Fatih Mosque
September 15, 2026
Couples ask us the same handful of questions every week, usually in the same order: what do we need to bring, where does the ceremony happen, and what does it cost. This is the whole thing written down in one place.
The paperwork comes first
In New York the marriage license is a civil matter, separate from the religious ceremony. You apply for it yourselves at a City Clerk’s office before the day. Requirements and waiting periods change from time to time, so check the current rules with the Clerk’s office while you are still choosing a date rather than the week before.
Once you have the license, our part is short. The imam performs the nikah, we sign the license, and we file it. Your marriage certificate arrives by mail afterwards — it comes from the city, not from the mosque.
What to bring on the day
- The marriage license
- Photo ID for both of you
- Two witnesses
That is all. Everything else is arranged in advance.
Three ways to hold the ceremony
Not every couple wants the same day. Some want ten people and twenty minutes; some want the whole family and a meal. We keep three arrangements so you are not paying for a room you do not need.
In the mosque office
About an hour, for up to ten people. The couple, the witnesses, a parent or two. The donation is $500. This is the simplest option and the one most couples choose when the wedding celebration itself is happening somewhere else, or later.
In the masjid
About two hours, with room for up to 120 guests. The ceremony takes place in the main prayer hall upstairs, and chairs and tables can be set out so that family can sit and watch. The donation is $1,000.
With a meal
About four hours — the ceremony followed by a meal in the two dining halls beneath the masjid. The halls are $2,000 and the nikah is included in that, so there is no separate donation for the ceremony. Where the nikah itself is performed, upstairs in the masjid or in the office, is up to you.
What happens during the ceremony
The program includes recitation from the Quran, ilahis and duas, and the nikah itself, performed by one of our imams. It is not long. If you would like something included or left out, tell the imam when he calls you — it is easier to arrange beforehand than on the day.
If you are having the meal
There are two dining halls underneath the masjid, sixty seats each, set up separately for women and men — 120 guests in total. The mosque’s own kitchen cooks and serves, at $50 per guest, with a minimum of ten. One standard menu, the same one we serve at other gatherings: soup, rice and meat, chicken leg, three different appetizers, salad, baklava, and cold drinks, water and tea.
You are welcome to arrange catering yourself instead. The halls are the same price either way.
Decoration
Decoration is optional and costs $500. It can be arranged for the ceremony in the masjid or for the hall downstairs — the draped arch and the table for the bride and groom, with flowers. Couples who are holding their reception elsewhere usually skip it.
How a date is arranged
You can request a date and a time on this website. Nothing is charged online and nothing is confirmed at that point; the time is simply held for you. One of our imams calls you to go through the details, answer your questions, and make sure the arrangement fits what you actually want. A 20% deposit after that call is what confirms the date.
We ask for a phone number rather than only an email because this is a conversation that goes better spoken than typed, and because dates get fixed faster that way.
A note on timing
Weekends fill first, especially in the summer. If you have a date in mind, it is worth asking early even if nothing else is settled — holding a date costs nothing and is easy to move.
If you are not sure which of the three arrangements suits you, say so when you get in touch. The imam has done this many times and will tell you honestly which one fits the day you are describing.
The three arrangements, the dining halls and the menu are set out in full on our nikah and wedding services page.