Nicole Ari Parker stuns in her wedding gown while walking down the aisle with dad in flashback pic

The “Empire” star recently shared a throwback picture from her wedding day to congratulate her dad on Father’s Day. The actress has been married to Boris Kodjoe for 13 years, and they have shared their secret to a long-lasting relationship in several occasions.

Nicole Ari Parker was a dream on heels on her wedding day 13 years ago. The mother of two looked gorgeous in her off-the-shoulder with a sweetheart neckline wedding dress as she walked down the aisle from her father’s arm. Parker chose to tie her hair in a half up ponytail and adorned her long neck with a lace choker necklace and a rosary.

The actress accompanied her Instagram post with a beautiful message for her father, as she wrote down:

“If you know my dad... if you ask anyone who knows him...even if you met him once...you know how much he loves his children. Thank you for sending me out into the world knowing that I have a foundation that will hold me up during all that life brings.”

Parker and her husband, Boris Kodjoe met on the set of the Showtime series “Soul Food” back in 1997, when they co-starred as love interests in the series before Boris’s character was written off the show. However, their chemistry was undeniable, and they started to date in real life. They tied the knot in 2005, and have two children, daughter Sophie, 13 and son Nicolas, 11.

Because they are one of the long-lasting couples in the entertainment industry, fans are always wondering about their secret to keeping a healthy relationship without getting sick of each other, and speaking to Essence, Boris revealed that they’re continually working on their relationship and never take anything for granted. Actions, he said, also tend to speak louder than words.

“There are so many things that play into a having a successful relationship. First of all, it becomes successful all over again every day. So, you can't rest on your morals; you have to work on actionables, meaning, I could tell you I love you, but, unless you see me loving you, feel me loving you, it doesn't mean anything, all right? So, we have to work on those actionables.”

Boris compared their relationship to taking care of a plant. You can’t only water it once and expect it to flourish. “You have to learn each other's dance steps. You have to take each other in. You have to be present. You have to cater to each other. You have to do a lot of things in order for that relationship to flourish and to be successful, and it's the same in marriage,” he said.

For Nicole, who talked to the Ghanaian press back in January as she and Boris traveled to the city to host the CAF Awards, the secret relies on respect. “We don’t get sick of each other. But I think it is the same for everyone; you have to respect each other, you have to be kind and make sacrifices. It is the reality to building a partnership that lasts,” she revealed.

Boris and Nicole have a beautiful family, and we hope to see them together for a long time.