FEATURED PROPOSAL: GAMER & KRISTINA

We recently stumbled upon a very fun and personal proposal that we knew we had to share on Harsanik. Gamer and Kristina are really into Escape Rooms and Gamer used this concept to plan the perfect proposal for Kristina. Kristina shares the details of how they met, the surprise proposal, and their wedding planning status. 

Featured Proposal: Gamer and Kristina

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DIANA'S STORY: SELECTING OUR VENUE

Soon after our proposal, Garen and I got started with wedding planning. The reception hall sets the tone for a wedding and picking the reception hall was the first big decision Garen and I made for our wedding. Like every couple, we had our list of parameters – the hall would need to comfortably fit between 150-200 persons; it needed to serve Armenian/Mediterranean food in a family-style setting; it needed to be close to the Glendale/Pasadena area because we are getting married in an Armenian Apostolic Church; and it needed to be close to overnight accommodations and Burbank airport as we are expecting many out-of-town guests.

With our parameters in mind, we spent several weeks looking for the right place. We visited both American and Armenian halls and, when we walked into NOOR, we knew that we wanted to host our wedding reception there. NOOR has two beautiful event spaces to choose from - the smaller Ella room (accommodates up to 142 persons) and the larger Sofia room (accommodates up to 350 persons). We loved the look and feel of both Ella and Sofia with their sleek black floors, modern chandeliers, and mirrored-pillars. Both rooms have an elegant and timeless look that – very importantly – won’t appear dated in our pictures in the years to come. Given the expected size of our wedding, we will be in the Sofia room.

Featured Wedding - Noor Banquet Hall

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Posted by: Diana Meekay | | Comments: (0) | Diana's Story

DIANA'S STORY: OUR PROPOSAL

We're thrilled to introduce our newest Bride's Story blogger, Diana! We happen to know Diana pretty well... she's engaged to Garen, one of Harsanik's co-founders! Garen and Diana got engaged earlier this year and are planning to get married in October 2018. Yes, you read that right, 2018! You can imagine joining the Harsanik family has some advantages. We're excited to kick off the series by having Diana share her proposal story:

On a very special Saturday in May, Garen proposed to me with the Santa Ynez mountains in the background. We were in Santa Barbara for the weekend. Garen knew that he was going to propose, but wanted it to be spontaneous and in the moment.

It was the late afternoon and we were driving to Solvang to enjoy a couple of cappuccinos and some delicious sweets. We decided to stop at a lookout point along the way. I should say that I absolutely love, love, love lush, green scenery. While at the lookout I couldn’t stop swooning at the gorgeous mountain range. Before I knew it, Garen was holding the ring and asked me to marry him! The proposal was amazing and so representative of us – spontaneous, romantic, and an intimate moment just between us.

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FEATURED PROPOSAL: SERGIO & ANNA

Last week, we shared a romantic proposal in Hawaii. Since we're not over summer and want to keep vacation spirit alive, we're excited to share another destination proposal. This week, we'll travel to Europe! Sergio and Anna took an exotic vacation to Madrid, but little did Anna know that Sergio had been planning to propose to her there for over 6 months! From metal detectors at the airport to a last minute change in location, Sergio shares his perspective on how he brought this proposal to life. Find out how a photoshoot turned into an unforgettable moment for Anna. 

Sergio & Anna Featured Proposal

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FEATURED PROPOSAL: HAKOB & NICOLE

A relaxing mother daughter trip to Hawaii turned into a super romantic proposal! We recently caught up with Nicole and Hakob to find out more about their proposal story and all the details of how Hakob planned this special surprise. From coordinating with his future mother-in-law, to fake calendar invites to throw off Nicole, Nicole and Hakob share their love story and all the details before, during, and immediately after their Hawaiian proposal in Oahu. 

To start off, tell us how you two met.

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FEATURED WEDDING: NARBE & EVIE

About a month ago, our Bride's Story Blogger Manifa went to Armenia for her Kavor and KavorKin’s wedding (best man & maid of honor). She posted amazing pictures and videos and we knew we had to feature their wedding on our blog. We were so excited to get in touch with Narbe and Evie and find out all about their wedding. Evie shares with us how she planned her beautiful Armenia wedding from Los Angeles and provides some tips to anyone planning a special event in Armenia. 

Featured Wedding: Narbe and Evie

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BRIDE DEMANDS GUESTS TO FUND $60K WEDDING

When we heard this story, our first thought was "please tell me she's not Armenian!" Thankfully the answer is no. A Canadian bride "Susan" went bezerk and demanded that her guests each pay $1,500 CAN (~$1,200 USD) to help fund her dream wedding. She went on a rant on Facebook and mentioned she wanted to have a "Kardashian" style wedding costing $60,000 CAN (~$47,000). Since she and her ex were unable to afford it, they asked every guest to pitch in $1,500. Only eight guests RSVPed, one being her maid of honor who agreed to pay $5,000! But soon after, people backed out, including the generous maid of honor.  And so the couple canceled their wedding and split up. 

"I just wanted to be a kardashian for a day and then live my life like normal."

Featured Wedding: Kim Kardashian & Kanye West

See more photos of Kim & Kanye's wedding 
Photo credit: E! News

"I mean seriously people, what is $1,000? What is $1500? Clearly, not a lot. It would be quite manageable [and] within budget. I've heard of people asking for worse."

What planet does she live on? We've heard crazy stories about Armenians getting loans just to pay for their wedding, but this one tops it. Asking for your family and friends to pay over a thousand dollars each to attend your wedding is ludicrous. We're not 100% sure if this story is in fact true. But regardless, we had to share this person's insane Facebook rant with you. 

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PREVIEW: SONA & TAK'S WEDDING

This weekend we were overjoyed to watch our favorite Armenian TV Star Sona Movsesian tie the knot! Sona and Tak's wedding on Saturday August 25, 2018 was perfect in every way - a couple who is truly in love, surrounded by close family and friends, and a celebration filled with beautiful Armenian traditions, entertainment, and pure happiness!

We're honored that Sona & Tak agreed to feature their wedding on Harsanik. Until the couple gets a breather to recover from their wedding and share their detailed story with us, we wanted to bring you an unfiltered look at their wedding. And yes, Conan O'Brien was a guest, and he busted his Armenian dance moves which we got on tape! 

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SONA MOVSESIAN IS GETTING MARRIED

Sona Movsesian, our favorite Armenian celebrity, is getting married this Saturday! And in case you're wondering, she's planning on having a Big Fat Armenian Wedding! (Update: She HAD a Big Fat Armenian Wedding which we featured on our blog!)

For those who don't know, Sona is Conan O'Brien's assistant and has worked with Conan for about a decade. In November 2015, Sona, Conan, and the Team Coco crew traveled to Armenia to record Conan in Armenia. Conan became the first American late-night host to broadcast a show from Armenia. 

We've been a huge fan of Sona ever since we first watched the Conan in Armenia episode. Sona is hilarious, authentic, and just an amazing representation of the Armenian race! We were also lucky to meet Sona in person in March 2016 at a USC ASA Career Panel. Sona was just as funny in person as what you see on TV! 

Conan and Sona in Armenia

For those who never saw the Conan in Armenia episode, or if you're just looking for a good laugh, here are a few of our favorite clips from the show:

"Dried apricots? They have those at Whole Foods!" 

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