Derek and Roseanne celebrated a beautiful wedding reception at Fortune Terrace in Richmond. The day was filled with important traditions which included door games, a tea ceremony and table toasts.
Thank you so much Derek and Roseanne for having me!
“I love that Roseanne and I have a relationship that feels truly like a team effort and we treat each other as equals. When we are both motivated, we accomplish tasks efficiently and break through traditional gender role assignments. I’m looking forward to us having a pragmatic approach in life and that things will get done because they have to.
I love that Roseanne and I have differences that don’t pull us apart but help keep each other balanced. She is more of an introvert whereas I am an extrovert. Too much of one thing can be stale or burn us out, but I think us tugging on each other’s needs creates a more balanced and healthy dynamic.
I love that Roseanne understands me the most and shows her appreciation towards me. However tumultuous things may have been, she understands my points of view and it alleviates our arguments and differences. She is affectionate and knows how to reaffirm her appreciation towards me.
I love that Roseanne makes me a better person inside and out. She made me care more about self-grooming, choosing attire, and looking more presentable. Part of the chase period involved me having to lose a significant amount of weight. Instead of feeling bad about myself, she inspired me to be the best version of me. Roseanne also makes me a better person on the inside. I used to not care much about sharing food. When I order something, I expect to eat 100% of it. I used to walk out of a restaurant or get off the bus, and not look behind to see if Roseanne was behind me. She helped me be a more considerate, thoughtful, and self-less partner over the course of our relationship.
I love that Roseanne tries really hard to be a part of my family and love my family. Although there are communication barriers, she tries her best to still allow her personality to shine through. She encourages me to do more for my parents. And her willingness to be a part of our family really shows off her strong character.”
– Derek
“Derek, in many ways, is my opposite. We were 21 – the same age, when we met, but I remember him already knowing what he wanted in life. He knew his strengths, what he loved, what he wanted to do, and has always been stable, confident, and sure of himself. I knew he was intelligent but he also worked hard – the kid in school who gets the best grades but you can’t really hate him because you know that even though he’s naturally bright, he still worked hard to get those marks! He’s just a happy, stable, independent person! He doesn’t like wasting time or resources, always has a plan and he delivers! At that time, I felt like I had no direction. I didn’t really have a sense of who I am and was too scared to dream, too scared to fail. Derek came into my life at the right time — he came when I needed to be inspired, motivated, and be pushed to work hard. He never gave up on me even when I was extremely difficult. He’s always been the strong one, the one who held tightly and always reminded me that regardless of any challenges between us, we are meant for each other. He is the optimist to my pessimist, the rational to my irrational, the sound voice to my crazy… he is my rock. He brought out and continues to bring out the best in me. I may change my mind a million times to a million things but one thing has always been consistent… This self-proclaimed “stable as a table”, excruciatingly stubborn, annoying person who is sooo shamelessly, unapologetically himself, is my better half. I am so grateful that he chose me.”
– Roseanne
