Wedding Announcement: Ethiopian and American Love Fest

Bride: Lisa Gillison
Groom:  Biruk Gebrehiwot
Wedding date:  11/24/2012

Biruk and I are all about family. According to Ethiopian tradition, Biruk asked my father and mother with his mother and father for my hand and three months later he has to propose. On December 24, 2011 my family, aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered for the holiday. We held hands and Biruk volunteered to pray over the food. After his prayer he said how much he loved me and my family and got down on one knee. The rest was history.

We will wed in my family church, Mother Bethel AME. Mother Bethel is the first African Methodist Episcopal church in the world. The reception will follow at the Sheraton in Society Hill. The theme of our wedding is to combine the Ethiopian and American culture. We will also have little touches of our school, PENN STATE, throughout the wedding.

Biruk and I are also having a ceremony and reception in Ethiopia. We are looking forward to our marriage and both celebrations.