FAQs

Question

I'm American, how will a Coptic wedding be different from an American wedding?

Answer

At our Coptic Orthodox wedding ceremony we will not have vows, processional music, or a smooch at the end! We will, however, have crowns and royal robes being placed on the bride and groom, anointing with oil, incense, women ululating, and deacons and priests singing the matrimonial hymns and prayers. You will be able to follow along with the full text of the ceremony on the screens in the church sanctuary in Arabic and English.

Question

How long is the Coptic wedding ceremony?

Answer

The marriage ceremony itself will be about 45 minutes long. If you need to take a break in the middle to step outside, you can absolutely do so.

Question

is there a dress code for the church ceremony?

Answer

Thank you for asking! The Coptic crowning ceremony celebrates the holy sacrament of marriage. Since this is a religious ceremony in a house of worship, please dress respectfully by covering shoulders and decolletage (a scarf around the shoulders does wonders!) and keeping skirts and dresses to a reasonable length. Covering your head is not required and removing your shoes is not necessary.

Question

What is it like being engaged to someone as handsome as Fady?

Answer

Being engaged to Fady, who is handsome like an old school movie star, is thrilling and humbling. He has the jawline of Cary Grant, the chin cleft of Omar al-Sharif, the eyebrows of Sean Connery, and the eyelashes of a baby horse who is discovering butterflies for the first time. I'm burying the lede here of course because we all know that Fady is most famous for his GOLDEN EYES, which my sister-in-law Grace famously described as "pools of honey"! The most challenging aspect of being engaged to the most handsome man in the world is that I have to constantly fight the urge to take a million pictures of him and post them all over the internet. Speaking of photos, I put several in our "Gallery" on this very website that you can go look at! Isn't he gorgeous?

Question

Will there be alcohol served at this wedding?

Answer

Per the preference of the venue owner, we have decided not to serve alcohol at our wedding. Please do not bring your own alcohol to our wedding. There will be coffee, tea, soft drinks, and some sparkling grape juice for a toast!

Question

Are Children Welcome?

Answer

Yes! Children of all ages are welcome to every part of our wedding celebration. We will have some activities and coloring sheets for younger kids as well as Wedding Guest BINGO for teens and older kids.

Question

How good is Kelly's Arabic, really?

Answer

If you ask Fady's mom Ellen, she will tell you Kelly speaks Arabic beautifully! If you ask Kelly's coworkers, they will tell you that Kelly speaks Arabic like a baby and that it is both cute and hilarious. If you ask Kelly, she will tell you her accent is great, but her grammar is subzero, and her vocabulary is limited. She is still learning and the best practice is having a brief chat with Mama Ellen every morning via video call.