Cindy and Glenn first met in Houston on the fashion runway of the African Pharmacy Student Association’s annual gala party. Randomly paired together, they danced their way down the runway in the latest Nigerian attire with so much natural energy that everyone assumed they at least knew each other, if not already a couple. Later that evening Glenn approached Cindy for her number, both still feeling the vibes of their shared moment on the runway. He called the very next day and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
Read all about Cindy & Glenn’s love story, proposal and wedding aspirations in their regal Nigerian romance engagement session in Houston – beautifully captured by MunaLuchi Coterie member Pharris Photography & Philms, and with planning by Dure Events.
Bride & Groom-to-be: Cindy & Glenn
Occupations: Pharmacists
Wedding location: Houston, TX (traditional), Cancun, Mexico (American)
Location of Engagement shoot: Houston, TX
How did you meet? We both met in Houston at an annual gala hosted by the African Pharmacy Students Association, an organization at Glenn’s pharmacy school. At the time, I was in Dallas at a different pharmacy school and was invited to be part of the fashion show at the gala by one of my pharmaceutical fraternity brothers. During the fashion show, Glenn and I were both paired with each other and engaged in great conversation. We danced down the fashion show runway sporting some of the latest Nigerian attire and dance moves. We had so much fun that people in the audience thought we knew each other! After the fashion show, I went to sit down with my sister and friends and they kept asking about the guy and if he’d asked for my phone number. At that time he had not so I wasn’t sure if he was really into me. By the end of the night, Glenn circled back to me to chat and eventually asked for my number. I asked him “Will you even call?” and he said “Yes, I’ll call tomorrow.” I was skeptical and responded “Ok, we’ll see.” He actually did call the next day and we have literally talked every day since! We made the relationship official about one month after the fashion show while celebrating his birthday in Galveston!
Tell us your proposal story. I graduated from pharmacy school in May 2016. My family planned a party to celebrate the achievement of the terminal degree in my career, the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.). The party took place in July 2016 with over 300 people in attendance. Glenn proposed to me during the party causing an eruption of excitement by guests and a celebration worthy for two blessings. I was completely caught off guard since I had been focused on studying for my board exams all summer. I was very emotional to say the least!
Describe your engagement session. Our engagement session had 3 parts: formal attire, traditional attire, and casual attire. We were also shooting a save the date dance video throughout the entire session which was also captured by Pharris Photography & Philms. The formal attire was my favorite. Glenn wore a nice black on black suit and I wore an elegant wine dress. The traditional attire paid homage to our Nigerian roots; we are both from the Igbo tribe. Glenn was born and raised in Nigeria. I was born and raised in Houston by Nigerian parents. The casual attire was all Glenn’s idea! We were sporting custom jerseys for his favorite soccer team, Arsenal. The jersey had Amakwe on the back. My jersey had a #1 on it symbolizing the goal keeper position. Glenn’s jersey had a #9 on the back symbolizing the centre-forward/striker position that scores most of the goals in soccer. Glenn scored an epic goal when he won my heart!
What did you do on your first date? Our first date was so much fun! We first went to Studio Movie Grille at the City Centre in Houston. We then ate some food at the RA Sushi restaurant in the City Centre. Afterwards, we hit the town and went to an Afro Beats club and danced the night away!
What’s your favorite thing to do as a couple? Our favorite thing to do is going to the movies! iPic theaters, a nice upscale theater in the Royal Oaks district, is our favorite theater. It is comfortable, convenient, and fancy further enhancing an already enjoyable experience!
How has wedding planning been so far? Wedding planning was amazing because we have an awesome team, Dure Events. During the planning, I was in an intense pharmacy residency program and concurrently obtaining an advanced level Master’s degree in pharmacy leadership. I am typically a hands-on person so it was difficult to let go due to my other obligations. Chioma, the founder of Dure Events, was so awesome to work with and I trusted her all throughout. We have so much love and respect for Chioma. Her team was there from Day 1 of planning all the way through to our destination wedding, which spanned a time frame of over 1.5 years! Dure Events planned both of our weddings and executed them with finesse. We are forever thankful for Dure Events and the relationships we have established with them to last a lifetime!
Tell us what you’re looking forward to most on the wedding day. I look forward to showing off my beautiful customized wedding dress to Glenn and our guests in Cancun. The dress was made by Israeli designers, Naama and Anat, and was customized to include sparkly tulle, a 12-foot detachable train, and pearl beads on my lower back to name a few. I actually bought my dress in Dallas at the Blushing Bridal Boutique which is the only retailer in Texas for this dress designer. The moment I put on my dress that day was so surreal. It was so beautiful and I glowed like a queen all night! And Glenn LOVED it!
Vendors:
Wedding Planner: Dure Events
Engagement Shoot Photographer: Pharris Photography & Philms
Save the Date Video: Pharris Photography & Philms
Makeup artist: IrieJade Beauty
Makeup artist (traditional): Beauty Marked by Joelle
Hair stylist: World Wide Whitney
Groom’s attire: Suit and traditional outfit: King Hakbal (Nigeria)
Bride’s attire: Traditional dress: Thai Couture (Houston)
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