Ashenda | A Tigray Celebration Part 1

During the month of August, for a few days straight, Tigray women and girls all around the world celebrate Ashenda. This article was submitted by Ethiopian model Bethelhem Belay, via Tigrai Online, and gives us some background on what Ashenda is and why it is celebrated. This was so beautiful, we had to share!

P.S. This is Part 1 of the post and in Part 2, we will showcase images of women celebrating Ashenda from all around the world. If you partook in Ashenda this year and would like to share your pictures with us, please tag us on our social media pages or email them to us directly at info@herbigday.info

Enjoy this read, xo.

Ashenda is a unique, Tigraian festival which takes place in August to mark the end of a fasting period called Filseta (Tsome Filseta, Assumption of St. Virgin Mary) in the Ethiopian Orthodox church. It is both a traditional and religious festival. This event is mostly for girls and young women, and is eagerly awaited for each year. It is unique to the people in the state of Tigrai, located in northern Ethiopia. The name of the festival "Ashenda" comes from the name of a tall grass that the girls make into a skirt and wear it around their waist as adornment. The young women and girls dress in their best traditional dresses, called tilfi, a cotton dress decorated with amazing embroidery on the front of the dress from top to bottom. The girls also adorn themselves with an array of beautiful jewelry.

After the girls gather in the village or city center, they divide into small groups and go from house to house, singing and playing their drums. They stop at every house to sing and dance for the people in the houses. It is customary for people to give them money, food, drinks and other items for their efforts. They continue the whole day going from house to house and occasionally stopping in a village or city center, singing and dancing for a while before they continue on their tour.

A week or so after the celebrations start, the event comes to an end with all the girls from the village or town coming together in a central location for more singing and dancing until sundown. This time the young boys join in more like spectators than active players.

Culture Fusion in Jamaica

Hi Bellas! We came across Muneera's wedding on social media and fell in L-O-V-E with all of the bright colors, the culture fusion and the beautiful backdrop of Jamaica's beautiful beaches, palm trees and skyline! This bride did such a fabulous job with everything- not only did she choose the perfect destination but everything from her wedding gowns, her bridesmaids' turquoise dresses, her stunning headpiece and the bindi (forehead decor worn in India) and henna that each of her bridesmaids were adorned with. This is by far one of our fave weddings (on social media of course, because we weren't there; but looking at these pictures will definitely make you wish you were there)! 

Enjoy, xo.

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Thank you, Muneera for allowing us to share your gorgeous pictures! They are so inspiring!! 

Professional Photographs by Dwayne Watkins Photography (TeamDWP).

Originally published on Bella Bride Africa.

How Will You Style Your Hair For Your Big Day

Hi Bellas! If you are at all like me (or most woman I know, for that matter), your hair is always a big topic...and it's an even bigger topic on your big day! So think about how you will style your tresses way in advance, so you are not stressed just weeks before the wedding.

The first question you should ask yourself is: what type of wedding is it? Will you have a traditional ceremony with a traditional veil (your hairstyle might determine the type of veil you wear, if any)? Also, will it be an indoor wedding or outdoor wedding, what are your wedding themes, etc. This might help narrow down your options when looking for different hair styles.

Second, how do you normally like to style your hair? Do you have certain 'habits' like side bangs, front bangs, etc.?
Also, are you planning on putting in clips (extensions) or a partial/full weave? Or will you use your natural hair?
When you answer these questions, it might be easier to narrow your search for different hairstyles.

For my wedding, I let my bridesmaids just leave their hair down with curls in it. I didn't want to choose a particular hairstyle because I wanted them to be comfortable with their normal hairstyles. Also, I am not a fan of the “polished look” so I asked that they stick to hairstyles that they are accustomed to- and of course they all went for the simple, hair down, look with some of them sweeping their bangs to one side.

For myself, (for the ceremony) I pulled my hair back in a loose, curly back bun and left my side bangs (I was going for a traditional look). The inspiration for this look was from a Jessica Alba pic I saw on the internet. I loved the romantic curls and twists that looked like a fancy bun with intricate weaving. To upgrade the look, I added crystal pins to the sides of my hair, near the bun and suddenly it was a sophisticated wedding day look! Thanks to my hairstylist, Rigat Habte of Hands of Artistry, we made this work!

For the reception, I went with a simple half up/half down style! The part of my hair that was up was very loose and fun! The inspiration of this simple hairstyle was from a Carrie Underwood pic that I came across online! I don’t think it was necessarily a ‘wedding’ inspiration pic of her, but I loved the look and it was perfect for me (she had the side bangs as well!).

If I can make any suggestions, based on my own experience- if you choose the loose, fun look, don’t forget about fly-aways! Make sure to use a good product that will keep your short pieces down in the heat or wind without making your hair hard. Remember to discuss this with your hairstylist during your trial!

Most importantly, during your trial, don’t be afraid to try out a hairstyle that you normally wouldn’t do- This is the time to explore and see what works best for you! Have fun with it!

One of my favorite places to look for hair inspiration is the RED CARPET! You will find everything from polished looks to fun and flirty looks!

Enjoy these looks, xo.

Originally published on Bella Bride Africa

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

Turquoise Wedding Inspiration

Hi, Bellas! Turquoise is such a beautiful color with it's magical blue-green shade that not only looks good on all skin colors, but makes for a swoon worthy wedding color! Turquoise decor in flowers, linens and bridesmaid gowns are lovely; and even more lovely when paired with other complimentary hues!

Check out this Turquoise wedding from Betty and Dr. Bereket's Houston wedding held at the Bayou City Center.

Photo Credit: Sara Solomon-Kwende | Wedding Coordinator: Debora Yemane | Makeup by: AlexisBaddoo@gmail.com

Here is another example of how Turquoise can be beautiful with other bold colors such as purples and blues. Here is an example of how two bold colors can work really well together! Love this inspiration from our featured bride Selam.

And for a more Spring'ish look and feel, Turquoise pairs REALLY well with peach, coral and yellow hues! Check out this beautiful collage inspiration.

Coral and turquoise statement necklace

And how about a Pop of Turquoise in this vintage lace wedding gown....!

Peek-a-boo Turquoise

Fun Fact: did you know that Turquoise is French for "Turkish" as this valuable gem or stone was originally imported from Turkey. Also, in many cultures, the Turquoise gemstone has been cherished for thousands of years as a holy stone and a bringer of good fortune. Sweet! (Source)

Get Inspired, Bellas! xo

Did you have a wedding with a splash of Turquoise hues? Share your Turquoise inspiration with us here or email them to info@herbigday.info