Love is in the air, and this wedding season, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Chapter and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Alpha Chapter showed up and showed out at their wedding ceremony! Rachel Crouch, who is a Delta, and Kimberly “Kim” Burks, who is an AKA, tied the knot in a lavish ceremony that only members of the Divine 9 could’ve planned.
The pair are now officially Mrs. and Mrs. Burks-Crouch and they had a wedding full of dancing, laughter, and fun at Charcoal Factory event venue in Chicago, with members of both organizations coming together to celebrate sisterly and romantic love. The couple are both graduates of Howard University and were friends in college, but their romance didn’t begin until Kim, a Chicago native and educator, approached Rachel, a Washington D.C. educator and artist who specializes in paint and luxury collegiate apparel, on her birthday three years ago.
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According to Kim, the couple had a “20-year crush” that blossomed into love unexpectedly. “Over the years, it was like we knew we were interested in each other,” the bride tells Black Love. “All of our friends knew we were interested in each other, but neither one of us ever really pulled the trigger. Also, Rachel was always in a relationship, so we were always just friends.”
Kim says she “kind of crashed” Rachel’s birthday party in 2021, calling Rachel ahead of time to let her know she was coming. The two connected during the celebration but it wasn’t until Kim was getting ready to leave that she made her move.
“We were standing in the doorway and I kissed her,” Kim says. “I think that next weekend I came back to D.C. and we spent the entire weekend together and we have been together ever since. But that fall we made it official; I asked her to be my girlfriend.”
As for Rachel, she tells Black Love that she “had a crush on Kim from the moment I met her.”
“I used to go to the club if I knew she was going to be there,” the 1982 Gallery owner says. “I secretly admired her and was crushing on her years before I knew she liked me too! We saw each other at homecoming and out in D.C. with friends, but didn’t connect because of our other relationships. She crashed my birthday party in 2021 and we have talked every single day since.”
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It didn’t take long for Kim and Rachel to know that they had found “the one.” They each had a special moment where it became apparent that they had met their wife. For Kim, that moment occurred on Thanksgiving 2021 when the couple was having a conversation across the room.
“I think we were talking about how we would refer to one another like ‘partner’ or ‘girlfriend,’ and I was like you know, none of that feels right to me,” Kim explains. “‘I want to call you, my wife; like, you are my wife,’” she remembers thinking.
“In that moment, I knew that she was going to be my wife one day.”
For Rachel, it was a series of moments that led her to feel like Kim was the one for her.
“There have been so many times I’ve looked over at Kim thinking, ‘This is it; I want you for the rest of my life,’” Rachel shares. The educator adds that it was Kim’s car selfies in particular that left an immediate impression.
“This is going to sound so strange, but I distinctly remember every time Kim sent me a car selfie,” Rachel explains. “I immediately became overwhelmed with 1, how I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and 2, how beautiful she is. I know that’s random, but she sends me car selfies after she gets her hair done. The moment she thinks she’s the prettiest, the first thing she does when she gets in the car is send a pic to me. I always want to be the person she sends her first car selfie to.”
The couple got engaged on November 11, 2022, nearly 20 years after they met in 2002, and celebrated their nuptials on May 19, 2024. Their proposal was just as dreamy as their wedding day. Kim was swept off her feet when Rachel popped the question at the Godfrey Hotel.
“She suggested we go to this cute igloo at the Godfrey Hotel,” Kim says. “I was dressed all in white and had no idea what was about to happen. We got into the igloo, set up our music, danced, laughed, and took a bunch of selfies. We were just chatting about our future when Rachel gave me one of the ring pops I got us for Valentine’s Day. While I was laughing and opening it and talking about it being stale, she completely surprised me with this heartfelt proposal. I was totally caught off guard!”
There were even surprises for Rachel on the night of their proposal. Kim shares that Rachel set up an intimate, post-proposal dinner with friends, but Rachel had no idea her twin sister, Rebecca, who appeared on “Black Love” Season 2 with her partner Jai, would be there.
“Her sister and best friend had flown in,” Kim says. “We stayed at the Ambassador Hotel for the weekend and for the grand finale, Rachel told me we were going to a Target party — shout out to Kahlana [Barfield] — so I had a dress, shoes, etc. ready to go, but it turned out to be our engagement photoshoot at the hotel!”
Even though Rachel planned their proposal, she was still anxious about pulling off the surprise. She tells Black Love that she was “so nervous” that she had “panic attacks all morning; pacing around the house.”
“I kept thinking, ‘Oh my God, what if I get there and can’t find the ring?!’ But the proposal was private. We had dinner with our friends the next day, and my friends surprised me by flying to Chicago to join us! Then there was a photoshoot that was epic. Kim looked so beautiful. I am so grateful.”
On the day of their wedding, Rachel looked sleek and sophisticated in an all-black Givenchy and T.I. Nathan tux. Her wife, Kim, looked effortlessly elegant in her all-white gown from Rachel Gilbert Bridal.
Kim completed her look with makeup by Black makeup artist Troye Antonio and hair by stylist Alex Brown. A good time was clearly had as shown through the couple’s beautiful photographs and videos that they shared on social media. From the electric slide to the all-around good vibes, Rachel and Kim were surrounded by love during and after the ceremony.
Pledging a Black Greek organization is a lifelong commitment, not unlike marriage. More than 20 years after both of these women crossed the proverbial burning sands and their crush began, they tied the knot — bringing together countless Alpha Chapter sorors from both of their sororities.
When asked about their most memorable moment of the night, Rachel says, “I think the first look was the most memorable. I was alone waiting for Kim to come downstairs. I didn’t even know what a first look was. They explained it to me moments before it happened. When I saw her I was overwhelmed with so much joy and love and gratitude. I couldn’t believe she was about to be my wife, forever.”
Rachel and Kim’s connection is evident as she, too, thought that the first look was the most memorable part of their wedding.
“If I had to pick a moment, I would say it was our first look,” Kim says. “That was our private time together with just us. I mean, and cameras of course, but that was the moment where I’m like, ‘she is finally going to be my wife.’”
Kim adds that getting ready that morning with her family in the bridal suite was also a touching memory that she’ll never forget.
“That whole morning was just a vibe in my suite,” she says, “My mom, my friends, and I were having a party and to feel that confident and everything was right in the world — it was just a pure celebration of love and commitment and partnership, for me.”
It was an emotional evening for all involved. Kim and her father wiped away tears as he prepared to walk her down the aisle. Both Kim and Rachel were overcome with emotion while reciting their vows. Rachel later reflected on the ceremony, writing on Instagram, “I always tell my friends ‘If you ever see me crying on the internet SLAP ME!!’ Whelp! ITS FOREVER BABY!!!”
During the celebration, Rebecca, who is also a Delta, sang the “Sweetheart Song” with other members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in a touching moment caught on camera. Rebecca shares that singing the song at her twin sister’s wedding was “a heartfelt moment that will stay with me forever.”
Rachel and Kim worked with Chicago-based event planner Kia Marie and designer Ameer Roberts to help bring their vision to life. Hidden Botanics and Sweet Pea Design Studio provided the flowers and floral arrangements with The Happier and Brodie Bee Studios providing the wedding stationery. The wedding cake was supplied by Cake Life Chicago and wedding photographers Mack Julion and Mari Trancoso provided the photos and content creation. Guests received custom Smellies matchbooks with an illustration of Rachel and Kim and the wedding date engraved on the box.
“It definitely was the most magical day of my life, and it turned out to be more than I ever imagined it would be,” Kim concludes.
Congrats to the happy couple!
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