A Posh Habesha Engagement Party

Goodmorning, Bellas!

We are  so excited to share today's engagement party with you! Sara and her fiance Endirias recently threw a seriously posh engagement party (that can easily be mistaken for a wedding at first glance) in one of midtown Atlanta's  finest wedding venues - The Artmore Hotel. The Artmore, a historic Spanish Mediterranean building, draws brides and event planners for its stunning courtyard that's complete with lush plants and landscaping by day and beautifully lit candles and string lights by night. The courtyard also features comfy outdoor furniture and fire pit for a sexy, laid-back vibe that you would find at an outdoor event in the Hollywood hills. Super swanky!

We absolutely love the fact that Sara and her fiance decided to Do It Big for their engagement party! Here's what Sara had to say about that:

"I have been with my fiancé for 8 years and I always said that whenever the time came, we would really experience the process of getting married and enjoy every moment. Most people in our culture don't have engagement parties so it was new for a lot of people, but I wanted one because after 8 years we deserve to celebrate!" 

Absolutely! And from looking at these pictures, it looks like Sara and her fiance were successful at making sure they, and their guests, had a great time!

On planning and decorating for the engagement party, future bride Sara says she planned the entire event herself with help from her future bridesmaids and Pinterest (where would we all be without Pinterest, seriously!). She found her amazing venue, created the invites and was the master mind behind the decor and dessert bar- Go Sara! (You definitely were an event planner in your past life!)

About planning her beautiful engagement, Sara says:

"It all came together so easily!"

Congrats again to Sara and her beau Endirias on their beautiful engagement and we wish you all the best in your wedding plannings! We can't wait for you to share your wedding with us; you will make an absolutely stunning bride!

Future Bride: Sara Araya

Future groom: Endirias Endirias

Venue: Artmore Hotel

City: Atlanta, GA.

Photographer: Dosh

A Vintage Affair

Good morning, Bellas!

We are SO excited to share details from Semhar & Mussie's wedding with you today! This Victorian slash Vintage themed wedding was beautiful and beyond detailed in every decor and fashion element!

Everything from their choice of colors -sapphire blue, canary yellow and platinum- to the intimate details in their table decor with blue damask print table linen, a combination of tall and short yellow vases and tall silver candelabras, personalized coasters, personalized flutes and a custom-made, personalized boon set for Melsi (day 2)- was perfectly orchestrated at the Paradise Palace, a stunning, victorian style venue full of hanging chandeliers!

Bypassing the usual 1,000 guest Habesha wedding theme, Semhar & Mussie settled (successfully!) with a guest list of 400 and created an intimate atmosphere for their guests with a cocktail hour (uncommon in Eritrean/Ethiopian weddings) and serenaded their guests with a live pianist as they ate, drank and enjoyed themselves!

Not only does this bride have impeccable taste in decor and design, but she is smart and efficient! She wanted a different look from ceremony to reception and instead of having a complete wardrobe change, she was transformed by changing some small details. Here's how she achieved it:

For the ceremony she wore- ball gown with train and cathedral length veil trimmed with crystals and a crystal headpiece; hair was down.

For the reception she wore- Same ball gown with bustled train, a french birdcage veil and a statement necklace; hair was up in a loose side bun.
Genius! She gracefully went from modest, traditional bride to hot, trendy bride with just a few simple arrangements! Love it!

The boon set- boon is the traditional Eritrean & Ethiopian coffee ceremony that is usually included in the Melsi (day 2). Check out this custom-made, personalized boon set that was displayed at their wedding! It had the bride & groom's pictures on it- SO unique and lovely!

Not only did Semhar successfully plan her wedding with much class and elegance, but she maintained a balance while doing so. She had these words of wisdom to share with our future brides:

"Marriage is much more than a day or weekend of festivities, though the celebration is important. Couples can easily get so caught up in planning an extravagant wedding and neglect preparations to becoming husband and wife; so do have a balance.
 Make the time in advance to be counseled by your priest/pastor, seek marriage counseling, or any other preparations (reading books together) to ensure your marriage will forever be pure and a long-lasting journey."

Read Semhar + Mussie's full wedding story HERE and check out more of their inspirational wedding pics and detail of vendors! 

To inquire about getting your own personalized boon (coffee ceremony) set contact Biniam at: biniamf@yahoo.com