The Welcome Party is an opportunity for guests to mingle, relax, and become acquainted prior to the Wedding Day festivities. We hope it allows everyone to settle into San Diego and enjoy time together before the celebration begins.

We will be hosting two cocktails per guest along with a selection of appetizers during the Welcome Party. The gathering will conclude at 4:00pm when the restaurant opens to the public for dinner service. Guests are welcome to remain afterwards and purchase dinner if they wish.

Transportation will not be provided for the Welcome Party. Transportation will, however, be provided throughout the Wedding Day. As guest parking will not be available at either venue, we strongly encourage guests to utilize the provided transportation or rideshare services. Please refer to the Transportation page for additional pickup and shuttle details.

We have reserved a courtesy room block at Kings Inn for guests traveling to celebrate with us. For the most convenient access to wedding transportation and weekend events, we recommend guests stay within the Hotel Circle area. Additional accommodation details can be found on the Accommodations page.

Guests attending the Welcome Party are encouraged to arrive anytime between 2:00pm and 3:00pm. Guests utilizing the provided Wedding Day transportation do not need to worry about arrival timing. Guests arranging their own transportation for the Wedding Day should plan to arrive prior to 2:30pm to allow time to find seating and settle in before the ceremony begins.

Guests should plan to arrive at the ceremony by 2:30pm. Following the ceremony, guests will be transported directly to the reception venue where cocktail hour and appetizers will begin around 4:00pm. Dinner, dancing, and the remainder of the evening’s festivities will continue throughout the night. The celebration will conclude by 10:00pm.

Yes — the ceremony will be a traditional Iraqi Catholic Chaldean ceremony celebrating the sacrament of marriage. While religious in nature, it will not be a full mass and will be shorter in length.

No prior knowledge of the ceremony or traditions is expected. Portions of the ceremony will be conducted in both English and Arabic, and the priests and monks will guide guests throughout the service if participation is appropriate.

Yes — we kindly ask guests to refrain from using phones or cameras during the ceremony and to remain fully present with us.

Dressy casual attire is encouraged for Friday’s Welcome Party. Cocktail attire is requested for the Wedding Day. As the ceremony will take place within a church, guests may wish to bring a shawl or light covering if their attire is more revealing. Additional details for each event can be found on the Wedding Weekend page.

July in San Diego is typically warm and sunny. El Cajon, where the ceremony will take place, tends to experience a hotter, drier heat, while the coastal areas where much of the weekend will be spent are generally more temperate. Both the church and reception venue are air conditioned should temperatures prove warmer than anticipated, though guests may still wish to bring sunscreen for outdoor portions of the weekend.

We will be serving a wood fired pizza buffet along with charcuterie style appetizers. Vegetarian and gluten free options will be available. There is no need to indicate these dietary preferences on your RSVP, as guests may simply request these options day of.

In order to accommodate all guests comfortably, we are only able to reserve seating for those specifically listed on the RSVP.

Due to venue space limitations, we are only able to accommodate children specifically listed on the RSVP.

Please feel free to reach out to either the bride or groom directly with any additional questions regarding the wedding weekend.