Ermias turned to his favorite business and style icon Pharrell when looking for his own wedding style. “I was inspired by Pharrell’s tux he wore at the historical Vatican performance and me and Bri agreed that was the look,” he shares. “I reached out to a friend of mine, Ini Ikpe, who is a stylist to athletes and celebrities to ask for advice on how to get that look made. He surprised me by graciously offering to style me for the wedding free of charge.” He adds, “What a guy!” Ikpe had Ermias work with Ayodeji at King & Maker Tailor to craft the ensmeble. “A couple of weeks later, my Skateboard P-inspired tux was delivered and the rest… Well, take a look yourself!”
Since the couple would have large wedding parties featuring their closest circle, they also needed to find them ensembles to wear to the celebration. Both parties kept it chic in black and white. The bridesmaid chose black and white dresses from Because of Alice and black blazers from Naked Wardrobe, while the groomsmen wore peak-lapel tuxedos from The Black Tux. “Simple. Elegant. Timeless,” notes Ermias.
With the wedding on a Sunday, the weekend was filled with events leading up to the ceremony. The couple held an intimate rehearsal dinner, a bridal shower, a welcome party, and even pre-wedding yoga with a beautiful mountain backdrop. The wedding day arrived and the couple was excited to see it was a beautiful, 75-degree day. “Before I walked down the aisle I was nervous, but just before they opened the doors I saw a butterfly and felt a sense of calm,” remembers Brianna. The bride and groom each walked down the aisle as their friend, harpist Madison Calley, played. “Our friends and family in the audience cheered and applauded, really setting the tone,” says Brianna. Ermias remembers that when she began down the aisle, “the sun rays from the door were creating a heavenly path in the center aisle for her to to walk down.” The bride’s aunt Jennifer Effah officiated the ceremony and the couple exchanged personal vows they wrote earlier that day. “Luckily my best man had secretly slid my handkerchief into my tux pocket because I was weeping,” says Ermias of reciting his vows. After the ceremony, the couple was ready to have fun. “I was giddy, excited, and ready to rock and roll,” says the bride.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds signed their marriage license and took portraits with their photographer, Liz Rudman. “The wedding attendees enjoyed cocktail hour and all went down into the desert area to take photos by the beautiful cacti that were on the venue grounds and near our photo backdrop,” says Brianna. Then, it was time for the reception, which the couple tasked Ermias’s cousin Menelik with MC-ing. “But we may have underestimated his hosting abilities because he was even better than we expected,” says Brianna. “Before we even got into the reception building, we heard all of the laughter and cheering—it was like being at a filming of SNL.”
The couple did entrances with their wedding parties and the night began to flow. “Our goal for the reception was to be able to maximize partying time, so that we did,” says the bride. Guests enjoyed Ghanaian and Ethiopian dishes, as the three best men and maids of honor gave speeches. Then, the bride and groom did dances with their mothers, their first dance to “Her” by Majid Jordan, and choreographed dances with their wedding parties. The floor opened up to all guests for the rest of the night as DJ Yonas Michael spinned the perfect partying soundtrack.
The celebrations didn’t stop until long after the actual wedding ended. “I think it was 3 a.m. and we were heading back from the club and some folks wanted to do something else,” remembers Ermias. “My response: I can’t ask God for more from this day. It would be gluttonous. Just the perfect day.” Adds Brianna, “Literally, it was the best day of our lives.”
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