March 3, 2024
Planning our special day got a lot sweeter when we got our entreprenteur friends in Ethiopia involved! They added the most beautiful details that brought so much joy to us and our guests. Although none of my Ethiopian friends were able to attend Justin and I's wedding, it was so fun for them to be involved in the day (read to the very end to hear a very special story of how that happened!).
This display table at our reception showed the faces and told the stories of the people who made each item. Tap here to see the stories we had for our guests, and read on to see each item for yourself!
Leather Bouquet wraps
Redwan, from Humble Luxuries, made us custom leather wraps for our bouquets. He even engraved the names of each of the bridesmaids and Mrs. Massner for the bride ☺️ We've also featured Redwan's leather goods in our Araya Collective box - you can see the keychains he made for the Summer 2023 Box here!
Leather Bowties and Bows
Henok, from Mul Leather, made the most adorable leather bowties and bows for all 12 of our neices and nephews! Henok's leather goods have also been in the Fall 2023 and the Spring 2024 Araya Collective Boxes. See more about that here!
Berbere
Our reception food was heavily inspired by my time in Ethiopia. The main course was chicken with sauce made with berbere, an Ethiopian red pepper spice blend. My mom and I did lots of experimentation to adapt the recipe to feed a crowd, but here's the recipe we started with. The berbere used at our reception was prepared by Senait, the sweetest cook who worked at the guest house I lived in while I was in Ethiopia last year. We also served a salad that is similar to what might you would have in Ethiopia and some Ethiopian-style blended fruit juices (ጭማቂ).
Coffee
You can't represent Ethiopia without coffee! We served iced miels at our reception with homemade cinnamon honey syrup and freshly ground Ethiopian coffee from an entrepreneur named Darba. He aims to use his coffee business to send and support missionaries!
Leather Placemats
Another beautiful leather detail made by Redwan! This was one of the centerpieces at our reception, and we were thankful that our friend at Written by Maria engraved some of our favorite quotes and Bible verses on them!
Handwoven Tablerunners
We added a splash of color to the reception with these handwoven tablerunners made by Ethiopian artisan weavers at Sabahar. I've loved visiting their shop in Ethiopia's capital city and it was extra special to place a custom order for our big day. A bonus thank you to Shana and her family who picked these up in Addis!
Leather Vase Covers
These stunning leather vase covers were handmade by Henok. Talk about talent - he custom made these for me with just a photo from Pinterest! We made the most of people traveling to and from Ethiopia - in December, we sent a set of Dollar Tree vases and glasses with a friend, and then Shana and her family brought home 8 sets of leather covers when they visited in January!
Other Impact Items
Handmade Leather Shoes
The bride and her girls wore leather mules handmade in a family-owned leather shop in Nicauragua called Adelisa and Co! Learn more about this sweet brand and see their beautiful products here (seriously, the coolest shoes!).
Bridesmaid Dresses
The deep teal dresses for our bridemaids came from Downeast. This clothing brand is a B Corporation, meaning it meets high standards for social and environmental impact. And now for the story you've been waiting for! When we first ordered the dresses for the girls, we got multiple sizes so the gals could find what worked best for them. When we heard of yet another friend/connection traveling to Ethiopia in February, we sent one of the extra dresses along. My friend and roommate in Ethiopia didn't get to be beside me on our special day, but she got to watch the big day in her own bridesmaid dress🤍
It really is the little things.
And a little teaser...
We added lots of items from missional businesses, fair trade shops, etc. to our gift registry, and we love that our day-to-day is filled with missional business goods - stay tuned for another blog post coming soon!
Photo credits to Olivia Rose Photography, Kendra Steffen Photography, and Blooming Rose Photography - they captured the day beautifully!
1 comment
Loved All your wedding pictures and stories. Thanks Darci for sharing. Beautiful!