When Simone and Denzel are together, it’s like they’re the only people in the room. In fact, that’s exactly what it was like when the college sweethearts first connected as freshman at Stanford University in 2014. Once they made each other’s acquaintance during a new student orientation activity in their predominately Black dorm (Ujamaa House, which is the place of residence for many students of the African disapora at the Ivy league institution), they couldn’t stop talking to one another, even when they weren’t supposed to be talking at all.
“We actually somehow got partnered up and we just kind of connected right off the bat. We had to do several different activities with our partner, but one of them was to make our partner laugh without talking, but we obviously didn’t hear those instructions,” Simone recalls to ESSENCE. “We were just kind of talking with each other, getting to know each other. And then our resident assistant comes around, he was like, ‘Do you realize you two are the only ones talking?’ And we’re like, ‘No.’ We totally had no clue that we weren’t doing the new student orientation activity. But that just kind of kickstarted our friendship.”
Friends for some time, Simone and Denzel didn’t consider taking their relationship to a romantic level until 2017, one year after she would make history as the first Black woman to win gold in individual swimming competitions at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But she knew he was special shortly after meeting him. Still, they were both focused on different important things: swimming for her, football for him. But they enjoyed the time they spent together, and found that they could trust each other deeply, which led to them becoming boyfriend and girlfriend at a time when her star was beginning to skyrocket.
“I think I knew he was the one just based off of how he made me feel,” she says. “I never got tired of talking to him. We could talk about anything and everything. He didn’t judge me. He really didn’t care about swimming in the sense that I felt like he really wanted to be with me for me. And I think sometimes that can be tough to find. I think especially after winning gold in 2016, I was kind of approached by people but he just really genuinely cared for me as Simone Manuel, the person.”
And that care, along with his own history playing sports on a higher level, has allowed Denzel to be understanding of Simone’s complicated schedule, which calls for lot of travel and training. They lean on date nights and plenty of communication to make up for the distance that sometimes is required.
“He understands that this is my goal and my dream, and he’s very supportive of it, and he makes a lot of sacrifices,” she says. “I know that when I’m gone for a month, it’s really hard on him. But he’s really supportive and understanding of the fact that this is kind of what I have to do to reach my goals and my dreams. And I think in some ways, me reaching my goals is also his goal.”
In 2022, after conversations about their future and general inquiries into what she would want a proposal to be like (“I didn’t want a lot of pomp and circumstance. I really kind of just wanted it to be us.”), Denzel proposed to Simone at Pigeon Point lighthouse in California. After walking around, taking in the beautiful scenery and taking pictures on their beloved Polaroid camera, Denzel got down on one knee as the sun set, professing his love for her and asking her to be his wife. When she shared the news with her parents, Marc and Sharron, it wasn’t necessarily a shock because he’d asked Mr. Manuel for Simone’s hand in advance. In addition, her parents had come to see him as the perfect person for their daughter after he helped comfort her following setbacks at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and a diagnosis of overtraining syndrome.
“Just seeing the way that he took care of her being there for her, even coming to Houston right after the Olympic trials, to be here with her, and just seeing her at her worst and still being there supporting her, loving her, was more than enough for me to know that he really did care for her,” says Ms. Sharron.
With her parents’ blessing, and mama Manuel taking the lead (with help of course) in planning her very busy daughter’s special day, Simone and Denzel said “I do” in November in a celebration at the Westin Galleria in Houston. That event was actually their second wedding, taking place on their one-year wedding anniversary, as they’d wed in a private ceremony in Arizona with just their parents and her grandmother last November. So while the marriage isn’t new, the party that came with their big white wedding was for the couple, and it certainly was unforgettable.
“It was amazing,” she says. “The food, the people. We had a second line band, and that was a lot of fun. My parents surprised us with a ballet dance…But I think my favorite part was just the party, just the community with one another. It was really fun.”
See all the photos from the fun had, and learn more about what went into their big day by checking out this week’s Bridal Bliss.
“He made me feel beautiful,” says Simone when asked of the signs that Denzel was the one for her. “I think that I have struggled with that, especially in the sport of swimming and how I look and present myself and even how I look now. He would tell me that I was beautiful, and he just never really expected me to change. He really loved me for being my authentic self.”
The groom is seen putting the finishing touches on his look, including his velvet jacket for their special day by Suit Supply.
Simone made her entrance with her father, Marc, looking stunning in her gown from Vivienne Atelier, which is based in Phoenix. We also love the tiara from Anthropologie.
After saying “I do” (for the second time), the Franklins were all smiles. For the record, Simone says when it comes to her last name, “to the world, I’ll be Simone Manuel, but personally I’ll be Simone, middle name Manuel, last name, Franklin.”
In addition to looking fantastic in their threads, Simone and Denzel’s hair stayed immaculate throughout the day thanks to their stylist Kaori Nik. She was also behind Simone’s makeup for the day, and she utilized Black-owned hair and clean beauty products to get the couple wedding ready. They include Danessa Myricks, Ami Cole, Juvia’s Place, LYS Beauty, Mented Cosmetics, Deon Libra body care and more.
Simone’s gown, found at Vivienne Atelier, originally had straps, and when she put it on she says she “didn’t really have the bride feeling, but I was like, I can go with this one. I know I’m going to look good in it.” Once she asked for the gown to be altered, with the straps removed, she knew she made the right choice. “I put it on for the fitting and was absolutely in love with it,” she says. “I didn’t get dressed up or dolled up for my dress try-ons at all. My dress appointments, I wanted to feel beautiful in the dress, just how I looked normally. That was one of the dresses that really did that for me. I really still felt beautiful with my hair in a bun and my glasses on.”
Issa party! A wedding party that is.
Ms. Sharron, Simone’s mother, and the chosen coordinator, Ashley Snell, owner of The Wedding Planning RN, LLC, worked very hard on her behalf to put together the perfect wedding day, including finding the gorgeous venue at The Westin Galleria. It was important for mama Manuel to keep her daughter from having a stressful planning experience as she “ran myself in the ground and got sick” 35 years ago planning her own big day. “I did not want that experience for Simone. The bride shouldn’t have to do all of this. And just knowing Simone and what I thought she and Denzel would like and enjoy, we kind of took that in,” she says. “Just having a very good wedding planner really helped me a lot, and they also did a lot of the heavy lifting as well.”
The couple are captured sharing their first dance, which Denzel enjoyed in one-of-a-kind Air Force 1s. For the reception, he wore a pair customized by Ms. Sharron. “Denzel and I have a huge collection of Air Force 1s, so we knew we both wanted to wear that at the reception,” says Simone. “And then my mom just bedazzled my Air Force 1s.”
We love a good mother-and-son-moment!
One of the highlights of the reception for the couple was the surprise performance put on by dancers from DCook Artistry who were commissioned by Simone’s parents, Marc and Ms. Sharron. It was an emotional one. “I did ballet for nine years, so that was pretty cool to have that,” she says. “And Denzel just appreciates the arts, so he cried multiple times during the dance.”
A close-up of the customized Air Force 1s made for Simone by her mom, which were worn at the reception. As previously mentioned, Ms. Sharron also jazzed up Denzel’s 1s for the reception, as well as the tiny sneakers of the flower girl.
The couple are seen sharing a smooch while cutting their beautiful cake, done by Perfect Petit Fours. Simone also changed into her second look of the day, which was a high-low dress “for a little drama” from Retrofete. (She, of course, had on her Air Force 1s for that part of the day.)
The reception was the party Simone didn’t know she needed. After having a small wedding ceremony last year, the couple were initially skeptical about following up a year later with a big bash. It was her mom who convinced them. “I think that it was really good for me to just party, have fun, celebrate such a special, momentous moment in our lives, and be celebrated by a lot of people that really love us and care for us was. It just had me on a high for weeks after,” she says. Mama knows best. “I think Simone doesn’t always take time to appreciate and celebrate her accomplishments,” adds Ms. Sharron. “And it just sometimes take someone giving her a nod to say, ‘It’s okay to take some time, take a breath, and just enjoy life.’”
While Simone was raised in Sugar Land, Texas, her parents and family are from New Orleans. To honor their rich culture, Hustlers Brass Band from NOLA performed as the couple and their guests danced with parasols and handkerchiefs.
In addition to the 2024 Olympics in Paris (oooh la la!), Simone is looking forward to taking a break afterward from competing to spend lots of quality time with Denzel. “Go on a honeymoon, really travel the world together. That’s something that we really want to do. And then just see what the future holds,” she says.
Vendors
Wedding Coordinator: The Wedding Planning RN
Ice Sculpture: Ice Occasions
MUA for Bridal Party and Sharron Manuel: BLEND By Synphony
MUA for Bride and Hair Stylist for the Franklins: Nikole Thomas
Wedding Cake: Perfect Petit Fours
Wedding Decor: Decor2Remember
Ballet Dancers at Reception: DCook Artistry
Second Line Band: Hustlers Brass Band
DJ, Emcee for Wedding and Reception: Signature Eventx
Officiant: Pastor Ralph Douglas West of Church Without Walls
Photographer and Videographer: Pharris Photos
Wedding Stationary: Raise Your Words Design
Venue: The Westin Galleria