Mike & Milia

One of the most exciting things about being a destination wedding photography company is that we get to experience and learn about other cultures. The most recent cultural wedding we documented was Mike and Milia’s Eritrean wedding held in Rwanda, Kigali.
Eritrean weddings are a 2 day celebration. However, we started off with a simple but sophisticated pre-wedding photo shoot. The couple donned in formal outfits looked classy and chic.

The next day commenced the first day of the wedding celebrations. The first day was the church wedding held at St Gabriel Church. Traditionally, the groom, accompanied by his best-men, pick up the  bride and take her to church. Before the service, however, both families – the groom’s and the bride’s – sit together and exchange gifts. They also decide what the newlywed couple will receive. Having made the agreements between the two families, the bride and the groom, along with their accompanying entourages, go to the church, where a Christian wedding service is held.
After service, the couple prepared for the reception to happen that evening but first we had a successful photo shoot, thanks to the magnificent beautiful gardens. Not to mention the photogenic subjects who were the center of attention for our cameras.
Serena Hotel, Kigali, was the reception venue where all their guests awaited  and welcomed the newlyweds with traditional singing and dancing.
The first day was awesome and we couldn’t wait for the second day which is a sequel of the first day. The traditional wedding also known as ‘Melsi hamawty’ is held on the second day. The bride gets adorned in henna and gold accessories as well as having her hair braided. It is usually hosted at the bride’s home where the couple dresses up in their traditional garb and have a merry time with their guests.
The event was large, vibrant and fun. The gathering was big consisting of family and friends who spent half the day singing and dancing to Eritrean traditional music while feasting on the local cuisine.

Watch their wedding video