<p>Bridal Bliss: Izu And Chisom's Modern Wedding Was A Beautiful Celebration Of Nigerian Culture</p>

Bride: Chisom Ezenekwe, 28, Resident Physician

Groom: Izu Iwueke, 35, Physician 

The Big Day: 7/23/2016

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Style/Theme: Modern Chic Infused with Nigerian Culture

“Being a bride was initially stressful! If I hadn’t refocused early in the day, I could honestly have missed the whole day! Today, I’m convinced that this happens to so many brides,” revealed Chisom. “We spend countless hours detailing the details and planning for small things, only for things not to be completely perfect. And that’s ok. What actually matters is what no one can take away from you- the sheer fact that with that day comes the beginning of a new chapter, a new family, and celebration of a love so spectacular that it compelled two individuals to become one. I’m really glad I didn’t miss that. That would have been the biggest disaster of all.”

On their wedding day, the bride and groom made sure to incorporate their rich Nigerian culture with a modern chic style and theme. We love!

“I knew planning a big wedding was not going to be a piece of cake,” said the groom. “It was challenging at the planning stage but my wife and groomsmen helped to make it less stressful. I learned that no matter what happens, it will be ok in the end. Just remember to take it one step at a time.”

“When Izu proposed I couldn’t speak,” said the bride. “I got teary-eyed (some might say I cried) and I remained in shock for a long time before I could say anything. After the shock wore off, the texts began as I let every member of my family know. It was truly one of the best days of my life!”

“She has a myriad of great qualities that would take up a long time to list,” said the groom of his bride. “To be concise, she is God-fearing, caring, hardworking, intelligent, nurturing, understanding, and able to multitask. In fact, we are expecting our first child soon. Hats off to my wife for juggling both pregnancy and residency training (which I call pregidency) with so much grace. She is a superwoman.”

“My husband is kind and considerate,” shared the bride on her groom. “He goes out of his way for me, protects me, and provides for me. He is gentle, peace loving, and an incredibly hard worker. I could go on and on- Izu is exactly the man I prayed to God for.”

“I really wasn’t looking for love when I found it,” admitted Chisom. “I was certainly praying to God to provide my husband for me, but I had resolved that meeting that man would happen in God’s own time. I was fine with that. It turns out that those prayers were heard, and the actualization of those prayers was even better than what I thought I wanted.”

The bride and her girls look simply amazing on her big day!

“No, not in my wildest dreams did I think I would find true love,” the groom revealed. “I never anticipated that I would meet my wife, and I certainly didn’t think I would do so on social media. The key thing is to be open-minded. Know yourself, pray, and trust in God’s leading because he knows the best way as well as the route to get there. Also, work toward your goals. Faith and work go hand in hand.”

Izu and his groomsmen look so handsome!

“I love so many things about my wife,” said Izu. “I love her smile, love her beauty, and I love her caring nature. Above these things, the most important thing I love about her is that she is God-fearing. We keep God at the center of our marriage and honor Him in how we treat one another because we know that He brought us together.”

“What I love most about Izu is the sacrificial, Christ-like way he demonstrates his love for others,” the groom shared. “His love language is definitely in acts of service, and he truly serves so many people. He is humble and puts others’ needs before his own. We’ve all heard that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and Izu is living testament to that, as I’m convinced that part of the reason he’s so blessed is that he blesses others so regularly. I have to say that this attribute of his challenges me to be better each day.”

“My bouquet was made solely of pink roses–my absolute favorite flowers,” said the bride. “I loved the finished product!”

“Chisom has so many good qualities that I prayed to God for in a wife,” the groom said of his bride. “She is God-fearing, family-oriented, caring, smart, hardworking, and… last but not the least… she is a great cook. But seriously- have you tried her shrimp fried rice and curry chicken? They say that the easiest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. These great qualities endeared her to my family members and some friends that had the opportunity to meet her while we were dating. I just had complete peace of mind about my decision to marry her.”

“Besides that, Izu is genuinely a good man who loves God,” said the bride. “That alone let me know that he could be the one. For months, I watched his kindness to everyone he meets, the way he treated his mother and sister, and the way that he went out of his way for me. I prayed about marrying him and sought God for clarity. When I kept seeing the signs that I prayed for, everything I needed to know became clear.”

“My father walked me down the aisle and gave me away to Izu,” said the bride. “I couldn’t think of a more fitting person to give me away.”

“During our wedding, we blended sand that we’ve since kept in our home,” said the bride. “We felt it would be a depiction of two lives so closely intertwined that they had chosen to become one. I’m grateful that we will have our unity sand forever as a reminder of not only that ceremony, but of the day we started this journey as one. We honored family and friends who have traveled from afar to be present for our big day. We still feel so honored that so many people came to help us celebrate our union.”

“As time went on. Chisom and I developed unspeakable fondness for each other and this led to unconditional sacrifices. We cherished spending time together no matter how short the visit was or how busy our schedules with work had become. She became the first person that I would talk to in the morning and the very last person that I spoke to before going to bed. Things became even more obvious when my family members and friends began to ask about how she was doing before they inquired about how I was doing. Eventually, I had a dream where I visualized both her and my sister, a person whom I care deeply for. When I woke up, I prayed and continued to have a sense of conviction about her. These events, along with others that I simply cannot write here, helped me to conclude that Chisom is my wife.”

For their 500 reception guests, the bride and groom had adorable menu cards made! What a great touch.

“We designed a dramatic, large 8-tier wedding cake with cascading pink roses,” revealed the bride. “We chose vanilla and chocolate flavors because we were certain that they would be liked by all. The cake was absolutely stunning and equally delicious.”

“Our reception was designed to keep entirely with the theme of purple, champagne, and fuchsia,” said the bride. “We designed an oval chuppah with sheer white curtains which were gathered with purple and pink flowers and chose a dramatic, high back settee along with a glass, translucent table to complete the stage. We ultimately chose to have 2 different styles of décor on our round tables- table with tall, dramatic, pink and purple flowers alternating with tables filled completely of candles. Our bridal party sat at long, dramatic, family-style table in the center of the reception space. Their setting was designed to have large statement centerpieces and many candles and was absolutely breathtaking.”

“For years, I prayed for my husband,” said the bride. “I prayed for God to strengthen him, to grow him, and to give him certain attributes that would make me certain that he was the one. I said yes to him because he’s a man in every way. He loves God, knows how to prioritize and give importance to things that truly are important. To make things even better- he still has so many silly, funny, boyish traits that I love. He’s just perfect for me.”

“Izu and I both belong to the Igbo tribe, a major cultural group from Nigeria,” shared the bride. They definitely celebrated their roots on their big day!