My name is Rania and I am half Ethiopian and Sudanese. I Currently working at Jewellery company as an admin, stock and quality control rep while completing my marketing management degree. My hubby and I met through a mutual friend while on a night out and have been inseparable since 2005.  He proposed while we were on vacation in Bali at the W hotel in a very romantic setting. He went above and beyond making sure it was the perfect proposal and that I didn’t find out about it. My first thoughts after I said yes and while Kim K CRYING I asked “does my mum know”? Lol

Waking up on my wedding day I remember feeling excited and ready to marry my best friend. I was the calmest I’ve even been because everything was organized and I had nothing to worry about outside of getting  myself and bridesmaids ready. I am also so lucky and blessed to have such amazing and beautiful friends standing beside me on one of the most important days in my life. My dress was my dream dress designed by the amazing Paolo Sebastian… He knew exactly what I wanted and what suited me. He made sure the silhouette was perfect. I trusted him and I was right in doing so.  I chose the platinum gown for myself because it complimented my skin tone, white French lace for the bridesmaids it complimented my gown and the rich tone florals just completed the look. White florals just weren’t for me and wouldn’t have done the dress color and designs justice. Walking down the aisle made me feel so happy! Seeing all our close family and friends there to support us and seeing the happiness and love in their faces made it perfect. For the decor of the ceremony and venue I wanted it to match with the outdoor venue which was modern rustic glam. When we walked in I was very happy with it! Our first dance was to John Legend So High. The most memorable moment of the night was when my hubby thanked my mother and my grandmother in the very little Amharic he learned. One thing I wish a Habesha bride would have told me is that you can’t please everyone.

I celebrate my henna night the Friday a week before the wedding day and the Melse the Sunday after the wedding day. I picked both wedding outfits according to my style. I wanted simplicity with a touch of statement. Nothing over the top.  For my girls I wanted them to be comfortable and wearing something that would compliment what I was wearing. For me the most important thing for those two traditional days were The dancing, the food and most importantly making sure  that my new Italian family experiences what our culture was all about. My favorite part of the Melse was watching my grandmother lead the dance floor… she was in her element given her age. I love seeing that. One piece of advice that I would give to current brides is to leave it all to your family. I actually had nothing to do with the traditional day planning which freed me up to plan the wedding and still have time for myself to relax and take the whole experience in. Leaving the traditional day planning to the family is their happiness. It’s what they know and they do IT amazingly. Good Luck!

Vendor List