A traditional Eritrean wedding
Solyana & Filmon
Dallas, Texas
One of the most exciting aspects of being a wedding photographer and videographer is discovering the way love is celebrated around the world and in diverse cultures.
We recently had the honor of documenting our first traditional Eritrean wedding!
We were blessed to experience Solyana and Filmon’s spectacular two-day wedding and fell in love with the various rituals of their fascinating culture. They hosted a grand wedding to celebrate with the Eritrean community, and a traditional Melsi with their close friends and family (check out that incredible event here). For the purpose of giving each event the recognition it deserves, this entry will focus on their magnificent wedding day at the Hall of State in Dallas, TX.
Getting Ready
We started the day at the fancy Omni Hotel, where Solyana and Filmon got ready in separate rooms with their bridesmaids and groomsmen. They partied early by exchanging gifts and having a good time with each other. Everyone and everything looked absolutely stunning, especially the bride! Their tasteful color palette and attention to detail was a treat to photograph.
First Look
Once they were ready, Solyana and Filmon went up to the rooftop to do their first look. This is always a very special and emotional part of the day, and one of our favorites to shoot! Make sure to check out the film at the end,
We took advantage of everyone looking so beautiful to snap a few portraits with the Dallas skyline before heading to the wedding venue.
The Ceremony
The ceremony and reception were held at the grand Hall of State at Fair Park.
The venue was incredible, and a perfect backdrop to their majestic wedding. Chairs were lined up and an alter was placed specially for their union. The wedding party arrived in style in a Hummer limousine. After guests were seated, Filmon, the wedding party, the flower girl and ring bearer, walked down the aisle and awaited the beautiful bride. A priest officiated their traditional Christian ceremony, along with some humor to keep everyone in a good mood.
It was an unbelievably hot day for the month of May, but Soly and Fili’s friends and family stood by them to honor their love and union. To help relieve their guests of the heat, they supplied cute little fans with printed photos from their engagement session (you can see some of those images here).
Filmon and Solyana were declared husband and wife, and everyone moved inside the hall for cocktail hour while we photographed family formals. Congratulations to the two families coming together!
Portraits
After family portraits were done, we continued with bridal party and newly wed portraits in this stunning location. It truly felt like being transported out of Dallas!
Entrances
Compared to American weddings, Eritreans give entrances a whole new meaning.
This tradition is one of the most important and exciting of Eritrean weddings. All the guests gather to welcome the newly weds, many of who are dressed in traditional clothing and are carrying palms, sticks, or drums. The elder men carry swords, sing, and jump around and are the first to lead the couple into the reception. The bridal party and the newlyweds enter dancing, followed by their guests to a traditional song called “Mesihaley Doe”.
This traditional Eritrean dance continued for quite awhile. When the initial entrance song was over, another one came on for the mothers to do their entrances. The entire process was almost an hour long! It created a joyful atmosphere that filled the grand reception hall.
Reception
After the spectacular entrances, the reception reserved a multitude of other fun and fascinating surprises.
Solyana and Filmon had their first dance on a cloud, as a smoke machine covered the dance floor and created a magical setting.
A prayer in Tigrinya (Eritrean language) blessed the couple and the dinner that followed. The delicious food and sewa (Eritrean wine) involved a long preparation and were gratefully received.
Speeches were done both in English and Tigrinya, including some by the bride and groom themselves.
And let’s not forget the cake! Eritreans have a traditional song for every ritual including cutting the cake.
Exits
After all the reception traditions, the dance floor opened up and everyone jumped in. If there’s something every culture has in common, it’s dancing to celebrate. However with Eritrean weddings, they dance all the way into the exits.
As grand as their entrances were, Eritrean exits are just as special. The bride has a bright woven hat placed on or above her head for good luck and the groom wears a while blanket he received as a welcome gift. They are adorned with money as gifts, which gets collected and saved for them. The exits continue as they are escorted outside, where they say their goodbyes to their loved ones.
Wedding Film
Our team had such a wonderful experience documenting this incredible wedding.
We invite you to watch the wedding film for an immersive view into this special day!
Documenting cultural weddings is what fills our hearts and where we thrive, so please feel free to get in touch if we can help capture your unique event!