Egyptian-Islamic Wedding Customs?

Travel Info
I pinged this in the Weddings Section and didn't get very much.

I'm the American Roman Catholic, he's the Egyptian Muslim. I've agreed to an Islamic ceremony in a Mosque here in the states, but am unfamiliar with the customs and practices around the ceremony. Any pointers, hints, weird things to wear, eat, or do that I should be given a heads up on?

This is a very small intimate ceremony. Neither of our families can be present, so we're going to visit his family in Alexandria and mine in the NE US after the wedding.

Travel Tips

First of all, congratulations on your wedding. To answer your question, there really is nothing weird or strange to expect in a traditional Islamic wedding. I don't know how things would go in the States, but when I got married here in Egypt and in all the weddings I've attended the ceremony in the mosque was very simple and straightforward. The "Ma'zoon", as the person marrying you two is called in Egypt, makes the groom hold the hand of the bride's father or whoever it is who is giving her away (in your case he would probably hold your hand since no family will be attending) and he says the traditional words which are exchanged at each wedding and the groom and the father of the bride (in your case you) repeat what he says. It is a custom in Egypt for the Ma'zoon to hold a handkerchief over your hands covering them with it. After the vows are over, the friends of the groom or sometimes the Ma'zoon himself each try to snatch the handkerchief first as it is considered to be good luck. This has nothing to do with Islam, of course but I guess it is just an old custom here in Egypt. Sort of like the bride tossing the boquet to her friends. Anyway, after that you simply sign the papers and its official! You are now Mrs. ....!
The wierd stuff really starts after you leave the mosque as wedding celebrations in Egypt have become very lavish and intricate occasions to show off the family's wealth and prestige. People want to get the most famous singers and dancers and hold the wedding in the most expensive hotels. It's ridiculous the amount of money people spend on weddings nowadays in a country where there are so many needy people. I would expect that your husband's family will throw a celebration of some sort when you go to visit them.
Congratulations again, and good luck. Source(s): Egyptian Muslim, married for 11 years.
Other Travel Tips

your children have to be Muslim
he can have 4 wives
are you 1, 2, 3 or 4
I already answered you but I know it wasn't the answer you were looking for. I am curious however if you have to get married in a court too. I think most states make you do that but not all and I was just curious, if where you live you need to do that?

EDIT: --you're lucky the will except the imams signature with the witenesses...we couldn't do that here in TX
sorry it's not an answer
nothing to do just act as you are so as people love you if you are marrying in a mosque you know you have to wear a viel and something proper i think he'll tell you all about this and to eat if you are visiting alexandria you have to taste some popular dish called KOSHARI i love it so have a nice family and good kids and nothing to be worried about .....