My name is Fnan and I am Eritrean. I was born and raised in Dallas, TX, and currently work there as a pediatric ICU nurse.  I met my prince charming 3 years ago in an Eritrean youth organization we were both in.  Funny thing is that we were just “hi and bye” friends for about a year before we started hanging out. We started working out together and that turned into dinner and a movie and from then on our relationship blossomed. He is the sweetest person I know and he wowed me with his chivalry. The proposal was honestly beyond anything I could have ever imagined. We went for a hike one day at a park about an hour away from home. He popped the question at sunrise overseeing the lake. It was absolutely beautiful, just us two, very personal and private. My first thought after I said yes was that I looked crazy. We were supposed to go on a hike and I was dressed for exactly that. As we walked back towards the car we were greeted with my sisters, his brother and our best friends. The hike obviously didn’t happen and we just took some great pictures there. Later in the day we had a romantic dinner and afterwards I had to participate in being blindfolded to a secret destination. We finally arrived onto a boat and when I took off the blindfold, I was greeted with my closest friends and family. We partied the night away and it was one of the most memorable days.

When I woke up on our wedding day I remember feeling  like ”ok this is it.!” All the planning, meetings, decisions, etc! It was all going to take in effect today. I was unbelievably calm and collected for some weird reason, maybe because at that point I was in execution mode. Having my bridesmaids next to me made me feel like I had the A team. My girls are amazing and know how to show a girl nothing but love. I always knew I wanted 2 materials, lace and tool, and this dress was it! It had the elegance of the lace, and the drama from the tool. It was a soft tool and that’s what I loved about it. I also added a cap sleeve for the ceremony to have a more elegant look, and removed them for the reception for a nighttime look.

Walking down the aisle made me feel blessed. Blessed that I found my partner and blessed that I had all my family and friends there to witness our union. Given that we were getting married in the fall I was looking for a vintage elegant fall look. That’s why I went with a wine color for my girls and blush for my friends of honor.  The colors complimented each other well. For the venue I wanted a kind of Victorian look for the decor. It was full of gold with hints of burgundy. When I walked into our reception I said oh my gosh it looks amazing. My decorator was awesome and definitely delivered. I was so happy with how it turned out. “You and I” by John Legend was our first dance. I heard it and it made me think of us so much. We both love the song and agreed it was the song for us. Most memorable moment of the night was when my husband and the groomsmen did a surprise dance for me. It was to “Can You Stand The Rain” just like the scene from the movie Best Man Holiday. It was so adorable and if you know Esey, you know that he is so no the singing/choreograph dancing type. But he did it and he did it well. I was super impressed and loved it.

One thing I wish a Habeshabride would have told me is that it goes by way to quick. Make sure you soak up every moment because it goes quickly. For the Melsi I picked this habeshalibs/zuria because I love the colors of red and gold. I think they are rich and royal. For the bridesmaids the zurias were very traditional and the colors were vibrant. The habesha element that was a must for me during the Melsi was the the Kabas that we had on. I know there are different kinds these days but I love the ones that we had. It was the icing on the cake for the royal look. My favorite song that was played during the Melsi was Gezana. My husband and his family love this song and really had a blast when it played. My favorite part of the Melsi was the décor. It was done by my mother in law and she did an amazing job! One piece of Melsi advice I would give is don’t procrastinate with your planning. There is so much that goes into planning a habesha wedding and if you start early you get to really enjoy the whole process. Also don’t get stressed out and remember to enjoy it all. It can be intimidating but as long as you do your best with your planning your day will be absolutely perfect for you and your hubby. Happy Matrimony!

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