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While there is no mention of an illustrious glass slipper in this story or an enchanting fairy godmother, the story of Aaliyah Franks, an aspiring actress and Patrick Rajasingam, a law school student may be as close to a fairytale as reality allows. Introduced by a mutual friend freshman year at Hampton University’s cafeteria, their first encounter kindled an uncanny connection in a way that seemed destined to be.  “I was so smitten by him that after he left our table, I told my girlfriends, “he’s so cute, he’s going to date me!”” said Aaliyah.  As fate would have it, the handsome stranger would ultimately turn into her very own prince charming as the two instantly became close friends and supported each other during their many endeavors at Hampton University.  “I attended his music shows and he attended all of my plays,” said Aaliyah. “He became a great confidant and good shoulder to lean on.” Realizing that it was more than luck for the two to be in each other’s lives, Aaliyah and Patrick’s courtship began; ensuring a loving relationship and eventually a surprise wedding proposal that would thrill Aaliyah beyond her wildest dreams.  “One night while watching some indie movie, I just turned and asked her to marry me,” said Patrick.  “I was shocked,” said Aaliyah. “He repeated his question and I then asked, ‘So for clarification purposes, you are asking me to plan a wedding, get married, and one day have a family?’  He responded, “Yes” and I said for him to ask me again. So he did, and I screamed, “Yes! Yes!”  In fact, the timing was so right, he happily asked for her hand in marriage again! This time around, he proposed on the Carnival Paradise cruise ship during a romantic voyage to Ensenada, Mexico while celebrating with friends and family on their engagement!  “As he slid the ring on my finger, I screamed, kissed him and said, ‘Yes’” said Aaliyah. “I ran out of my cabin to show the world my beautiful engagement ring.” From sharing their first kiss along the winding walkways at the Norfolk Pagoda Tea Garden to spending their first vacation sightseeing in Rome, Aaliyah and Patrick’s affection for one another has always proved to be an adventurous one. Needless to say, there was no doubt that the next step was for the two to experience the destination of a lifetime as they planned to hold their nuptials in the Dominican Republic April 24, 2010.  “We considered Argentina and Thailand as possible locations for our destination wedding,” said Aaliyah. “However, after having a conversation with my aunt and uncle, we decided to consider the Dominican Republic.  We were invited to visit and stay at their villa on Casa De Campo. We spent the weekend of April 24th, 2009 and loved it so much we decided to set the wedding date for the same weekend the following year.” Surrounded by over 100 guests, the traditional Catholic ceremony was set at the extravagant Saint Stanislaus Church in Altos de Chavón, a small village near the Casa de Campo resort. With the help of her father, grandfather and godfather, the three men escorted Aaliyah down the aisle in her stunningly chic sleeveless ivory Rivini gown with a sweetheart neckline and an elaborated ruffled skirt.  As she made her way to the altar, the two exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony that featured personal touches of the bride and groom’s traditions and customs, including the African American marital custom of jumping the broom and the blessing of the rosaries, a traditional Catholic devotion used to aid both prayer and meditation.  Aaliyah and Patrick were honored to use the rosaries given by her grandmother that were blessed by Pope John Paul II himself. Although Aaliyah and Patrick were officially pronounced husband and wife, family and friends were soon treated to yet another ceremony given by Aaliyah’s grandfather. He performed a traditional Hawaiian lei exchange, a ritual similar to exchanging vows where couples place a lei around the neck of the other to represent their everlasting commitment and love for each other.  Following the ceremony, guests made their way to a private villa at the Casa de Campo resort for the reception. With the help of B3 Event Design, a wedding and event planning company that specializes in destination weddings, the couple’s vision of a modern yet romantic themed wedding was made true as every aspect of the wedding details were done in bright and bold arrays of fuchsia and platinum colors; beautifully implemented in the overall wedding décor, floral design and bridal party colors.  “We choose platinum and fuchsia because they are both rich bold beautiful colors that blended an island and Sri Lankan feel which we thought would be perfect for pictures,” said Aaliyah. Keeping with the island ambience, a five course menu that celebrated the best Caribbean comfort foods the Dominican Republic had to offer were presented to guests, including two wedding cakes and an ice cream sundae bar.  Following dinner, the newlyweds provided their guests with a variety of dazzling reception entertainment: a musical act by singer David Burrows, an upbeat performance from local merengue dancers, and a breathtaking display of fireworks. However, none would dare not to forget the dj that traveled all the way from New York to keep the party rocking until the wee hours of the morning.  “Our music was provided by the infamous DJ Marcus who had the wedding guests doing the electric slide before dinner was served and then kept the party going until 4am when all of the guests were dancing in the pool,” said Aaliyah.  For Aaliyah and Patrick, working together and with the help of their destination wedding planner, their plan to have a beautiful yet memorable experience with their loved ones was an overall huge success.  “If we had to do it all over again, we would have made our wedding weekend into a wedding week!”