A couple who waited 3 years for their first kiss had an emotional wedding that honored their Nigerian roots

Jordan, 26, and Nessa, 25, both went to Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, but Jordan was one year ahead of Nessa.

Nessa told Insider that when she started as a freshman in 2014, she started seeing Jordan all over campus — on her way to class, walking to her dorm, at the cafeteria.

Jordan noticed Nessa too. It seemed like they couldn't avoid each other.

Jordan finally spoke to Nessa after he saw her celebrating Nigerian Independence Day at school. He spotted her wearing a traditional garment known as a dashiki, and she had traditional polka dots painted on her face.

He hopped off his skateboard and asked her if she was Nigerian, as he was. She said yes, and as they talked about their heritage, Jordan and Nessa figured out that not only were they from the same country, but the same village.

Nessa and Jordan became fast friends, with Jordan inviting Nessa and her friend to join his bible study. Their heritage and faith brought them together.

Jordan and Nessa had a platonic relationship for years, but everyone around them questioned the close bond between them.

They didn't plan on making their relationship romantic until Jordan apparently had a dream about his future wife, Nessa said.

"He heard from the Lord, verbatim, 'Go get your wife,'" Nessa said of Jordan's dream. When he woke up, he immediately thought of Nessa.

They started dating in March 2018.

"He didn't ask me," Nessa joked of Jordan. "He just started telling the entire campus that we're together."

Both Jordan and Nessa hadn't had sex when they met, and they both intended to wait until they were married to be intimate.

The couple decided they wouldn't even kiss before they were married.

"It's not that kissing is bad," Nessa said. "But we did see it as a gateway. It can start something."

"We thought it was really our best way to glorify God," she added of abstaining from kissing.

Jordan proposed to Nessa in the summer of 2020, and they celebrated by holding hands. They planned to get married in February 2021.

Texas wasn't restricting weddings because of the coronavirus on their planned wedding date, so the couple was able to invite 350 people to their wedding.

They tied the knot at The Signature Manor in Houston, which also provided the catering and bar services. Dure Events planned the wedding.

During the ceremony, Jordan and Nessa had their bridesmaids and groomsmen carry glasses of water instead of flowers.

They poured the water into a basin, and Jordan would later use the water to wash Nessa's feet, as a nod to the scripture that says Jesus washed his disciples' feet.

The moment also signified the importance of the bridal party in the Onuohas' relationship.

"Every single one of them had poured something into our relationship," Nessa said.

Jordan paired a Nehru jacket with matching trousers. Gold buttons and pocket detailing added dimension to the ensemble.

Black shoes complemented the look.

The dramatic Ese Azenabor had a full skirt. Nessa paired it with a floor-length train.

Irie Jade Beauty did the bride's makeup,

The skirt flowed from an oversized bow into a long train.

The fabric detailing from the rest of the dress also continued on the skirt.

Jordan told Insider he started crying as soon as he saw Nessa.

"I didn't even see her face. I saw the side of her head and was crying," he said.

The moment held religious significance for the couple.

"In the Bible, God himself washes us with the word and adorns us with jewelry," Jordan said. "So it was me washing her feet before I adorned her with her ring."

They told Insider their ceremony was one of their favorite parts of their wedding day, because they really made it their own.

Their families helped them plan the reception, but the ceremony was just Jordan and Nessa's.

"Everything was exactly how we wanted it to be," she said.

Nessa told Insider she had been mentally preparing herself for the kiss the whole wedding day.

So after the officiant pronounced Nessa and Jordan husband and wife, she was ready for the kiss.

"That's when Jordan stopped me and put on breath spray in front of everybody," she said. "That really created the moment."

Their photographer, Jide Alakija of Alakija Studios, captured the couple at the altar.

Seven years after they met, Jordan and Nessa had their first kiss.

The couples' loved ones cheered them on when they finally kissed — and encouraged them to kiss quite a few times so they could capture the moment on camera.

The trumpet-style dress, designed by Ese Azenabor, had a layered skirt and an adorned bodice with a plunging cutout in the center.

A high, sheer neckline and matching long-sleeves completed the ensemble.

The space was decorated with flowers and candles.

The reception featured a lot of dancing, and Jordan surprised Nessa with a performance by one of their favorite singers, Major.

She said when the surprise was revealed, she thought to herself, "This is why I love you," about Jordan.

Decor 2 Remember decorated for the event, and Mr. Oreo was their DJ.

Klot House by Victoria Obayemi made Nessa's green and gold ensemble, as well as the bridesmaids' dresses.

Nessa also wore green gloves and a red headpiece.

Jordan's ensemble, designed by 5 Yard Fabrics, coordinated with Nessa's dress.

"That just felt like the Nigerian part of us," Nessa told Insider of the outfits.

Jordan and Nessa said that on their honeymoon, they didn't rush into having sex, as they wanted to wait until they were in their actual bed at home because they believe "the marriage bed is sacred," as Nessa said.

"We actually took that time to really get to know each other," she said of their wedding night.

They've since been intimate, but Jordan and Nessa told Insider that it's taking time to adjust to having a sex life because they were so committed to abstinence prior to marriage.

"Mentally, it's a lot for us," Nessa said, speaking of the change in their years-long relationship.

Since saying "I do" in March, the Onuohas still have moments where they forget they can be intimate when they want to.

For instance, Jordan recently leaned in to kiss Nessa goodbye before work in the morning, and she gave him her forehead instead of her lips to kiss out of habit. They said that when moments like that come up, they laugh it off and tries again.

"Our relationship started because we were friends," Nessa said. "We make jokes out of nothing. It's been truly been a blast."

They said aside from being more intimate, their relationship doesn't feel all that different now that they're married.

"I always saw Jordan as my husband, and he always saw me as his wife," Nessa said. "It doesn't feel like anything changed."

You can follow Jordan and Nessa on Instagram, and you can see more of Alakija's work here.