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Photos by Lucas Botz Photography
After years of long distance, from the Caribbean to Cleveland, Erin and Mahmood got married at Calhoun Beach Club.
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Mahmood’s burgundy bowtie paid tribute to the tie his father wore on his wedding day.
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Bridesmaids picked out their own floor-length black dresses for the ceremony.
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After the ceremony, Erin and Mahmood’s dog accompanied them on their “mini-moon” to Lake Michigan.
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The bride’s dress, designed by La Sposa Eudora, is from Jackie J's Bridal and Formal Wear in Alexandria.
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Local florist Munster Rose provided floral arrangements for Erin and Mahmood’s big day.
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Family heritage played an important role in the couple’s summer ceremony.
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As part of the traditional Persian ceremony, Erin and Mahmood sat in front of a sofreh, a table facing east decorated with symbolic items.
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Mahmood designed Erin’s ring through Jewelry on 5th, based in New York City
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One of the sofreh items, a mirror, represented light and brightness in the couple’s future.
The story of Erin and Mahmood “is kind of long,” according to the bride. They both grew up in Minnesota—Erin in Anoka, Mahmood in Rochester. But it took a chance rendezvous in the Caribbean for romance to blossom. The couple met while attending medical school at St. George’s in Grenada, and after that, nothing could split them apart—not even four years of long distance while they completed their residencies in Rochester (Erin) and Cleveland (Mahmood). Eight years and six cities after they started dating, they tied the knot in Minneapolis.
When the wedding planning kicked off, Erin and Mahmood didn’t have a terribly specific vision for their venue. But they definitely had a general idea of how they wanted their big night to feel. “We wanted it to be a fun, but kind of elegant night,” Erin says, “so we were looking for a venue that fit that, was located in Minneapolis, and had some nice outdoor space.” After looking at three or four places, Calhoun Beach Club quickly emerged as the number one choice. “Calhoun Beach Club was big, open, with tall windows…[it was] white and bright inside, and it has that amazing patio that looks over Lake Calhoun.” The ceremony room’s grand staircase sealed the deal for the bride-to-be. “Picturing myself walking down the staircase with my dad was a seller,” Erin says. Guests fit comfortably in the ceremony room, with plenty of natural light streaming through the windows.
A simple two-part ceremony honored the couple’s American upbringing and Mahmood’s Persian heritage. Erin and Mahmood’s close friend, Kyle, conducted a low-key American ceremony. “It was very personal, kind of relaxed, and fun since he knew us so well,” Erin says. After that, Mahmood’s father led the bride, groom, and the crowd through the Aghd, the traditional legal ceremony of a Persian wedding. Erin and Mahmood sat in front of a sofreh, a table facing east decorated with symbolic items like honey (for a sweet life), flatbread (for prosperity), a mirror (to bring light to the future), and more. Women from both the bride and groom’s families held a cloth over their heads and grated two sugar cones, Kalleh Ghand, to sweeten the couple’s life together in marriage. The Persian ceremony concluded with Mahmood’s father asking three times if Erin took Mahmood as her husband. In accordance with tradition, Erin played shy until the third call. Spoiler: she said “yes.”
Following the ceremony, guests strolled out to the Beach Club’s patio—overlooking Bde Maka Ska—for a cocktail hour, with two-piece orchestral group OK Factor providing music. An hour later, the party moved to the ballroom for dancing, dining, and cake. Calhoun Beach Club provided the catering, with a “really good” cheesecake replacing a traditional wedding cake for dessert. And in keeping with the night, the reception kept the focus on fun. “Instead of people just sitting down for dinner, we wanted to kind of set the mood for the night,” Erin says, “So DJ Dudley D invited everyone to the dance floor, and we did 10 to 15 minutes of dancing to a Prince mash-up.” After the Prince party, Mahmood’s best man sang and played guitar as the newlyweds had their first dance. Then, back to eating, dancing, and reveling the night away.
As the bride and groom led guests in dancing, the moon replaced the sun, and starlight streamed over the lake and through the wide windows of Calhoun Beach Club. Soon, Erin, Mahmood, and their puppy would be basking on the shores of Lake Michigan for their “mini-moon.” A fitting end to a long and happy love story.
- Bride’s dress: Designed by La Sposa Eudora, from Jackie J's Bridal and Formal Wear in Alexandria
- Groom's tux: Hugo Boss,
- Groom's bowtie: Lanvin
- Bride's Ring: Designed by Mahmood through Jewelry on 5th, based in NYC
- Groom's Ring: From Tiffany's, in the style of his father's wedding band
- Wedding invitation designer: Robert Pflaum
- Honeymoon: Mini-moon at Lake Michigan, full honeymoon in Maui
- DJ: DJ Dudley D, Generation WOW
- Flowers: Munster Rose
- Hair: Emily J. Hair & Makeup
- Music (ceremony and cocktail hour): OK Factor
- Photographer: Lucas Botz Photography
- Rentals: Après Party and Tent Rental
- Linens: Linen Effects
- Transportation: Valley Limo & Coach
- Venue & Catering: Calhoun Beach Club
- Videography: Eyetography
- Wedding Coordinator: Denae Brennan Events
