Weddings are solely and entirely meant for women, irrespective of which part of the planet you hail from, they take over the big day. The groom is left hanging in the shadows of the bride; masked by the whole occasion. Nevertheless, the groom is not left out in the process of making the big day worth remembering. Tips’ ranging from the mundane to the important, for him, is a blueprint. A guide map to what he should do.
5. In an Ethiopian African setting, a man is seen as one sitting at the helm of things: the overseer and watchful-keeper. This is to be replicated even in wedding preparations. One of the chief responsibilities that a groom is left to mostly handle on his sleeve is the honeymoon bookings. It’s a woman’s world and the bride expects to have the best of everything, especially her first wedding night. Booking then a beautiful, secluded and private honeymoon destination remains a man’s forte, and to do so, arrangements are to be done months earlier.
4. It doesn’t matter whether you have one part conventional wisdom or three parts artificial intellect, or you hail partly from the shores of the Blue Nile; organizing the transport for the wedding entourage is just as important as the bride’s hairstyle. The groom is held responsible for the logistics which calls for utmost planning in regards to the nature of the wedding and wherefore it’s being held. Traditionally, Ethiopians used donkeys but modernity has overshadowed this with other relatively acceptable modes of transport. Donkeys were regarded as deities in the Ethiopian cultural and tradition life.
3. Standing out from the crowd, especially in a wedding, entails one to look their best. The Ethiopian groom and his pact of groomsmen know all too well that getting attires to match the wedding theme not only is it a herculean task, but a head-scratching process. This then relatively calls for ample preparation prior to the wedding, so as to look out for the best outfits and get them ready for the wedding day. Be it suits or Traditional Afro-centric attires, it’s a requisite that they be prepared at least two months earlier.
2. Traditionally, especially the Amhara people adorn themselves in a large white shawl draped over their shoulders and arms called the Shemmah. Underneath it, men may wear shorts or tight white trousers and white shirts to match up the look, while women wear a long, loose white dress.
1. Its mostly in weddings where people preen, coo and talk of the bride’s ring or lack thereof. It’s said to be the smallest hand-cuff ever to be presented on the face of the earth. But however small it maybe, it signifies the union between the groom and the bride – it binds them together, forever and it must be there. Not only does this occur in modern but even in traditional weddings. However, finding the perfect ring and one that fits their fingers is what the groom is supposed and entirely left to do, lest the wedding is postponed or called off; something that won’t go well with the bride.