Just when you thought the internet was the only place to meet your next spouse, Dr. Deborah Fowler of the Brianna Rose Institute and Elder Kuliema Blueford played matchmaker to Alisa Sanchez and Dorian Dean.
“My mom Kuliema doesn’t speak about new church members,” said Dorian, “or those who work side-by-side with Dr. Fowler, but she insisted I meet Dr. Fowler’s new executive secretary,” said Dorian.
Alisa, too, was puzzled why Elder Blueford mentioned Dorian so often to her.
“I wasn’t at all interested at first,” said Alisa. “I had just gotten out of a relationship plagued with domestic violence and was a single mother to my infant daughter, Robyn. I was a student at the Brianna Rose Institute, overcoming previous trauma and working towards my bachelor’s degree in applied psychology at Biola University. I was just too busy and simultaneously seeking God,” said Alisa. “I had seen Dorian at church, but he was very shy, and his position in DADHIM Shekinah Glory Worship Centers intimidated me.”
“Yes, I was shy,” says Dorian, but then I prayed about it, and Alisa reached out on Facebook. We had a conversation over Messenger for several months. Then we started calling each other once I had the approval from our pastor Dr. Fowler to court Alisa. The Holy Spirit pointed her out to me, and I knew deep down in my spirit that she was the one.”
That was five years ago.
Their first date was a Lakers game. Alisa bought the tickets but realized as they got closer to the stadium that she had left them in her car. Dorian solved it by finding the Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) ticket office where he could print them out.
“His problem-solving skills, genuine heart and calm spirit impressed me,” said Alisa. I knew he was the one by the way he loved and interacted with my daughter and the passion he sought in his professional and spiritual careers.”
“I decided to propose on our third anniversary,” says Dorian, “so I took her to dinner at the Castaways in Burbank. I was super nervous and wanted to get things done quickly. I asked one of my friends to video and photograph the proposal, and he was supposed to text me when he was right behind me. So, he texted me and said, ‘Now,’ so I quickly proposed to her, assuming he was right behind me. But what he meant was he was headed to our table, so he missed the whole proposal. I had to do it a second time for the camera.”
“Dorian is so tall, and we sat at a small table. He just sort of slid down to the ground, and I was not sure if his knee touched the ground,” said Alisa. “But when he did it the second time, it made the first time even more special. Also, I had been dropping hints about the kind of ring I wanted, but I was not sure if it would happen. But then, when I saw the ring, I thought, oh, he was paying attention.”
Alisa and Dorian were married in March at Rancho De Las Palmas in Moorpark with 150 guests. Many guests flew in for the occasion, the furthest from Florida with others from Kansas, Arizona, Texas and California. The couple currently live in San Gabriel, Alisa’s hometown.
And the most surprising thing at the wedding was?
“The Electric Slide,” says Dorian. “The guests pulled out throwback dances from the ‘80s. We just couldn’t believe it, seeing all the relatives who knew these crazy moves and coming out of their comfort zone.”
What are the most memorable moments?
“Robyn and Alisa coming down the aisle both in similar white dresses, looking like royalty,” said Dorian.
And the Deans both agreed on the specialness of the sand unity ceremony with Robyn.
“We combined different colored sands from the three of us into one vessel, representing the creation of a new union and family,” they said. “It symbolized our hopes, dreams and values for the future.”
So, what’s next for this ready-made family?
“I’m currently working on establishing a family business for our future. I’ve gotten several promotions at my distribution job at ReadyRefresh,” said Dorian, “which will come in very handy very soon.”
