Rita & Shady

Rita & Shady

Congratulations to Rita Rahbany and Shady Saad
on their Wedding in Ain El Assis on September 10, 2006
Click on link above to view their album and slide show...

 
Oh, what a beautiful and talented couple.
Rita the television personality who graced millions of TV screens across the Middle East and volunteered to so many important Shweir events including Emigrants' Festivals as Master of Ceremony, MC, Weds Shady, the creative sound engineer who worked on so many local, national and international events including the Baalbeck Festival and even accompanied Fayrouz when she recently toured North America. 

The wedding was supposed to be on August 06, to commemorate a double celebration:  First, it was Eid el Rabb day and second, it was the anniversary of Rita and Shady's First chat...  although they knew each other in school, but this chat was different... It was during Eid al Mughtaribeen - Emigrants Fest, Aug 07, 2003, they were preparing for the Farid Abu Elkheir Night at Ain El Kassis.  Rita was the MC and Shady was in the organizing committee (as Farid was his beloved teacher). It was a magic moment for them to get reacquainted. 

Many people were coming from overseas to Shweir and to attend the wedding.  Unfortunately, the infamous war changed plans for millions of people living and visiting Lebanon.  The wedding was postponed to Sep 10th, 2006 .

Can there be a more beautiful setting than Ain El Assis?  Our old SSS (Shweir Secondary School). 

Karslo field was transformed into a "church" and a wood altar was decorated with roses. The green mountains of Dhour Shweir in the background and the blue sky offered us a very special and unique background.  The weather was very helpful, it was warm and sunny.  A glorious choir enchanted the ceremony.  Rita walked from the arched stone building and went down the stairs towards the field where Shady, the wedding party and guests were waiting. They had an "interactive” ceremony as the bride and groom exchanged vows and promises and presented and placed the rings the other's fingers.

The ceremony ritual was a mix of Maronite, Orthodox and Protestant.   There were 3 bridesmaids and 3 best men. After the ceremony, people went for the welcome drink before they sat down for the wedding party that took place in the field near the Sannine Building.   

Rita and Shady and the wedding party accompanied with Zaffeh and firework made their grand entrance.  Shady pulled a surprise on Rita and those present by showing a film where he interviewed family members who talked about wonderful moments they remembered about the bride and groom and offered their congratulations and good wishes. They also showed a progression of family pictures since Rita and Shady were babies till their engagement. 

They danced the first dance and cut the cake while enjoying the firework that illuminated the sky of Ain el Kassis. The second surprise was a very nice band that performed and animated the party. The band's name is "Al Foursan El Arba3a" or “the four musketeers" they sang many Rahbany's songs and they were great. Everyone joined in the dancing and singing.

For those of you who planned on sharing this special day with Rita and Shady but were unable to attend, hope this report will somewhat bridge part of the gap and make you feel as if u were present.

And many people usually wonder... so where did they go for their honeymoon?  The next day they took off to the "Mauritius Island" for their honeymoon.  That is a beautiful place for newly weds to celebrate their weddings because it is so unique and different...  and even with all that beauty, it was not long before they missed the town they adore... Dhour Shweir.  


The pictures behind these thumbnails are somewhat larger than the ones above... click on thumbnails to view them.

Click here to view more pictures and slide show of this special celebration.

Alf Mabrooke