Rachelle Friedman Chapman’s first thoughts about renewing her wedding vows came after losing her diamond engagement ring approximately nine months ago.
But when she and her husband, Chris Chapman, held the ceremony on July 22 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the event was not about a ring, the Today Show reported Monday.
The gathering was about celebrating the couple’s deep love and the challenges Friedman Chapman has overcome for 11 years after an accident during her bachelorette party left her paralyzed.
“When we first got married, we wanted to show the world true love did exist,” she said. “We did this one for us, to celebrate our love 10 years after a lot of people doubted that it could last forever.”
“We didn’t do it to prove everyone wrong, but at the same time, my advocacy is to break stereotypes,” Friedman Chapman continued.
The recent ceremony was even more unforgettable because of their six-year-old daughter, Kaylee. The couple welcomed Kaylee in 2015 through a surrogate, and the little girl joined them for their first dance at the event.
“We exchanged rings and we also got a special ring for Kaylee, with all of our birth stones together,” Friedman Chapman recalled. “We put that on her finger, so there was a whole little moment for her that felt more special.”
Chris Chapman proposed to her again at a restaurant and upgraded the diamond ring she lost to a 1-carat diamond.
“Thank you @diamondsdirect for helping us restore her lost diamond! I can’t wait to say ‘I DO’ again. I love you baby!” he wrote in an Instagram post:
The recent gathering of loved ones was small, which allowed Friedman Chapman to reflect on her journey.
The young woman was paralyzed from the chest down when a bridesmaid playfully pushed her into a pool during her bachelorette party in 2010, causing her to fracture the C6 vertebra in her neck.
“I would put our marriage up against anybody else,” Chris Chapman said in spite of the difficulties. “Life has been tough, but the marriage hasn’t. That’s what’s held us together.”