Porsha Williams And Simon Guobadia Are Officially Married.
The former Real Housewives of Atlanta star, 41, and the businessman, 57, born in Nigeria, were united in marriage on Friday in front of 250 guests at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. The couple will exchange vows once more during an American ceremony on Saturday.
Before the wedding, Williams told PEOPLE, “I am ridiculously excited.” “Just so prepared. I’m not even apprehensive. I know that getting married to the love of my life would only strengthen our bond as a couple and as a family. I’m excited and at peace.”
Guobadia, on the other hand, admitted that he is “a little nervous”—but not for the reason you might expect.
People are thinking, “Uh-oh,” he added, “when you say you’re a little frightened and you’re about to walk down the aisle.” “However, the arrival of family and friends I haven’t seen in a while in Atlanta makes me anxious.”
Williams claimed that the seven outfit changes she’ll make during the two-day wedding are the only ” anxious aspect.”
She laughed and said, “It’s going to be a real fashion spectacular. “I couldn’t say no to any gowns! If a wedding dress was offered to me and I liked it, I would buy it.”
Image source: people
Williams changed into three different outfits on the day of the wedding in Nigeria. She wore a red dress by designer Lakimmy, appropriate for an Edo bride for the event (Guobadia is from Benin City in the Edo State of Nigeria). She also donned an okuku, a beaded headdress made of coral from Benin.
Later, she changed into two gowns—one in royal blue and the other in gold—by Tabik.
The theme colors of the day were purple and teal, and guests were also urged to follow suit by donning traditional or formal dresses inspired by Nigeria.
Iro and buba, a colorful skirt and top typically lavishly beaded, are the typical clothing items for ladies in Nigerian Yoruba and Edo culture. Women frequently decorate by carrying a fan and donning a gele, an elaborate head wrap. In contrast, men dress in an agbada, an enormous kaftan made of guinea or lace, and an Asoke-fabric cap.
The couple contributed the cultural fabric to create the day’s clothes for their family members following custom. Each family member has their design options with the material.
Williams remarked that it was a huge undertaking. “I selected the materials for their clothing, including their head wrap and gele. Every single hue was my choice. After this, I should be a stylist!”
She continued that observing how different people interpret the fabric would be interesting. “It will be a lovely statement of style, love, and family.”
Traditional Benin singers and dancers presented throughout the native law and custom ceremony, which was presided over by a spokesman from each side of the couple’s family. Then, during the reception, Williams declared that she wanted her guests to experience Nigeria.
She wished for them to have the impression that they had flown to Benin and arrived there. “Browns, rose golds, tans, and creams should be used to change the space completely. It should be breathtakingly gorgeous and make you feel truly African.”
She continued, “Trees in the room were another thing I desired. I want it to seem nice but like an indoor/outdoor space.
The pair provided traditional Benin cuisine for the feast, including okra stew, pork pies, snails, and egusi from the neighborhood eatery Little Lagos. They also served fried lobster, steak, and cornbread to honor Williams’ southern heritage. They made a typical Benin cake as the dessert.
Williams claimed that after one month of dating, when they announced their engagement in May 2021, she “knew” she wanted to “respect” Guobadia’s culture.
To avoid being completely ignorant, she stated, “I looked up different things about an Edo bride, the Benin culture, their traditions. “Because I didn’t want to do anything that wasn’t within their culture’s custom, I made sure to be as respectful as possible. I had to take everything extremely seriously and was adamant that every little thing would be true to their culture. I gained a lot of knowledge.”
Guobadia claimed Williams handled everything effortlessly.
In the beginning, he admitted, “I was so pleased and, quite frankly, shocked that she wanted to do it the conventional way because it’s not something you hear every day.” “It blows my mind that someone would accept my culture and desire to get married that way. Some of the people we hired to assist us during the ceremony and other steps were startled by her depth of knowledge regarding the attire, naming conventions, and other details. I’d say she’s immersed herself in the culture in the past year.”
Williams reportedly “embraced” Nigeria on a trip to his hometown of Benin in October, according to Guobadia. He remarked that you might have believed she had visited Nigeria several times if you hadn’t known any better.
Williams took an ancestral DNA test when the pair returned home and was shocked to learn that she is 44 percent Nigerian, specifically from the western region of the nation where Guobadia’s mum is from.
Guobadia said, “The voyage has been fantastic. I could not have imagined an ideal future bride.
The pair requested that guests turn off their electronic devices during the celebration of their love on Friday.
Williams, who had previously been married, said, “It’s essential for me because I’ve experienced another big event in my life before, and all I remember seeing was flashing lights and pictures being snapped every minute.” “All I want is for people to be present. The two of us chose each person on the guest list. These people have supported us, who we love, and care about. We sincerely hope that they will sense the excitement and join us in celebrating our shared love.”
Comedian Rickey Smiley, Karlie Redd from Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Quad Webb from Married to Medicine, Jennifer Williams from Basketball Wives, and T.I. and wife Tiny Harris are all on the guest list. Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Monyetta Shaw, Kandi Burruss, Drew Sidora, and Cynthia Bailey, all members of the cast of Real Housewives of Atlanta, were invited.
Williams continued, saying guests travel to Guobadia’s wedding from “London, Nigeria, South America… everywhere!”
Williams stated it would be difficult for them to go two nights without spending the night together because their wedding was a two-day event.
Since the wedding is in the morning, she stated, “Thursday night, I’ll be traveling to the Four Seasons to the penthouse suite to prepare for the next day.” “However, I’ll be back at our house on Friday night because I need to get ready for the American wedding. Are you going to tell me I can’t be in bed? He asks incredulously. I’ll have to make an effort to convince him to sleep on the couch.”
The couple’s wedding in America will commence on Saturday night with 350 guests present at an Atlanta church. They will then throw a ball and an after-party to celebrate.
Williams said that she is most looking forward to being able to call Guobadia her “husband” now that they are formally married.
She laughed and continued, “It’s just going to be like, ‘My husband, my husband, my husband. “I’m going to annoy everybody! Okay, this is our last marriage. We have a place here. So that’s it. Being able to locate your special someone is a blessing. It doesn’t occur frequently.”
Porsha Williams And Simon Guobadia, he claimed, are already “great friends.”
After work, he admitted, “I don’t want to leave this house because I’d much prefer jump into bed and watch T.V. with her.” “We enjoy going on vacation. We enjoy traveling alone and exploring new places together. We both seem to be in a peaceful place right now.”
He declared that I hadn’t had a problem with her in the year and a half I’d been with her. “It has simply been a wonderful connection. Because we’ve lived together and our families are connected, the prospect of getting married doesn’t worry me. This is merely a formal, legal manner of stating that we are married. We could have begun to rejoice right now.”
The couple is also eager to strengthen the bonds between their families. Williams and ex-husband Dennis McKinley share their 3-year-old daughter Pilar Jhena, whereas Guobadia has five children from previous unions: Quentin, Nicole, Christian, Benjamin, and Ximena.
Williams stated, “I’ll be his stepmom, and he’ll be Pilar’s stepdad. “We move as a single entity. We will conduct ourselves in life as a married couple acting as one. It truly means a lot to the both of us.”
When asked if she and Guobadia would like additional children, Williams responded that they are “definitely” open to the idea.
I’ve always wanted four children, so the fact that he has three younger ones who spend a lot of time at home and I have Pilar is a blessing, she added. “The possibility of having a kid with him, though, is something I would like to investigate. Although I’m unsure of the exact number, I can say it won’t be more than two.”