Tanned and beaming on Friday after a dream honeymoon in Fiji, newlyweds Rachelle and Chris Chapman radiated the sunny spirit that has kept their bond unbreakable since a freak accident at Rachelle’s bachelorette party left her paralyzed just over a year ago. The darkness that befell the couple on May 23, 2010, when Rachelle was playfully pushed into a swimming pool by one of her bridesmaids and fractured the C6 vertebra in her neck, has been replaced by a bright future as husband and wife. On Friday the two reflected with TODAY’s Matt Lauer about their adventures on an all-expenses paid trip to Fiji, and the strength they have drawn from one another throughout a difficult situation. "We’ve been through the hardest times, and I think we can make it for sure,’’ Rachelle told Lauer. "We’ve always said we were best friends long before we started dating, so our relationship was founded on friendship,’’ Chris said. Dream wedding The accident occurred in Virginia Beach, Va., a month before the two were initially supposed to be married. A push from a friend during a late-night swim sent Rachelle headfirst into a pool that was 3 ½ feet deep, cracking her vertebra. The 25-year-old from Knightdale, N.C., has no feeling below her collarbone and doctors have said she will never walk again.
That did not stop her from eventually becoming Mrs. Chapman, as her father wheeled her down the aisle in her original wedding dress to marry Chris, a 28-year-old middle school teacher from North Carolina, in a dream wedding on July 22. She also was accompanied by the bridesmaid who played a role in the accident: Friedman has remained close with her and has kept her identity secret to help her avoid media scrutiny. Story: Playful push into pool leaves bride-to-be paralyzed On a 102-degree day, the two were seated as they exchanged their self-written vows in a wedding sponsored by 1-800 Registry, who also sponsored their honeymoon in Fiji after hearing about their story.
Rachelle Friedman looks in the mirror during the fitting for her wedding dress. Despite her paralysis, she wore her original gown.
“[The wedding] was totally us,’’ Rachelle told Lauer. "We planned it perfectly as to what our ideal wedding would be.’’ “To see both families come together and finally be able to call Rachelle my bride was an amazing experience,’’ Chris said. After their big day, the couple jetted off to Fiji for a week, during which they made friends with local villagers and even taught some Australian tourists how to line-dance. (Before Rachelle’s accident, she worked at a senior center in Raleigh, N.C., where she taught line dancing and planned parties.) “[Line dancing] is kind of foreign to them,’’ Rachelle said of the Australian tourists. “So when I told them what I did with senior citizens before I was hurt, they all wanted to learn line dancing. I did my best to kind of call it out because I couldn’t show them, but Chris showed them.’’ The newlyweds also befriended resident of a village located nearby their Tokoriki Island resort, where many of the employees live. The honeymooners cherished that experience above the fishing, scuba diving and other activities offered. "We just fell in love with it — the kids, the people,’’ Rachelle said. "I would love to stay in touch with them.’’ "It was quite an experience,’’ Chris said. "The people and the culture is really what we took to during the trip.’’ The two returned from their once-in-a-lifetime experience ready to tackle the future together. Given what they have endured, they have already shown the strength and spirit to overcome any obstacle. "I think we both feed off each other,’’ Rachelle told Lauer. "When I was in the hospital and I was hurt, I wanted to be strong for him, and I know that he wanted to be strong for me, so I think we just helped each other.’’Chris noted how his wife’s perseverance and positive outlook in the face of a life-altering accident radiated across both families. "I think myself and our families have fed off of her strength,’’ he said. "It was her calm and collectedness throughout a lot of this experience that has really helped us be strong and helped her.’’ Given what occurred during their engagement, they had a bond forged long before they made it official late last month. "They lived their vows before they ever said them,’’ Jennifer Glatt, a 1-800 Registry planning manager, told NBC News.
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