Chiney Ogwumike and Raphael Akpejiori marry in Houston.Photo:Stanley Babb/StanloPhotography
Stanley Babb/StanloPhotography
Chinenye “Chiney” Ogwumike has tied the knot!
On Monday, the two-timeWNBAAll-Star and ESPN host, 31, announced she had married heavyweight boxer and mechanical engineer Ethasor “Raphael” Akpejiori, 33, viaThe Knot. The couple celebrated their nuptials in an epic, four-day event that included not one, but two wedding ceremonies and a staggering 10 different bridal looks for Ogwumike.
“It was a royal celebration of Nigerian culture, family and community,” the athlete tells PEOPLE. To pull it all off, she worked with wedding planner Doyin Fash in collaboration with The Knot.
Ogwumike added, “The Knot helped tremendously, particularly with vendors and the invitations.”
Chiney Ogwumike walks down the aisle with Ethasor Raphael Akpejiori.Stanley Babb/StanloPhotography
Per Ogwumike’s Igbo culture, the ceremony unfolded in three stages, beginning with the groom introduction and bride’s welcome. During the “Wine Carry” stage, Ogwumike went “on a search” for Akpejiori.
“He’s hiding in the crowd, she finds him and offers him palm wine to drink, he drinks it and they go receive a blessing from her parents,” she explains.
Next, the bride and groom were married and officially introduced as a married couple. At that point, Ogwumike became an Edo bride as she assumed her husband’s culture.
Chiney Ogwumike and Ethasor Raphael Akpejiori.Stanley Babb/StanloPhotography
In a touching detail, Ogwumike’s mother sketched and designed many of her Nigerian wedding looks for the day with the help of two “top-notch” Nigerian tailors. “My mom also sourced all of the wedding fabrics,” Ogwumike adds.
Chiney Ogwumike and family.Stanley Babb/StanloPhotography
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
On Nov. 17, amid their wedding events, Ogwumike and Akpejiori — who got engaged on Christmas Eve last year — attended a Burna Boy concert at the Toyota Center with some of their loved ones. The couple has a special connection to the Nigerian singer, as they met up at one of his Los Angeles shows for their very first date after meeting on a dating app. They also saw him perform in Miami on their first anniversary together.
“With help from the Houston Rockets, we surprised our wedding party, family and friends with tickets to the concert,” Ogwumike tells PEOPLE of the Toyota Center outing. “I got to present Burna with his own custom Houston Rockets jersey after the concert alongside my older sister Nneka Ogwumike and my guy!”
Chiney Ogwumike and friends at her wedding reception.Stanley Babb/StanloPhotography
“I said yes to the sketch on WhatsApp!” she jokes of the virtual design process with Alexander, which ended up going down to the wire. “I tried on the dress for the first time just 10 days before the wedding.”
Chiney Ogwumike shows off one of her 10 wedding looks.Stanley Babb/StanloPhotography
To honor her culture, Ogwumike also wore a traditional Nigerian dress, a yellow design featuring a 10-foot detachable train. She later changed into a black party dress with hip cutouts and ombré beading.
The newlyweds celebrated their marriage with a reception at the Sans Souci Ballroom in Tomball, Texas, the town where Chiney was born. Celebrity guests included former WNBA playerLisa Leslie, congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, retired NFL starEmmanuel Achoand singerTamar Braxton.
Dinner was a buffet featuring a fusion of southern cuisines and Nigerian delicacies, including Italian butter chicken, jollof rice, coconut rice, sweet yams, vegetable lasagna, Singapore noodles, southwest cabbage and greens, meat pie and suya bites.
Due to their busy work schedules, the couple plans to forgo a honeymoon in favor of a series of “mini-moons” throughout 2024. “Extended weekend trips to places like Bora Bora, Aruba and beyond. We are looking forward to it!” Ogwumike says.
source: people.com
