Matthew and Erica Paul were married on March 10, 2012.

The bride, 28, is a bank manager; the bridegroom, 30, is an Electronic Product Coordinator.

Matthew and Erica first met seven years ago, but their relationship didn’t truly blossom until a ski trip brought them together in February of 2009.

Find out how Matthew popped the question and see beautiful pictures of other black newlyweds at  Black Voices.com. 

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Folshunna Grace (Folshi) was recently featured on David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding.” This lucky bride had her wedding dreams come true but before she walked down the aisle, she had to meet the man of her dreams and her best friend. Check out their story below:

Tell us how you met your husband

Kory and I actually went to middle school and high school together. We knew of each other since middle school but we never talked or anything. We hung out with different crowds in high school and middle school. Finally my senior year we had a class together and we just like flirted, you know the regular. And one day his friend dared him to come up and dared him to hump me in the hallway. And when he did that I was like “Oh my God! What are you doing?” But you know, it was fun. So about six months after I graduated, in 2003, he asked me out and that’s how we started.

Our first date, we went to see “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.”

Oh wow! I remember when that movie came out.

Yes we’re a very funny couple.

When you first met him in middle school, what did you think about him as a person?

Oh my gosh! I was like ‘who is this big head kid.’ I was like ok, he’s cool but he wasn’t anything I was attracted to at all! But as it progressed in high school I guess I liked it.

Did you guys date continuously or were there breakups? Because it’s kind of rare that high school romances last.

We broke up. It was like two years into the relationship because I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted. He was my first ever, real boyfriend. I had a boyfriend before but this was in middle school and it was nothing serious. So I wanted to venture out and see if I could find something else. But I eventually came back because there was nothing out there. It was just like dating, ok but at the end of the day you want someone to be there for you and understand and commit so I ended up going back to him.

When did you realize he was someone you could spend the rest of your life with?

Once we hit our five year mark, we were kind of going through stuff as far as financial difficulties, moving in together, obstacles with parents and family and I knew if we could face all of this stuff and including other stuff together, death in the family. Then I knew he was the one. Because he’s genuine, he understands me. We’re like one in the same and you don’t come across those types of people too often so when you find love, I think you should stick with it and work through all of your issues.

The media would have you believe that every black woman, across the world, is single, lonely and bitter. But that’s not the case. Black women are still dating, getting married and having children. And to prove it we’re going to feature black women and their partners in a series called How They Met. We’re excited! Who doesn’t love love? Anyway, without further adieu, check out our first couple Quiana and Uka.

Couple: Uka, 30 and Quiana, 31
Length of Relationship: Known each other 12 years, married 2 years
Location: New York, NY
How They Met: At a Kappa party at Boston University
In Her Words:
Uka and I met September 1999 at a college party; he was an incoming freshman at Boston College, and I was a sophomore at Wellesley College. Wellesley is on a suburban campus as is BC and our campuses were relatively close to each other. I enjoyed going to the BC basketball games to see Uka play and would usually bring a Wellesley friend or two along with me.
In 2002 I graduated from Wellesley and started a career in advertising. Uka was set to graduate in 2003, but suffered a neck injury that gave him another year of NCAA eligibility, so he completed his master’s degree in record timing and in the fall of 2004 started his basketball career abroad.
While Uka was abroad I had a career in advertising in Boston then NYC. In 2007 I was scheduled to go to Las Vegas with girlfriends for my birthday; however they weren’t able to go. In the end Uka ended up coming along since he was awaiting his visa to play basketball in Japan and would have to continue flying west anyway. While there he proposed to me with a gorgeous Asscher cut engagement ring. I was so surprised!
On June 26, 2009 we were married in Puerto Rico, where Uka had played basketball for three seasons. I felt so blessed to share that special day with 50 of our closest friends and family. The following summer our daughter Nia was born. It’s been a fun adventure, and I’m truly blessed to be married to my best friend!

Uka, Quiana and their daughter, Nia

In His Words:
I was an incoming freshman just coming off a relationship and not looking to get into another. I really just wanted to explore and see what the college experience had to offer.
I decided to go to a party at Boston University with a few of my teammates. To be honest, I didn’t really notice Quiana – I noticed her friend instead! Somehow me and my teammate who was dancing with Quiana, switched partners and I ended up with her. The conversation sparked something and I thought to myself: “I shoulda been talking to her from the beginning!”
We exchanged numbers, and seeing that I had a very unique name I was a little nervous to explain. I had really wanted to keep things at a friendship level but anytime her Wellesley friends tended to be at a place I was at (Boston is really small!) they were like mosquitoes in my ear telling me that I needed to be with her!
In 2000 I decided to take things to the next level and we started to officially date. We had an in-depth conversation about our futures and we essentially said the same thing. There were break-ups and make-ups along the way, but in 2009 we were finally married.
Quiana and I are very different – the yin and yang, however our common faith is what keeps our love strong.

Quiana and Uka have a blog called Harlem Lovebirds where you can read about their lives, their love and their little one.

If you have or you know someone with a real life love story, involving a black woman, we’d like to feature your story too! Send your his and her stories to with a few pictures to editors@madamenoire.com.

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It’s always nice to watch couples in love. There’s laughter, shared stories and syrupy, sweet sentimental moments that you just might catch if you’re lucky. Aja and Fatin, members of the duo Kindred The Family Soul, were no different. Madame Noire caught up with the couple before they took the stage at BB King’s in NYC to discuss their music, their message and of course their love.

Read the rest of this entry »