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Congratulations to Delicia and Corey NBC13HD Throws A Wedding Winners For 2008!
How and when did the two of you meet?
Delicia: Corey and I first meet at a graduate student BBQ picnic with University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) mini park back in 2000. I had just moved to Birmingham, Alabama from Orlando, Florida to study microbiology. Corey was dragged to the picnic by his graduate student friends although he was not in graduate school at the time. I went to the picnic to meet people since I was new to town and to get a free meal. I talked to almost everyone at the picnic then went home, not knowing that Corey's and my paths would cross again at a later date. 1-2 years later a mutual friend was having a Spoken Word event with Speed Dating during intermission. I was going to help take money at the door, but since there were too many males' I reluctantly volunteered to enter the speed dating event. Corey came to the event late and entered since we ended up with too many females later in the evening. When Corey and I ended up at the same table, he asked me to tell him something no one knew about me. I told him that I just started the application process for medical school. After the event, I received an e-mail from our mutual friend of speed dating matches and Corey's name and e-mail address was on the list. We started dating a few months later.
What was your first impression of each other?
Delicia: When I first met Corey, I thought he was handsome and articulate. But, since I was not looking for a boyfriend at the time, he became just a handsome friend.
Corey: When I first met Delicia, I thought that she was an, interesting and attractive person. But, I had a girlfriend at the time so she was just an interesting friend. However, after I broke up with my ex, I found out she was also very ambitious, intriguing and nice person.
How long was your courtship?
We had a 2 year friendship before we ever started dating. Later we dated for 3.5 years before our engagement. This courtship included spending time together, with each other’s friends and family members as well as going to church together. Since we are both family-oriented, we had our families meet for dinner a few times and had premarital counseling before we ever got engaged. We wanted to make sure we were meant for each other and that our families would blend well together. It is a blessing to have a future mother-in-law and father-in-law that support your wedding and loves you as their own child. Moreover, with parents that have been married more than 30 years and grandparents married for more than 50 years, we wanted to do all we can to make sure this marriage will last and to learn from their examples, while taking things slowly.
Tell us about the engagement.
Corey: I had originally planned on asking Delicia to marry me during the Christmas season (where I asked her parents for their blessing); however, it did not work out that I got to ask her. So, I adapted my plans to propose on Valentine’s Day. I talked to her parents and they organized things so that they came to town. Delicia had planned to cook a nice dinner for her parents and my parents to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I agreed to her plan knowing that I had other things in store for this night as well. So, her parents and her 4 year old niece came in to town and we met at my house for dinner. We had a wonderful dinner. After dinner, we were watching a movie. It was getting late and I was very nervous as the time had come. So, I asked Delicia into a different room and I began reading a piece that I wrote for this occasion called “Milestones”. As I read off each of the six milestones of our relationship, I pulled out an envelope that had a momento from that particular milestone. During my reading, her niece would pop in and out of the room asking Delicia what she was doing. At the end of it, I mentioned there being a seventh milestone and then I pulled the ring out of my pocket and asked her to marry me. She screamed but made very little noise – it was because she had laryngitis and had no voice. I put the ring on her finger and then we walked back to where our parents and her niece were to announce our engagement. Her niece started jumping up and down in excitement and we all hugged each other and took pictures to celebrate the occasion.
What was it like when you found out you were the winning couple on NBC13 Throws a wedding?
Corey: NBC13 called me on my cell phone while I was in a drive through line at a fast food restaurant. Something told me to pull out of the line before they told me that we were the winners. Needless to say, I was very excited to hear the good news. After the call ended, I didn’t quite know what to do next. In fact, I was so excited that all I could do was to thank God for blessing us with this. After I calmed down, I sent Delicia a text message for her to call me so that I could tell her. In remembering back on it, I totally forgot the fact that I never did order a meal from the restaurant where I was when the call came in – I guess that I was so happy that I forgot I was even hungry.
Delicia: Corey called me at school to tell me we won the wedding and all I could say was “Are you serious?” and scream. This lasted for several minutes. Then tears filled my eyes, because I dreamed of having a wedding on TV as a child. With such a big family, I always thought a TV wedding would let all my friends and family feel like they were a part of this special day, even if they could not attend. This proved that God heard my prayer as a child, which I did not tell many about, and answered it in a mighty way later in my life.
Where will you live after you say I do?
Well, at least for a while we will live in Birmingham in Corey’s house. Once Delicia graduates from medical school; however, it depends on where she gets matched up for her residency. More than likely it will be in the Southern US.
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