Aref Shahini and Ashley Weselak married after meeting through salsa dancing.
A Chance Meeting on a Central Square Dance Floor
They met while dancing at Havana Club, a salsa and bachata venue near Harvard and MIT.
What followed was a fast-moving courtship built around the city's small pleasures — arcade games and drinks at Lucky Strike in Assembly Row, a Buffalo Bills game watched at a bar, and time spent together in the city. By June 2023, Weselak had moved in with him. The two kept up their salsa dancing along with biking and rollerblading around the city.
From Brazil to Buffalo to Kendall Square
Weselak, a Buffalo native, later lived in Brazil. The couple fell in love in Boston in 2020.
A University at Buffalo research team Shahini worked with demonstrated that the embryonic protein NANOG could rejuvenate senescent muscle cells, according to the University at Buffalo. Walden Biosciences is a Cambridge company focused on kidney disease, per MassBio.
A Wedding
Shahini proposed to Weselak nearly three years after they met.
The United States has not maintained an embassy in Tehran since severing diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, meaning Iranian citizens seeking U.S. visitor visas must travel to third countries such as Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, or Armenia for a consular interview, according to immigration guidance. Visa restrictions also affect Iranian nationals seeking to travel to the United States, per Alma Immigration.
A Ceremony
The couple held a ceremony.
Nine days later, on July 25, the couple hosted a second ceremony and reception for 100 guests in Buffalo, where Weselak wove Persian traditions into the celebration to honor Shahini's parents. First-look photos were taken at the backyard gazebo belonging to Shahini's American parents in Buffalo before the reception.
Sofreh Aghd Elements Bridge Two Cultures
Weselak incorporated elements of the Sofreh Aghd, the ceremonial spread central to traditional Persian weddings, which typically includes a mirror to reflect the couple's future flanked by candles symbolizing purity, according to Lin and Jirsa Photography. Couples who do not want religious texts may use a book of Hafez poetry, according to Nilou Weddings.
She also made table numbers and a welcome sign in faux stained glass.
A Ceramic Cup at the Ceremony
A ceramic cup featured in the ceremony.
Weselak later lived in Brazil, and the couple met while dancing.
