their weddings created unforgettable memories.
Photographer Brendan Woods Photography | Location Sydney, AUS & Kangaroo Valley, AUS
“I eventually got the words out and asked Sarah to marry me and Sarah's first response was ‘Are you messing with me?’ before she realised that this was not one of the 125 times I would joke propose, this was the real deal...”
How and when did you meet?
Sarah and Mahnaz: We met in year 9 at High School
Tell us a little about that first time you met…
Mahnaz: We met at Riverside Girls High School on Sarah's first day of year 9 at a new school. Sarah's first impression of me was, "Wow look at that afro" and mine was "She's cute". Although we spent the next few years in school together, our love story didn't really start until 2013 when we reconnected after school at the Ranch Hotel on a random weekday. We both got to talking for the first time since we had left High School and felt a connection neither of us had felt before and although we said that we would catch up again after that night, but wouldn't do so until many months later.
Tell us about the standout moments in your relationship…
Sarah: We travelled overseas a lot together in the early years and they were definitely standout moments. However we have also been through many milestones together that people go through in their 20s such as graduations, promotions, watching each other's careers grow, becoming aunties, watching so many loved ones tie the knot, coming out (of the closet of course). And then there were the sad times of watching each other go through loss and just the struggles of life that you go through in your 20s - however the most standout moment we can both think of is our elopement, it was the most perfect day.
Have you ever faced any issues of non-acceptance?
Sarah: We were quite lucky with how accepting all our loved ones were, however, Mahnaz's mum did struggle a bit but after spending much time with me and seeing how happy I made Mahnaz and how great we are together, it was hard not to accept the relationship!
What does marriage mean to you?
Sarah and Mahnaz: Love, your person, your light in a haunted house, a lifetime commitment of positive conflict resolution.
Who proposed and how?
Mahnaz: I proposed to Sarah. I took her away for a weekend to a tiny home in the middle of the bush in the Southern Highlands of NSW. We were enjoying a cuddle and wine late at night, watching the rain fall in the bush and I (after a whole day of acting weird and stressing), thought this was the perfect moment, so I got up to get some "socks" because I was cold and instead pulled a box out from my bag and got down on one knee, but before I could get the words out, I hysterically sobbed. One way or another, I eventually got the words out and asked Sarah to marry me and Sarah's first response was "Are you messing with me?" before she realised that this was not one of the 125 times I would joke propose, this was the real deal. So Sarah also broke out into tears and she said yes!
When did you get married?
Sarah and Mahnaz: We eloped and did the legal part on 30th July 2023, which was also our 10-year anniversary from the day Mahnaz asked Sarah to be her girlfriend and our wedding celebrating with our nearest and dearest was on 7th October 2023.
Sarah and Mahnaz’s story continues below ↓
The Elopement
The Wedding
What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
Sarah and Mahnaz:
The Elopement: We wanted a day to really showcase us as people and for it to be an intimate and special day for just us, no stress and fun in a big city with paparazzi vibes.
The Wedding: We wanted it to be a celebration with everyone we love and for our wedding to be a vibe. The venue itself was a big inspiration when doing the styling, the florals were the main styling aspect, our friend who is also a florist, Issi, really brought the vibe with the native flowers at the venue. We gave her inspiration of classic, gorgeous and native and she delivered! We just wanted everybody to have a great time together and they all pulled through!
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
Sarah and Mahnaz: That everybody had good food, good booze and fun, including us and that whatever happened was meant to happen and not to stress about anything that did not go according to plan!
Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?
Sarah and Mahnaz: The night before the wedding we had a traditional Persian/ Afghan pre-wedding party that included lots of tradition, traditional food and amazing food cooked by the Bokan-Razi's! On the wedding day, we had a ceremony with both our parents walking us down the aisle, and at the reception, we had a traditional Persian knife dance and the father-daughter dance for Sarah and her dad.
How did you choose your suppliers?
Sarah and Mahnaz: Brendan Woods was recommended to us (he shot our friend's wedding the year before!), Rabbit and Co. came with part of our venue package, we had Henry Clive's coconut margs at the food tasting and we absolutely had to have them, we liked the vibe of Dj Emalia fit perfectly when looking for a Dj, the Flower Cabinet (aka Issi), Sarah found in primary school and exploited her talents for the big day and the Bokan-Razi family for the pre-wedding party, was found by Mahnaz during birth.
What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Sarah and Mahnaz: The guestlist. We had to do a lot of culling to make sure we only had our nearest and dearest and people that will forever be in our lives.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Sarah and Mahnaz: We did a mini-moon in Byron however we are hoping to be off to Europe this year!
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
Sarah and Mahnaz: Elope - because our elopement was one of the best days of our lives.
Sarah and Mahnaz’s Team
Photographer Brendan Woods (both elopement and wedding)
Elopement Venue The Old Clare Hotel
Wedding Venue Kangaroo Valley Bush Retreat
Celebrant Marry Me Zoe
Flowers The Flower Cabinet
Sarah's Dress Aston Bridal
Mahnaz's Suit Precision Tailoring, Balmain
Catering Rabbit and Co.
Makeup Artistry by D
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