Alpha & Anteneh - 2

Part 2 of Alpha and Anteneh’s wedding was the traditional Ethiopian celebration. It was such a privilege to be witness to - and invited into - a cultural tradition that is not my own. The day started at 5.30am at Alphas house with all her extended family and bridesmaids, sharing food and getting ready as they wait for the groom and his family to come and claim his bride. Anteneh and his best men arrived with gifts and songs and dancing, and are met with the brides family singing in return, traditional songs that tell a story of human connection that run deep into history. Finally the brides family agree that the two can marry and everyone leaves the house in a celebration that continued until the early hours of the morning!

It was no easy task to photograph over 30 people in a London flat, but the atmosphere was incredible and it was a good challenge to my usual ‘stand back and keep out of the way’ approach - I definitely had to elbow a few uncles out of the way to get a shot of the couple! My absolute favourite moment was seeing Alphas parents do a proud fist bump as they watched her greet Anteneh.