Ethiopian and Eritrean Wedding Photography in Minnesota

Plan an Ethiopian or Eritrean wedding's photography around three things: an early, lengthy church service if the couple are Orthodox, one or more family celebrations, and a portrait list that honors both families. Customs differ by country, ethnic group and faith, so confirm the order of events and church photography rules with your priest and elders.

This guide is for couples and families planning in Minnesota. It draws on the Minnesota Historical Society, church sources, Eritrea's Ministry of Information and Cultural Atlas, and it is a planning checklist rather than a rulebook: Orthodox, Muslim and Protestant families, and Tigrigna, Oromo, Afar and other communities, may do things very differently. For the general questions I ask any couple with several events, see my Twin Cities multicultural wedding photography guide.

Ethiopian and Eritrean communities in Minnesota

Minnesota Compass estimates an Ethiopian community of 45,159 (margin of error 5,404) in pooled 2020 to 2024 Census Bureau estimates, with 89.7 percent living in the Twin Cities. MNopedia's history of Oromos in Minnesota by Teferi Fufa notes that the first Oromos settled here in the early 1970s and that Minnesota now has the largest Oromo population outside Ethiopia after Kenya, with community institutions that include an Oromo evangelical church and an Islamic center.

The Ethiopian Community in Minnesota, incorporated in 1995, describes itself as representing all Ethiopians regardless of age, ethnicity, language or religion. On the Eritrean side, the World Council of Churches lists the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church as its own Oriental Orthodox church and a member since 2003, separate from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, whose services are in Geez with portions in Amharic and which has congregations in North America.

What are common Ethiopian and Eritrean wedding traditions?

There isn't one pattern. Cultural Atlas, citing Ethiopia's 2007 census, reports that 43.5 percent of Ethiopians were Orthodox Christian, 33.9 percent Muslim and 18.6 percent Protestant. Eritrea is home to nine ethnic groups, and Eritrea's Ministry of Information describes a traditional Afar wedding held at a mosque and followed by a communal feast, very different from the church weekend described below.

Elders and the engagement

In Ethiopia, Cultural Atlas explains, a group of elders, or shimagile, visits the bride's family on behalf of the groom's family to propose the engagement, and the dowry, or tilosh, is arranged once the proposal is accepted. Marriage is described as the merging of two families. If your families hold an elders' visit, ask whether they want it photographed at all before anyone brings a camera.

An Eritrean wedding weekend

Eritrea's Ministry of Information describes a Tigrigna wedding weekend that starts before dawn. At 4 a.m. on Saturday there are photos with family, then the groom, in his traditional white outfit and joined by his best men and friends, comes to take the bride to church. An early Orthodox ceremony usually takes about two hours. Afterward, women of both families greet the newlyweds with songs and clapping at a breakfast celebration, with dancing into the early afternoon.

The same account describes the bride's family celebrating on Saturday evening, often in a decorated white tent outside her parents' home, with the bride changing her hairstyle and putting on a white wedding dress. The groom's family often celebrates on Sunday evening, leaving Sunday afternoon for a wedding photo shoot, although many young couples now choose one venue for both families on Sunday. Later, at the hamawti, women from the bride's family visit the groom's home to celebrate.

Ethiopian weddings, and Oromo, Muslim, Protestant and blended weddings, follow their own sequences. Ask your families for yours before you plan coverage.

What should you know about photographing an Orthodox Tewahedo ceremony?

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's own site lists conditions and signs of the sacrament of matrimony: both partners should belong to the Orthodox Church, the couple make their declaration in front of the church, a priest performs the matrimonial service, and the couple are anointed with oil. Mahibere Kidusan, an Ethiopian Orthodox association, calls the service majestic and lengthy and lists the exchange of rings, the blessing and crowning, when the priest places crowns on the couple's heads, the common cup, readings from the Epistles and Gospel, and a final blessing.

Church etiquette matters for your photographer too. Rough Guides notes that in Ethiopia shoes are removed before entering a church, women are expected to cover their hair with a scarf and wear a long dress, and where a church has separate entrances for men and women, visitors should use them. Cultural Atlas similarly notes that women may be required to cover their bodies and hair in places of worship. Ask whether your Minnesota parish follows these customs, and include your photographer in the answer. Then ask your priest:

• Where may photographers stand during the service, and which areas are off-limits?
• Is flash allowed, or available light only?
• May photographers move during the crowning, or should they stay in one place?
• Should photographers remove shoes or cover their heads?
• Is video permitted, and where can a videographer set up?
• When does the service start, how long will it run, and are there moments that should not be photographed?

How much coverage do multi-event weddings and large receptions need?

Plan each event on its own. Using the Eritrean weekend described above as an example, these are starting points I'd plan from:

Event	Coverage I'd plan	What to plan for
Early family photos, church and breakfast celebration	8 to 10 hours	Low light before dawn, a long service, songs and dancing
Bride's family evening celebration	4 to 5 hours	Outfit change, tent or hall lighting, family groups
Groom's family celebration or shared Sunday reception	5 to 6 hours	A couple's portrait session in the afternoon, then the party

Ask your priest early about the church calendar as well. Cultural Atlas notes that the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar includes between 200 and 250 fasting days, which can shape both your date and your menu.

Add a second photographer when the couple prepare in different homes or two celebrations overlap. My second photographer coverage page explains how that works, and my guide to how many hours of wedding photography coverage you need breaks down what each block captures. Collections start at $3,100, and the wedding photography packages page shows what each includes. For songs and dancing, my Minneapolis wedding videography page covers adding film. If two traditions are meeting in one marriage, my Nigerian wedding photography guide shows another two-event plan.

Planning family portraits for two families

Family portraits fit naturally into the slots the tradition already gives you, like early family photos before church or a Sunday afternoon photo session. A few ways to keep them moving:

• Photograph elders first, with chairs ready, and ask how they prefer to be addressed and grouped.
• Group relatives by family side and household so they arrive in batches.
• Name a relative on each side who knows every aunt, uncle and cousin by name.
• If the couple wear traditional white attire for church and different outfits later, plan portraits in each.
• Budget about two minutes per group, and keep portraits clear of the service start time.

My guide to building a family formal photo list helps with grouping order, and my wedding photography timeline guide helps you fit the portraits into the rest of the weekend.

Frequently asked questions

How long is an Ethiopian or Eritrean Orthodox wedding ceremony?

Eritrea's Ministry of Information describes an early Orthodox church ceremony as usually taking about two hours, and Mahibere Kidusan calls the Ethiopian Orthodox marriage service majestic and lengthy. Ask your priest for the start time and expected length, and plan getting-ready and family photos so they finish well before you leave for church.

Can photographers take pictures inside an Orthodox Tewahedo church?

Ask your priest, because rules depend on the parish. Find out where photographers may stand, whether flash and video are allowed, and whether any moments should go unphotographed. Also ask about customs such as removing shoes and covering hair, which Rough Guides describes for churches in Ethiopia, so your photographer can dress and move respectfully.

Do Eritrean couples have separate family receptions?

Traditionally, Eritrea's Ministry of Information describes the bride's family celebrating on Saturday evening and the groom's family on Sunday evening, while many young couples now choose one venue for both families on Sunday. Tell your photographer which you are planning, because two receptions need two blocks of coverage and possibly an outfit change in between.

How many hours of photography does an Ethiopian or Eritrean wedding need?

Plan each event separately. A day that starts with early family photos, a church service and a breakfast celebration can need 8 to 10 hours on its own, and I'd plan another 4 to 6 hours for each evening celebration. Add a second photographer when the couple prepare in different homes or celebrations overlap.

What should we ask elders before the wedding?

Ask which traditions each family wants included, the order of events, and whether the elders' engagement visit or other family moments should be photographed. Ask how elders prefer to be addressed and grouped in portraits, and who can help gather relatives. Write the answers into the timeline and share it with your photographer and videographer.

Sources

• Minnesota Compass: Ethiopian population, cultural communities
• Minnesota Historical Society, MNopedia: Oromos in Minnesota: The Making of Little Oromia
• Ethiopian Community in Minnesota: About
• World Council of Churches: Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church
• World Council of Churches: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
• Cultural Atlas: Ethiopian Culture, Religion
• Cultural Atlas: Ethiopian Culture, Family
• Eritrea Ministry of Information: The Rich Tapestry of Traditional Afar Matrimonial Rites in Eritrea
• Eritrea Ministry of Information: Eritrean Wedding, a long Process yet a Beautiful one
• Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church: The Sacrament of Matrimony
• Mahibere Kidusan: Sacrament of Marriage
• Rough Guides: Customs and etiquette in Ethiopia