With full hearts and gratitude to God,the families of Mr. Wagih Labib & Late Mr. Gamil Botrous invite you to join them in celebrating the Holy Sacrament of Marriage of their son and daughter, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Washington D.C. 11911 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030

Our story begins on July 21, 2024, at my cousin Ereny and Rico’s wedding in Virginia. The moment I saw Sally in her green dress; I was completely captivated. It was her eyes — those unforgettable, colorful eyes and the effortless way she carried herself. I was instantly drawn to her and spent the rest of the night trying (and failing) to act cool. I was shy, but that didn’t stop me from stealing glances whenever I could. I wanted to introduce myself but seeing that she was attending the wedding with someone, I chose to be respectful and give her space. We crossed paths a few times and even shared a few seconds of dancing from afar. A few days later, I found out the person she attended the wedding with was her brother. Timing really does have a sense of humor. About a week after the wedding, fate and my cousin Ereny stepped in. She sent me a picture of Sally and said, “She was at the wedding, and I think she’s single.” What she didn’t know was that I had already been hoping for exactly that. After confirming Sally wasn’t taken, I put on my brave hat, took a deep breath, and sent her a friend request on Instagram. Then came the waiting. Two long weeks passed with no response, and I had fully convinced myself it was game over. But on the morning of October 23, 2024, I got a notification that Sally followed me back. I spent the entire day overthinking about how to message her. After work, I finally sent what I thought was a smooth opener… spoiler: “it wasn’t." “Hey Sally, nice to meet you at Rico and Ereny’s wedding.” On October 24, she replied, “Hello, it was nice to meet you as well.” And just like that, everything started. At first, Sally didn’t realize I didn’t live in Virginia and probably assumed I was just another guy sliding into her messages. So, I decided to be honest and intentional. I told her I wanted to get to know her respectfully. I also asked her not to blush (because apparently, I thought that was smooth). She replied that she was “always happy to make new friends,” which felt suspiciously like the friend zone, but I wasn’t discouraged. I told her I meant no disrespect and that I was genuinely interested. I may have gone on a short speech about traditional ways and speaking one’s mind. Bold? Yes. Subtle? Not exactly. Eventually, I gave her my number and told her that if she felt I was worthy enough, she could text me…and that it would truly make my day. She warned me it was exam season and that she might not be able to text much. Instead, we ended up texting for hours. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Before I knew it, I had booked a flight to Virginia, reserved a hotel, and taken Sally on our first real date. From that moment on, I knew she was something special. We made long distance work, survived flights, facetime dates, time apart, and built something real. When Sally eventually told her family about me, they were understandably cautious, especially about the idea of their daughter moving to Oregon. But patience, consistency, and love slowly won them over. On November 1st, after a year of dating, I told Sally exactly how I felt…no hesitation, no games. I told her I could see myself marrying her and asked if she felt the same way. We continued our long-distance journey, growing stronger every step of the way. Then, on October 18, 2025, I asked Sally to marry me. Sally is my person, my best friend, my partner, and my forever. I truly believe God brought this woman into my life exactly when and how He intended. What started with a green dress, a shy glance, and a very delayed Instagram follow turned into the love of my life. I love you, Sally — always and forever.