Sunday, 19th April 2009
This episode sees Franc tackling a unique challenge for him-a Nigerian couple are getting married in a Dún Laoghaire Pentecostal church and they're hoping to bring elements of the traditional African ceremony from their native country to the Irish event. While Franc has fused inter-cultural elements in prior weddings, this is his first time bringing tribal and church together in Ireland.
Charles Nwankire, an engineering Ph.D student in U.C.D. and Nwabueze Onwukwe, a theatre nurse in St. Vincent's Hospital, have a fairytale story that crosses continents. The couple's whirlwind romance began when they met in Dublin six months before their wedding and discovered that they were from the same part of eastern Nigeria and from the same tribe, the Ibo! It took a 5,000 kilometre journey for them to find each other but they have fallen head over heels in love-so much so that Franc himself was smitten by the palpable affection between the couple in his meetings with them and wanted a wedding that sparkled and fizzed with the same kind of love and energy.
But the venue chosen for the reception is new to Franc: there are tribal dancers and musicians to be hired, and this wedding planner has never dealt with an all-African wedding before. There is also the small matter of picking out the perfect cake-will it be ready in time? And will Franc's lavish surprise on Dún Laoghaire pier for Charles and Nwabueze come off according to plan?
