Sarah Ronan and Bahaa Fahmy fell in love over french fries and Chinese food at a mall food court. Sarah didn't want to fall in love. She told Bahaa, “if he was looking for a wife, he was dating the wrong person.”

Third of five parts Sunday: Impact of change is profound Monday: Couples wait longer to marry Today: Immigration increases diversity Wednesday: Some couples marry each other twice Thursday: What's the most popular marriage month?

        Not only was Sarah focused on her career and content to raise her 10-year-old daughter alone, but Bahaa didn't fit the image she had of a husband, much less a boyfriend.

        “Never did I dream I would marry a 50-year-old, Egyptian, Muslim guy,” says Sarah, 30. “But it just happens. And I'd do it again in a second.”

        Sarah and Bahaa are among a growing number of couples with at least one partner born outside the United States. Although most couples have both partners born in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky, 9 percent of marriages in Hamilton County last year involved a foreign-born bride or groom — compared to only 4 percent in 1979.

        These couples often face additional complications; they're not only merging their lives but adapting to different cultural expectations.

Sarah Ronan and Bahaa Fahmy. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        For Sarah and Bahaa, courtship was in the mall food court, where they both worked. And in the living room of Bahaa's sister. They were never alone, not once in the 11 months they dated. Egyptian culture has different dating rules, Bahaa says.

        The first movie at a theater they saw together was Almost Famous a few weeks ago. Their honeymoon this summer at Daytona Beach, Fla., was the first time it was just the two of them.

        Still, Sarah says, “I feel like I got to know him faster. The pretense was gone. I saw him with his family and at work. I saw him how he really was, not when he was dressed up to take me out to the movies. We got to talk about what was in each other's heart.”

        Married in July, the couple moved to Fairfield and opened a new set of menswear stores, including Today's Man at Tri-County Mall. They blended their families, Sarah's daughter with Bahaa's children, 11 and 13, from a first marriage.

        “I'm the happiest I've ever been,” Sarah says. “But it's been stressful.”

        She's learning Arabic. Slowly. It's still frustrating to hear a 20-minute Arabic conversation become a two-minute English translation. She knows something's missing. And Bahaa's children sometimes use the language to play their parents. If Sarah doesn't give permission for something in English, they turn to Bahaa in Arabic.

        Sarah also decided to convert to Islam. When the couple married, they agreed neither would have to change religions. Bahaa is Muslim, while Sarah grew up in the Church of Christ denomination.

        “It didn't matter if she converted,” Bahaa says. “She is my wife, and I love her.”

        Still, he's pleased with her decision. “I got happy for her,” Bahaa says. According to Muslim tradition, “now she can go to heaven.”

        For Sarah, conversion was a natural progression, not borne of any pressure from Bahaa. She questioned aspects of Christianity as a child. After they married, Sarah began reading about the Islamic faith and talking with other Muslims.

        “Islam practice in its purest form is a very peaceful lifestyle, and that appealed to me,” she says.

        She follows Islamic tradition by wearing a scarf around her head, covering her hair and symbolizing modesty. At first, Sarah thought everyone was staring at her. Now she's comfortable with it. And on the plus side: it takes a lot less time for this former hairdresser to get ready in the morning.

        Even with the cultural adjustments, Sarah says she feels lucky to have found her soulmate.

        “I always said I had a stamp on my forehead that said, "If you're an idiot, ask me and I'll probably go,” she says.

        With Bahaa, “I love him more everyday,” Sarah smiles. “I could ask for the sun, the moon and the stars, and he'd ask me what planets I'd want to go with it.”

New toys for kids with special needs
Marriage melds cultures
KIESEWETTER: Barbara Walters turns down date
KNIPPENBERG: Nativity scene puts Christmas in the pink
Pop-up books leap to life
Tristate best sellers lits
What Tristaters are reading
Get to It
Novelty keeps Zippers swinging