Day 29…46 yrs of wedded bliss…
Meet George and Nancy Samra, some of the most instrumental people in our lives over the past decade! This wonderful couple did our pre-marriage counseling in 2001, mentoring us for many years after. The kindest and best of men, George can recite more of the Bible than anyone we know. Nancy is his perfect match…a lamb in the kitchen and a lion in her faith, she never ceases to amaze us. At times, their lives remind us a little of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and it is a blessing to have been adopted into their large family (they have three children and 11 grandchildren).
How did you two meet? George: “Her mother sent her to a Syrian Orthodox Church convention to find a husband. Because I was heavily involved in that same church, I was there. A friend introduced us, but I later found out she was catholic, which was a pretty big hurdle for me. After ignoring her for most of the convention, we got acquainted and I was hooked, which shocked a lot of people because at 37, I was a declared bachelor. The older women in our community had tried playing match maker for a long time.”
Nancy: “I went to that convention to help George’s cousin, Georgette! She was the one on a mission to find a husband and didn’t want to go alone.”
The jury is still out…
What was your first date? Nancy: “At that time, in the Syrian culture, we didn’t date. If someone was interested in courting me, they had to first be ‘approved’. George traveled from Grand Rapids to my home in West Virginia in order to present his ‘credentials’ to my entire family: dad, mom, grandparents, aunts and uncles! He even had to bring a relative to speak for his mother. After grilling him, they approved. For a few months he would drive down on a Thursday and return on Sunday. We met around July 4, were engaged by Labor Day and then married on November 15.”
What was your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? For the first few years we were married, we would fly to Las Vegas. In those days Vegas was run by the mafia, so when George ran around in his suit, he looked like he was “in the family”. One trip, we were going to see Dean Martin’s show and Nancy wanted to arrive early to get a good table. George was hot on the craps table and so he asked the pit boss, ‘to take her down?’ Once he was done, we were escorted down to the show and there were no tables left. They motioned for us to come up on stage and we were seated at “Table X” which was just two chairs, a small table and Dean Martin about 3 feet from us. Dean sang to Nancy all night long! Looking mafia can go a long way.
Tiberius Images is a Grand Rapids wedding photographer that photographs people, places and events. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they serve clients throughout the world and are available for travel.
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