My name is Sarah Ghermay. I am Eritrean, and also raised in Addis Abeba. I am an educator and currently a graduate student at Harvard University. My husband’s name is Suleman and he is an investment professional at a hedge fund in Boston, and he is Ghanian-American. We met my freshman year of college at Cornell University at a party. Suleman surprised me with a trip to Paris, and after Paris, I thought we were going to Italy for vacation. He plays polo, and often travels to play, therefore I thought it was another trip. However, he rented out an old Italian mansion in Tuscany and proposed in a statue garden. He then surprised me with a celebration in Capri, where sailed and celebrated our engagement. Afterwards we headed back to Paris for the day. When he finally asked me to be his wife It wasn’t a question of yes or no, so it felt weird to say yes!  Its been yes all along! I was just really happy.

The morning of my wedding I had been up for pretty much the entire night and sat that was grey and it was raining. So when I woke up I was worried about it raining since we have an outdoor wedding. It ended up not raining, thank God.  What made me say yes to my dress was simple… it was ravishing! It made me feel sexy, classic, and glamourous. The patterns were also unique, and reminded me of the ocean waves we were going to get married at. Having my bridesmaids next to me made me feel supported. They were so selfless and caring. Each one is so dear to my heart, and having them witness my matrimony made it awesome.  Walking down the isle made me feel special…I saw everyone I care about in one space, and it my favorite place (our venue).

Our wedding venue is called “Rosecliff” and had pink roses all over the area. I wanted my bridesmaids to look like the roses in the gardens. When designing and selecting the decor for the reception I wanted the space to look opulent and elegant. I wanted my guests to feel as if they were in a palace ready to be pampered. When I walked into the reception I said “Thank You.” I was appreciative of everyone’s smiles and support. Our first dance was to Nothing Even Matters by Lauryn Hill. The lights were turned down low and blue. We used it as a time to talk to each other and make it about just us two. We said special things to one another that only he and I could hear as everyone else watched. The most memorable moment of the day was the first look, and we met on a ship dock. He was at the end of it, and the feeling of seeing his back, and walking closer to him, and finally hugging him once we saw each other was very warm. If I could change one thing about my wedding it would have been spending less time worrying about the “things” and realizing that the best parts would be the emotions of the day. One thing I wish a Habeshabride would have told me was to practice your iskista in advance! My Melsi will be celebrated in the next year so I get to plan the that event keeping in mind what I have learned from the wedding day!