Kifle & Freweini had one of those weddings that wasn’t just a wedding – it was a celebration throughout. When we first met with Kifle and asked him if there were anything we needed to know that was special to their day “..or is it just a normal wedding?” He replied, “Just a normal wedding.” But you’ll see in the photos, it was a more unique than expected with the word “normal”.
From the moment you walked in the door – everyone was smiling, dancing, playing, laughing, and just rejoicing! Their son, Ethan, was a non-stop smiler!!! I can’t speak for all Ethiopian families, but in Kifle and Freweini’s, the culture and love runs deep.
You can see from the photos below that this wedding is a vibrant, cultural, and spirited celebration. During the ceremony everyone sang and the groomsmen played drums while the Bride and Groom were crowned King and Queen.
During the reception they danced in a huge circle introduced by the men wearing their guardsman’s attire and wielding swords that looked older than anything we’ve ever touched, passed down from generation to generation.
The music, the styles, the food – it was all different – for us anyways. We were treated to spicy foods that everyone ate with their hands (only ‘guests’ ate with their utensils, haha), spices were mixed together with a vegetable broth and sopped up by the bread they made for the occasion, and we were treated to a bottle T’ej (it’s an alcohol made from fermenting honey).
All and all this wedding was the most unique we’ve ever attended and we wish happiness unto Kifle and Freweini!
Jeremy & Mina Schnelling » 502Photos[…] The coolest part to me was their “engagement session” – what we did was substitute their typical engagement session for a Persian wedding, called a Sofreh, that they did as a pre-ceremony to their actual ceremony. What this involves is a setting of Flowers, Eggs, Esfand, Cookies, Candles, Bread and Cheese, Honey and Sweet, etc. (it’s a very large setting that actually took up Minas parents entire living room). Mina and Jeremy huddled under a fabric held by family and were sprinkled with sugar.. they recited vows and became married by the Persian culture. As a wedding photographer, it’s very neat to see all of the customs of other cultures – the celebration of wedding is a beautiful thing. Our friends Kifle and Freweini also had a beautiful cultural wedding that you canView Here […]