A Coptic Church, a Coptic Wedding

I Googled my name one day in search of this very blog (don't judge, you know you've done it, too). To my surprise, a few hits down, in caps was "NICHOLAS RIEGELS and NARDINE SAAD Wedding." Huh? Last I checked I wasn't getting married, nor was there the prospect of an engagement in sight. So, being curious about this person who shared my name, I clicked on the site.

It wasn't me, obviously. But I do know the couple getting married. After I got over the shock of the Google's revelation, I remembered it was a wedding I was actually invited to. The bride and I have the same name, my parents copied it for me from their friends' Nadra and Saad, whom they've known since the 80s. Nardine is not a common name so I share a sense of camaraderie with anyone who has it--the schoolyard teasing "Nardine Sardine," the constant neglect of the "r" that drives me crazy and, most of all, its meaning. Nardine is the Arabic translation of "spikenard," a fragrant herb used to make the oil Mary, Lazarus' sister, used to anoint Jesus' Christ's feet.

Nardine, who I mentioned is a long time friend, is Coptic Orthodox--a traditional form of Christianity that began in Egypt under the See of St. Mark around 43 A.D. The following is a slideshow of St. Mark's Church where her and Nicholas' wedding took place on October 4, 2008.