Groom: Derek Robinson, 30, IT engineer
Married On: June 9, 2012
Wedding Location: Liberty Station, San Diego
Wedding Style: Traditional Romance
Listen To Your Heart
It’s no longer uncommon for newlyweds to tell you they met online. It’s the perfect way for two busy soul mates who live on opposite coasts, like Amber and Derek, to find each other. They connected via a website called BlackPeopleMeet.com back in early 2009. She lived in San Diego and he was logging in from his home in Brooklyn. They “clicked” instantly — pun intended! — and kicked off a friendship filled with long phone calls and fun webcam chats. After a year of virtual bonding, Amber and Derek gave in to the overwhelming affection they felt for each other and upgraded their relationship from friendship to “official” couple. “Derek asked if I would be his girlfriend,” recalls Amber. “I said ‘yes!’ We then decided to take the next step and finally meet.” It was the craziest thing she’d ever done, but when Derek offered to fly Amber to New York for five days to visit so they could finally enjoy each other’s company up close and personally, she happily accepted.
If I Had One Wish
After a year of long-distance love, Amber and Derek had mastered making their relationship work. For her birthday, she flew out to visit him in New York. When she arrived, she was disappointed to find that he had no real special plans for her big day — or so she thought.
The next day her local friends picked her up for dinner, and when they arrived at her favorite restaurant, Derek, his family, and all their friends were waiting to honor her with a surprise birthday party. “I could not stop crying,” says Amber. “I was so shocked. After we ate, the waitress brought over my birthday cake and Derek told me to make a wish. I closed my eyes and wished for him to propose and when I opened them, Derek had placed a ring box on the table in front of me.” He got down on one knee and asked Amber to be his wife, and just like that, her big wish had instantly come true.
A year later they became husband and wife in a romantic ceremony filled with whimsical joy. Share their love!
Photos: True Photography