Groom: Chidi Umeh, 29, Chemist
Married On: August 27, 2011
Wedding Location: Dallas, Texas
Wedding Style: Classic Elegance
Despite the Distance
Soulmates Deborah, 24, and Chidi, 29, can thank a mutual friend for introducing them five years ago. Although she was living in Dallas at the time, and he resided in Los Angeles, they knew almost instantly that they would be more than out-of-state friends. “He made a visit out to Dallas and we hit it off immediately,” Deborah says. “We were in a long-distance relationship throughout the time we dated.” They knew the magic they shared was one-of-a-kind so each of them gave their all to ensure that they made the distance work. “As the relationship progressed along, I began to feel that he was someone I wanted to eventually settle down with,” admits Deborah. “Every moment we spent together, and every interaction that we had, solidified that feeling.”
Unexpected Joy
Chidi and Deborah were three years into their love story when he realized it was the right time to take the relationship to new heights. “I went through a series of emotions when he proposed,” Deborah recalls. “Immediately afterwards, I was caught by surprise. It was totally unexpected and I was in shock for a while. Once I fully grasped what had happened, I was overwhelmed with happiness and excitement.”
World Travelers
One of Deborah’s favorite memories with Chidi was when they traveled to Nigeria together for three weeks to celebrate their traditional marriage. They are both of Nigerian origin. He was born in the U.S, and raised in Nigeria, while she was born there but raised here. “We had such an amazing time traveling around with each other, planning our wedding, meeting each others’ families and reliving our past memories of Nigeria together,” says Deborah. “It was the longest time we’d been together consistently up until that point.” A few months later they were married in a lavish ceremony and reception in Dallas before their closest friends and family. Share their love.
Photos: RH Photo Arts