“Choosing my dress was a lot of fun,” says Ariana. “I was with my mom and god-sister. We went to three shops in a day, and on the second one, I tried on the Lazaro. We all had an immediate response, but I wanted to keep looking. I went back with one of my bridesmaids the next weekend and got it!”

For beauty, Ariana booked what she calls her “dream team”: “Makki Araya did my and the bridesmaids’ makeup, and for hair, Yene Damtew—a member of Mrs. Obama’s glam squad—was my stylist. The beading on the bodice of my dress was incredible, so I wore very little jewelry—just a simple pair of diamond drop earrings.”

After going to a few places, Prince Yoel found his tuxedo at Lapel, a specialized tuxedo boutique in Old Town, Alexandria. “It had such a good selection, and the owner was great and had the exact tux I was looking for: The dark navy with black shawl collar,” he says.

The bride’s sisters, Sushama and Leah, along with her cousin Priya and two close friends, Jami and Vivian, all served as her bridesmaids. “They are beautiful, low-key girls,” says Ariana. “They wore different rose gold dresses, and on the day of the wedding, I gave each of them a twisted bangle of silver, gold, and rose gold to wear.”

On September 9, Prince Yoel and Ariana finally made things official. The wedding festivities started at 9:00 a.m. with a ceremony at the Debre Genet Medhane Alem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Temple Hills, Maryland. (Just days earlier, Ariana converted.)

“The ceremony was a wholly spiritual and uplifting moment,” remembers Prince Yoel. “It was carried out by the totality of the clergy at Debre Genet Medhane Alem Church, officiated with great passion, and followed our long history and tradition to the highest degree of detail, with all the sacraments, vestments, and oils—and apart from a few details, it was a true-to-form Ethiopian Orthodox wedding. Everyone felt the spirit, the holiness, and the love present . . . the energy was incredible. My heart felt so full of pride. I was carried away to my home country and into the millenary tradition of my ancestors.”

Later, the newlyweds celebrated with a formal black-tie reception at Foxchase Manor in Manassas, Virginia. Many distinguished guests were in attendance, including members of the Ethiopian royal family such as: HIH Prince Paul Makonnen, HIH Prince Phillip Makonnen, HIH Prince Beedemariam Makonnen, HIH Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, and HIH Princess Mary Asfaw Wossen. Other notable guests included Dr. Johnnetta Cole, recently retired director of the National Museum of African Art; Sharon Pratt, former mayor of Washington, D.C.; His Excellency Deep Ford, ambassador of Guyana to the United Nations organizations in Geneva; and His Excellency Riyad Insanally, Guyanese ambassador to the United States.

For food, Indian appetizers, Ethiopian delicacies, Ethiopian honey wine, and Guyanese black cake were all served—with lots of Champagne! And for music, there was a live Ethiopian band combined with the couple’s favorite DJ, Pitch One, who spun soca, hip-hop, go-go, Michael, Whitney, and more.

“After the reception, we had danced and celebrated so much, we stayed on a ‘high’ for days. The wedding events began on September 5 and carried on through the 10th, Ethiopian New Year’s Eve. The day after the reception, my mother and family had organized a melse [a traditional Ethiopian post-wedding celebration] with close family and friends at Meaza, an Ethiopian restaurant. My grandfather Ambassador Imru Zelleke offered a final toast to us: Well wishes of happiness and for a plentiful family!” Sounds like a fairy-tale ending befitting a prince and his bride.