Seble and Belete's weekend of matrimony

This was my first Ethiopian wedding. It was July 17th and 18th. Much of it is actually the same as the average traditional weddings. The first big difference is that there is a ton of singing and clapping and drum playing at the houses. The bride's 'getting ready' house was filled with family and friends, mostly women. The groom's house is where all the men gathered prior to the wedding. Right before the ceremony, the groom arrives at the bride's house, with a bouquet of flowers. The house and front yard are full of people. The groom enters into the house and presents the flowers to the bride. After a few moments of prayer, the groom escorts the bride to the ceremony. Transportation to the church is very important, which must be why they chose a Rolls Royce limousine. The ceremony was mainly done in Ethiopian, though the main minister spoke only in English. Tons of singing by all during the ceremony. We had a few hours of down time between the morning ceremony and the reception on Saturday. The reception was also full of singing, though they did the cake cutting and bouquet toss to add some typical traditions. The next evening, they had another reception. This one was in their tradition Ethiopian formal attire. And traditional Ethiopian food, which they eat entirely with their hands. And of course more singing and clapping. All of the singing and clapping is their way of worshipping. It was all very fun and festive. The only tough part was the outdoor formals (6pm to 7pm at 109 degrees). But we found glorious shade-- and I believe the outdoor images are stunning despite the heat!

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