Day two of an Eritrean and Ethiopian wedding, referred to as 'Melsi' or 'Melse,' mimics a traditional wedding that may take place in the country of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Everything, from the bride’s hair, gold accessories, traditional attire and the adornment of henna is drastically different from Day 1, the white wedding. The white wedding is the traditional western wedding where the bride wears a white dress. Melsi usually starts early in the morning for the girls in the wedding party, as each girl usually embarks on a beautifying ritual of hair braiding and henna decoration. In some cases, the Bride might opt out of this daunting task and spare her bridesmaids as well! Co Founder, Beri, personally wanted to experience the entirety of the culture, so for her bridesmaids and her, it was the very long process of hair braiding and henna, which took 3 hours solely for the henna design and processing (henna is usually reserved for the bride alone as it symbolizes the woman's beauty and joy as a bride). It was very much exhausting (keep in mind that Day 1 was an 18 our day for them) but fun, and the results were well worth it!
Overall, Melse is a sequel to Day 1 of the wedding with more emphasis on the culture and unique wedding traditions. It is a great way to preserve our heritage! The different attire worn by the wedding party and family members, the changes in wedding décor and the additions of traditional wedding games and songs is what makes Melsi so special and unique!
Welcoming The Bride & Groom
In alignment with the traditions of Melsi, the women at the wedding greet the bride and groom with various assortments of Mes (wine) bottles, Kitcha (homemade flat bread), Corn, Mesob (handwoven baskets) and much more. These are considered to be gifts to the bride and groom on their wedding day. Because weddings are typically celebrated as a community, all of the women in the village and neighboring villages and cities will bring a gift and sing and dance with it to show what they have brought.
All of this excitement is usually celebrated with close friends and family members, so the wedding guest list is usually not as massive as Day 1. It really is an intimate night of fun and games and a great time to reunite and catch up with visiting friends and family while enjoying the traditional boon ceremony (Yes! Boon is served at Melsi!) :)
Arkitay Betsi'hatiney
The traditional dancing game with the bridal party, called T'hambele, was followed by the traditional vow made to the bride by a few of the groomsmen. During this moment, Arkitay Betsi'hatiney, is repeated by the chosen groomsmen while standing behind the seated and covered bride.
Repeating vows over the bride. The vows were repeated in the language of Tigrinya, so there were a few funny moments since English is the first language for the wedding party!
In the Eritrean culture, the Bride leaves her parent’s village to go and live in her husband’s village. There, she is destined to start a new life with her husband and his family. Because she is essentially alone when she arrives, not knowing anyone in the new village, the groom’s friends come into an 'alliance' with her as they vow to protect her, stand up for her and become mediators in her marriage when needed. I think it’s such a precious gesture made towards the new, young bride and because we wanted to honor our family and mimic the Eritrean culture for Melsi, we thought it would be awesome to include this “ceremony,” if you will. It was totally foreign to the entire wedding party but we had fun with it!
This is an immaculate location for a party, wedding, or other special event. Incredible views and classy interior. I have been to a few parties here and they have been really well done. The Chicago wedding venues were perfect for mingling. The courtyard was beautifully decorated as well.
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