A bright & lovely Islamic wedding in Mombasa, Kenya #Real Weddings: Global#africa#couples of color#henna#muslim#sari Posted Dec 17 2018 Catherine Clark bijouxandbits Photos by Events By Merida with editing by Alex Medvick Photography Fatma and Ibrahim were on party number four in their wedding schedule. There had been two smaller celebrations, and then a much larger one in Washington, DC, where the couple currently resides. Ibrahim is originally from Sierra Leone, but most of his family has relocated to the DC area. This final reception was the largest with over 700 guests, held in Mombasa, Kenya. Planner Events By Merida took on the challenge of traveling there, planning within different cultures and new-to-her languages (Swahili and Arabic!), and shared with us their story. Rihana Decorations took charge of the decor including traditional elements such as the trunks and six foot tall teapots, and a bench they brought in featuring peacock designs. The peacock is a Swahili symbol, and was used on the couple's foil invitations and table numbers. Downstairs at the men's reception, bright draping and a floral arrangement accompanied the thrones for the groom and the bride's male members of the family. Among Arabic trends, Fatma's style was particularly offbeat. She went for a gold and brown fitted gown with a golden veil. One difference in Swahili weddings from Western weddings is that the couple doesn't see each other for the reception. The men celebrated on one floor; the women on the other. For the bride's entrance, she dances through the room to the beat of her relatives drumming sticks together. She was joined at the front by the attendees — all 350 of them! What followed was a true party of lunch and dancing. Once the reception was over, the couple and family headed back to Fatma’s family home, where we were able to take photos of the entire family. One big hiccup: in the days leading up to the wedding, Fatma repeatedly tried to talk to the photographer for the women and was repeatedly ignored. On the day of, both of the photographers (one for the men, one for the women) ghosted the couple. Luckily, both the bride’s sister and planner Merida were carrying decent cameras and were able to capture the day. Vendors Venue: Islamic Center of Mombasa • Coordination & Photographer: Events By Merida • Photo Editing: Alex Medvick Photography • Decor: Rihana Decorations & Occasions • Makeup: Aisha Kibwana of Asmini Beauty • Hair: Muna Ali • Dress fabric: made by private seamstress in Philadelphia • Dress: created by private seamstress in Nigeria • Shoes: Emirates Shoe Store Gallery This slideshow requires JavaScript. Catherine Clark Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com. @enidjcoleslaw @bijouxandbits @bijouxandbits PREVIOUS Spring is coming and these dried flower crowns fulfill your long-lasting headpiece dreams NEXT Lightsabers & love at this May the Fourth Star Wars wedding Show/Hide comments [ 1 ] The fact that these photos were taken by a family member and the wedding planner when the "real" photogs ghosted is genuinely impressive. They're freaking gorgeous photos! Reply Join the conversation Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign me up for your offbeat awesomeness newsletter! No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy. Biz owners & wedding bloggers Please just use your real name in your comment, not your business name or blog title. Our comments are not the place to pimp your website. If you want to promote your stuff on Offbeat Bride, join us as an advertiser instead.
The fact that these photos were taken by a family member and the wedding planner when the "real" photogs ghosted is genuinely impressive. They're freaking gorgeous photos! Reply