I joined Ruhama and Binyam on their second day of ceremony events for their traditional Ethiopian wedding in Denver. I’ve done several traditional cultural weddings, but never an Ethiopian one. I knew I was in for a lot of fun, a new experience and, of course, lots of good food!
I met Ruhama at her parent’s home while my second photographer met Binyam at a hotel nearby. It is traditional for the family to follow the wedding couple around the entire wedding day. So Ruhama and Binyam were both surrounded by their closest people while getting ready.
The ceremony was held at their church in Aurora. The room was packed with guests already cheering for their nuptials. Like many cultural weddings, it is traditional for the women to ululate when the groom, bridal party, and bride enter the room. It’s a signal of celebration, good praise and cheer! Oh, and it makes EVERYONE smile 🙂
We took couple, bridal party and family photos at Wash Park in Denver. There was a short break for everyone to regroup and refresh before heading to the party! The reception took place at Infinity Event Center in Glendale, Colorado. The event space is large with a LCD screen spanning all around the room. Ruhama and Binyam had no problem filling it with their 350 guests! Once everyone had arrived, they served traditional Ethiopian food which is SO.DAMN.GOOD!
During toasts, the best man surprised the couple with a performance by R.L. Huggar best known for being the lead singer of the R&B group Next. How cool is that?! As you can imagine, that got the party really going! DJ Sammy Sam played a mix of traditional Ethiopian music and modern hip-hop which kept the dancing going all night long. Ruhama and Binyam ended their epic day with a sparkler exit and more ululation from their adoring family.
I absolutely LOVE being a part of cultural wedding days! I’m always accepted in, treated like family, and fed awesome food! Not to mention that I learn so much about how weddings are done around the world. I say it time and time again, but I truly have the best job in the universe! Check out this Ethiopian Wedding in Denver!
With love,
Soleil
Jun 13, 2019
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