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Cash-strapped Lebanese turn to online civil marriages

Najwa Sbeity and Omar Abdel Baki's civil wedding ceremony that they held online went viral, enticing more people to opt for this option despite the religious backlash and bureaucratic difficulties.
A photographer takes pictures of a newly wedded couple in a classic car, in front of the Saint Estephan Maronite Church at the fishermen's port in Batroun, Lebanon, Aug. 6, 2022.

BEIRUT — Najwa Sbeity and Omar Abdel Baki had been planning their wedding day for several years. Hailing from different sectarian backgrounds, the Druze-Shiite couple tied the knot in a virtual civil ceremony July 10.

Civil marriage is prohibited in Lebanon and is only allowed to be registered as such if carried out abroad. Religious authorities are the ones to regulate personal status affairs according to each sect's laws and regulations.

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