GAZELLE MAGAZINE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH EDITION | Page 38

LOVE & ROMANCE
It was a special moment
for Nicole when her father
and his twin brother both
escorted her down the aisle.
for more than 15 years, we built our dream home together from the
ground up, he sold his asphalt business he had owned for 30 years,
and we planned a beautiful wedding - all within eight months, and all
while I still ran a hectic pharmacy department and kept up with my
children’s wild and hectic sports’ schedules. If we could get through
all of that and still be so in love, we knew it was meant to be. It wasn’t
easy combining two households and families, while still learning
about one other, but we learned to be each other’s rock when the
other one felt overwhelmed. Marriage takes a lot of work and a lot of
prayer and a lot of forgiveness. It isn’t always roses and fairytales. We
have our fair share of disagreements, and by no meansdo we have a
perfect relationship - if that even exists.But we are perfectly imperfect
together. We understood and still understand to this day anyone’s
skepticism regarding our relationship due to age gap, race barrier,
length of dating, etc., but everyone can attest to the happiness and joy
we give each other. And at the end of the day, being happy is all that
matters. We don’t let difficult arguments or challenging moments
destroy our years left together.
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GAZELLE
THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING
Nicole: His self-written vows combining his romantic, charming side
with his comedic wit. With him being a firefighter, and me being a
pharmacist, he began by saying I came into his life like a four-alarm
fire, but I am the fire that he never wants to put out. I completely loved
his reference to me as a “prescription drug” he is addicted to, and
how I’ve “vaccinated” his heart ... very clever!
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Nicole: Too many to mention! But those that stand out are: 1. Having
my dad and his twin brother both walk me down the aisle. My dad
suffers from late-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and having
him there for my wedding was everything to me. 2. Having my two
daughters in my bridal party. It is indescribable how amazing it is
to share these moments with your daughters. 3. Our non-traditional
garter toss. You never know what to expect from us, and I’m sure we
took everyone by surprise as I removed the garter from Garry’s leg and
tossed it into the crowd.