Valentine’s Day is here and what better way to celebrate than to talk about love. We have been working hard towards launching this BN Feature for a while and this is the perfect introduction.

BN’s Our Wedding Story is all about couples talking about their wedding journey. We are elated to have Omeyi Eneehi Attah and Alexander Yangs as our first couple. Omeyi is a 25 year-old economist who currently works for a leading finance company while Future Awards nominated Alex is a entrepreneur,music producer and artiste.Their story is not only very sweet but is very real! Wishing the couple all the best and wishing you, Happy Valentine’s Day

ABOUT THE BRIDE, Omeyi by The Groom, Alex: She is an amazing woman with extraordinary discerning and driven spirit, she is a believer and shares the same faith with me. She is beautiful, smart, sophisticated, stubborn, sweet trouble, and strong willed! She is my wife, friend, and lover and YES – I LOVE HER!

ABOUT THE GROOM, Alex by The Bride, Omeyi: Born April 6th, 1979, born as an only boy with 7 sisters. Fun loving, social yet quiet, gentleman, deep, kind, wise beyond his years, really sweet, makes me laugh, how did I forget very romantic, loves God, to some a music producer, others a very popular name on Facebook. To me: my friend, my partner, my lover, my husband, the one who lights me up in so many different ways , one who doesn’t fear to speak the truth even if it hurts, a constant reminder of the truth that God loves me. I’m honoured to be the woman he chose to spend the rest of his life with.

HOW WE MET by Alex:
In a few months it will be 9 years ago…
I was the head of teen choir in my parish (RCCG), and we were really good! So much so that we started getting invites to perform at other parishes. November of 1999, we were at one of our gigs and her parish members (including Omeyi) attended. Coincidentally, I had met her sister about 4-5 months before then and we had kept in touch and talked from time to time. Omeyi & I were introduced and during the course of the day, at some point, she mentioned that she was cold and I offered her my jacket to keep warm.
Fast forward.
The next year, on the 8th of January 2000, I was a member of Spirit of David (SOD is a Christian Dance Ministry, you might recognize them as the group behind the TV Show ‘Celebrity Takes 2’), well, SOD had a show on that day which I danced in. Omeyi attended the show and was really surprised to see that side of me; she could never have guessed that I was a dancer. Anyway, she was there and was acting a bit standoffish aka ‘feeling’ although she acknowledged that she recognized me, as in, ‘the guy that gave me his jacket’ but as a QC chick, she ‘formed’. A week later, on the 16th January, I was invited by my good friend Wale Rubber for his birthday at their parish. Once again, I spotted Omeyi and we got talking. During our conversation, she discovered that I spoke French and she was in French school at the time and BOOM! The first attraction. I started helping her with French and then after her French lessons we would take long strolls and somewhere in April 2006, YES…. we were love struck! And so the process that led us here started. We even realized that we have actually been in each others lives since we were kids even if we never knew…

Now what was different about me asking her out was that I knew I wanted to marry her from the get go….Spooky abi?

That was our beginning…

THEN IT STRUCK ME, HE IS THE ONE by Omeyi:
Ok so truth is I’m sure everyone is expecting to hear that there was some magical moment when a light bulb suddenly flashed telling me he was the one. Ok back to serious business, as mentioned earlier we met 8 years ago so we were both rather young. I was 17, he was 21, well, he’ll tell you he thought I was 18; Anyway unlike many other couples we know, we were pretty serious from the word go. For some reason, when we started dating, he always said he didn’t want me as his girlfriend; he wanted me as his wife. Of course, at that time I thought he was crazy. We share the same faith, we are both Christians so that played a major role , as cliché as this might sound; God was the originator of everything in our relationship so we prayed for signs on various issues that if we were meant to be, let those things happen.
Reading our story so far I don’t want people getting the impression that life was always lovey dovey, we had challenges, serious challenges, more than most couples I know have had; there were times when it felt like the storm wouldn’t pass away and we just felt like giving up. We did give up at some point, between 2004 and 2006, there was a break in our relationship and personally I didn’t believe we would get back as it was quite a bad break up. Weird thing though in all that pain, we still said to each other that if we found ourselves in 2 years still single or unhappy where we were, we would get back. Very weird you might think, still don’t know why we said that or gave that time limit and well that’s what happened; the tongue really does have power. Getting back still had its hitches, apart from the obvious bad blood that had to be dealt with, there was the issue of suddenly finding ourselves in different places of our lives than before and now reconciling both lives together was quite tasking.
Again, God played a huge part in all this because after all the tears and pain, we still had to get back to that point of seeking his face and today I can tell you that I’m a better person after that time. The Bible was right in saying the arm of flesh will fail you, rightly so we once failed each other and not because we didn’t love each other, more I think because our focus shifted or from my angle, my focus shifted from the ONE who brought us together in the first place, so easy to forget the God who brought you something or someone and act like that thing or person came by your own doing plus I lost focus on US and started involving other parties into our business.
Throughout my relationship with my husband, I have learned that God is my strength and my source; HE is in everything that happens to me even when it doesn’t feel like; keep your relationship between you both. No 3rd parties. What works for one couple may not work for you and when bad things happen, as hard as it may seem remember that if God let it happen, it will make you stronger. So yes we do know it’s not always going to be rosy but with God on our side, we are confident that we will make it and weather any storm.
Know I may have diverted from the main question but I think the answer to this question how did I know he was the one could be summed up in one song. It captures all my thoughts and emotions; It’s a song by Lisa Shipman & Hallerin Hill titled “You Are The One”

The Proposal:
So the story is in 2 parts, Started in Nigeria but ended in the UK…thanks to Mr Man’s creative mind.
I had been home for a month (January 2008) on holiday and ok let me confess, I was expecting a proposal before I left; for those of you who know us (or have read the story above), you know it’s been a couple of years so we’ve had the marriage talk on our plate for a while now. So, I had a fab holiday but the proposal didn’t seem to be happening so took my mind off it thinking that it would most likely happen when I moved back home. On the night I left Lagos, I had checked in so I went to his house to spend the last few hours before I left again for the airport. While at his house, he needed to get some photos from my laptop, so I left him while I went to get something to eat. Came back afterwards but then he told me to please give him some time that he wasn’t done; of course I wondered why I had to leave if he was just getting stuff from my laptop. Well, didn’t think much of it and just left.
He took me to the airport and gave me a letter which I could only read on the plane. We’ve always written each other letters so this wasn’t anything new; however was still curious about the contents. In the letter, I had to follow ‘a trail’ and do as instructed. Upon reading the note, I was to go to a certain folder in my laptop and take it from there.

I had to wait till I arrived the UK before reading anything. Unbeknown to me, my dear friend Amanda knew of the whole plan and she was to cause another delay from me checking my laptop. Finally opened the folder and saw that there were 2 files, the 1st one led me to go to another file to listen to a song that had a question and come back to read the rest of the letter. Well I can hear some of you I should have figured it out here but for those of you who know us, given that he’s into music, you know that he has written quite a few songs for me *wink*, plus he has sent me a few in the past too, so I was still oblivious of the whole plot.

So I played the song, it was a very fab song I daresay; tres romantic, very well written and sung, he even got one of our popular Nigerian musicians to sing……can’t say much about the song; you all will have the opportunity to hear it below. The keywords though were at the end of the song that said “Will You Marry Me, Will You Spend the rest of your Life with Me?…I Love You”. Ok, so before I let the words of the song sink in, I went to read the rest of the letter which said “The symbol of the seriousness of my question can be found in your suitcase”; so of course I hurriedly went searching and found the box which a ring in it…and oh the letter also ended with the same question; “Will You Marry Me?” So that’s the main gist in a nutshell; Ok so I laughed, I cried, my friend and I popped Moet, of course, I talked to my Man and said YES…

The Song!

The Wedding Day:
Woke up bright and early, prayed with my sis and one of my dearest friends before opening my doors to anything or anyone. It was scheduled to be a very small and quiet wedding different from the norm so we had an estimated guest list of 70 people, the plan was also to have it all end at about 4pm just because we both believed that we should take our guests’ whole day (we both don’t like long weddings).The ceremony held at the Ikoyi Registry while reception took place at a Thai restaurant we both loved; ok I had never eaten there but I loved the ambience. Pattaya Thai Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos. The ceremony was a very short but really funny one. Started at about 11:30AM and reception started at about 12:30. It was different because it was really close knit so the time spent was all about us which I was really happy about. I had a lovely day, very proud to say not once was I a bridezilla (ok had the tendencies few days before but not on the D-day)

Dress:
I had two dresses, a traditional white strapless ball gown-style wedding gown I bought from Canada before relocating and a more modern and dare I say ‘high fashion’ gown designed by Ohemai Atafo. He was also responsible for the entire trains’ outfit as well as my elder sister’s dress. I have to say he is a fab designer and went all out to please me so have to give him credit.

Wedding Planner:
I didn’t have to hire a planner due to the size of my wedding plus there was no issue about drinks or caterers as all that was covered by the restaurant. My sister, hubby’s sister and a few friends helped with the running around so that kept me sane because I had to work till the very last minute so didn’t have a lot of time on my hands.

My Advice for Upcoming Brides:
Remember God is your source and strength, so never forget that amidst al the planning. Also, don’t forget your groom too, we ladies get all carried away with the whole fiesta and sometimes forget that there’s someone else, a Very Important Person whose opinion should also count. Please be very practical, there’s no point spending unnecessary money just for one day, can proudly say I got my lovely dress for about less than a third of what the average bride spends, same with my hair and yes it was still home service, luckily my husband’s sister is a make-up artist so got that for free. In essence, stick to a budget, better to invest in your future than one day just to please everyone. And oh! Plan to have FUN no matter how your things turn out, as long as you and the groom show up for the ceremony…it’s all good:)

The post Our Wedding Story: Omeyi Attah & Alex Yangs appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Our Wedding Story is back with another beautiful couple – Steve & Titi. They got married in October 2008 in a stunning ceremony in Atlanta Georgia. We wish them an absolutely blessed and fruitful marriage.

ABOUT THE BRIDE, Titi by The Groom, Steve:

I first met Titi in secondary school in Lagos. We both left the school and lost touch with each other. Several years later we ran into each other at an event in Florida and after briefly catching up we found out we both resided in Georgia so we exchanged phone numbers and stayed in touch. I soon graduated from college and was having a graduation party and I decided to invite her. We had a really good time and this time around I was determined to do more than just keep in touch and that’s when our true relationship began.

About the Groom Steve by Titi

Afolabi and I met back in high school about 14 years ago. We were friendly to one another but not exactly friends. I transferred schools and I never thought I would meet him again until I attended a reunion event in 2002. We exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch but never actually did. Fast-forward to 2003 when I moved down to Atlanta from Athens, Georgia after college and we bumped into each other at numerous parties and just had those one-minute conversations.
Then one day I get a call from him inviting me to his graduation. I almost never made it to the event but since he called me the night before to remind me, I decided to go. At the graduation party we danced for a while and let’s just say he’s been hooked since then, lol. Four years later, we were getting married!

How You Met– We met back in high school. Although we lost touchwe  bumped into ourselves again fourteen years later at a reunion event in Florida.

How did you know you had found “The One” :Afolabi Steve Sogunro is a great man. He has such a wonderful spirit and is so giving. He is driven and always puts God first in everything he does.  I am so lucky to call this wonderful person my husband. I wasn’t looking for love when I met Steve, which makes this so special. He is a great influence in my life and the perfect covering to my shortcomings. He has been a blessing to me and everyone around him and is someone that you can always count on. I know it’s God’s doing and I am so thankful.

Titi’s is a great motivator,she always has words of encouragement no matter the situation.Titi’s thoughtful nature further endeared her to me and i realised that she was the missing rib that i had been searching for.Titi truly means the world to me. I believe that she came into my life at the perfect time. I can honestly say after a week of dating I really wanted to marry her. I remember when she would call me and ask what I wanted to eat for dinner. I was not used to someone being that nice and thoughtful maybe it was just a one time deal, but after a while I realized she was a very caring person. She is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met. I believe I have become a better person with her in my life. She always encourages and motivates me in every aspect of life. We are perfect compliments to each other and that’s one of the great things I love about her. I am extremely happy to have found her and most importantly very happy to be marrying her.

The Proposal :

Afolabi proposed to me at my house. It was witnessed by my siblings and friends.
” I went to Bible Study that Wednesday evening so it worked out that my baby had time to plan his proposal. I knew a proposal was coming but I really had no idea it was taking place that day. I got back home from church a little after 10pm and I noticed that my neighbor had cars all around his drive way but didn’t think anything of it. As I walked up the stairs to the house, I noticed there were rose petals on the floor and I just thought, “what is this boy up to?” It was when he opened the door, and I saw the lights dimmed low that I realized what was about to happen.
My heart was beating so fast, and as I walked into the house, I noticed more rose petals and candles all around and yeah the singing! I thought he was playing the cd of “our song” because it was so on point until I saw that it was being sung live!!!! I looked to my left and in the dark I saw a bunch of my friends and immediately the tears started andfor a second I almost passed out. He held me up and took me to a chair.
Every detail was perfect :). He handed me some roses and after the song was over, he proceeded to tell me how much I mean to him, and how his life has been better since I came into his life. He got down on one knee and bam! asked me to marry him and yeah, he showed me the bling! ‘Twas beaurifullllllll. My friends informed me that he called them THAT afternoon,He had already called to ask my parents earlier that day. It also happened that all my siblings were in town and I was ecstatic that they were able to witness one of the happiest moments of my life. ”

The Wedding Day:

Took place at the Biltmore ball rooms in Atlanta, GA. Wedding dress by cant say:) I had a very happy day, I had a blast, danced, danced and danced. I was a lil stressed at the beginning of the day, but once I arrived at the location, I felt a whole lot better.

Advice for upcoming brides: Surround yourself with your true friends on that day, it makes the day a whole lot stress-free, smile even when you don’t feel like, u won’t like your pictures if you dont, have fun cos its your day and dont forget to pray!

Traditional Engagement

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White Wedding

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The post Our Wedding Story: Titi & Steve Sogunro appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Our Wedding Story is one of our most treasured BN features. Though we regularly feature weddings on BN, on occasion, we are so enchanted by a couple’s story that we delve deeper into their relationship and wedding journey. Thanks to Ann & Emeke for sharing with us and we wish them all the best in their marriage!

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The Couple – Dr. Emeke Nwabuzor and Ann Chukwumah

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Ann & Emeke’s Story

Sunday, October 9, 2005, 1:36am
Hello Ann Chukwumah, how’re you? I guess a little introduction will be in order.
My name (from the email address) might be familiar but I don’t think we ever met but you might know my younger brothers. Your brother, Obi, called me once sometime last year from Houston, but somehow we lost contact. I would like to re-establish contact with him and please ask him to send me an email or could you please give me his email address? I’m sure you’re wondering how I stumbled across your email address, right? I came across your high school ‘Yahoo group’ and saw your address…. So do help get my message across to your brother and please reply to this email at least to let me know you got it. Maybe with time we might get to know each other, from a distance and WITH ABSOLUTELY NO STRINGS ATTACHED! For now, to you, I’m still a complete stranger. Hopefully not for long.
Take care, be good and remain blessed.
~Emeke

This is where it all began. An email. I wasn’t looking for a new friend. I had finished graduate school a few months earlier and was focused on interviews, career goals, and getting my foot in the conflict resolution field. I didn’t want or need this diversion. I investigated and verified that Emeke was indeed part of the Nwabuzor family and that he knew my brother Obi before responding to his email. I told him, “I’ll definitely put you in contact with Obi. You’re right, your last name does sound familiar, but I can’t remember any faces. This is Obi’s email…and I’m sure he’d love to hear from you…”

I thought this email would end all correspondence between Emeke and me.

Of course, it didn’t! Emeke responded with longer emails. (I’m glad he persisted. He writes very well and I love to write and read, too.) I responded because I wanted to prove that he always wanted to be more than just friends. I also looked forward to receiving his emails. Emails were safe. I was in Hartford, Conn., and Emeke was in Tallahassee, Fla., at the time, so there really wasn’t any chance of us meeting.

Wrong!!

Emeke wanted to meet during the Christmas holidays because from the emails he thought I was “an interesting person with a nice sense of humor and a lovely personality.” But I wasn’t ready; I used distance as an excuse.
The following year, I moved to the Dallas area and Emeke moved to Houston for a few months because of some coursework. I didn’t want him to visit in January because I still needed to settle in to my new surroundings. (In all honesty, I couldn’t get a hair appointment close to the time of his visit.). I wanted to meet in March, but again I’m glad Emeke persisted. We decided to meet for the first time on Valentine’s Day. We enjoyed a nice dinner, played games at Dave & Busters and ended the night talking into the wee hours. The next day we explored Dallas by hopping on and off the trolley. We ended our getting to-know-you hop day date at the Dallas Museum. We spent some more time together before Emeke left for Houston. We officially started dating about a week or two after his visit. (Emeke claims that we started dating on Valentine’s Day so now we celebrate both days—his date and the real date.) In essence, lengthy emails turned to lengthy phone calls which led to numerous visits. As time passed, we settled into new careers— me teaching and Emeke a residency program. Emeke moved to Nashville, Tenn. The distance was not easy on us and Emeke’s schedule wasn’t as flexible as mine, so we had to learn how to compromise and be creative with time and holidays. The distance has made us better friends first and absence does make the heart fonder!

As time passed, we fell deeper in love with each other.

In addition to my appearance, Emeke was drawn in by my personality and the fact that I took pride in maintaining and nurturing ties with my Nigerian roots and culture. “Her natural personality is what I love most about her. She’s so down-to-earth,” Emeke says. I admire and love Emeke’s sense of calm that he exudes before, during, and after a crisis. He’s my calm before the storm. His honesty is also refreshing, I can always count on him. In the summer of 2008 (without my knowledge), Emeke got permission from my parents to ask for my hand in marriage.
Emeke then went on the hunt for the perfect engagement ring. He visited several malls, was schooled and got a degree in Diamondology and searched my jewelry box in the hopes of getting it right, yet the perfect ring eluded him.

Fast forward to the last week of September 2008.

Emeke tried a different route to get the perfect ring. That week, Emeke repeatedly got home late. He was unusually tired on the phone and our phone calls were really brief. I definitely was irritated. He explained that the late nights were the result of his attempt to help his cousin buy a ring for his fiancée, so his mom’s sister could take it back to Nigeria soon. I definitely
wasn’t happy that he was spending that much time helping his cousin, ratherthan focusing his attention on me.

To make it worse, he told me to help him search for rings online when all I wanted to do was talk to him since we hadn’t had a decent conversation all week. I obliged grudgingly and sourly. I warmed up a little when Emeke told me to pick the three most beautiful rings from what we had seen. When I narrowed down the choices, I told Emeke to visit the malls again to make sure that the rings looked as beautiful in person as they did on the website. He refused, saying that he’d send our choices to his cousin. I got irritated with him again. That weekend, I went to see Emeke. Whenever I visit, Emeke always prepares a nice meal for me. That Friday was no exception, though I admit, the pasta he made had more love and care than his previous dishes.

Emeke proposed later that night with the sweetest words ever and I agreed to be his wife.

It was then that I learned Emeke’s quest to find an engagement ring had not been for his cousin after all. He didn’t choose any of the rings on the website. Instead, he picked a ring entirely different and stunning just for me.

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The Wedding

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Wedding Details

Date: August 22, 2009
Colors: Fuchsia, Platinum and bling (crystals)!
Church Venue: St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Allen TX
Reception Venue: The Cotton Mill, McKinney TX
Theme:Traditional + Modern Glam (reflection of the groom and bride’s tastes).
The Traditional aspect was incorporated into the wedding through the traditions at a Catholic wedding and the traditions at the wedding reception such as the first dance, cutting of the cake, dj, etc.
The Modern Glam was incorporated through the use of the colors and the bling(crystal) elements. The couple opted out of a traditional hotel venue and instead chose a venue with a Loft ambiance/appeal. The reception took place at the historical Cotton Mill in McKinney Texas, a 99 year old building that used to be the largest denim manufacturer in the world. Guests were serenaded with live music throughout the reception. Musician serenaded bride and father to the song, “I Love You Daddy” by Ricardo and friends.

Outfits

The couple changed 3 times.
BRIDE
Wedding gown
Ann wore a unique 2-piece ivory strapless satin A-line gown with an eye-catching detachable semi-cathedral train made of the softest ruffled tulle. Swarovski crystals highlighted the soft ruffled neckline and draped the super soft satin bodice with a corsetted back bodice.
Traditional outfit
Lilac & cream with crystals
The bride’s blouse was adorned with rows of swarovski crystals on the neckline and on the sequined blouse. The raw silk cream was embellished with swarovski crystals and hand-sewn gold leather leaves, in keeping with the theme of the day.

GROOM
Wedding
Emeke was outfitted in a Calvin Klein suit with ivory inserts to match his bride.
Traditional outfit
The groom complemented his bride by wearing a sequined lilac agbada with leaf patterns to match his bride

BRIDAL PARTY
The colors for the bridal party were fuchsia, platinum and iris.
Ladies were outfitted in silk shantung fabric
Bridesmaids’ colours: Fuchsia and Platinum
Hostesses’ colours: Fuchsia and Iris
Groomsmen: Platinum vests to complement the ladies
Host: Iris vest to complement the hostesses
Flower Girl: Ivory dress with embroidered lace detail and ivory waist, tulle ball gown skirt

Accessories for Bride, Groom, and Bridal party
CAKE: The inspiration for the cake was the bride’s shoes. The cake canopy was draped in chiffon and fuchsia orchid blossoms floating in the air from the canopy.
BRIDE’S BOUQUET: Was designed to look like a super-sized version of a single rose bud adorned with Swarovski crystals. The leaves on the bouquet were spray-painted a platinum silver to reflect the color scheme for the day.
GROOM’S BOUTONNIERE: complements the bride’s bouquet. Ivory spray roses and bear grass with Swarovski crystals for accent and wrapped with a platinum-silver satin ribbon.
FLOWER GIRL BOUQUET- was made of 3 pomander carnation balls attached with crystal strings representing the past, present and future for the couple
BRIDESMAIDS BOUQUET-instead of the traditional bouquet, the ladies were adorned with an armband designed with fushia orchids attached with artfully created silver wire.
GROOMSMEN: Boutonniere made of fushia orchids and bear grass wrapped in platinum-silver satin ribbon.

Church and Reception Venue Aesthetics

CHURCH
– The Altar was adorned with a mixture of white carnations and hydrangeas flower bowls in plexi glass
– The pews were adorned with carnation balls accented with crystals on plexi glass stands.

RECEPTION
– The reception venue was bathed in the colors for the day. The fuchsia lighting provided, also created the intimate ambiance the couple wanted. The columns in the hall were draped in white chiffon.
-There were 3 different designs of centerpieces.
One of the designs had tall glass vases wrapped in fuchsia ribbon with manzanita branches accented with hanging crystals and a pave of fuchsia carnations.
-For the afterparty, the hall was completely bathed in fuchsia lighting and there was an all white lounge area for guests to take a break from dancing.
-For all the candy enthusiasts, there was a candy table provided to keep the energy levels going!:)

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Vendors
Event planner & design: Diice Events www.diice-events.com
Photography: Melanie Johnson Photography
Photo Montage: Unique Encounters
Floral design/Cake Canopy/Columns: Botanical Art
Entertainment: The Violin Guy
Makeup for Bride and Bridal train: Segun Gele/Infinite perfection.
Hair for the Bride and Bridal train: Tiffany Clarkson for Hair A.R.K salon
Videography: Eye Imagine Entertainment

Photo Credit: Melanie Johnson Photography
Special Thanks to Nkiru of Diice Events
Unauthorized use or duplication of all photography is strictly prohibited. Thanks.

The post Our Wedding Story: Ann Chukwumah & Emeke Nwabuzor appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

We just love ‘Our Wedding Story’ because it goes beyond the ceremony. We always seek out couples with a unique story to share! We are so happy that Lande and Popoola decided to share their wedding story with us.
Wishing them continued blessings in their marriage.
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The Couple
Lande Adeyeri & Popoola Aremu

Lande & Popoola’s Story as told by the bride, Lande
Our story is not like the regular stories you are used to.
We met in January 2004 through Popoola’s sister’s friend because he had mentioned to them he was looking for a nice girl to settle with. We had spoken on the phone for a few weeks before we actually met and of course when we did, he said he knew “I Was The One” as soon as he saw me but it took a few more weeks for me though.
Well, he proposed about 6 months after we started dating, a bit fast but I was convinced about him so I happily said yes. I was still in school so we got married at an Illinois City Hall with family and friends and decided to have a wedding ceremony afterwards. So here we are five years later with a 2 yr old in tow having our wedding ceremony as we had planned, thanks to God.

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Traditional Engagement
The traditional engagement on September 24th 2009 at beautiful Hillview Estate in Ogudu, Lagos. The bride was beautifully dressed in traditional Yoruba iro and buba with coral bead accessories. The couple shone in ivory and bronze while their friends were vibrantly garbed in green which perfectly complemented the lush outdoor venue of the wedding. Their beautiful daughter also had the pleasure of enjoying the special day with her parents dressed in her colourful dress! It was a festive ceremony as both families celebrated, prayed and ushered the couple into their lives together.

Nikkai & Reception
The Nikkai wedding ceremony was held on September 26th 2009 at Memorable Gathering Hall in Ikeja, Lagos. Red and orange shone all through the venue and ceremony as the flowers, decorations and even the bridesmaids embraced the colours with their dresses.
The bride looked absolutely chic in her layered chiffon wedding dress with intricate crystal embellishments by Manuel Mota for Pronovias. The groom looked great in his grey Ralph Lauren suit paired with a red tie and pocketsquare.
The reception was a fun-filled affair with lots of romantic moments, dancing and well-wishes for the couple!

The post Our Wedding Story: Lande Adeyeri & Popoola Aremu appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Our Wedding Story is Bella Naija’s special wedding feature that delves a little bit deeper. Our very special couple is Oyinlola Sawyerr & Tagbo Azubike.
Oyinlola and Tagbo both reside in Lagos, Nigeria where she’s a banker and he is a medical doctor.
The couple tied the knot on Monday, December 28th 2009.
This is their wedding story.

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How They Met:
The Bride, Lola’s Version
How do I begin, well for anyone that knows us well you would know that Tagbo and I met as a case of “Mistaken Identity”. So you can understand, I have to start my story from the year before I met my boo. In 2001 just before I left Nigeria to university, a family friend had come to my house with a classmate of his from law school, we were introduced and I did not see him after that day (unknown to me this was the beginning of things to come).

Now lets fast forward, in 2002 I had come home for my first Christmas vacation and boy was I excited. On one of my very frequent outings with my best friend, Keji, I had gone to a very sketchy place called Mimi’s bar. While sipping on Gordon sparks (which was the IN drink at that time) I notice this tall, light skin guy standing at the bar across the room from me. My mind races and I immediately recognize him as the guy who had come to my house with my family friend in 2001, so with my ‘yankee’ boldness I walk over and introduced myself and refresh his memory of how he met me. I noticed he had a puzzled look but I still went on blabbing.

When there was nothing else for me to say, he said “lets go outside its noisy in here” hmnnnnnn I think to myself I’ve just gotten the cutest guy in the room’s attention and my confidence level went through the roof (little did I know). So we step out, he looks at me and says “I don’t want you to be embarrassed but I don’t know you”. He then explained that he knew my family friend and I must have met his brother and not him. Boy was I embarrassed. He went on to gist with me and then asked for my number. I started feeling all giddy inside but this was soon interrupted by Keji who came out to say we had to leave to another club. Reluctantly I said my goodbye and he promised to come meet me at the other club.

Getting to the other club I met up with some other friends but I kept looking at my phone waiting for his call and true to his word he called and complained that his friends were wasting his time but he was still coming. He called again and again and kept calling reassuring me that he was still coming. After waiting for about 2 hrs, my friends were ready to leave and I was so sad that I didn’t get to see him again. Just as I walked out I saw him coming towards me (I had this unexplainable excitement in me), he held my hand walked me to the car and said goodbye. We spoke and saw a couple of times after that but nothing really kicked off.

We lost touch for a while but in December 2003 as God would have it he saw my sister, collected my number and called me. We kept talking and looked forward to seeing each other in Christmas. I came back home and the moment I set my eyes on him I knew I was in love. We went on a number of dates and got to know each other really well. He met my family and everyone loved him. Shortly before I was to return back to school, he came to take me out and while having a conversation in the car he said “u know my girlfriend is very possessive” I look at him and say “your girlfriend” and he says yes my girlfriend I smiled and in my mind I screamed yesssssssssssss its offfficialllllll..

I returned back to finish my final year in school and it was the longest 8 months of my life. We were determined to make it work and we spoke every single day for 8 months there was no day that passed that I didn’t hear his voice. I finally moved back in August 2005 and we have been inseparable since then. My boo boo has been with me through the toughest time in my life (losing my dad) and through the happiest moments. I know in my heart that this is the way my destiny was written.

The Groom, Tagbo’s Version

Cliché’s are inevitable in describing the first time I saw Lola. It was love at first sight ?…… just joking it didn’t happen that way. The real story began in 2002.

It was a boring night in medical school so my boys and I decided to go to a reasonably priced joint on the island. I notice this girl across the room smiling at me & I smiled back…she keeps smiling and now I’m wondering what’s going on. She begins to walk in my direction (my heart starts racing and beating fast, but I try to remain cool). She says ‘hi’ and goes on about how it’s been a while since we last saw each other at her house. She asks after a mutual friend (who coincidentally I happen to know). At this point I asked her if we could talk outside because it was way too noisy. We walk outside together and I can’t stop thinking about the glint in her eyes. Well, I still had to do the needful, so I go on to explain to her that she had mistaken me for my brother. Oh well the smile still did not fade and we continued our conversation like I had said nothing.

I was in la la land, until her friend came to yank her hand out of mine (how we got to holding hands is still a mystery haha). So she said she had to go and we exchanged numbers. I promised to meet up with her at her next destination. Well I go in to hurry up my boys but contrary to my plans my man of honor Ladi Abudu was in the dancing mood and refused to leave. After hours of persuasion and many phone calls promising to see her soon we eventually left. Headed out to meet her and alas she was on her way home. Saw her on two separate occasions after but just like that we lost touch….

Fast forward to summer of 03.. was in Germany on an exchange program and tried to get in touch with her but I kept getting her voicemail. Unknown to me she was in Greece and also looking for me. In the Christmas of that year I bumped into her sister (Bosi) who I recognized, so I introduced myself and she gave me Lola’s details promising to let her know I asked of her. I contacted her and we started talking again over the phone and I looked forward to seeing her again. I got a pleasant surprise that Christmas when she called me saying she was in town for her sister’s wedding. Boy was I shocked!!!!!. She came to visit me in school and we hugged for such a loooooonnngg time. I still remember the green t-shirt she wore and her fragrance (Burberry weekend).

I met her entire family that Christmas and my early days with Lola had so many significant moments that it’s hard to edit them. But three of such moments that altered the course of our relationship were 1) Meeting with her aunty Iyabo who told me of how welcoming their family was. 2) Walking into her sister’s traditional wedding reception and Lola hugging me warmly planting a kiss on my lips right there in front of everyone. I really wished at that moment for the super power of invincibility. I must have turned a flush red. “Lolaaaa”. Then of course the last but most important was meeting her dad. It was a hilarious situation because the first time we met and really spoke was when I took Lola and her friend out and saw her dad standing outside the club (lol). I offered to give him a ride home and we had a good laugh all the way home (May his gentle Soul rest in peace. I miss him so much).

We started dating that Christmas and were in a long distance relationship for 8 months. We have been inseparable since she moved back home. Lola, I can never forget the light in your eyes the first time we met. That night at Mimi’s bar although a case of mistaken identity will always be one of the most important turning points in my life because I met you. I love you Boo-Boo.
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How He Proposed by the Bride, Lola
Well we had always talked about marriage, I mean its only natural after you have dated for almost 4 years. He would always crack jokes of how embarrassed he felt to still call me his girlfriend. So I had always known in my heart that he was the one for me. Well one August evening last year (2008) shortly before I was to travel to start my masters, he had informed me in the morning that he wanted to take me out to the movies and then dinner. He went out and returned in the evening to find me in the same spot on my bed watching TV. Totally frustrated, he asked to me take a bath and get ready. I said okay but after my TV programme. I later informed him that I thought it was too late to be going out and that we should bust the outing. He looked really sad but I didn’t think much of it. I apologized saying I was too lazy and comfortable to start getting ready so I continued watching my show.

The next thing I heard was Lola I love you, and of course I replied with I love u too, he then kept talking about how much he loved me and our relationship. For anyone that knows Tagbo you know he loves Lola (lol) so I thought this was just one of his usual emotional moments. I kept nodding my head at everything he was saying but my eyes were glued to the TV. He then proceeded to kneel down, and said “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” I glanced at him, smiled and kept watching TV. After a min of silence he says “it’s okay if you do not give me an answer now”. At this moment everything stops and it hits me. I realized this was the real deal this time and I said of course I’ll marry you. In retrospect I probably should have just gotten dressed and gone on that date. But really nothing can be taken away from perfection. The day you formally asked me to be your wife will continue to remain one of the most perfect days of my life.

The Wedding:
Date:Monday, December 28th, 2009
Colours: Wine & Lilac
Venue – Church: Ikoyi Baptist Church
Venue – Reception: Airforce Officers’ Mess, VI
Wedding theme: The wedding was all about celebrating Lola & Tagbo’s romance in classic style!
Wedding dress: Lola looked stunning in her white strapless gown. The dress was truly showstopping with its sweetheart neckline, a crystal beaded lace overlay, asymmetrical draping and corset tie-back paired with a classic chapel length train edged with a scalloped lace. It was the perfect gown for the beautiful bride on her special day.
Grooms outfit: Tagbo was a handsome groom in his grey tonic slim fitted one button suit, with two tone black and grey tie.
Bridesmaid dresses:
Maid of Honor & Chief Bridesmaid – Bell chiffon/charmuese, One shoulder with train and pin detail at shoulder. (Rasberry & Berry)
Bridesmaids- Black/Red Strapless, sweetheart bodice with sash at waist, mermaid skirt with matching shawl

Traditional Engagement/Wedding
Traditional/ Engagement – Sunday, December 27th, 2009
Colours: Turquoise & Silver
The traditional wedding was a wonderful mix of two cultures. Lola started the day in her powder pink iro and buba with matching pink gele while Tagbo was dressed in white agbada. After the ceremony, both Tagbo and Lola was transformed once again as they emerged as husband and wife.

The post Our Wedding Story: Oyinlola Sawyerr & Tagbo Azubike appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Our Wedding Story is back again. We often see the glossy wedding photos with everyone looking happy and excited. That is always a joy to behold. However, its great to delve deeper and find out how the couple met, fell in love and all those other details. We are truly elated to feature this lovely couple today. Their story is poignant and beautiful. We wish them a blessed marriage filled with joy and happiness.

The Couple
Moradeke Babayale & Seun Ogunbiyi

Our Story – Moradeke’s Version
After my final exams at the University of Lagos, I decided to go to the UK on holiday. During this trip, my friend the (Late) Anthony Fatayi Williams came to visit often with this tall dark dude who was really quiet but friendly as well.

I returned to Lagos and life continued. On an unforgettable day in 2005, I was at the UK Embassy in Lagos with a friend watching BBC news while waiting for our visas to be issued when I saw on the screen, Anthony’s mum talking about his death and that he was one of the victims in the London, July 2005 bomb blast. I left the embassy in a daze and tried to find anyone who knew him. There was no one I remembered except for a young lady I had lost contact with. I went to work one Saturday and was on Hi5, The Facebook of those days. I checked Anthony’s profile and noticed a familiar face and name: Seun Ogunbiyi. I sent him an e-mail introducing myself and asking about Anthony’s death and burial arrangements. We started talking everyday and would spend hours on everything under the sun. We got along very well and it felt like I had known him for years. Our relationship started over the phone and he proposed in January 2008. The rest is history.

Our Story – Seun’s Version
My best friend – The late Anthony Fatayi Williams (Tony T) and I were hanging out as usual one day in the summer of 2002 in London. He wanted to go hang out with a friend of his in town from Lagos and even though I had things to, he insisted it would be fun. Anthony introduced me to Moradeke and his other friends and i thought nothing of it.

Fast-forward three years and I had just lost my best friend in the London bombings on the 7th of July 2005 and was in complete shock. I got a message on Hi5 (remember) from a certain Moradeke Babayale who re-introduced herself and said she had stumbled on my profile and recognised I was Anthony’s very good friend who visited with him back in 2002.

We started to keep in touch and began talking on the phone and we became really good friends over the phone. We spoke about everything and for me I had not opened up like that to anyone before. She filled a very huge void after Anthony’s passing and was there to listen to me when I needed a listening ear. We did the long-distance thing for a year and then she came to Nottingham for her Masters and we spent more time together, I knew she was the one for me.

I popped the question in 2008 and the rest is history.

The Proposal by the groom, Seun
We had been dating for about two years and I had moved to Bristol from Nottingham to start work. I remember the build up to the proposal and I had been planning it for months. I had been soliciting with Moradeke’s very good friend, Ifeoma Tagbo and getting her opinions as to what type of rings I should get and all. Finally, after much delibration, I decided to pop the question one weekend when she came to visit in Bristol before her trip to LA to visit family.

I remember hiding the ring under the bed just so she would’t find it by mistake. I remember as usual, she had cooked up a storm in the kitchen and had served up the food to eat and I thought, If I don’t propose now, I wont have the courage to. While she was still doing her thing in the kitchen, I ran into the room and checked for the ring and knelt down behind her. She turned round and was startled and I asked her if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me and go on a wonderful journey together and she froze and started shouting, ‘Seun…Seun, What are you doing?’ and she started crying and said ‘yes’

I was so happy as well and started crying and I must say she has made me the happiest and most blessed man on earth. We ended up going to a very fancy restaurant to celebrate afterwards. I love her very much and will always cherish that she agreed to be my wife.

The Wedding
Wedding – 2nd of January 2010
Venues – Church: Christ Church Gbagada
Reception:Yard 158 (The Event Arena)
Colours – Shades of Pink & Olive Green
Brides Dress – Davids Bridal
Grooms Suit – House of Desina
Cake – Flest Celebrations

Moradeke on her husband, Seun
Oluwaseun is an amazing, kind, God fearing, humble, sweet, loving, understanding man to say the least and I thank God everyday for bringing the perfect gift my way. In January 2008, he proposed to me and I said yes with soo much glee, tears and joy knowing I made the perfect decision. Our relationship has been great and even though we were been apart for some time, we make it a point of duty to speak ever soo often and I thank God that the day when we will be together and never to part no more as husband and wife is drawing near. I pray that God grants Oluwaseun the wisdom to be able to be the perfect husband, daddy and head of the family and equipping him with all that he requires to do so. May God also grant us the ability, strength and grace to be able to withstand any of the challenges that may come our way in marriage and may our union be one that is Heaven made on Earth in Jesus name… Amen!!

Anthony though through death, has been able to create this God-made bond and I pray that even though he will not be with us in flesh, he will be with us in spirit on the wedding day. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace…Amen!

God bless you my dear Oluwaseun and thanks for choosing me as your life partner over every other woman on earth!!!

Seun on his wife, Moradeke
I look forward to seeing her everyday for the rest of my life. I pray that God grants Moradeke the grace to be a loving wife, mother and perfect companion and that we shall grow to love and understand each other more and more every day.

She is the most amazing person I have come across in a very long time and I don’t think there is enough time or space to list the qualities she possesses. A gift from God that makes rich and adds no sorrow is a summary of what she is to me. I love you very much darling and I thank you for the values you have added to my life and for agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me. I miss my best friend Anthony but I thank God for his life and for our bond so much because he always looked out for me as a big brother and knew that I could do with another best friend and so I have gained a best friend in Moradeke.

Traditional Engagement
Engagement – 30th of December 2009
Venues – Unilag Multipurpose hall A
Event Managers – Twist

The post Our Wedding Story: Moradeke Babayale & Seun Ogunbiyi appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

BN’s Our Wedding Story will always be so special to us…why? Because it offers a glimpse behind the big day. How did they meet? How did he propose? and all those endearing details.
With all the tales of love woes we hear, it always puts a smile on our faces when we see the beauty on the other side of the spectrum.
Our featured couple, Enitan & Rua‘s story is so romantic and beautiful…
We are wishing them a very happy, blessed, joyous and fruitful life together.

The Couple
Enitan Animashaun & Rua Orbih

Enitan & Rua’s Love Story by the bride, Enitan
We met for the first time on the 30th of May 2002 at his cousin’s house who was celebrating her birthday and happens to be my very good friend. We hit it off real good on that day but unfortunately we were both in a relationship at the time but became really good friends. Two years later, we started dating although he left for school abroad while I was in ABU Zaria. We maintained the long distance bi-continental relationship by constantly making efforts to travel to see each other as often as possible and we spoke basically every day until 2008 when I went to do my masters at Loughborough University.

Engaged in Paris
We went on a trip to Paris in April of 2009, unknown to me, he had planned with my roommates to get my ring size. The morning of the proposal, we were meant to go sightseeing and he was all dressed up while I was dressed casually and I was mad at him for being over dressed. He said he had made plans for us to see Paris on a boat. While on the boat I was telling him how happy I was and that I wouldn’t trade him for anything and all the mushy mushy things girls say when they are excited and he just asked me ‘hope u like it’  as he presented the ring. I was shocked and screaming (trust me I’m a bit dramatic) and the crew started clapping before he went on his knees to propose and we had a private dinner afterwards.

Planning The Wedding
After getting engaged in July, we decided to get married in September because that was the only convenient time for our parents. Of course this did not give me anytime to plan a wedding! Therefore, left all the wedding planning to my mum since I wasn’t finishing school until the 12th of September. Trust me I didn’t do anything for the wedding just attended as a guest, I think that’s why I had so much fun despite the rain.

Traditional Wedding
Enitan & Rua’s traditional wedding was held on the 24th of September 2009 at the bride’s house in Abuja. It was a delightful and colourful blend of cultures as the couple went through the traditional Yoruba and Calabar wedding rites. It was truly spectacular to see the various outfits and rich cultures being celebrated as Enitan & Rua were joined as husband and wife.

White Wedding
Enitan & Rua’s white wedding took place on the 26th of September 2009 at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja. The bride, Enitan was dressed in an elegant Caroline Castigliano strapless ballgown wedding dress with a chapel train, the embellished bust of her dress perfectly complemented her striking crystal hairpiece. Rua, the dapper groom was in a tailcoat tuxedo paired with a cravat and purple & white boutonniere. The bride took the unique step of not having any bridesmaids, instead, all her friends wore the same colour – purple. The reception took place at the NAOWA Hall in Asokoro, Abuja. The venue was decorated in the colours of the day – purple, green and cream. The reception was absolutely fun and both Enitan & Rua agree that it was the happiest day of their lives.

The post Our Wedding Story: Enitan Animashaun & Rua Orbih appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Our Wedding Story is our treasured wedding feature on BellaNaija.com
It is a beautiful journey through the wedding experience of our special couples.
Krystal Orji and Dike Ogwuru were joined in holy matrimony on the 5th of April 2010. Their journey towards marriage can only be described as ordained, as you will see from their story ‘It was written’.
Here is Krystal & Dike’s wedding story.

How Krystal & Dike Met
We met summer 2007 through a mutual friend. Beautiful bride Krystal shares that, “I have to admit that it was not love at first sight for me because I just thought…It would be such a perfect match that it definitely can’t happen because that will be too good to be true!“

After seeing again about two times, they talked and they clicked! Krystal still thought “No! Too good to be true. One morning a bell just rang in my head and I said this is my husband. I called two of my friends and I told them and they laughed at me and said I should get serious. They too were probably thinking.. Too good to be true”

Dike knew that Krystal was ‘the one’ ! That day was the beginning of our unstoppable escalating romance that led to our everlasting union.

The Proposal
In their romantic two year courtship, Krystal & Dike shared their love for travel and adventure. They explored all the restaurants within their reach and traveled to several exotic locations for vacations. Krystal always told Dike, “When you propose, I want it to be a surprise. Don’t take me on any trip, don’t plan anything special that will make me suspect this is the day!”

A surprise, a note, a ring and a YES!
On July 11 2009, I was still in bed sleeping and Dike came into my room looking a bit fidgety, and I thought to myself “doesn’t this boy sleep?” He then gave a speech with the most touching history of our relationship and then brought out a crumpled paper with some dates written on them. And I still was a bit confused and I had no idea what was going on. I then realized that the paper was a game we played very early on in our relationship in 2007 where we each wrote down on a piece of paper the dates we expected to get engaged, get married, have a baby etc. And then he pointed to the date he wrote down that he would propose and then went on how he knew even then that I was the one,  he brought out the most beautiful ring I had ever seen and then asked me to be his wife! You can imagine the rest…

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The Wedding
Date: 5th April 2010
Venue:
Church – Our Saviours Church, Onikan, Lagos
Reception – The Law School Auditorium, Victoria Island, Lagos
Colours: Lavender & White
Reception Theme: Winter Wonderland
Bridal Makeup: BMPro
Event Planners & Decorators: Oaken Events

The bride, Krystal was absolutely beautiful in her strapless white wedding dress with an elegant sweetheart neckline and a sweeping train. She was simply stunning! Her intricate crystal and pearl headband, lace bolero (for the church service), veil and crystal and diamond earrings and accessories completed her look. The groom, Dike was dapper in a classic 3-piece suit paired with a white shirt and pocket-square. His groomsmen were in black suits with lavender ties which complemented the bridesmaids strapless knee-length purple dresses while the maid of honour was a pretty one-armed floor-length red dress. Their church ceremony was simply emotional as Krystal & Dike affirmed their love and commitment to each other.

Krystal & Dike’s wedding reception was stunning! Wall to wall, pillar to pillar, the venue was completely transformed by Oaken. With draping completely in white to the lavender mood and fairy lights creating a dreamlike effect.
The walkway recreated a stroll through the woods on a winter day with the frosted branches and snowy feelers with candles, an all-white floor and the pond with floating candles and petals. The most amazing finish to the wonderland feel was the stage; From the snowflakes to the lavender coloured lights screened by intricately designed glass. A perfect place for the new couple.

The reception was as beautiful as it was fun as the couple and their family and friends danced and celebrated the new union.

Congrats to Krystal & Dike, wishing them a blessed and happy life filled with everlasting love.

An Everlasting, Destined Love
After our wedding in April when we returned back to the states, he once again brought out his piece of paper and showed me where he wrote April 2010: Our Wedding…

Of course I threw away mine the same day and didn’t give another thought to it. Thinking he’s just pulling my legs and things will happen when they happen but he kept his sheet of paper and stuck to every promise he made that day in 2007 and that made me realize he is truly too good to be true, and I am lucky to have him!

Traditional Wedding
Krystal & Dike’s traditional wedding took place in December 2009 in the bride’s hometown.

The post Our Wedding Story: Krystal Orji & Dike Ogwuru appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

It’s so amazing how each wedding is truly special and unique in its own way. From the couple’s love story to the interpretation of their wedding vision on their special day. Marriage is such a beautiful and blessed institution.

Our Wedding Story is our treasured wedding feature on BN. Today, we feature the spectacular wedding of Rola Maurice-Diya & Yemi Adeboyejo. The beautiful couple wed on the 10th of April 2010 in Washington DC, USA.

We love Rola & Yemi’s story! It shows us that fate is very real, if God says the love is meant to be…it will be!

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How Rola & Yemi Met

By Rola

It was your typical Saturday night in a typical college town. Frat parties, sorority parties, reggae parties, Naija parties. On this particular night, I was having none of it. I had planned a nice quiet evening in; TV, food, phone, bed. My friend on the other hand had no such plans. She was hosting a friend of hers from her old school who had come into town for a conference and would be showing him the sights and sounds of the Eastern Shore. Would I like to meet him, she wanted to know. I, assuming she wanted me to meet and approve of the guy she was interested in, reluctantly agreed.

He was cute. He was interesting. He was funny. We talked extensively about my addiction to gadgets, particularly phones. It was fun but it violated every single Article in the Single-Girl-Code to go after the guy your friend is interested in, so when he asked for my number that night, I politely declined. As life would have it, by the time I realized that there was no interest there whatsoever and they were in fact more like brother and sister, I did not see him again for months.

When we finally ran into each other again back home over the summer it was at one of those great, summer, Maryland barbeques that everyone shows up to. Pretty much, after that cookout, I knew there was something special there, I was giddy just talking to him BUT somehow when the topic of exchanging numbers came up again.

I refused. I remember leaving the cookout thinking I had clearly lost my mind and my last chance with him.

Fate played a very strong hand when he randomly showed up at my doorstep a week later with a mutual friend who he was giving a ride to, he was supposed to drop us off at the mall but he ended up offering to stay with us and drop us back home. The strongest memory I have from that evening was just how comfortable I was, how perfectly at-ease and completely myself I was with him. This time, he left with the digits. I was sold. Totally, utterly, unequivocally sold.

Life was to get in the way again because while everyone else was chilling at home that summer, I had foolishly opted to go back to summer school. All I can say is I got to know the insides of a Greyhound bus really, really well because I ended up coming home almost every weekend to spend time with him. He could probably drive the route from Silver Spring to Eastern Shore blind-folded now for how many weekends he made that six-hour round trip.

It was rough, but I would not trade that experience for the world. For one thing, he actually made living in Eastern Shore bearable. And for another, the weekends were absolutely priceless.

He was not your typical guy. I mean, he cooked a three-course meal for me the first time we hung out, for goodness sake! Our first formal date was just as special – dinner reservations, fancy restaurant, dressed up nice. He did it as a first date should be done! Attentive to detail, thoughtful, sincere.

After a whole summer of hanging out he asked me to be his girlfriend. I had never been formally asked by a guy the way he did. It felt more like a marriage proposal, but that is how I knew he was not just any other guy and this was not just any other relationship. Because some things must stay sacred, I will spare you all the details, but he promised simply to never break my heart. Honestly, what more can you ask for?

By Yemi

It was Saturday, February 19th 2005, and I was attending a conference held by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., at University of Maryland – Eastern Shore.

That evening after the conference, I met up with an old college friend of mine to hang out and catch up on old times. During the course of the evening, some of her friends joined us; and she introduced me to all of them. I was instantly in my element surrounded by all these babes…lol.We all ended up spending the rest of the evening together laughing and just enjoying each other`s company.

Interestingly enough, throughout that evening, I paid a lot more attention to one of her friends in particular – Motunrola. Even though she was the youngest person in the room, there was a mature, classy, and loving demeanor about her that had me at hello.

The babe was fine, and I remember trying all night to get her attention, but she was not even checking for me at all. I tried making fun of her name to break the ice by calling her Motorola. That didn’’t work because she just gave me a blank stare. I even took a picture of her (stalker-ish) in an effort to strike up a conversation, but she was so not in the mood for any of my charm (in my mind). But being the persistent guy that I am, I didn’’t give up just because she obviously wasn’’t interested.

I finally found a way of getting her attention when she pulled out her then new phone – Motorola Razor to take a call; and as soon as she finished the call, I immediately struck up a conversation about phones. Anyone that knows Rola, knows that the babe`s phone game is on point!

So we had our own side convo about phones for a good 30minutes. Although, I had no clue about most of the phones she mentioned, but I faked the funk. But just when we seemed to be building a rapport, she had to leave all of a sudden. Her uncle had come to visit her. I then thought to myself, now is the time Yemi. Go for broke. So I proceeded to ask her for her number and she said, thanks but no thank you. Ouch!!

Anyways, she left and I thought I probably wasn’’t going to see her again. I felt like a genuine opportunity was missed. I thought wrong.

It’s June 2005, and I’’m at a cookout with some friends. Guess who I run into? I immediately walked over to strike up a conversation. Which was easy because she already had a new phone (that babe does not play). We hung out and talked all afternoon. Once it was time for her to leave, I asked for her number again, a request she politely declined for the second time. I was very disappointed because I felt I had won her over this time with my boundless wit and charm (once again, in my mind). Nevertheless, I didn’t give up my pursuit.

A couple of days later, a friend had asked me to give her a ride to another friend`s house in Bowie, MD which I grudgingly obliged. We arrived at the house in Bowie, and guess who opened the door?

She smiled, and said `hi Yemi`. Can you imagine? She actually remembered my name.I knew at that moment that I was going to do everything I needed to get this babe`s number.

Even though I was just supposed to drop off my friend at Rola`s place, I included myself in the rest of their afternoon plans just so I could spend more time with her.I ended up driving them all over the place that afternoon and noticed that she dropped her guard a little as the day went by. That afternoon. I got the number… touchdown!!!

After that day, we started hanging out together and talking on the phone more and more.We ended up spending almost the entire summer together, and we quickly grew very fond of each other. I then asked her to be my girlfriend (very corny I know) but in true Rola style, she made me wait for a while before she agreed.

The rest, as they say, is history.

He’s The One

by Rola

Fast-forward four years and with the lessons learned from the realities of relationships having made us stronger, the subject of marriage had come up several times; what we wanted, when we would each be ready, the works.

Knowing how much I hate public surprises, we even talked about the proposal.Sometime after this, he went to Nigeria for Christmas. He spent some time with my family, which pleased me to no end as it had always been important to me that the man that I married would love and be loved by my very close-knit family.

I learned later that during that trip, he had asked my parents for my hand in marriage. Thoughtful, classy, old-fashioned, Yemi.

Not long after, I got the proposal of my dreams, the ring of my dreams and the man of my dreams.

And to that man, I say this. I have not a doubt that when God created you, he had me in my mind. You are my soulmate, my best friend. Everyone dreams of what their partner will be like but you are more of a gift to me than what I could ever have dreamed for myself. You are the one person who shares my deepest thoughts, loves me in spite of them, lifts me up when am down and always stands by me at all times. You are my problem-solver and there has never been a burden that you have not rushed to lift off my shoulders.

I love that you are so smart; you are my dictionary, my thesaurus, my historian, my librarian. I love that you complete me; you are bold where I am shy, you are silly where I am serious, you are frugal where I am…not so frugal. I love that God spoke to me directly and unmistakably about you and about my future with you.

I am so excited that I have found the one my heart loves. I cannot wait to wake up next to you every day. I cannot wait to grow old with you.

She’s The One

by Yemi

Skipping through time, it’s now late 2008. We had spent almost 3.5 years going through the roller-coaster ride of being in a relationship but as the saying goes, sometimes, being in a relationship can feel like being on a roller coaster ride; but the Love in it is what makes the ride worthwhile. I am so grateful to the almighty God that the Love never faded, and I’’ve had Motunrola by my side this whole time.

I was now beginning to get that itch to get hitched. No one can tell you when you’re ready as a man. You just know!

As the Bible says, he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. I was certain I had a very good thing. Here I was lucky enough to be with a woman that I love more than anything in the world. A woman that loves, respects, and accepts me despite my flaws (and trust me, I`ve got some flaws). A woman that has matured right before my eyes and blossomed into a very beautiful, intelligent, caring, selfless, and kind person.

A woman that I definitely want to be the mother of my children and want to spend the rest of my life with. I knew I had found my life partner, my best friend, my lover, MY WIFE! And I knew God had blessed me for putting her in my life. I prayed intensely for God to confirm the feelings I was having and he did so in such a unique way. Only things left were to ask her father and then ask her.

So I flew to Nigeria to have a face-to-face with her dad.

Speaking with her dad was surprisingly smooth. I had imagined he would give me a really tough time being she is his only daughter and all. Instead, he gave me his blessings and prayed for us. I bought a ring and planned a very private but yet romantic proposal; and this time, she said yes right away. Of course she was totally surprised and cried like a baby.

I am now certain, more than ever, that I have made a Godly choice; and I know God is behind us 100 percent.

He`s been with us throughout the 5 year journey we’ve been on so far, and I know he`ll continue to be with us in Jesus Name. Amen.

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The Wedding
Date: 10th April 2010
Venues:
Wedding Ceremony – RCCG Victory Temple, Bowie, Maryland.
Reception Cocktail & Dinner – Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, DC.
Colours: Coral and Grey
Photography: Kirth Bobb
Wedding Website: www.rolawedsyemi.com – Site Design by Kirth Bobb

Truly elegant and romantic – those words can be used to describe Rola & Yemi’s spectacular wedding. As the bride, Rola walked down the aisle with her father, she simply glowed in her strapless white lace trumpet style wedding dress paired with a classic mantilla veil and beautiful diamond accessories. She walked towards her groom, Yemi who was handsome in his classic black tuxedo and eagerly awaiting the moment when the love of his life, Rola would be pronounced as his wife. The church blessing was inspiring and emotional as Rola & Yemi were joined as husband and wife.

After the church ceremony, the wedding proceeded to the reception which was held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. The bridal party vibrantly entered the venue – the bridesmaids were in long coral and grey gowns while groomsmen were in grey suits with coral paisley ties. They danced in and got ‘the party started’ ahead of Rola & Yemi who danced into the reception venue in grand style to applause, joyous cheers and music.

It was an absolutely fun day as Rola & Yemi enjoyed all the wedding activities including their first dance, the tossing of the bouquet, garter toss and of course, cutting of their wedding cake.

The night ended with a rocking party with an exciting mix of Nigerian and international sounds. A fabulously joyous wedding for a truly special couple!

BN wishes Rola & Yemi a blessed and happy marriage filled with joy, love and God’s blessings.

The post Our Wedding Story: Rola Maurice-Diya & Yemi Adeboyejo appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

We love ‘Our Wedding Story‘ on BN because its simply special. Love and weddings celebrated and rather than just seeing the wedding photos, we get to share the couple’s beautiful love story!
Today, we head over to Calabar in Cross River State, Nigeria for the beautiful wedding of Elizabeth Eyamba-Idem & Aniekan Ido.
Their love story is humorous yet so cute and their wedding was simply spectacular.
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The Couple
Elizabeth Eyamba-Idem & Aniekan Ido

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How Elizabeth & Aniekan Met
by the bride, Elizabeth
In 1996, we were both waiting for admission into university and coincidentally lived three houses away from each other on the same street in Calabar. I was quite tomboyish back then and was up on a tree in my house which overlooked my street and this HOT boy strolled past; and I just couldn’t help but stare! All of a sudden, this HOT boy looked up and saw me. I literally died from shock because, how could he at that first, precious moment, see me up in a tree and shamelessly staring? He only smiled (the same way he smiles with his eyes till date) and walked past.

Teen Crush, A Mix-up & True Love
We became close friends after that incident. We visited, kissed, explored, fumbled and shared a great deal. However, we ‘uncovered’ that our mothers’ families were somewhat related and concluded, just like everyone else that we were cousins. We drifted and lost touch especially after university. He got my number from a neighbour of ours back then and surprised me in my office in 2007. He visited often but I gave him the guest room anytime he slept over (We were ‘cousins’ for goodness sake!). We met up on some holiday in London, May 2008 and something definitely changed. We became dangerously closer but I was seeing someone else at the time and couldn’t really get over our supposed ‘cousin’ issue. He says he waited patiently  for me to make the better choice – Him. And I did.

We had to thoroughly investigate and clear with our families first who confirmed that we were definitely NOT related. Indeed, we were only family friends!

Our hookup story turned out sensational and I had to keep explaining to people who asked how we ‘uncousined’ ourselves.

The Proposal – The Best Birthday Gift!
We got engaged after Aniekan planned a surprise birthday party and then proposed right there!
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The Wedding
Date: 5th June 2010
Venues:
Wedding Ceremony – Sacred Heart Cathedral, Calabar.
Reception – Monty Suites, Calabar
Colours: Sage Green, Cranberry Red and Gold

Fourteen years after they first met, Elizabeth and Aniekan stood before the altar and were joined together in holy matrimony to live together forever as one.

Elizabeth was simply a princess in her ivory A-line wedding dress, with its single rosette shoulder, embellished bust and layered skirt, it was a beautiful dress for a gorgeous bride. Aniekan was handsome in a three-piece suit paired with a red tie, pocket square and boutonniere. After the church service, the wedding party proceeded to their reception where the couple along with their families and friends enjoyed a festive day. There were unique and intimate touches such as the brides fun-filled dance with her brother and rather than the traditional tossing of the bouquet, it was handed over to the bride’s sister. A beautiful and special occasion for a wonderful couple.

BN wishes Elizabeth & Aniekan a blessed, fruitful and happy life marriage.

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding
The traditional Wedding took place on the 3rd of June 2010 at the bride’s family house in Calabar, Cross River State. It wasnt a long journey for Aniekan to meet his bride, his family house is just three houses away!

The couple’s love story also won the ‘Best Love Story’ prize in the 2010 NaMyWedding Dream Wedding Contest

The post Our Wedding Story: Elizabeth Eyamba-Idem & Aniekan Ido appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Each wedding is so special and blessed, it never loses that truly amazing feeling.
Two people, coming together and being blessed as they begin their journey into matrimony. BN Our Wedding Story is our treasured wedding feature which celebrates this journey and ceremony.
Chika Fagoyinbo & Ikenna Nwakanma were joined as husband and wife in April 2010 and their wedding will take your breath away! Elegant, beautiful and timeless, you can see the love that resonates between this special couple.
We love Chika and Ikenna’s story! They met, became friends and as time passed, their strong friendship provided the perfect foundation for their lifetime union.

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How Chika & Ikenna Met

By Chika
We met in the Summer of 2003 at a wedding, this wasn’t love at first sight or any of that, he came off a little cheesy but  very intelligent. We kept in touch and over the years became good friends. The calls got more frequent – lasting longer and longer. In 2006, he asked to visit and after much hesitance I succumbed and he flew in to Houston from New Jersey. Needless to say he swept me of my feet the second time around. Ultimately, It was all so simple.

By Ikenna
I met Chika at a wedding reception in Maryland, sometime in 2003. The first time I saw Chika she was sitting at a table with a group of adults, looking so beautiful in a purple dress. I felt she could use some company, so I walked up to her and invited her to come and hang with the rest of the young folks in the hallway. I don’t recall the words that we spoke that day, but I recall one thing that happened, that looking back serves as a glimpse into our future. While talking to me, she accidentally dropped a ring which she was twiddling. As any gentleman would, I picked up the ring, and as the unabashed young man that I was, I placed the ring on her ring finger. I don’t know anymore if she smiled, or rolled her eyes, but knowing Chi, she was probably rolling her eyes on the inside.

She’s The One!

by Ikenna
As the years passed we kept in touch over the phone, but there came a time in my life when I turned to God to guide my future. I said a prayer asking God to lead me to the one whom he made for me, someone whom I could love and grow old with. Then I remembered the young lady in the purple dress, a person who shared my aspirations and whose drive was unmatched by none. So I tried over and over and over again until she agreed that it was okay for me to visit her, the rest is history. I thank God for her and his blessings in our lives, I know that he will walk with us forever.

He’s The One!

by Chika
Everything happened as though it was all planned from the beginning, the right time and right state of mind.
Not trying to sound cliche but he was everything I asked God for. Fast forward after 3 years of dating long distance we are married!
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The Wedding
Date: 3rd April 2010
Venues:
Wedding Ceremony – RCCG, Houston, Texas
Reception – Chateau Crystale, Houston, Texas
Colours: Sangria purple & Gold
Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero
Bridal Makeup & Hair: Tokini Bilaye-Benibo – Lyzadora
Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal
Photography: Raheem Osanyin – Rhphotoarts
Additional Photography: Chido Nwangwu

**

As they prepared to celebrate the most special day of their lives, Chika & Ikenna were filled with joy and anticipation. In her gorgeous embellished strapless ruched crystal organza wedding dress with its floating tiered train and corseted back plus an added unique touch – beautiful purple shoes, Chika was an absolutely stunning bride.

The sight of his bride in her wedding dress with her hair in an elegant bridal updo with a floaty chiffon veil and clutching a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers took Ikenna’s breath away as he watched her walk down the aisle towards him. With his best man and groomsmen by his side, Ikenna watched with love as Chika joined him at the altar.

Their wedding blessing was powerful and inspirational – Chika & Ikenna committed to love and honour each other forever. After the ceremony, they celebrated with happy friends and family and then proceeded to their wedding reception. As they entered their wedding reception venue which was elegantly decorated with touches of their wedding colours – Sangria purple and gold, Chika & Ikenna’s guests danced and joyously celebrated with them. It was a great day filled with lots of special and romantic moments. A truly fabulous day for a very special couple

BN wishes Chika and Ikenna a lifetime of blessings, success, love & joy!
**
White Wedding

Traditional Wedding
Chika and Ikenna’s traditional wedding was filled with colour, tradition and lots of fun! Their traditional wedding ceremony was based on Arochukwu traditions, as the bride’s mom is from Ajalli in Anambra State. The beautiful bride was placed in a room – dressed and adorned in her traditional attire with two ‘maidens’. No man was allowed to enter the room without paying. It was so much fun as Chika and Ikenna’s friends and relatives entered the room to pay homage to the bride. Finally Ikenna came to visit and then left to await his bride. The traditional Igba Nkwu Nwanyi ceremony was performed as Chika went in search of her prince, she found him and presented him with a glass of wine which he accepted. The couple then danced and enjoyed a thrilling party with their friends and family.

The post Our Wedding Story: Chika Fagoyinbo & Ikenna Nwakanma appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Growing up, many young girls read fairytales in their childhood and then romance novels in their teens. The descriptions of love are so awe-inspiring that they sometimes wonder if these fantasies can ever come true. When you meet the right person, it might not be a perfect fairytale, instead it is a wonderful and thrilling experience filled with love and adventures.

BN Our Wedding Story brings you the wonderful wedding of Banke Adeniran & Yinka Akinsola.  It is interesting to note that one of Banke’s hobbies is matchmaking, she owns the site –  www.faithmatefinder.com – and has successfully matched several couples so it is so sweet that after helping others find love, she found her own lifemate! Banke and Yinka’s love story is beautiful and inspiring in its simplicity; they met through a friend, talked then met and almost instantly they knew there was a connection. They celebrated their love with fairytale themed wedding in Atlanta, Georgia. As they say in fairytales…and they lived happily ever after.
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How Banke & Yinka Met
Banke and Yinka grew up in the same town, had similar circle of friends but never ran across each other before coming to the U.S. One lovely evening in Houston TX, while visiting for her nephew’s birthday Miss Banke (who has been coined cupid by the many people she has attempted or successfully hooked-up) ran into an old family friend; Kola whom she grew up with. One conversation led to another and it circled back to “why are you still single Banke”? To cut the long story short, he said he had a friend whom he thought would be a good match and of course she thought he was kidding until she got a call from Yinka a couple weeks later.

Banke:
“I remember picking up the phone and hearing the voice and thinking hmmm doesn’t sound bad at all. We talked briefly that day and I apologized for not being able to chat because I was headed to a friend’s birthday; but said I’d call back the next day. So one conversation led to another and the more we talked the more we wanted to talk. So he planned a visit to Atlanta. I remember seeing him and thinking he looks like cute teddy bear and he jokingly said he should have brought an engagement ring with him. I think it’s safe to say, we were both attracted to each other and soon after, we decided to take the relationship to the next level. For a relationship that started out long-distance, I’m grateful to God it turned out pretty well. We are both grateful to God for creating both of us and for the love we have for each other”.

“Will You Marry Me?” – The Proposal
Yinka:
“ I consulted Doyin (Banke’s sister) about how to go about proposing to Banke, in private or in the presence of family and friends. Doyin suggested that we surprise her with loved ones in attendance. On August 22, 2009, I came down from for an event in Atlanta which Doyin had also come for. I coordinated with one of Banke’s closest friends to have her enter Banke’s house and arrange it with rose petals and candles before we got home. We also had about a dozen of Banke’s closest friends in attendance, hiding in the kitchen. When we pulled up to the house I exited the car quickly and went inside. Banke was surprised that I rushed in so quickly and left her outside, but I played it off like I had to use the restroom. When Banke eventually walked into the living room, the room was dark but for a few candles. I was standing in the middle of a heart shaped out of rose petals and was holding a dozen roses in one hand. Banke was confused and clueless on what was going on. She did have the presence of mind to ask who the people hiding in the darkness of the kitchen were and what were they doing there. Smiling, I beckoned to Banke to approach me. I told Banke how much I loved her and how I wanted her to be my wife and the mother of my kids. I then got on one knee and brought out the ring and asked Banke to marry me. She was still surprised and in shock but she said yes! Her friends and Doyin stepped out of the kitchen clapping and we all celebrated until late into the night. The rest, as they say, is history”.

Planning their Dream Wedding
Banke:
I had always wanted a Disney/fairytale themed wedding and had spoken a few times with my sister who owns “Events by Doyin” about how I wanted my wedding to look. Since happened to be in Atlanta the weekend I got engaged, so without any need for persuasion, she started the planning right away. We visited a bridal show together the very next day and believe it or not, I found my wedding dress that day. It was the first and only one that I ever tried on and bought. I guess I knew what I wanted huh. My sister asked for my colors and started designing my big day with the hopes of bringing my dreams and ideas into reality. I’m grateful to God for her help and everyone who helped to make the day wonderful.
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The Wedding
Date: May 1 2010
Venues:
Ceremony – Ravina Gardens, Atlanta, GA
Reception – Crowne Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, GA
Colours: Turquoise, Ivory and Gold
Event Planner: Doyin Fashakin – www.eventsbydoyin.com
Florist: Ozo Adeyeye – www.flowerplus.com
Cake: Edet Okon, Houston, TX
Brides Dress & Veil: Sweet Elegance Bridal, Atlanta, GA
Groom’s Suit: Ravis Tailor, Bangkok, Thailand
Photography: Adebayo Agbabiaka – Stay Fokus | Anderson Flewellen

**
Banke and Yinka’s big day began as the bride arrived for their beautiful garden ceremony accompanied by her father in a white horse drawn carriage. Even though rain had been forecasted for that day, God shone his light on them as the weather turned out to be simply bright and wonderful as Banke and Yinka exchanged their vows and committed to each other.
Banke was a gorgeous bride in her beautiful matte satin, contour tucked mermaid style dress, with a sleeveless chiffon neckline accented with beaded crystals. Her bouquet of ivory roses was embellished with crystals and her hair was swept up in an elegant chignon with a stunning fascinator and veil. The groom, Yinka was handsome in a dark grey custom-made suit. The bridesmaids were chic in their ruffled blue dresses with a matching hair pieces and clutching yellow roses.
After their ceremony, Banke and Yinka rode off in their horsedrawn carriage and enjoyed the scenes and sounds  of the city as they savoured their first few minutes as Mr and Mrs Akinsola. Their reception venue was straight out of a fairytale dream with ‘cinderella shoe’ ice sculptures, romantic mood lighting and a breathtaking cake – and most importantly, Banke and Yinka’s celebration of love all through the day – it was such a glamorous and beautiful event.

BN wishes Banke & Yinka a blessed and wonderful life together. May each day be even more blessed than the last and may you continue to bring each other joy and happiness for the rest of your lives.
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The post Our Wedding Story: Banke Adeniran and Yinka Akinsola appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

We can never stop believing in love.
In the world we live in, it is so easy to become jaded. However, there is something about true love that is so pure, so beautiful and always so inspiring.
BN Our Wedding Story is our cherished wedding feature and it’s all about celebrating love and the blessed institution that is marriage.
Riyike Johnson and Tolu Ariyo celebrated their wedding in August 2010. Their love story is so beautiful and their wedding was a joyous and festive occasion. We absolutely adore the blessed simplicity of their love story and the timeless elegance of their wedding.

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How Riyike & Tolu Met

Riyike & Tolu’s families have been long-time family friends and no it is not what you are thinking! It was not a family ‘hookup’. Instead, Riyike & Tolu who had been childhood friends all those years ago ‘met’ at the RCCG Festival of Life in London a few years ago. They kept in touch, became friends, grew closer together and their friendship blossomed into a loving relationship which led them to the altar.
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The Proposal
by Riyike
It was the day of my works’ annual Christmas party and we were due to go there later that evening on 11th of December 2009 but Tolu was insisting that we go to dinner first – I couldn’t understand that for two reasons – firstly we were running late for the Christmas party and secondly there was a 3 course meal waiting for us at the party. I decided to go along with it anyway because he had been raving about this amazing restaurant in Canary Wharf – Collin Brown.

We had a very lovely meal and then it was time to leave for the Christmas party, when the waiter came holding a dish and said he had a special on the house from the chef, I kindly told the waiter that we had just finished our meal and all we needed to do was pay our bill and leave. He insisted (and so did Tolu!) and said it was a new menu, after much persistence he left to get some plates and cutlery to serve ‘the dish’ when Tolu got on his knees and the rest is history!
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The Wedding
Date: 27th August 2010
Venues:
Wedding Ceremony – St Mary’s Church, Stoke Newington Church Street, London
Reception – The Decorium, Wood Green, London
Colours: Red and Gold
Wedding Dress: Pronovias
Photography: Jide Alakija for Alakija & Co Photography – http://alakija.com/blog/

**
Breathtaking and simply stunning are words that would have crossed Tolu‘s mind as his bride, Riyike joined him at the altar. For her special day, Riyike was dressed in a stunning lace bridal gown. Her delicate lace dress had an elegant bateau neckline and a beautiful chapel length train. Riyike’s ornately styled hair was swept up and accessorized with a crystal hairpiece while her ruby and diamond earrings added a touch of colour to her beautiful bridal look. The groom, Tolu was dapper in his bespoke 2-piece blue suit complemented with a white shirt, red tie and pocket square.

In the presence of their family and friends, Tolu and Riyike joyously said their vows and were pronounced husband and wife. Their reception was filled with romance, joy and laughter. They danced and enjoyed the experience along with their loved ones. Such an absolutely beautiful wedding!

BN wishes Riyike and Tolu a blessed life together. May each day be filled with love, laughter and God’s blessings.
**

The post Our Wedding Story: Riyike Johnson & Tolu Ariyo appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Who knew that studying was not just good for your brain but great for your heart…

Today on BN Our Wedding Story, we feature Seun Teniola & Qudus Adekoya. Seun and Qudus met one night while they were studying for exams at the university and as you can see from this feature, it blossomed into something beautiful and extraordinary.

That is the beauty of love, you never know where you are going to find it….

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How Seun & Qudus Met
By Seun
We met way back in school – at the University of Lagos in 2003. I was in class one fateful night studying for an exam, he was sitting right in front of me, he turned back, saw me, stood up and asked if he could sit next to me, I laughed and I said – “No”. He ran after me when I finished studying and we became friends and our relationship blossomed from there.

The Proposal
He popped the big question to me that same year we met, but I took it as a joke because I was still in school. So he made it official in 2005. On my birthday, he asked me again; this time, on his knees. We were going out for dinner to celebrate my birthday and I was ready and wondering what was delaying him. He was already on his knees waiting for me to find him. I was so excited, I cried and I said, “YES”. I was still in school then so my parents suggested we wait till I graduated from university, completed youth service and started to work before he could take me away…My husband waited for 5 years before he was allowed to marry me and I love him so much for his love, patience and support!
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The Wedding
Dates:
Engagement & Nikkai – 30th September 2010
White Wedding & Reception – 2nd October 2010
Wedding Reception Venue: The Knot Centre, Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, Lagos
Colours:
Engagement -Baby Pink & Navy Blue
Wedding – Turquoise Blue & Silver
Wedding Dress: Addax Bridal – Dubai
Groom’s Suit: Kenneth Cole
Bridal Makeup: Banke Meshida-Lawal – BMPro
Bridesmaids Dresses: Chi Chic
Event Decor: Dekey by Moji Awoniyi
Event Planner: Ebun Humpton
MC: Ushbaby
Caterers: Golden Pot
Desserts: Licious Desserts

**
After their festive traditional engagement and joyful Nikkai ceremony, all was set for Seun and Qudus to celebrate their wedding in style.

On the 2nd of October 2010, with her bridesmaids in blue proceeding down the aisle ahead of her, Seun walked down the aisle accompanied by her father and joined Qudus at the altar where their marriage was blessed and they were joined as husband and wife.

The bride was so beautiful in her ivory lace wedding dress embellished with Swarovski Crystals paired with a feathered headpiece and a bouquet of red roses. Her husband, Qudus was in a grey suit paired with a white waistcoat and tie. The couple proceeded to their reception which was decorated with touches of turquoise blue, white and silver.

At their reception, Seun & Qudus had the time of their lives as they joyously enjoyed the festivities along with their family and friends.

BN wishes Seun & Qudus a joyful and blessed life together.

White Wedding

Engagement & Nikkai

The post Our Wedding Story: Seun Teniola & Qudus Adekoya appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

As the first month of 2011 draws to a close, we hope that your year has started with lots of positive action and blessings. Over the Christmas holiday, there were lots of weddings – we all danced, ate and celebrated. But what happens after that festive day… This is what inspired this very special edition of BN Our Wedding Story.

This blessed couple, Olatokunbo Morin-Muhammed & Saheed Muhammed have been married for over 7 years and recently celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary with a beautiful ceremony and event. Olatokunbo and Saheed’s story illustrates that there is so much to look forward to after you say “I Do”.

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I Do! – Olatokunbo & Saheed’s Love Story
by Olatokunbo

The Call
I was introduced to my beau through my cousin’s husband. He told me of Saheed and I didn’t pay him any mind. A couple of weeks later I received a call from Saheed…I was extremely infuriated that my cousin’s husband would pass my number to a guy without my consent, luckily it worked out for the best!

Then…
I was living in Detroit, Michigan; my beau was a soldier living in Killeen, Texas. I was with someone else at the time and not remotely interested in the prospects of being with Saheed, but he was rather persistent…and I happen to find ‘men that know exactly what they want’ appealing. After numerous calls, rudeness on my part, an air ticket purchased to come visit him but never used, I met him for the first time almost a year later, decided to be nice for a change and we hit it off from then on.

The Proposal
My birthday was approaching – my birthday is the 29th of February, it wasn’t a leap year so no 29th was coming this time around. I told him this birthday year will not be special because my actual birth date wasn’t coming till the following year, I always have to wait 4 years. He said “it will be special” and I was like “Sure” (sarcasm). I flew in from Michigan to Texas to see him and on my alternative birthday (the 28th), I was getting ready to where he was going to take me to make my day special. He stepped out of his apartment briefly while I ironed my pants, came back in and got on one knee, pulled out the magnificent ring and said
“I want to marry you” ,
Me: “Okay” (grinning)
Him: “…like right now!…”
Me: “huh??”
We went to court that same day and got married! Yes, he made my day special alright!.

The Wedding…After the Wedding

We secretly got married on the 28th of February 2003. Made announcements that we were engaged and openly celebrated our union to about 250 something guests in a traditional Nigerian wedding ceremony.
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Marriage Q & A with BN

BN: Advice for young couples who just got married?
Olatokunbo: I am not into giving advice because the reality of it all is that relationships are not “one size fits all”. What might work for me, will not necessarily work for another. For Saheed and I, Love is a choice. And that means; a continuous conscientious effort to love each other regardless of our “pros and cons”, it’s our choice.

BN: How did you transition from dating to marriage, adjusting to children etc…?
Olatokunbo: We actually didn’t date long, it really was one of those stories when you just know he or she is the one. We meet for the first time in December and two months later we were married. The ‘great transition’ began when we lived together. I will not sugar coat anything, if one survives the first two years of marital life, they might be together for a long time. Living together as newlyweds was our greatest challenge. Like most couples; we needed to figure each other out. We both had difference experiences, upbringings, personalities and also different religions. We have 2 adorable girls now and Saheed is such a great dad to his girls. It’s such a delight to watch an “All-around-Nigerian” guy love is children and not be afraid to show it.

BN: Advice for the single ladies and gentlemen?
Olatokunbo: Just a favorite quote: “the virtue of true love is not to find the perfect person but to love the imperfect person perfectly” – Facebook quote written by a guy with introspective sense!

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The 7th Year Anniversary Celebration
Inspired by the number 7 which is a number of perfection referenced in both the Bible and the Koran; Olatokunbo who is Christian and Saheed who is Muslim wanted to do something that was not cliché. The couple did not want to follow the trend of a “5, 10, 15 or 25 year anniversary” celebration, instead they wanted to create their own tradition with a number that is universally acknowledged and unique – 7! Olatokunbo and Saheed’s 7th anniversary happened to fall exactly on 10.10.10 – that was the perfect sign that this was the perfect day for them!
**
Date: 10/10/10
Venue: A New Leaf, Lincoln Park Chicago, Illinois, USA
Style: Individualist/Afrik-Contemporary Vintage
Inspiration: Romance and Royalty
Colours: Plum-berry, tea rose, champagne, lavender & gold leaf
Custom-made jewelry: Yemisii – www.yemisii.com
Gown: Rosa Barrito inspired by House of Wu
Couture Invitations and papery: IJORERE – www.Ijorere.com
Singer/guitarist/saxist/keyboardist: Annie Bridges and the band
Photographer: Raheem of Rhphotoarts – www.Rhphotoarts.com
Cinematographer: Ope of AdsMedia

***
Surrounded by their family, friends and their beautiful children, Olatokunbo & Saheed rededicated their love and commitment to each other in exquisite style. The ceremony was set up with an individualistic “Afrik-Contemporary Vintage” theme with unique touches such as their “magic briefcase” couture invitations which were crafted by Olatokunbo’s company – Ijorere.

Guests could feel the aura of romance and royalty as they stepped into the “A New Leaf” event venue in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Olatokunbo was simply radiant as she was dressed in a custom designed champagne-gold dress accentuated by Fulani inspired jewelry and she had the perfect partner in life and in style by her side – Saheed who was dapper in his grey suit.
As this was all about creating their own traditions – Olatokunbo and Saheed exchanged the “gift of time” as they gifted each other watches. After that, it was about enjoying great music, food and company. The band delivered the couple’s favourite songs, as the couple, their family and friends danced and enjoyed this wonderful occasion.

BN is so thankful to Olatokunbo & Saheed for sharing their story. We pray that they will be blessed and enjoy each and everyday together as one.
***

***
Special Thanks to Yetunde @ Icy PR – www.icypr.com
Experience IJORERE – www.Ijorere.com

The post Our Wedding Story…7 Years After: Olatokunbo & Saheed Muhammed appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

What happens when a queen meets a king and then they fall in love? Royal Bliss…This episode of BN Our Wedding Story illustrates this perfectly.
For years, the proverbial “6 degrees of separation” applied to Bolanle Bob-Egbe and Temie Williams-Olley. She attended Queen’s College Lagos, he attended King’s College Lagos. They had lots of mutual friends and were within similar social circles for over a decade. However, it wasnt until one of their mutual friends “formally” introduced them that their friendship began. This friendship grew and evolved into a loving relationship which led them down the aisle on 11th of December 2010. Bolanle and Temie’s wedding was truly beautiful celebration of love!

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How Bolanle & Temie Met
Bolanle and Temie met through a mutual friend back in 2006 but didn’t become close friends until 2008. Temie used to DJ (as DJ TNT) at parties which Bolanle hosted back then, they became friends and discovered that they “kinda sorta” liked each other.

The Turning Point
by Bolanle & Temie
We decided one day to meet up. We call it the “3-1-3 day” (it was 3 hours of commuting only to spend 1 hour with each other and then to commute 3 hours back home), the 1 hour we did spend was a turning point in our friendship, and we knew we wanted to explore more of the one hour and here we are today!

The Proposal
by Bolanle
I was planning to have a surprise birthday party for Temie in 2009, but unfortunately things were not panning out like I wanted to, so I had to let him in on my plans. In the end, we decided that we would just have dinner with his family, the day comes and we get to dinner and he seemed a bit pulled back from everyone else, I asked what was wrong but he just brushed it off. So during dinner while we were talking he asked me if I really wanted to marry him and I told him that I had been ready since we decided to date in 2008, so it was really on God’s time when we would – At that point, I had no idea he had something up his sleeve! Fast forward to the end of dinner, Temie starts giving a speech – thanking God, his family and then putting me on the spot. I had no clue while he was professing his love for me to his folks, and before I knew it, he was down on his knees as he asked me to be his wife…I said “Yes”. Though I then realized the surprise would have been on me had my initial surprise birthday party plans gone right! Hahaha oh well, it was just great.

He’s The One / She’s The One
When someone comes and challenges you to be a better person and want growth in all facets of your life and you know within your heart that you would strive and want to do it with joy, you know that person is some kinda special 🙂 . We did that for each other, one of the most important things for us was the spiritual aspect, we helped each other become better Christians, to experience and know God in a special way, to understand that without having that relationship with God first we would not be able to share the love we have between each other. We knew this very early on in our relationship, so we had to take a step back, enjoy our relationship and ourselves and just wait for God’s appointed time, it was all a matter of “when” and not “if”.

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The Wedding
Date:
Traditional Wedding – 9th December 2010
White Wedding – 11th December 2010
Venue:
Traditional – 10 Degrees, Ikeja, Lagos
Wedding Ceremony – Victoria Fellowship Church, Lekki, Lagos
Wedding Reception – KFA Events Centre, Lekki, Lagos
Colours:
Traditional Wedding – Turquoise and Gold
White wedding – Emerald green | Orange
Wedding Theme: Winter White
Wedding Dress: Lazaro
Groom’s Suit: Astor & Black
Bridesmaids Dresses: PhunkAfrique
Makeup: Ugonna of L’araiche Makeover
Photography:
Traditional & White Wedding – Toni Tones Photography
Engagement photoshoot: Wale Ariztos of Wale Photos – http://www.walephotos.com
**
The moment Bolanle stepped into the church and began walking down the aisle with Maurette Brown Clark’s song “The One He Kept For Me” playing in the background, it seemed as though time stood still. As the stunning bride walked towards her future husband who looked handsome in his black tuxedo, it was an emotional moment, he could not take his eyes off her as he admired the woman he will spend the rest of his life with. With her hair in an elegant chignon accessorized with a diamond hairpiece and ethereal floaty veil, dressed in her ivory beaded silk organza and tulle bridal ballgown with a sweep train, Bolanle looked breathtaking beautiful. Bolanle and Temie’s wedding ceremony was uplifting and emotional as the couple’s marriage was blessed in the presence of their family and friends.

As the couple danced into their wedding reception along with their friends, it was clear this was going to be an exciting day! Bolanle and Temie bucked tradition and chose two songs – one chosen by the bride and one chosen by the grown – for their first official dance as a married couple. It was so emotional as they savoured the momentous experience. Both the bride and groom paid tribute to their mothers as they also danced with them. From the cutting of the cake to the speeches, it was all about celebrating Bolanle and Temie’s unbridled joy and love. The  tempo changed once again and the “party started” when  the bride transformed once again as she changed from her wedding dress into a sequined mini, all friends and family hit the dancefloor and happily danced the night away…
A blissful day for a blessed couple.

BN wishes Bolanle and Temie a blessed marriage filled with God’s divine guidance, favour and joy!
**
White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

Vendors
Event Planning: Just Weddings
Wedding Decor & Flowers: Newton & David
Cake: Odus Marciello,
Food: Malas Food | Akbol Catering
Drinks: Maldesa
Music: Sugar Band | DJ Fresh waves
MC: Gbemileke “Oscar” Oyinsan

The post Our Wedding Story: Bolanle Bob-Egbe & Temie Williams-Olley appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

We are very pleased to take you on a beautiful wedding journey today! This BN Our Wedding Story is set in Edo State and features a queen and an ambassador. Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (Universe) 2009, Fovwe Sandra Otohwo and Oghenekaro Ekewenu, Millenium Development Goals Ambassador, CEO Karokewenu Ltd & Chairman Board of Trustees for the Municipal Youth Vanguard of Nigeria. Though Fovwe has handed over her crown, she now applied her “queenly” touch to the events she plans via her company, Grandeur’s Fairy Dust.

Fovwe & Karo’s wedding was an exciting celebration of their love. From the colourful ceremonies to the endless list of celebrity performers at their wedding event – it was a truly distinctive affair for a special couple.

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How Fovwe & Karo Met
By Fovwe
We attend the same church where I am a chorister but I never really said a word to him. It turns out he was friends with all my siblings but our paths never crossed; not until one of the many trips as a beauty queen, we were on the same flight and then I said “a huge hello” to him like I have known him forever. We exchanged numbers but I never called him (I still don’t understand why).

I travelled to the Bahamas for Miss Universe 2009 and lost my sim card on a boat cruise and I came back with practically no contacts and settled into my life as a student and a chorister singing my heart out and dancing to every song we sang, loving my Jesus the best way I know how. I had totally forgotten about him until he showed up one day and asks for my bottle of Pepsi (chorister’s light refreshment) as payment for not calling him since we met. We exchanged numbers again and this time he called me three days later and asked to take me out.

I smelt trouble (LOL) and did everything in my power to drive this man away. I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t ready for a relationship then one Sunday he dropped me off at home after church and I invited him to and meet my mum he said “Why Not” (I was hoping he would give an excuse not to meet her). He joked around with my mum like he was her son and she gave me the “I think I like this one nod”. Anyone who knows my mum knows she is a sucker for the marriage talk (hehe). At that point, I thought, “I need to drive this man quickly else mummy would breathe down my neck about him” but then in my game of trying, I found myself laughing at his jokes and exchanging messages with him then it moved to long hours chatting on the phone everyday. I fell for him and I didn’t even realise when I told him -“I Love You Too”…

By Karo
We met at the Citizens of Heaven Church in Benin. I always looked forward to seeing her in church and listening to the voice of an angel. I was already friends with her siblings but we never really had the opportunity to sit down and have a good conversation, because I was always travelling in and out of the country. It was on one of these trips that we met and exchanged contacts. The platform for friendship opened for a while until I couldn’t reach her on phone all of a sudden. Quite strange, but I was sure I would see her pretty soon. I walked up to her after service one day, and asked for her bottle of Pepsi as payment for the long silence. We exchanged contacts again and that was how everything started. I knew I was in love with a miniature version of heaven – my Fovwe.

The Proposal
By Fovwe
Three months into our relationship during one of our random conversations he asked me out of the blue – ”Will You Marry Me?” I playfully said “Of Course!” because I assumed he was joking. Later that year, we travelled to the UK for a short holiday. While we were there, we went to the shopping mall and he kept asking for a ring shop and I was like – “Why are you looking for a shop?” He replied, “We are buying your engagement ring together I didn’t want to get it without you there.” At that point, I was speechless!

I finally found a ring I loved and he asked me to marry him later that evening. It took me a long while to say YES as I didn’t believe it was happening. It was an amazing day and blessed day!

By Karo
Months had passed and we were still very much in love with each other. I knew definitely, I had found my missing rib and we needed to take this to another level. During a short holiday in the UK, we went shopping one day and little did she know that I already had plans of popping the big question. I opened up and told her we came to get her engagement ring and that I didn’t want to do it without her. Thereafter, we went to a lovely Malaysian restaurant right there in the heart of the Shopping District, there I asked her to marry me and she said – “YES!”.

The Wedding
Date:
Traditional Wedding – 28th April 2011
Church Wedding – 30th April 2011
Venues:
Church Wedding – Citizens of Heaven Church, Benin
Reception – Flamingo Hall, Homeville Hotel, Benin
Wedding Theme: Think Spring, See Pink & Bling
Colours:
Traditional Wedding – Burnt Orange and Gold
Church Wedding – Fuchsia Pink and Silver
Wedding Dress & Reception Dress: Weddings by MAI
Bridesmaids Dresses: Weddings by MAI
Groom & Groomsmen Outfits: Ugodern
Makeup: Osamu’s Beauty Matters
Event Planner: Grandeur’s Fairy Dust
Photography: Kelechi Amadi-Obi
Decor & Flowers: H&M Events
Videography: Afrotainment Media
Food: Ella Catering
Cake: Cakes & Cream | Cakes by Ashama

Fovwe heard a voice as she walked down the aisle, it was a distinctive voice, a sonorous sound, the voice of the man she loves and was about to marry. Her dashing groom, Karo sang a special song for her as she walked down the aisle. He even added a special freestyle, proclaiming to his bride-to-be – “You Look Beautiful in White”.  She simply took his breath away in her stunning wedding dress with a lace yoke and beautiful embellishments. After such a rousing start, the rest of the ceremony was equally emotional with prayers, vows and commitments made before God and family.

After the ceremony, Fovwe and Karo headed to their dazzling reception. The hall was decked out in lots of pink and bling as international star 2Face Idibia serenaded the couple as they danced into their reception venue. Fovwe and Karo’s wedding reception totally rocked! After the formal reception agenda items, the couple changed into their “wedding party” outfits and enjoyed the rest of the night from the musical performances by stars including Timaya and Obiwon to the loving tender moments that they shared, it was a  totally special day for Fovwe and Karo. As they build their lives together, they are already looking forward to their 10th anniversary when Fovwe will re-rock her wedding dress and tell their children all about the day they got married.

BN wishes Fovwe and Karo a blessed and fulfilled life together. May each day be filled with favour, love and God’s divine blessings.

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

Photography: Kelechi Amadi-Obi

The post “A Queen & An Ambassador Wed” – Fovwe Sandra Otohwo & Karo Ekewenu’s Stunning Wedding appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Isn’t there something so special about love stories that begin at a wedding?
There definitely is!
Chika Umeh and Jackson Ike met at a wedding a few years ago and in June 2011, the couple solemnized their love at their traditional and white wedding in Lagos. We totally love Chika & Jackson’s “Our Wedding Story“, totally beautiful and blessed!

Someone Like Him 🙂 – How Chika & Jackson Met
By Chika
A friend of mine invited me to a wedding outside London in May 2007. I was not keen but decided to use the opportunity to catch up with her. At the wedding hall, the topic of men came up and as usual my friend started teasing me about being too fussy and asked me to point out any guy that I would consider my” type”. I pointed to Jackson (Onyi) and said “that one but I prefer them dark not fair“.

Jackson and his friend later came to our table but we did not speak during the event. When it was time to leave, he suddenly asked for my number and I said NO! (Talk about hard to get)

The next day, my friend calls to beg for my number… something about Jackson wanting to be friends. I eventually gave in and saw no harm in it. It went on from there, we became close and three years later he proposed!

By Jackson
I met Chi at a wedding, she came around with a mutual friend. She didn’t seem very keen on talking to me when I walked over to their table but she kept looking at me (with style). I did try collecting her number in order to start the stinging process (LOL)  but she wasn’t having it. I eventually got her number from our mutual friend, called her up and managed to get her talking (we spoke for over 6hrs..Vodafone did have a good laugh).

We met up at Oxford Station and went on a trip to Birmingham (not sure at what point I asked her out); the rest is history. We became close and really worked hard to get to where we are today. I would forever be grateful to God for making it all possible.

The Proposal
by Chika
Feb 2010, I was in Lagos, Nigeria for a friend’s wedding. I was going back to London on the 20th so the day before 19th, Jackson and I went to Eko Hotel for drinks, I noticed he was very fidgety, we had our drinks and at the hotel car park by the car, Jackson casually mentioned he had a present for me, my heart skipped a beat but he presented a rose, which was sweet (but was sha expecting something else lol)…

I suddenly realised the rose was swede and the stalk and rose felt heavy. I asked him, “Is there a ring in this rose?” and he opened it, knelt down and asked me to marry him! I said YES.. and couldn’t stop grinning. The rose was the ring case..cheesy but I LOVED IT!

By Jackson
Planning and Execution of this phase of our relationship was a bit tough for two main reasons; the Nigerian environment isn’t very helpful in pulling off a mind blowing move and Chi is such a smart alec. She always asks a million questions and in order not too reveal any detail; one could end up playing dumb.

I initially planned proposing at the airport on her arrival. I spoke to a lady at the Information desk of MMIA Lagos. She vehemently refused to even consider making such an announcement saying ‘We don’t do such here’ (Bad belle!). Next I tried hooking up a private boat cruise on the marina, spoke to a boat captain about my ideas and he was quite keen initially. Over the next few days, we kept in touch, putting final plans and details. Out of the blue, he (Boat captain) calls on the morning of the D-day and cancels for no just reason. Whilst all this was going on, Chi kept asking me questions that may have given away my plans. Eventually I had to propose as she described it, wasn’t the way I envisaged this phase but it was perfect and my dream girl said YES!

****
An epic journey begins with a single step and on the 4th of June 2011, Chika Umeh and Jackson Ike took a huge leap towards wedded bliss when they said “I Do” at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Marina, Lagos.

The blushing bride was a vision of beauty in her elegantly embellished wedding dress with a full tulle skirt and cathedral length veil. With her bridesmaids ahead of her and her father by her side, Chika walked down the aisle towards her husband-to-be. With his heart filled with love, Jackson took held his bride’s hand as they said their vows and were declared – husband and wife.

Chika and Jackson’s wedding reception at the Zinnia Hall of the Eko Hotel in Lagos was a festive affair! The glamorous event was an opportunity for the couple along with their friends and family to “let their hair down” and celebrate Chika and Jackson’s love.

BN wishes Chika & Jackson a blessed life together. May each day be abundantly filled with God’s grace and favour.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Photography by Atunbi

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

Vendor List
Pre-Wedding Photography: Sheeka photography – http://sheeka.shutterchance.com/
Wedding Photography: Atunbi – http://www.atunbi.net/photographer/ | http://www.weddingphotographylondon.net
Wedding Dress: Anna Mode London
Groom’s Suit: Bespoke Saville Row
Bridemaids Dresses: Sousourada London
Wedding Planning: Just Weddings – www.jwevents.net
White Wedding Decor: Just Weddings – www.jwevents.net
Wedding Cake: Cakes & Cream (Creative Collaboration with Bride)
Bridal Makeup: BMPro
Bridal Hair: BMPro
Bridemaids Makeup: Sleek
Bridal Flowers and Boutonnière: Gethsemane
Confetti Boxes: Nneyah Cards – www.nneyahcards.com
Guest Book: Sheeka Photography – http://sheeka.shutterchance.com/
Cupcakes: Nuts About Cakes – http://nutsaboutcakesng.com
DJ: DJ Ckay – Facebook Link
Traditional Wedding Makeup: Oluchi
Traditional Wedding Artistic Makeup: First impression
Traditional Wedding Outfits: Valeria
Traditional Wedding Decor: Just Weddings
Videography: Caleb Digital Ventures

The post Our Wedding Story: Chika Umeh & Jackson Ike appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Helen Leigh and Roy Oshinbolu‘s wedding was so fabulously elegant! We totally loved every single romantic detail and we just had to feature this joyful union on BN Our Wedding Story.

13 Years Ago…How Helen & Roy Met
We met way back in 1998 in Cambridge, England. I was at a sixth form college there and he was in his 1st year at Nottingham University. There was this student event that happened every month in Cambridge and he came over one month for it, think it was sometime in November 1998 or so. Apparently he noticed me but I ‘pretended’ not to take any notice of him. We had mutual friends so we were kind of always around each other but we never actually spoke. He kept on coming back every month after that but we never said more than just ‘hi-hi’.
We didn’t start talking till Valentine’s day 1999 at a friend’s party in Manchester and the rest is history.

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The Proposals!…He asked twice, She said YES both times
This is quite a long story, and a bit complicated. Let’s just say the proposal involved 2 stages, 2 different dates, 2 rings (one being plastic) and the Crazy Bear Hotel.

I knew Roy was going to propose but just didn’t know when or how he’ll do it. The first time he proposed (let’s call it the 1st proposal), I was in London on holiday and Roy was back in Lagos. This was October 31st 2010 – Halloween. I went to visit a friend of mine who just had a baby and so in the midst of it, I got a call from my brother and his girlfriend inviting me for dinner in a restaurant in Sloane Square.

I was a bit reluctant because I wasn’t really hungry but they kept insisting and said they were going to dress up in costumes and it would be fun. I finally gave in and asked them to also try to get me a costume so I could blend in as well.

I got to the restaurant and I noticed that the staff at the reservation desk and waiters were all a bit too smiley towards me. I shrugged it off, thinking they are just happy. My brother and his girlfriend were there and said they had already ordered for me.

My brother left the table to ‘make a phone call’. When he got back, our food was also served. Strangely, a waiter placed a small box on a saucer right between my brother and I and I was like ‘what’s that?’. My brother said, ‘I don’t know’ and I was looking at the waiter like ‘hellloooooo, what’s this?’ I opened the box and it was empty and this first thing that came to my mind was that this was some sort of a sick joke…it was Halloween so it must be a ‘trick or treat’…silly me.

Everyone was just looking at me and smiling…I was like ’WHATS GOING ON?’ Apparently, because I been facing the right where my brother was sitted and where the waiter was standing.

I didn’t realize that Roy had been on his knees to my left for a minute or so I just turned and that’s when I saw him.

It was a huge shock because first of all, I didn’t know he was in London because only the night before, we video chatted via MSN and I was definitely sure he was in Lagos, and second of all, he was proposing! He shoved a green plastic ring on my finger and asked me to marry him. I immediately said “YES” and everyone gave a round of applause. Just like in the movies. I was in such total shock that I lost my appetite. Regretted it the next day because that steak looked yummy.

I finally got my actual ring July this year, I’ll call it the 2nd proposal.

We had come back to London to do our last minute shopping for the wedding and Roy mentioned we needed to go to Oxford to visit his grandmother. We drove towards Oxfordshire but took a turn for Beaconsfield and stopped over at the most bizarre, freaky but surprisingly beautiful hotel called Crazy Bear. Roy said we were meeting his grandmother here and I was like ‘why would your grand mum be in a place like this?’ but I just kept quiet and went with the flow. We were taken to a room and Roy said ‘this is her room and she asked us to wait here for her.’

The room was crazy with croc leather floors, velvet walls, ancient four poster bed, mirrors on the ceiling and a gold bathtub in the centre of the room. I was in awe looking around the room and noticed a really gorgeous ring in an open red box on the dresser. I didn’t want to go touch it and thought it belonged to Roy’s grandmother. I then got up to go check out the bathroom, which was another fascination on its own. By the time I returned to the room to sit, I noticed that the ring has disappeared from its original position and was now on the table right beside where I was sat. I then asked what was going on and why he moved the ring here. That’s when it clicked that it was my ring. And he proposed again and I said YES…again 🙂

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Helen Leigh exemplified the quintessential beautiful bride as she and her beau Roy Oshinbolu solemnized their marital union on the 20th of August 2011 at the Methodist Church in Lagos. Helen’s trumpet silhouette lace dress struck the perfect balance between classic elegance and modernity – the addition of a tulle veil and shrug accessorized with a diamond brooch, earrings and hair piece completed her stunning bridal look. Roy was a handsome groom in his black suit paired with a white bow-tie.

Helen and Roy’s wedding ceremony was a positive reminder of the values that form the foundation of a great marriage. After their church blessing, the couple along with their family and friends transitioned to the Eko Hotel and Suites for the fabulous wedding reception. Guests experienced the romantic ambiance of the Helen & Roy’s wedding reception as they were surrounded by blooming peach-hued flowers and soft lighting.

After all the classic wedding reception moments including the couple’s first dance, cutting of the cake and the bouquet toss, it was time to party! The vibe of the reception was exciting and all guests had a great time!

BN wishes Helen and Roy a blessed and divinely favoured life together as one.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Photographs by Jeffrey Olalekan Photography | Shollots Studios

White Wedding

Traditional Engagement

Photo Credit
Jeffrey Olalekan Photography – Facebook Link – 08055630918
Shollots Studios – Facebook Link
Edward Leigh (Pre-Wedding Shots)

Vendors
Bride’s Wedding Dress: Benjamin Roberts
Bride’s Reception Dress: Biba Bridal
Groom’s Suit: Brioni
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi
Mothers of Bride & Groom’s Dresses: Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi
Makeup: Banke Meshida-Lawal for BM Pro
Event Planning: Eventful
Cake – Traditional Engagement & White Wedding: Cakes by Tosan
Flowers and Décor – Traditional Engagement: Open Hands
Food – Traditional Engagement: Astoria
Flowers and Décor – White Wedding: Newton & David | Open Hands
Lighting – White Wedding: Open Hands
After Party Area Décor – White Wedding: Open Hands
Food & Drinks – White Wedding: Eko Hotel
DJ – White Wedding: DJ Exclusive
Live Band – White Wedding: Shuga Band

The post Our Wedding Story: Helen Leigh & Roy Oshinbolu appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Today’s BN Wedding Story can only be described as breathtaking! Isi Omiyi & Ngozi Gwam celebrated their union on the 18th of June 2011 and their wedding was thoroughly romantic with lots of glamorous and glitzy flair.

How Isi & Ngozi Met
By Isi
We met at work! After graduating  from university in England, I moved back home to start serving NYSC at Schlumberger Oilfield Services in Lagos.

When I first started work, Goz was away on an offshore assignment, so we didn’t meet until about a month later. I noticed him the moment he walked into the office, he had such effortless confidence and he was tall, dark & handsome!

My first thought was “Heeellllo, who is that?” Lol!

Cut to later on in the day, my desk was near the water dispenser, so anyone coming to get a drink would usually say hi to me and Goz was no different.

His first words were “Hi, are you Isoken’s cousin?” I told him I was and it turns out that he knew my cousin who also worked for Schlumberger and she had told him I was joining the company. We ended up chatting for quite sometime. He then asked for my email address, which I thought was a bit odd? Usually guys ask for your phone number? But he asked me so directly and with so much confidence that I couldn’t even front or form, so I gave him my email address, and he walked back to his desk.

Ten minutes later, I get a yahoo messenger alert, “Goz wants to chat!”…Aaah, so that’s why he asked for my email addy! So I added him to my friend’s list and without actually saying another word to each other, we chatted via yahoomessenger for the rest of the day!

We quickly became the best of friends and a true & very deep love soon developed between us.

A Holy Proposal!
On November 21st 2010, around 6.30PM, we were sitting down in Church during Sunday Mass and listening to the choir sing a hymn. Goz turned to me and caught me in a yawn, and he said “eeww” LOL! (Goz is a major prankster, we constantly tease and make fun of each other! It’s our thing!) So I gave him a light jab in his side and told him to leave me alone.

Then the next thing he said was “Will You Marry Me?” My reply was a big fat NO! (I thought he was still teasing me) but then he’s said “No, no I’m serious! I turned around and was like huh?”

Then he took my hand and started saying that “Before God in this church, he wants to tell me how much he loves me, how I’ve changed his life…” and so many other things but honestly I don’t remember them! They didn’t register because by this time fireworks were going off in my brain!

Then he ended by saying that before God in this church, he wants to ask me if I had spend the rest of my life with him?
(Choir still singing in the background.. really setting the mood)

I was still in blissful shock but I managed to nod my head and whisper YES!

Then he brought out the RING! I took one look at it, shut my eyes and silently screamed! “It’s so beautiful!” Soon after, the shock started to wear off and the flood gates opened! I cried throughout the rest of the service!

Then once the service was over, we knelt down and he prayed for us, I couldn’t pray because I was still crying! LOL! Then we went over to the where the prayer candles were burning and lit three prayer candles, one for each of our past individual lives, and then one for our new life together. It was PERFECT!

Then as we were leaving church, we bumped into some of our friends, they were wondering what was going on because I was still wiping away tears and they had seen us stay back to pray and light candles. We told them the good news and they were so happy for us that they came back to his house with us and we popped champagne and took pictures! Then once they left, Goz and I went out for a romantic dinner! It was hands down THE MOST PERFECT NIGHT OF MY LIFE!

~ S67 Photography

***
It was a day when every single piece of the puzzle fit perfectly together. The beautiful bride Isi Omiyi took the monumental walk down the aisle of the Holy Cross Cathedral in Lagos with her father by her side. She looked absolutely gorgeous. The dress she worked with designer Suzanne Neville to create was a perfect fit! The dupion silk wedding dress with a sweatheart neckline and Georgette sleeves with a v-shaped modesty piece in the front was heavily beaded with Swarovski elements and crystals in front and all down the back of the dress till the end of the train. Simply Beautiful. The dashing groom, Ngozi Gwam stood by the altar and they held hands as they said “I Do”.

The Harbour Point reception venue had been totally transformed into Isi and Ngozi’s glitzy romantic enclave! Pink, white, yellow and green floral centrepieces alongside crystal chandeliers, enchanted trees with dropping crystals, Japanese umbrellas, crystal vases, silver beads and mood lighting. Their amazing wedding cake with delicious multi-flavoured layers and a magical luminous glow was also a labour of love. It was truly a sight to behold! Love was in the air and it was almost contagious as Isi and Ngozi seized every opportunity to thoroughly enjoy their special day.

BN wishes Isi and Ngozi a blissful marriage and joyful life together as one!

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding
~ Alakija & Co

Photography
Pre-Wedding Photoshoot – Olufunmi Omojesu Ogundeyin for S67 Photography – http://www.s67photoblog.com/
Traditional & White Wedding – Jide Alakija for Alakija & Co. – http://blog.alakija.com/
Additional Photography – Jeffery Olalekan | Victoria Bamgboye

Vendor List
Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville
Event Planning: Yewande Zaccheaus – Eventful Ltd
Cake: Tosan Jemide – Cakes by Tosan
Decor:
Church & Reception – Newton & David
Traditional – Hilda Sele
Makeup (Bride & Mother of the Bride): Banke Meshida-Lawal for BM|Pro
Makeup (Bridesmaids): Funke Akinokun for Color Me Beautiful Nigeria
Music: Shuga Band
DJ: Freshwaves
Food: Funke Akenzua – Exclusive Chefs
Drinks: Maldesa
Desserts: Licious Desserts
Small Chops: Addidas Catering

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