Lionel Richie reveals how he proposed to new wife Diane Alexander

Jet, Jan 20, 1997

Lionel Riche says he never thought he would marry again.

But the sweet magic of love recently knocked on his door and the famed superstar singer found himself saying "I do" to his longtime companion Diane Alexander during a private, intimate wedding ceremony at the posh Metropolitan Club in New York City.

"It's a wonderful time," Richie tells JET during a telephone interview from the couples hotel suite in New York City, several days after the wedding. "I am very happy and it just works out so well."

Richie reveals how he proposed to his new wife, who is a former dancer and designer of the Alexander/Brown Clothing line.

He says she had often hinted and teased him about a possible wedding date for about two years. "Ever so often as a joke, she would come to me and she would say, 'Oh, what do you think about marriage?', teasing me, teasing me," he says. "Because she knew I wasn't about to get married."

He continues, But this time, she happened to come to me, and she said 'You know the 21st is a good date.' And I said "you got a deal,' and I walked out of the room. And she walked down the hall and said "Are you serious?' And I add, 'You better hurry up and agree because I might change my mind tomorrow,'" he jokingly told her.

They had discussed marriage for two years, but he never seemed ready -- until now, he says. "Something that feels this good, something that this natural, you don't violate it, you go for it. She has been extremely patient."

Richie laughs as he explains how he should learn to never say never. "I said I'll never get married again for as long as live and true enough it's funny how God set things up." He adds, "It's amazing when all of a sudden you turn around and you discover that there is a spark of love back in you. It's amazing."

It is Richie's second marriage and the new Mrs. Richie's first. The singer's marriage to his former college sweetheart heart Brenda Richie ended in divorce after much negative publicity for him because the two women in his life, Brenda Richie and Diane Alexander, got into an altercation in 1988.

Richie and Alexander began dating "right after the separation Brenda," Richie says."It was just one of those things and actually I don't think it really got serious, serious until after the divorce was final because just wasn't in that frame of mind. If you said the word `love' to me, rd lock myself behind the doors," he laughs.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Richie say everything about their December 21 wedding was non-traditional, from his proposal to the wedding ceremony.

Mrs. Richie laughs, "There was nothing traditional, because we have not been traditional." They changed their wedding vows and took the word "obey" out, Richie explains. The `honor' we kept in, the `obey' we took out, that was a bit harsh."

Richie admits that when it comes to marriage he has learned that it is best to view it as "day by day." "Forever, there's a lot of pressure on that word. I like the words, `day-by-day,' you really want to work on that. Marriage, I found out, is something that you want to do every day."

The happy couple spared no expense for their wedding extravaganza. He bought her a spectacular 10-carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring. "In other words, there are a lot of sparkles on (her) finger," he jokes. Richie later presented his new bride with a princess cut eternity band surrounded by diamonds.

Richie reveals, "I wanted her to have the wedding that she wanted and I didn't want to complicate it so I told her, 'Just do the wedding and I'll show up'. And of course, I must tell you, it was absolutely exquisite."

They invited 40 guests, mostly family and close friends who enjoyed a sit down dinner of filet mignon, salad, mushroom soup, assorted cakes and desserts and sipped Tatinger champagne all night.

"We just kept it straight to family," Richie notes. "There was not one celebrity there, not one."

The bride wore a satin, ivory-colored, off the shoulder gown designed by Vera Wang.

The couple's wedding song was Say I Do from Richie's new hit album Louder Than Words. "It said all of the things that were basically there," said Richie, who wrote the tune.

Mrs. Richie had planned on another tune by another artist, but her husband surprised her by having his own tune played.

"He doesn't really like to hear his songs at parties" she reveals. "I cried when I heard it. He was like, `I did this song for you. I had to play it.' It was really sweet, it was really beautiful."

The newlyweds' son, Miles Brockman Richie, 2, served as the ringbearer. Richie also is the father of Nicole Richie from his previous marriage.

They stayed in New York City after their wedding for the honeymoon. "I'm a Southern guy, so me hanging out in New York City is considered totally foreign." They are planning a second honeymoon in the Caribbean Islands in the spring.

In addition to his recent marriage, Richie is overjoyed these days with his motion picture debut in The Preacher's Wife with Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston and Courtney B. Vance.