Side note: Mena House has a whole list of issues, beginning with the fact that as of January 2013, they have no longer been under Oberoi management, and there has been a serious lapse in the quality of service there. The worst management decision being made, is the plan to turn the outdoor garden/lake area into a food court. The only hotel in the world with a view of the ancient pyramids via a beautiful garden, is replacing its major alluring feature (and the only reason I wanted to have a wedding there), with a food court!! So from January 2014 on, no one can have an outdoor wedding, cocktail hour, reception, etc. there. So stupid! Their reason for doing this is to attract tourism. But in a country where tourism is currently dead, there is zero point in doing this! At least cater to the clientele you do have, local weddings, and grab that massive business potential. Idiots!!! Once I saw a glimpse of the inept service, I crossed them off our list.
In the end, we chose a better venue, which is a gorgeous villa right on the Nile River. Once we visited this villa, we knew it would be the place. We stood by the river, arm in arm, overlooking the property, planning and imagining our entire wedding there. Luckily, that is how most of the planning is going for us. We both have similar taste, we want to have a non-traditional, atypical, non-Egyptian type wedding, and we pretty much know exactly what we want. My fiancé is so involved and excited to help with the planning, and I couldn't imagine doing this without him, especially since I don't have my mother here to help. (What bride ever wants to plan a wedding without her mom??) I am no bridezilla by any means, and I've never put any importance on having a wedding-- ever, I actually think they are silly and suchhhh a waste of money, so I've had a very easy-going attitude about it all. This is only made easier by having such a great partner to plan with!
Anyway, the really exciting part is that we have just recently begun the process of getting married legally here in Egypt. Like for reals, married. On paper. Le-gal. Since we are planning to go back to New York, (let's face it, I'm a New Yorker and I just have to go back!), it's imperative that we start working on that notorious visa and all the associated paperwork.
If I were an Egyptian citizen, getting married would be as simple as having a religious ceremony, which would also include a contract and all legal documents to certify our marriage. But since I am a foreigner, getting married in Egypt is a three step process that involves a lot of paper, a lot of photos, a lot of stamps, and a lot of patience.
Step #1 had us at the American Embassy. We were so lucky that the Embassy was open on the day of our appointment. I had made it 2 weeks in advance, and it seems that lately, the Embassy closes every other day, when clashes erupt. It was abnormally crowded that morning because many appointments had to get rescheduled for that day. After waiting an hour, we were given the Affidavit and another form to fill out in both English and Arabic. The Affidavit is what we'd take to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice. We were instructed to write carefully, and if we'd made any mistakes, to come back for a new form to fill out. Apparently the Egyptian government does not authenticate any document with mistakes on it. We made mistakes. And then I yelled at my fiancé for using purple pen, because-- who signs in purple pen? We filled out the form twice, then gave it back to the "teller" behind the counter at the Embassy. Paid the $50 fee, and sat there waiting another hour to have the Affidavit notarized by the Consul.
He was so friendly and happy for us, that it was the first time the process felt exciting. We all signed, happily thanked everyone, and head out. Halfway out the door, I noticed that one of the "tellers" spelt my name wrong. The name that is written clearly in my passport, which they used to fill out their portion of the Affidavit. AHHH! We had to go, get another form, return it to the "teller," wait for them to fill it out, and then face the Consul again. Another hour later, my patience running thin, we were called. I reviewed everything, pulled out my favorite pen to sign, and halfway through my signature, my pen.runs.dry. Dead. Won't sign my signature. Everyone, including the Consul and his assistant gasped. I couldn't believe that with all the stresses and the wait, yet another thing could go wrong! So I jokingly had to say, "Well maybe this is a sign that we just shouldn't go through with this! It isn't mean to be!" I went over the signature ever so slowly with another pen, to complete it. Relieved, we all cheered, and the two of us left with the treasured document.
Next up, step #2.
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