Delta Burke’s Husband Fell Instantly in Love but His Friends Were against Their Marriage

The "Designing Women" star Delta Burke and her husband Gerald McRaney are the perfect examples of a match made in heaven. He didn't back down on his love, despite his friends' advice against marrying an actress.

Delta Burke and her husband, "This Is Us" star Gerald McRaney's love story is one straight out of a storybook. They have a romance that can only be perfectly alluded to as one-of-a-kind.

The couple, who've been together for over three decades, met on the "Simon & Simon" set when Burke made a guest appearance. Burke had been commencing her second season of "Designing Women."

HOW THEY MET

McRaney was smitten from the first moment he laid his eyes on the then-thirty-one-year-old Burke. And during a publicist luncheon that followed, McRaney could not take his eyes off of her.

McRaney kept stealing glances at Burke throughout the rest of the event, unaware that he was not as subtle as he thought he was.

At the time of their meeting, none of them was actively looking for love, but the moment they met, all that changed. Soon after the luncheon, McRaney sent Burke her favorite flowers — a dozen white roses.

That same year, he landed a spot on her TV Show. In the first two episodes, McRaney played Burke's on-screen ex-husband, where they shared a kiss that McRaney says went on for longer than was intended.

Two dates in, McRaney asked Burke to marry him, amid advice from his friends not to marry an actress. His friends were worried for him, and with good reason.

Burke says everyone thought they were crazy and did not believe or trust them. But all the advice in the world did not matter to them, as they knew right away that they were made for each other. McRaney disclosed at the time:

"I wasn't going to let her get away. I already had competition. There were people asking her out on dates, and I was going to move in right away."

A WEDDING OF A KIND

A war was waging inside him. Logically, it seemed too soon to propose, but he had a feeling that Burke was the most beautiful creature God ever placed on earth, and he still thinks that to this day.

They exchanged their vows in 1989, in a beautiful ceremony set in the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel. There were 400 guests in attendance and ten bridesmaids gliding down an aisle adorned with white and pink gardenias.

The beautiful bride wore a bustled silk gown and a mass of raven hair on her head. Her groom was reportedly so carried away with her beauty he could not wait to cup her face in his arms and kiss her.

Their vows were simple, yet their wedding was a glitzy, extravagant, and massive affair. But beyond their big day, what mattered most to them was that they had finally found each other.

The wedding that will forever be embedded in the attendee's memories was followed by a honeymoon in Italy, Austria, West Germany, and France. After the honeymoon, the couple retreated to a quiet life in their Pasadena home.

Although they planned to have children of their own, they never came around to being parents. McRaney is, however, a father of three from his previous marriage.

A MARRIAGE THAT STOOD THE TEST OF TIME

The couple has weathered many storms in their marriage journey, but they continue to support each other through thick and thin. McRaney has stood by his wife, even after she began suffering from depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Burke has been candid about her struggle with her weight throughout her career. Her struggles hit an all-time high when she was filming the final season of "Designing Women."

Caused by type 2 diabetes, which she has struggled with for a long time, Burke says her most significant support has been her husband. She explained his love for her has never wavered, despite the struggles she's faced. She says:

"He's been great. It didn't matter to him how fat I got. He likes to give me my (insulin) shots and says it makes him feel like he's taking care of me."

Today. Burke keeps a low profile and is enjoying her blissful marital life. She continues to take on a few roles, such as her part as Ellie Holder in the "If I Had Wings" episode of the 2019 "Dolly Parton's Heartstrings" alongside her husband, who played "Tom."

McRaney continues to make an impact in the film industry with his roles as Eugene Montreaux in "Filthy Rich" and the voice of Dick Harris in "Duncanville."