Hiwot and Michael met at their workplace in Toronto. They were connected via a mutual friend, and were inseparable from there. Hiwot is of Ethiopian Heritage and Michael of Tamil heritage, so this two-day wedding celebration was definitely unique! The first day was the main event (traditional western style wedding) and the second day, the Ethiopian traditional event known as the Melse.
The wedding brought together many elements of the couple’s cultural backgrounds. The event was a beautiful showcase of personalized and sophisticated timeless details. These details could be seen throughout the day. Details like the cute engraved ring box, and the bridal veil which featured the couple’s names and wedding date in Geez script. An homage to the bride’s Ethiopian heritage.
The bride wore a gorgeous dress from David’s Bridal with lots of lace details including the unique lace straps. She had her hair styled by Hair by Hanani who gave her long tresses loose curls. For the makeup, BBM beauty gave Hiwot a soft glam look that really highlighted her beautiful features. Michael wore a custom made suit by CE Clothier and looked dashing. The inside of the jacket featured the couple’s wedding date sewn in. The bridal party wore dresses that were a beautiful shade of light teal and the groomsmen matched their outfits with ties in the same colour whilst rocking light gray suits.
The catholic ceremony was the first event of the day. It happened at the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary church. It was a beautiful and meaningful celebration of the couple’s love. A sari presentation from the groom’s side in between the ceremony signified the blending of their two cultures and truly made for a multicultural experience
After the ceremony we headed to the architecturally stunning Aga Khan Museum to do the couple’s wedding portraits along with photos of the wedding party.
The reception happened at the gorgeous Paramount event space in Vaughan. For the decor of the reception hall, Sam of Dream Wedding Decor created a splendid head table with lots of candles, silk flowers and a glass table with gold edges. To match, there were also beautiful secondary tablescapes for the guests that utilized a mix of tall and low centerpieces. Lighting by the venue gave the room a unique ambiance. With beautiful circular designs projected on to the walls of the room
One of the most memorable moments of the wedding was when the couple had their Grand entrance and it was followed by Ethiopian music then some Tamil music. The dance floor was filled with guests of all ages, who joined in the celebration and added to the joyful energy of the event. It truly was lovely to see all the families and guests enjoying the music and different styles of dancing!
Some of the other neat features at the reception included the couple having their own custom drinks that guests could order, and a cool late night wood fired oven pizza station. The pizzas were absolutely delicious.
Day two was a more intimate event. The Melse is a beautiful but more laid back celebration of the couple. We started off the day by doing the couple’s portraits in their traditional Ethiopian outfitsThen we headed over to the event space where the couple had a grand entrance and were welcomed by their family and friends all lined up and holding giant palm leaves as is typical of the Ethiopian culture when it comes to wedding entrances.The Melse featured delicious Ethiopian food that was a hit with everyone, lots of dancing and a traditional coffee ceremony.
It was an honor for myself and all the dedicated vendors to be a part of such a special day, and I personally will always cherish the memories of their multicultural wedding.
VENDORS:
Reception: Location and Catering: Paramount Event Space
Photography: Karimah Gheddai Photography (KGP)
Second Shooter for KGP: Michael Gozum
Planner: Weddings with Nia
Wedding Cake: Cakes by Nams
Hiwot’s Dress: Davids Bridal
Hairtylist: Hair by Hanani
Bride’s Makeup: BBM Beauty
Invitation Card: Stephita Invitations
M.C: Zaki Zeeko
Bride’s Custom Veil: Pia Eva
Melse Location: Baba’s Banquet Hall
