Had the opportunity to attend part of an Egyptian wedding this week. Yes, week. It was on a Tuesday. Middle of the week. Set to start at 8:00 pm. Yes 8 pm. And that was the beginning of differences. A wonderful cultural experience of celebration.
We arrived with others around 8:15 to a hall which is located on a place for use by military. Restaurant, pool, hotel designated for military people. With our preapproved passports, in we go.
We wait around for an hour as a couple more people come in and then around 915, we are told to go outside because they are coming.
The groom and bride drive up. See the groom near the back of the car in the tuxedo. That is a bouquet of flowers taped to the rear window (they decorate the wedding cars.)
The bride out of the car. All clapping! Father is next to bride.
We go inside to the lobby. The bride goes upstairs and we wait. They will walk down for photos.
Photo time as they walk down the stairs.
Then lots of drums and singing as we walk about 50 yards or so stopping all the time. Takes about 30 minutes. Dancing, singing, laughter! Called the Zafraa.
Still walking and dancing. In the far end you can see a canopy which is the entrance to the room for our group.
Dancing, clapping, singing.
Once inside the room, this is where we waited as well, bride and groom sit with her father, two witnesses, and a sheik.
We all watch as words are said and documents are signed.
All is projected onto large screens in the hall.
Then, the groom and father of bride join hands and covered with a veil. The sheik says words from the Quran in a song form (it seems everyone knows it) and the they are married.
They go to a lighted stage and exchange rings and have a drink.
Having the drink, kinda like red koolaid, represents the sweetness of their life together.
We stayed for a little bit, but around 1045 we left. Dinner was about to be served and then more dancing. We had to get home. Still had two days of work to go!
