Dr. Sabrina & Dr. Chibuzo Akalonu’s Cultural Celebration of Love

SABRINA WEARS OUR MELODY LOW HEELS IN BLUE

Photography by Emily Chappell Productions

Which shoes did you wear for your wedding? How was your experience as a Forever Soles bride?

Amazing, I first saw the shoes on instagram and thought they were stunning. Then during the planning process I ran across them again on ETSY and knew they were the ones. I wore the Melody Low Heels in blue. They were so comfortable and I was able to wear them all night and dance easily in them. They were so pretty in person and also photographed beautifully. I love traditions and that they got to be my "something blue"!

How did you meet your husband?

We met in medical school! Studying slowly became study dates and post exam margaritas turned into love and getting to accomplish our dreams of becoming doctors together. We graduated and accepted our first jobs in a brand new state far from family and friends in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and continued our journey together. We make a great team and I'm excited for the next adventure.

How long have you been together and how did they propose?

Since 2017! We went back to Texas for a medical conference (our home state, we were living in Mississippi at the time) and he planned a picnic for dinner. Little did I know when he took me to this beautiful spot by the lake I thought we were just having charcuterie but to my delight he proposed and he had coordinated for both his family and my family and our close friends to travel to Dallas to surprise me. Family and friends are so important to both of us and I was so happy to have our loved ones there to celebrate with us.

What is the most amazing thing about your person?

There are so many amazing things about him it's hard to choose a favourite. I love that he is so thoughtful and hardworking and that we can laugh and grow together. He is also very handsome and fit and always down for an adventure and protein.

How would you describe your wedding in one word?

Love ❤️

What is your favourite memory from your wedding?

My favourite memory from the wedding were the cultural traditions. I'm Filipino and my husband is Nigerian so it was really important to incorporate family traditions throughout the wedding. For our dress code we encouraged cultural formal and it was lovely to see all of our guests in their stunning outfits. During the ceremony we had our loved ones take part in the Filipino Veil, Cord, Coin, Candle ceremony as well as had Ninangs and Ninongs sa kasal (Godparents of the marriage). During the reception we loved dancing with our loved ones and incorporating the Filipino money dance and the Nigerian money spray.

Where was your wedding located? What made you choose this location?

Our wedding took place at the Olana near Dallas, Texas. We chose this location because it was absolutely stunning. We fell in love with the venue from the pictures but after the in person tour there was no question it was even better in person. Dallas was where we got engaged and it was also important for us to have our wedding somewhere with a large airport as we had many family and friends come in from all over the world and wanted as many as possible to be able to come and enjoy the celebration with us.

Who created your gorgeous gown?

The gown for the ceremony was my mom's! Made a few alterations but it was important to me to keep the dress as close to the original as possible. I also wore my older sister's earrings and my little sister's veil as it was important to me to walk down the aisle honouring my favourite women/role models. For my reception dress I wore Azazie Bridal.

You're a wife now! How does it feel to finally tie the knot?

It feels amazing, I'm so in love and so proud of my new family and I can't wait to see what's next.

Any advice for our brides-to-be?

Make sure to enjoy the day and embrace the unexpected surprises! You never no what to expect day of; last minute we had to change from our planned spring outdoor ceremony to indoor as we happened to have our wedding on the coldest and rainiest day in April in Texas. Everything ended up beautiful and warm plus we hear rain is good luck on your wedding day.