Wedding on the top of New York

I have officiated weddings in every imaginable venue, from apartments, condos, parks, riverside, oceans, tops of the hills, and 12000' tall Estes Park Mountain, Magic Kingdom, and small 12-seater planes. Today was the 454th wedding on top of a building in New York with the Empire State Building in the background.

The bride's father was from Yemen but grew up in Indonesia. He was an anesthesiologist who had served our nation well. The bride's grandfather received the Purple Heart for his distinguished service in the US Army. Everyone in the family was a doctor.

We all gathered on top of the building; everything was organized well. However, the rain started pouring, so we grabbed as many chairs as possible and ran to their unit on the 12th floor. The rain stopped, so we went back up again, and all agreed to stand as the place was wet.

The Nikah+ ceremony lasted 30 minutes as planned. Mothers and fathers were participants, not spectators. Every traditional word recited in Arabic was translated and explained in English. The ceremony included a dash of humor.

I traveled in Amtrak and loved it. There is something nostalgic about trains. I went to work, high school, and college by train. So many memories are associated with trains.

My mother, my siblings, and I traveled in the Narrow Gauge train from Yelahanka to Chikbalapur and Chintamani, about 35 miles, but it took a day. My mother had a metal trunk that we put our clothes in. It was heavy, and either I carried it on my shoulders or the porter carried it for us.

Drs. Fatima & Mike Ghouse

Wedding Officiants of America

www.InterfaithMarriages.org

www.MuslimWeddingOfficiant.org