Love, love, love this edition of BN Our Wedding Story…
Adaora Osakwe and Chinedu Abanobi‘s love story began in Minna, from the moment they met, he knew he had met his queen…he proposed in scenic Great Yarmouth and they tied the knot in Abuja. Such an epic journey, such a beautiful wedding and a blessed union!

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From Minna to Liverpool – How Adaora & Chinedu Met
By Chinedu
From the first day I saw Adaora in Minna, I knew she was special.
During my third year in FUT Minna, a student association I was a member of paid her dad a visit in Minna. While we sat in the living room, I noticed Adaora standing in front of their house oblivious of the fact that my attention was fixed on her.
Staring at her, it felt like I could feel the sort of person she is. I knew right there that there was definitely something special about her. It felt like a mixture of her down-to-earth attitude, serene innocence, warm glow of happiness and an unmistakable genuineness.

I left her house on that day and that memory of her has stayed vivid in my mind until this day.

In my final year, Adaora eventually got admitted into my University. She was shy and I was too afraid of
blowing it that I didn’t ask her out. I however tried to get her attention through friends we had in common. We spoke a few times and I eventually summoned up some courage to tell her I liked her. I eventually graduated from Minna and we briefly went our separate ways. I kept making brief visits to Minna to see her until I eventually left Nigeria for the UK.

Just like Minna,in 2008,Adaora came to study for her masters in Liverpool. We got back in touch and spoke more often. We were both quite stubborn and she refused to let me visit her for most of her study time in Liverpool. One gracious day, on my way back from an office trip, I insisted on coming to visit her in school. I wasn’t looking my best and turned up in a transit van after doing some shipyard work but she didn’t care and we went out and had lunch. We got closer and after months of trying to persuade her to date me, she eventually said YES!

The Proposal – Setting the Scene – Shopping & A Sunset Stroll on the Beach…
We lived about 7 hours apart but we tried to visit each other. I was living in a very serene, isolated but sometimes lovely coastal town called Great Yarmouth and she lived in Liverpool which was much livelier.
We made out time to eat out once in a while and she would sometimes try to pay but as a gentleman, I always insisted on taking the bill. She would always insist and say, “Next time I’ll take the bill”.

Adaora came to visit me in on a weekend toward the end of June 2010. On weekends, we would usually go to see a movie, cook together or just talk but I decided we should make the 26th of June 2010 a more eventful Saturday. We woke up, went shopping in a nearby shopping complex and I made her try out an endless number of clothes. We tried to pick out something for every occasion.

After a long day shopping, we came home and I asked that we go to the beach. We walked to the beach and took a long stroll in the sand across the entire Yarmouth seafront. We talked about what we wanted and our perspectives towards different salient but important topics.

After a long day, at about 6pm when the sun was beginning to set over the beautiful view of the sea, we decided to walk back home. On our way home, I decided to take the route through the high street where most of the restaurants in Yarmouth where located.

The Proposal – The Main Event
I suggested we eat out and Adaora immediately jumped into volunteering to pay as I expected she would. We got to a restaurant and I (seemingly) casually suggested that we try that one. We got to the door and the lady at the reception greeted Adaora by her name. She was surprised and asked how the lady knew her name but she eventually concluded that I might have mentioned it to the receptionist without her noticing.

The restaurant was full as there was another older lady having a birthday dinner that same evening. We had dinner and at the end, I asked to go to the restroom and Adaora asked for the bill. When I came back and sat down, the girl that served us brought a lovely looking desert, decorated with small beautiful candles. She had a bill wallet and concealed inside it was a small box. Adaora got her purse to pay, opened the wallet and saw the box. I could tell she froze!

She looked shocked and very confused. When she eventually looked up, I was on my knees and asked her to marry me. Tears rolled down her eyes and for a few seconds…and then she smiled joyfully and said YES. The people around us by then had got the swing of what was happening and when Adaora said yes, everyone started clapping. It looked like it was orchestrated but no one in the restaurant knew who we were. We struggled to finish dinner as we were both overjoyed and everyone in the restaurant took turns to hug and congratulate us. We eventually walked back home with Adaora calling all her friends on the way.

The Proposal – The Hidden Scenes
What Adaora didn’t know was that after several futile attempts by one of our close friends to cajole her into giving out her ring size, during one of her visits, I took one of her cocktail rings, slipped out with the excuse of having to dash to the office quickly and had it measured by the jeweller. I had chosen a ring and all they had to do was fit it to size. I also called the restaurant and asked them to reserve a table for two. I told them that I’ll slip them a ring when I excuse myself to go to the restroom knowing that she’ll jump at paying for our dinner once I suggest we eat out. I also gave her name and the receptionist called out her name to check that we were the right couple.

It all worked out perfectly!

***

He smiled, she smiled back, they kissed and said “I Do”…On the 7th of May 2011, Adaora Osakwe and Chinedu Abanobi sealed their love as they solemnized their union at the Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Catholic Church in Abuja.

Friends and family all gathered to witness and enjoy Adaora and Chinedu’s special day. Chinedu still vividly remembers the moment he first saw his wife years ago in Minna, now Adaora has her own vivid memory to add, the moment she walked down the aisle in her grand white ballgown to meet her love – her husband, Chinedu.

After the ceremony, the couple and their friends enjoyed a fabulously colourful reception with bright and beautiful shades of fuchsia pink and orange all around. It was a truly delightful occasion!

BN wishes Adaora and Chinedu all the best in life and love. May each day be blessed, joyful and filled with divine favour.
***
White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

Photography: Lanre Balogun for Libran Eye Photography – http://libraneye.com/blog/contact-me/

Vendors
Wedding Dress: Jenna by Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids Dresses: WEGO Clothings Abuja
Groomsmen Attire: TM Lewin
Hair and Makeup: BM|Pro
Cake: Mrs Arah
Food: Cabana Chef
MC: Triple White
Creatives: Triokreations Limited
Flowers & Decor: Perfect Integrated Decor Service
Venues:
Traditional Wedding – Nelson Nuel Park, Garki, Abuja
Reception – Thisday Dome, Central Business District, Abuja

The post Our Wedding Story: Adaora Osakwe & Chinedu Abanobi appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Today is the very last day of January 2012 and we have the first BN Our Wedding Story of 2012!
Last year, BN Weddings took you from our base in Lagos to weddings all around the country. This year, we are at it again.
We kick things off with Uleyi Sandra Ushie & Charles Itu‘s beautiful wedding in Calabar.

It began with a “long chase” and then a happy five year relationship, a romantic proposal and then a beautiful wedding. You know what comes next, right? A Blessed Marriage!
Read all about their love story and experience their special day on BN Our Wedding Story.

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How Uleyi & Itu Met
by Uleyi
Itu and I met in Calabar. We had mutual friends and occasionally bumped into each other at events. At times, he would say hi to me. I wasn’t particularly amused by his attempts to be friendly…but being the smart guy that he is, he took my aloofness in stride and waited for the perfect opportunity to make his move. It came when he needed a model for his business calendar. He got my number from a friend and called to set up a meeting during which I turned down his request.

I remember warning him never to call me again and walking away in a dramatic huff. He conceded for six months and then…

One night, he called me with a hidden Caller ID. I thought it was someone else, a ‘toaster’ who had a penchant for calling at that time. I was ill so I didn’t notice that the caller’s voice was different. We talked for a long time. It seemed very normal and familiar, and while this might sound like a cliché, it truly felt as if I was talking to someone I had known all my life. Funnily enough, it didn’t dawn that there was something odd about the conversation. He called at the same time the next day, this time with a visible Caller ID, and I was furious that he had the nerve to call at such an ‘inappropriate’ hour. I complained to my sister but answered the phone anyway, and after a string of increasingly embarrassing follow-up questions, I realized that he was the person I had spoken to the previous night. One phone call led to another, then to our first date.

Our relationship evolved naturally, with support and encouragement from our friends and families. Itu is a wonderful person (he says I’m more wonderful than he is and who am I to argue!) and I’m a better person for having him in my life.

The Proposal!
It was December 2010, a day of blue skies and sunlight on a beach in Cape Coast, Ghana. Itu and I were on holiday with my sister. We had dated for five years at the time. We were by the shore, soaking in the tide..or rather our clothes were. He asked me to help him remove something from his pocket as his hands were sandy.

I reached in and pulled out a little black box.

As soon as I realized what it was, I ran. I’ve never run so fast in my life.

My sister – who wasn’t part of the plan but quickly caught on – proved that an athletic gene runs in our family by chasing me. It was all so melodramatic – me running and yelling, my sister running after me and yelling, Itu running after both of us and yelling – to the delight and amusement of some tourists who clicked away at their cameras gleefully. I suspect that we became the subject of several blog posts like Three People You Should Avoid While On Holiday and Tropical Proposal Gone Wild.

Anyway, she caught up with me and got me to calm down. When Itu was sure that I wouldn’t pull a Florence Griffith-Joyner on him again, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so shy. I couldn’t say yes until he got up. By then people had gathered to say congrats and take more pictures of the runaway bride and her steadfast groom. Later, we shared the happy news with our family and friends and our journey to the altar began.

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Love was all around on the 19th of November 2011 as Uleyi Sandra Ushie prepared to walk down the aisle to meet her beau Charles Itu. The model bride looked exquisite in the mermaid silhouette wedding dress. The lace trimmings of her dress was the perfect complement to her feathered birdcage veil and lush red rose bouquet. Her handsome groom Itu complemented her in his 3-piece black suit paired with a tie in his bride’s favourite colour – red. Itu and Uleyi were joined together as husband and wife at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the presence of their family and close friends.

After the wedding, everyone proceeded to the “rouge paradise” themed reception at Monty Suites in Calabar. As expected, there were touches of hot red and silver all around the venue. Uleyi and Itu thoroughly savoured their special day while guests enjoyed a thrilling day filled with great food, laughter and most importantly, love!

BN wishes Uleyi and Itu a blessed life together filled with love and happiness.

Traditional Wedding

Photography: Fotostudio Industries –www.fotostudioindustries.com | Exposure

Details & Vendors
White Wedding Theme: Rouge Paradise
Wedding Colours: “Hot” Red & Peach
Traditional Wedding Venue: Brides Family Residence
White Wedding Venue:
Church – Sacred Heart Cathedral, Calabar
Reception – Monty Suites, Calabar
Wedding Dress: Rose Blossom Bridal – Designed by the Bride
Wedding Planner: Bride & Groom
Wedding Décor: Total Satisfaction
Traditional Wedding Make-up: Rita’s Beauty Solutions
White Wedding Make-up: House of Tara
Cakes – White and Traditional Wedding: Peaches
Lighting & Sound: Sound Construction

The post Our Wedding Story: Uleyi Sandra Ushie & Charles Itu appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

One of the greatest challenges that many brides and grooms face is not getting caught up in “wedding fever” and keeping the focus on building a happy marriage. BN Our Wedding Story today is refreshing and oh-so-sweet!

Ada Ananenu & Adedapo Jabaru solemnized their union with a registry ceremony. Six years later, with their two beautiful children by their side, they had the intimate wedding of their dreams!
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How Ade & Ada Met
by Ada
Ade and I met 19 years ago at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife. We became friends and had a chat very now and then though nothing transpired between us.

11 years later, we saw each other again at a church programme in London. A few months after we reconnected, we started dating…

The Proposal – Simple, Sweet & Sincere
Ade is a no frills person, he had planned a romantic dinner and proposal at a nice West End location with an amazing diamond clutter ring! Unfortunately he got held up at work and that almost ruined it all. The proposal was a simple on bended knee “Ada, you light up my life and I will like to spend the rest of it with you, will you marry me“.?

Of course I said “yes” even though I was disappointed at the fact that he did not make an effort to make the proposal more special as I had heard so many stories including that of a friend that was proposed to on the Eiffel tower…

Guess the best things are simple as six years later, he is still the most wonderful person I have ever met.

Love & Life Begins
We had a small registry wedding 6 years ago and started a family afterwards…Six years on and two children later we decided on having a proper engagement (traditional wedding) ceremony, wedding blessing and reception. We agreed on a date with our families…and here we are!
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Ada Ananenu and Adedapo Jabaru‘s blessed day started with a special walk down the aisle. With the soothing breeze flowing all around, Ada held her son and daughter and she walked to her smiling husband. The beautiful bride looked chic in her fluid chiffon dress while the groom looked handsome in his suit. As their marriage and family was blessed, there were lots of smiles and whoops of joy from happy friends and family who were there to witness the wonderful occasion.

After the blessing, the bride and groom changed into glamorous traditional Nigerian clothing as they celebrated their wedding in style. The gold and red decor of the reception venue was a perfect backdrop for this special occasion. The couple infused traditional and contemporary elements to create this unique event which was a perfect way to celebrate their love and commitment.

BN wishes Ada and Ade renewed blessings and continuous joy in their marriage, family, love and life.

***

Photography by Atunbi – www.atunbi.net/photographer

White Wedding & Reception

Traditional Wedding

Wedding Photography: Atunbi – www.atunbi.net/photographer/ www.weddingphotographylondon.net
Wedding Planning: Just Weddings – www.jwevents.net
Wedding Venues:
Traditional Wedding – Bride’s Family House
White Wedding & Reception – Civic Centre, Lagos
Wedding Dress: Monsoon
Makeup:
Traditional Wedding – Unveil
White Wedding – Banke Meshida-Lawal for BM|Pro
Wedding Decor: Just Weddings
Bouquet: Newton & David
Cake: Deli Bakery
Food: Budikam
Flowers: Newton & David – www.newtonanddavid.com

The post Our Wedding Story…Forever Love: Ada Ananenu & Adedapo Jabaru appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Can you think of a better way to start your day? An absolutely gorgeous BN Our Wedding Story feature!
Lara Odumosu and Alexander Adegboyega Adegbenro tied the knot in beautiful style. Their love story is super sweet and Alexander’s proposal to Lara was absolutely endearing!

Keep reading…❤

How Lara & Alexander Met
by Lara
Our mothers have been friends since their days in secondary school. In 2005, I would come home for Christmas holidays as usual and my mother dragged my sister and I to her friends niece’s wedding. My sister Dami, quickly spotted Alex and whispered to me that she knew the handsome young man. Then my mother called her friend, Alex’s mother and said to her “Ah our kids know each other o“

Alex was called and in minutes he appeared at our table, inviting us over to his. I was too shy so I refused. Shortly after, we left the wedding and I was filled with regrets for not going over to his table. Thankfully, a day after, Alex found a way to get in touch through Hi5. lol!

We became good friends from then on. He visited England from America more often. We talked about a relationship every now and then, but we concluded that it wouldn’t work because of the distance.

Finally, in 2008 after years of convincing from Alex, we made it official when he paid me a surprise visit shortly after I returned back to London from a Christmas break in Nigeria.

The Proposal
by Alex & Lara
Alex: I remember after buying her ring, my mother reminded me about receiving her father’s permission. I’ve never been intimidated by anyone’s parents. This was different.

I had heard so much about the renowned film director, Jimi Odumosu and how firm he was. I knew of actors and actresses who said he was a strict man. It’s a different thing when you’re just dating, but marriage, now that’s a big one!

Regardless of my fear, I needed DadJim’s (as his daughters call him) permission. I was in New York at the time and had gotten four (4) calling cards for this mission!

Whilst on the phone with him, he reminded me of how Lara was his delicate and sweet English rose. He gave me the go ahead after our lengthy talk. That boosted my already big ego 🙂 ,I mean, a man with his principles giving me the go ahead only meant I was the best man to take care of his delicate and sweet English rose. I wasted no time with booking my flight to propose to my love, Lara.

Lara: During one of Alex’s frequent visits, or so I thought, I got the shock of my life. I did think it was odd because he was only going to be in for 3 days. I had no idea he flew in just to propose to me!

So on a random day, he took me out to a Thai restaurant. While at the table, his mother called and I noticed he was really brief with his conversation and all he said was “No. Not yet!” Again, I thought it was odd but proposal was the last thing I expected at that stage. After our meal, I ordered a dessert and quickly went to the ladies room.

When I got back to the table, picked up the lid to my dessert and there sat a jewellery box and everyone starred at it! Myself, the waitress and Alex as if it were a time bomb.

So Adegboyega mii, as I personally call him, came around to my table an got down on one knee and started to talk about his love for me an how he he would love for me to be his wife, at that point I couldn’t hear him anymore. All I could think of was the attention from everyone in the restaurant.

I used the dessert menu to cover my face and kept saying “Ade get up. Ade get up.” and he said “Ah ah Lara you haven’t said yes or no.“

With excitement I said “YES” multiple times and we kissed. That excitement remains with me till today like we just started dating yesterday.

***
In her stunning fairytale princess dress, Lara Odumosu said “I Do” to her dapper prince, Alexander Adegboyega Adegbenro at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral in Ikeja, Lagos. The couple’s day was truly special as all their loved ones were present to celebrate their entry into a new life chapter as husband and wife.

Lara and Alex’s wedding service was inspiring and uplifting, after the ceremony, it was time for the reception. Their reception rocked like no other! From the couple’s exciting entry into the reception venue to the romantic first dance, the groom’s entertaining dance performance with his groomsmen all decked out in suits designed by his label Vestito Bene to the endless loving glances and kisses the couple shared. Lara and Alex totally enjoyed their special day with friends, family and loved ones.

BN wishes Lara and Alexander all the very best in every aspect of their lives together. Love, Joy, Favour and God’s Blessings as they grow together as one.

White Wedding

Traditional Engagement

Photography by Yes! Photography – www.yes4tography.com

Bonus! – Lara & Alexander’s Wedding on Metrofile

Details
Wedding Date: 17th December 2011
Wedding Colours:
Traditional Engagement – Pink & Grey
White Wedding – Peach & Gold
Wedding Theme: Traditional Fairytale
Venues –
Church: Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral, GRA, Ikeja
Reception: Time Square, Ikeja

Vendor List
Groom’s Suit: Vestito Bene (Bespoke Men’s Label owned by the Groom)
Groomsmen’s Suits: Vestito Bene
Bride’s Wedding Dress: Oriental Pearl UK
Bride’s Makeup: Steve for House of Tara
Cake: Cakes & Cream
Food & Hors d’oeuvre: Mallas
Decor: Yvent Kouture
Security: Solution
Band: Salt of The Earth

The post Our Wedding Story: Lara Odumosu & Alexander Adegboyega Adegbenro appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

It’s only the second day of April and we already have our first BN Our Wedding Story of the month! Omoye Ikhine and Niyi Ajiboye tied the knot in Lagos and their wedding story is cute yet inspiring! From their first meeting to their joyous union.

Their advice for intending married couples, “definitely ensure that you have committed your wedding to God, pre-marriage counselling reveals a lot to the intending couples that they may not have previously thought about. Also, start planning early. It really does help!“

Omoye and Niyi tell BN that the highlight of their wedding day was saying “I Do” and finally becoming man & wife – ONE – forever!

Enjoy.

It Began at a Wedding – How Omoye & Niyi Met
by Omoye
I met Niyi on the 3rd of April 2010, at a friend’s wedding. The wedding was sort of winding down, and had gotten to the dance, dance, dance part. A close friend & I attended the event together and we decided that before leaving we should “show face” on the dance floor, so the bride would know we came for the wedding.

Little did I know what God had in store for me.

Now, to be fair, before Niyi even spoke to me or approached – I had sighted him on the dance floor (don’t get it wrong o, not in that way, lol). It’s just he was dancing so much, it was hard not to notice him, especially since he was on the groom’s train.

For some reason best known to him, he approached me and started dancing (he basically “chanced” my friend who I attended the wedding with). For those who know me well, I can’t listen to music without moving my body or at least singing along but on this fateful day, Niyi managed to reduce my dance moves to what can only liken to church side-to-side mode. While showing off his ‘dance-skills’ he started chatting and asked for my telephone number. I told him I would decide whether or not to give it to him before I left the wedding.

When my friend Uche was ready to leave, she signaled and I told Niyi that I had to leave. He walked me out and asked if he could drop me at home. I replied that I had driven to the venue and lived close to the venue anyway. He asked for my number again and I decided to give it to him. For those that know VGC well, the reception is horrid but Niyi called me later that evening and despite the fact that the phone connection kept cutting off every 2 minutes, he kept calling back…

We spoke that way for about an hour and by the time I went to bed that night I was hooked. It may sound corny, but I truly believe that I knew that night that I wanted him to be a part of my life.

by Niyi
I met Omoye at a friend’s wedding on the 3rd April 2010. I was having so much fun and dancing away. Somehow I managed to find my way to the spot where she was dancing (she has already told the rest of the story as we can see). I remember my friend Emmanuel, (the groom’s brother) asking me later on where the girl I was dancing with is. He teased me the way guys do and we just laughed about it.

We talked for a while later that night, well maybe at length. Now I am not very good with dates, but this date I remember very well because the next morning which happened to be Easter Sunday, my only sister passed away. It was a devastating period for me.

Omoye visited me a few days later. I didn’t go to church for a while and I remember she invited me to her church sometime later. Somehow, we began a friendship and understandably I was not really interested in a lot of things then, so I can’t particularly say at what point I fell for her, but I did…

We began hanging together a lot and that was it. She’s a wonderful person and I wish my sister was around to have met her.

The Proposal – YES!
by Omoye
I was scheduled to be at a wedding in Kaduna the weekend of July 9th 2011 and I decided to go through Abuja. Landed quite late on friday and Niyi came to pick me up with his friend and we decided we wanted to eat.

Honestly, I have never driven to so many places in one night to find food. Everywhere we went, Niyi kept saying wasn’t right, or was too noisy – so my mind went into overdrive 🙂 Maybe “he’s trying to waste time while they set up this romantic dinner for a proposal I thought to myself, so I played along (I’m looking back on it now, I’m kicking myself and laughing so hard). Finally, we settled at the Abuja Transcorp Hilton – this was about midnight. By the time the food was served amd we finished eating, it was about 2am on the 9th of July 2011. His friend excused himself briefly and went to check on something.

All this while my mood had dropped drastically. Niyi kept asking me what was wrong but obviously, I couldn’t say to him what I was thinking, “I had psych myself up that you were going to propose but you didn’t, so now I’m a bit low” (LOL) so I just kept saying “nothing”.

Once his friend had left, my baby turned to me and asked “Where do you see yourself in 2 years?”. In my mind, I was thinking “which kain jamb question?” Lol. And isn’t it normally 5years people ask. Lmao”. When I started responding, the first thing that came to my mouth was “I see myself married…” Before I could say another word, he just interjected with “…You and this marriage thing sef, shei you know I’m not the marrying type”.

Girls can you believe that?!

I was looking at him with this shocked look on my face thinking “he must be kidding me”. Then he asked me “what if I ask you to marry me, what will u say?” I told him to stop asking me hypothetical questions and that when he was ready and serious he would hear my answer.

Then he said “ok, will you marry me?” I laughed and said, “Oh you think I’m not smart, you are trying to trick me into answering your initial question”
Next thing I saw him fiddling with his pocket, while saying at the same time “I had so much to say, but now I don’t know where to start but I’ve had this for a while now & I wasn’t even sure I’d do it tonight but….. (He brought out the ring, opened the box and drum roll please…)

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

I started blushing. I smiled and said YES, he slipped the ring on my finger. I was so ecstatic. He kept asking, do u like it (the ring)…he was so cute. He got me the most beautiful ring, I couldn’t have asked for anything better!

by Niyi
I was at work sometime this year and I just thought it’s time to get married – I am with the right person,
the feeling is mutual so what am I waiting for?

I had known for a while what my intentions were anyways, I had just not decided when to seal it.

Yes, the proposal. I proposed the way I know how to. I remember passing through the security scanner at Hilton I had to remove the ring from my pocket and show security that I didn’t want her to see it so they just had to allow me pass with the beeping of the scanner.

I asked Omoye to marry me and I must say that I felt happy and fulfilled when she said YES.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
It all started on the dancefloor! – a first dance at a wedding and two years later, Omoye Ikhine and Niyi Ajiboye shared the most special first dance at their own wedding!

On the 4th of February 2012, Omoye and Niyi exchanged their heartfelt vows at the Winners’ Chapel church in Ikeja, Lagos. The couple made the commitment to share their lives together as one. The gorgeous bride looked elegant in her alecon lace dress embellished with intricate beadwork and perfectly complemented by her sleek updo and ribbon-edge veil while the groom, Niyi looked handsome in his 3-piece suit. After the church ceremony, Omoye and Niyi’s nuptial celebration continued at the their wedding reception. The blue and silver theme accented with touches of yellow created a lovely effect and set the stage for this fun love-filled day!

BN wishes Omoye and Niyi the absolute best in love, life and marriage. We pray each day is abundantly blessed with grace and divive favour!

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

Photography: Ebonix Digital Creations – www.ebonixdigitalcreations.com

Wedding Details
Dates:
Traditional Wedding – 2nd February 2012
White Wedding – 4th February 2012

Venues:
Traditional Wedding – PenHall, Victoria Garden City, Lagos
White Wedding Ceremony – Winners’ Chapel, Ikeja
White Wedding Reception – The Grandeur Event Cente, Oregun Road, Ikeja, Lagos

Vendors
Wedding Dress: Morilee Bridal
Hair & Makeup: BeautyCook Studios – Facebook Link
Decor & Coordination: Victoria Roberts Solutions
Cake: Lorraine-T Confectionery
Catering: S&P Catering Services | Remy’s Professional Caterers
Flowers: Victoria Roberts Solution
Small Chops: Larry Spice Ventures
Cocktails: Elle’s Icebox
Dessert: Ooh La La

The post Our Wedding Story: Omoye Ikhine & Niyi Ajiboye appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

It’s time for a refreshing change of pace, we’ve seen the Lagos/Abuja/Port-Harcourt weddings, today, on BN Our Wedding Story, we have an uber-sophisticated London wedding featuring a very special couple – Lola Aworanti & Kelechi Ekugo. Few couples are lucky enough to know they have met “the one” from the very first moment…that’s what happened here. Lola and Kelechi’s wedding was a wonderfully chic celebration of love.

Enjoy.
One Special Moment…How Lola & Kelechi Met
by Lola
We met at a London Bar over 5 years ago and it was fireworks right from the very start. For those that believe in love at first sight, it sure was for the both of us. On that faithful evening, I was invited out by a female friend of mine while he came out with a few of his friends, as soon as I walked into the bar our eyes met and we had this penetrating stare into each other’s eyes for a moment with no words exchanged.

Later that night Kelechi approached me and that was the beginning of our Sweet Friendship and Romance.

The Proposal
by Lola
On that chosen chilly October evening in 2009, Kelechi invited me out for dinner at the Cipriani Restaurant in Mayfair, London after a long day of shopping in West-End. I noticed that the staff were very friendly and the service was impeccable. We had a 3 course meal and all through dinner Kelechi talked about our love story in a way he never had which made me shiver with goose bumps all over my skin. Eventually after our desert, and within a twinkle, he was down on one knee to which he immediately brought out a glittering ring from its box and then proceeded to ‘pop the question’.

Words could not express the joy in my heart with all its emotions to which I evidently said Yes! It was so surreal as we embraced for a while totally unaware of our surroundings. Our moment had definitely created much buzz and excitement within the restaurant.
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With the scent of her namesake fragrance lingering in the air, Lola Aworanti walked down the aisle of the St Margaret’s Church accompanied by her father towards her beau Kelechi Ekugo. The look in Kelechi’s eyes said it all as he locked eyes with his love as she met him at the altar.

The bride Lola looked absolutely beautiful and elegant in her beaded lace organza dress with stunning cascading ruffles. Her luxe bridal look was completed with her swarovski crystal earrings, bow hairpieces and a classic chapel length veil. Kelechi was very dapper in his bespoke 3-piece pinstriped navy blue suit. The entire ceremony was a love-fest filled with prayer, laughter and joy!

After the wedding ceremony, it was photo time as the couple, friends and family had the stunning architecture as a perfect backdrop. Up next was the reception! With pops of red from flowers all around the venue which matched the bride’s bouquet and red shoes, it was great setting for Lola and Kelechi’s wedding celebration.

All guests at Lola and Kelechi’s wedding reception had a fabulous time. From the romantic moments to the yummy treats including the decadent 5 tier diamante lace wedding cake. Each tier was a different flavor including marble, traditional fruitcake, banana,vanilla and raspberry so there was something for every palette. Then the celebration continued at the after-party where guests danced the night away!

BN wishes Lola and Kelechi all the very best in their marriage. Joy, love and God’s blessings!

***
White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

Photography ~ Alakija and Co Photography – http://www.alakija.com

Venues:
Traditional –
Palm Hotel, Hendon Way, London NW2 2NL
White –
St Margaret’s Church, Lothbury, London, EC2R 7HH
Reception –
One Moorgate Place, EC2R 6EA

Wedding Colours:
Traditional – Orange, Yellow and Gold
White – Platinum and Scarlet Red

Wedding Theme:
Spring & Red Affair

White Wedding
Wedding Dress: Madeline Garner of New York
Bride’s Reception Dress: Revolution by Yetty D
Groom’s Suit: Aspley’s of London
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: French Connection
Groomsmen’s Suits: Austin Reed
Caterer: Cyril Roy-Macaulay
Décor: This Is For You Event Services
Videographer: Michael Ibiayo
Cake: Zoe Clark Cakes
Make-up: Kemi Kings Bespoke Makeup
DJ: DJ Bayo
MC: MC Timmy
Hair: Avos Hair
On the Day Event Coordination: Memories 4 You

Traditional Wedding
Caterer: Jeremy
Catering, Décor and On the Day Event Co-ordination: Memories 4 You
Videographer: Michael Ibiayo
Cake: Heavenly Cakes and Desserts
Makeup: Kemi Kings Bespoke Make up
Live Band: Feyisara

The post Our Wedding Story: Lola Aworanti & Kelechi Ekugo appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Yes, we know it’s been a while but what better way to re-introduce ourselves than with an absolutely fabulous wedding on BN Our Wedding Story!

Miriam Bamidele & Oyedotun Onabanjo‘s wedding was so thoroughly gorgeous! From their colourful traditional engagement to their exotic Nikkai and stunning reception. Dotun’s proposal to Mimi was swoon-worthy (ladies, we advice you to leave this page open for your Mr. to read!) while their wedding reflected their love for world travel, rich culture and the joy of their families (the Zapphaire & Furtullah teams definitely went all out). The couple tells BN that the best part of their day was “celebrating our special day with all the people we love. That made the day even more beautiful…” awww so sweet!

For all you intending brides and grooms,  Mimi and Dotun have this nugget of advice for your big day, “Enjoy every moment…it goes by so fast!”

The day may go by fast but the happy memories linger forever…Enjoy.

***
How Mimi & Dotun Met
by Miriam
Dotun and I met about 6 years ago while we were both at university. My friends and I had been invited to a house party which was being held at Dotun’s house. I remember he walked past my girlfriends and I whispered to one of them that I thought he was so cute! 🙂

Later that night, somehow, we got talking and found that we had a few things in common. We swapped numbers and he called the next morning! We decided to go see a movie later that week and that was the beginning.

Spending time with him, I grew to know him as a hardworking, loving, kind and thoughtful man. How could I not fall in love with him? 6 years on, he has become not only the love of my life but my confidante and best friend. Everything is better when I’m with him. We could be doing nothing and it would still feel great! Not to mention he is a great cook too which makes me love him even more (if that’s possible). I’m so glad fate brought us together and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my days with this amazing man 🙂

How Mimi & Dotun Met
by Dotun
It always starts with the question: “How did you meet?” I usually reply: “At my house”
This follows with an elaborate nod and a look which says “go on”.
I explain, it was my friend’s birthday party, which I hosted at my house. Initially, the party was to take place elsewhere but someone backed out on my friend at the last minute.

I guess this was all part of God’s plan for us.

Miriam always responds that the main reason she came to the party was when my friend confirmed to her that there would be food at the party!

There I was, shuttling up and down trying to be a good host and there were Miriam and her friends, scoping the lads and giggling. That was when I first saw Miriam.

I asked the ladies to join the party as they didn’t just come to eat! They took me up on my offer and the party continued. That was when I sought the courage to ask Miriam for a dance and she smiled and agreed. I had to attend to other guests at the party but I didn’t want to let her go nor let anyone else chat with her. I politely asked her to hold my drink and told her I’d be back shortly and she did!

After the party, I offered to give her my number but she gave me hers instead and said “call me”. I called her the next morning and we met up several times after that. I remember the first meal she cooked me was yam and cornbeef stew. It was probably the tastiest yam and cornbeef stew I’ve ever had lol! I knew she was a keeper.

There’s truth to the saying ” the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.

As time went on, I would always pass by her halls of residence on my way to work or find a way to divert there day during my day because seeing her even just for a little bit, brightened my day.

Through the years I’ve come to know Miriam as a not just a beautiful and smart woman, but a loving and kind person too. She is not only the love of my life but also my best friend. We’ve had so many memorable moments : Birthdays, Anniversaries, and fun Holidays together.

The best of which were the day i met her and the day I asked her to be my wife. I look forward to our future together, growing together and loving her a little bit more with each day.

The Proposal
by Mimi
For my birthday last year, we planned a trip to Bangkok, Thailand. On the day of my birthday, Dotun had planned the perfect day; Shopping during the day and a beautiful dinner afterwards. I wasn’t expecting anything too grand as we were in a foreign place but he really outdid himself.

He had picked the perfect restaurant with a friend of mine who lives over there. There were roses waiting for me at the dinner table as well as the most gorgeous birthday cake. I was in heaven!

I didn’t think my night could get better but boy was I wrong! After dinner, we went back to our hotel room which had been transformed. There were rose petals and candles everywhere, the bath had been run and there was yet another beautiful cake waiting for me.

I was so excited and grateful that he’d put in so much effort into making my day perfect. We decided to sit down and talk and take in the whole day.

Ihad no clue what was about to come. While we were talking Dotun started sweating and he looked little nervous. He started to tell me how much he loved me and asked me how i felt about spending the rest of my life with him.

That’s when he got down on his knee, brought out the cutest ring from his pocket and asked me to be his wife!

My head was spinning as I was not expecting a proposal on my birthday! I said “YES” many times over 🙂 I nearly dropped the ring as I was so excited and shaky. It was truly a beautiful night. My birthday now holds even more meaning to me as I will forever remember it as one of the happiest days of my life. Thank you Dotun for making me the happiest girl in the world.

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Miriam Bamidele and Oyedotun Onabanjo will always remember the whirlwind of love, joy and excitement that took place on the 13th and 14th of April 2012.

Mimi and Dotun’s wedding story kicked off at their traditional engagement ceremony in Abuja as both families along with their friends gathered to celebrate this blessed couple. Lilac, purple and silver hues shone all around the venue, however, the couple stood out in their rich turquoise and silver aso-oke. With her hands and feet decorated in stunning henna style, Mimi was ready to shine on her big day while Dotun’s bright smile made it clear that he was ready for the next step of nuptial bliss!

On Saturday, 14th of April 2012, it was time for the main events, Mimi and Dotun’s Nikkai and Reception. All eyes were on the bride as she walked into the exotically designed venue in her royal blue garb, her dazzling gold hairpiece perfectly complemented the golden trim of her sari and her groom Dotun’s elegant attire. The entire event had a royal mien as Mimi and Dotun were joined as one with prayers and blessings.

Finally, it was time to party! Mimi transformed into a dazzling bride in her beautiful tulle wedding dress with her hair styled in a unique side braid and a pop of colour from her pink bridal shoes. Dotun looked handsome in his bespoke suit paired with a silver tie. The couple’s friends and family enjoyed a thrilling day as Wizkid performed as the couple entered the venue and then the rest of the day was filled with more treats and more importantly, a celebration of Mimi and Dotun’s love and the start of their life together as one.

BN wishes Mimi and Dotun all the best in life and love. May each day be filled with blessings and joy!

***
Traditional Engagement

Nikkai

Reception

~ Photography by Shollots Studio – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shollots-Studios/61745338316

Wedding Details
Wedding Dates –
Traditional Engagement: 13th April 2012
Nikkai and Reception: 14th April 2012

Wedding Venues –
Traditional Engagement: Blue Velvet Luxury Marquee, Abuja
Nikkai: Blue Velvet Luxury Marquee, Abuja
Reception Venue: Thisday Dome, Abuja

Wedding Colours –
Traditional Engagement: Lilac, Purple and Silver
Nikkai & Reception: Baby Pink, Fuschia Pink and Silver

Wedding Theme: Midsummer Nights’ Dream

Vendors
Wedding Planning: Zapphaire Events (For All Events – Traditional Engagement, Nikkai and Reception) – www.zapphaire.com
Reception Decor: Furtullah – www.furtullah.com
Flowers and Lighting for Reception: Furtullah
Wedding Dress (Reception): Pronovias
Groom’s Suit: Bespoke – AJAY Collections, London
Groomsmen’s Suits: Next
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Tee Threads, Lagos
Traditional and Nikkai Decor: Renzows Events
Flowers and Lighting for Traditonal Engagement: Renzows Events
Cake: Sugarville Cakes
Food: Biobak
Small Chops: 12 Baskets
Cocktails: Cocktails In and Out
Dessert: Ooh La La
Photography: Shollots Studio | Croft Photos

The post Our Wedding Story: Miriam Bamidele & Oyedotun Onabanjo appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Today’s edition of BN Our Wedding Story is so fabulous! Why you ask? Let’s start with Asisat Adeyemi & Benjamin Odufuwa‘s love story…from the first time they met to the well crafted surprise proposal and then their uber fab wedding! This is arguably the hottest BN wedding ever! Asisat & Benjamin’s chemistry is off the charts…

Enjoy.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
How Asisat & Benjamin Met
by Asisat
We met at a college party in Washington, DC. December 27th, 2003. I actually saw a picture of him in my cousin’s party album a week before meeting him and was head over heels. I told myself “goodness, I have to meet this guy“!

I immediately asked my cousin if he would be attending the party we were suppose to attend the following weekend. When she told me there was a chance he may attend, I immediately begin to pre-game everything down to my hair, outfit and what I would say if I met him. When that night came and we went to the party I kept a look out for him all night.

When he finally came in, my heart was beating so fast. He was talking to someone and I immediately reacted by cutting into the conversation. This was so unlike me. I’m usually the girl that is against making the first move on any guy but for some reason I just felt the urge to approach Ben. Anyway, as soon as I cut in, I asked him “why was his eyes so low?” (Ben as these attractive sleepy eyes). He answered with a giggle, then asked me what was my age was. I responded.

We were literally glued to each other the whole night. Dancing, talking, laughing, etc. The connection has been strong ever since and the rest is obviously history.

The Proposal
My engagement was really special. Ben was in Nigeria and I was in New York. I will never forget that day. It was Monday, March 7th 2011. I was interning at a hospital and I had been trying to call Ben all day but his phone wasn’t seeming to ring. This wasn’t too abnormal being that sometimes the connection in Nigeria can be a little off. So, I just ignored it and went about my day.

I got home that evening and my friend Jessica called me and said she wanted to go out for dinner. I really didn’t want to go because I was really tired and hungry and couldn’t wait for her to commute to my house, but she was pretty persistent, which was weird because I figured it was just a regular Monday and “why must we go out tonight?“.

Anyway, after keeping me waiting and Jessica claiming she was in “traffic” she finally arrived at my house. She seemed a bit too happy and at this point I was cranky and hungry after waiting for her for so long. We get into the car and she tells me she feels for PF Chang’s (Ben and I’s favorite restaurant). I gave her a “are you crazy?” look because PF Chang’s was somewhat distant and I already had my mind on a local restaurant.

We then continued to drive and I notice Jessica was driving extremely slow. Like 25 mph. She was really trying my patience that night. I asked her why was she driving so slow, that the restaurant is about to close. She proceeded to say “her wheel alignment was bad.” I just shrugged my shoulders. While driving, I also notice she was receiving constant calls from someone asking her about her whereabouts. I found that to be a bit strange but ignored it. Anyway, in the car, we started talking about friends of ours who are engaged, which was always our normal convos.

We finally arrived at our destination and Jessica was very persistent about sitting in the back of the restaurant. I was just too hungry to care about our seating. When we finally got a seat, Jessica requested the best bottle of Zinfindel on the house. Now that was just too strange since she was the driver and I stress again this was a Monday evening. We proceeded to order our entrees which was a bit of a wait.

In the process of waiting I remembered texting Ben and telling him how I miss him and how I was currently at our favorite restaurant ordering our favorite dish. During all this, Jessica is still receiving calls from this strange person about her whereabouts. The food finally arrived and my order was all wrong. Talk about upset and hungry. I felt like I waited too long. After waiting for what felt like a life time for the waitress to come out with my new order, I just heard a deep male voice from behind me asking “Did someone order Chang chicken?“

I automatically recognized the voice…

Ben immediately got down on one knee and I just kept screaming “Is it you? Is it really you?” I then touched his face in disbelief asking him what he was doing in town. Ben just kept telling me to sit down so that he could propose. When I finally set down, Ben proceeded to pop the question and went into details of how much he loved me. I couldn’t bring myself to say “Yes” but “Omgosh” I finally said “YES” and we are here today – happy and married.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
It was all about Asisat Adeyemi & Benjamin Odufuwa on their wedding day. The couple were a perfect representation of elegant sophistication as they said “I Do”; the beautiful bride Asisat in her mermaid style dress with a dramatic ruffled train paired with a feathered birdcage veil and then the groom Ben in his sleek black tuxedo accentuated by his red suspenders and a luxe red rose boutonnière.

The colour red played a big role on the Asisat and Ben’s day, the vibrant hue and the passionate emotion it is associated with was evident all through the day. From the couple’s love-filled kisses to the bridesmaids’ dresses and reception decor. Asisat and Benjamin’s marriage blessing was reflective yet inspiring. After church, it was all about having a great time and celebrating their love with family and friends at the reception.

Dancing, great music, yummy food and so much more ensured that this was a day to remember. When the bride emerged in her dazzling reception dress, the tempo of the event was elevated once more as guests danced the night away while Asisat and Ben savoured their special moments!

BN wishes Asisat and Benjamin a blessed and prosperous life together. May each day be filled with love and joy.

***
White Wedding

Traditional Engagement

~ Wedding Photography by Deji Atte of Deji A. Photography – deji.a.shutterchance.com | Layi Wola of Litehouse Photography
~ E-Session Photography by Joshua Dwain Photography – http://joshuadwain.com/blog/

Wedding Details

Wedding Venues –
Traditional Engagement: OK Estates, Abeokuta, Ogun State
White Wedding – Reception: Yard 158, Ikeja, Lagos

Wedding Colours –
Traditional Engagement: Purple and Gold | Bride’s Family: Purple and Groom’s Family Gold
White Wedding: Red and Metallic Grey

Wedding Theme: Simple and Elegant with a touch of fire

Vendors
Wedding Dress: Provonias
Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bespoke – New York
Event Planner: Royal and Marks
Cake: Cakes and Cream
Table Decor: Essential B.
Flowers: Royal and Marks

The post Our Wedding Story: Asisat Adeyemi & Benjamin Odufuwa appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

BN Our Wedding Story is here again! We have always been fascinated by couples who complete all their wedding ceremonies on the same day. It is not an easy feat and it takes a lot of energy and organization so we are so excited to show off Seni Adebajo-Olowa & Adeyinka Ojo‘s big day!

The couple tied the knot in 2012 and did it in lovely style. Seni made sure her love of gold was clear with her accessories and the gold embroidered accents of her wedding dress. Her beau Adeyinka was very stylish in his grey suit paired with a black bow tie and suspenders.
For all brides out there, the bride, Seni says, “My one tip for brides to be is that you really don’t need to be stressed before the d-day!…start planning early, pray hard and prepare to have a blast on your once-in-a-lifetime day!“

When asked about what advice they would give other couples on the path towards their big day, the newlyweds told BN Weddings, “Filter through whatever advice people give you! there’s no one like you out there, make your own memories, mistakes and special moments!“

How Seni & Adeyinka Met
My firm is retained as an external solicitor to his bank, so on one of my numerous visits to the bank in October 2009, I noticed him.

I thought to myself – “hot looking” and “nice shirt” but he didn’t notice me AT ALL!

The officer attending to me told me to come back the next day after keeping me waiting so I kind of left a tad bit upset and didn’t give him another thought.

The next time I went there, I had totally forgotten he existed. I picked the documents I came for and had just made a beeline for my car when I heard “hi, excuse me“….the voice was deep and hot enough to stop me in my tracks! I turned and it was the same guy! He said “Hi, my name is Yinka and please I would like to have your number“. My first thought was “my number ke?you didn’t even ask for my name!“….and his confidence irritated the hell outta me.

….So I opened my mouth to berate him and the stupidest thing came out “ehn…I hope you’re not married o!“….I laughed out of shame because I couldn’t believe what I just said….He looked at me quizzically and said “Can’t I have your number for business purposes since you’re a lawyer and all“.

To save face, I hurriedly gave him my business card and ran to my car. It was later that he confessed that he noticed me on the same day I noticed him and begged the officer I came to see to please call him the next time I come to the bank (rolling eyes!)…….and that’s how it all began.

The Proposal
We were on holiday in Manchester in June 2011 and it was a particularly tiring day. We had taken the wrong bus, gotten lost, went shopping in some annoyingly far mall and finally managed to get back to the hotel in one piece, only for Yinka to ask if we go for dinner in a thai restaurant that was like 25 minutes away.

…of course I refused! 🙂 All I wanted was a bath and my bed. I totally ignored all entreaties to eat out.

After my much longed after bath, I snuggled under the covers and was just about to fall asleep when he started saying “Seni, I know I’m not perfect and I exasperate you sometimes but I love you and want you to be the mother of my kids, will you be wife?” then he brought out this perfect looking ring…..I gasped because I had absolutely no clue at all….the first thing I said was “aren’t you supposed be kneeling down?” (Silly of me, right?) and he replied, “I’m kneeling…on the bed!“….we both laughed and he said “Is that a yes?” and I replied…..”Can I say no?” and he replied “I don’t know jo! I’ve never done this before!“

Just then it hit and the tears came and I screamed…..Yes Yes Yes o!

~ Photography by Seyi Charles George 

White Wedding

Traditional Engagement

~ Photography by Seyi Charles George – www.scgeorge.com

Wedding Details
Traditional Engagement & White Wedding Date: March 31st 2012

Venues
Traditional Engagement: Time Square Events Center, Ikeja, Lagos
White Wedding:
Church Service – Daystar Christian Center, Oregun, Lagos
Reception – Times Square Events Center, Ikeja

Wedding Colours
Traditional Engagement and White Wedding – Cream, Gold and a Touch of Orange

Wedding Theme
The bride says “None…we just wanted it all to look nice and effortlessly chic!”

Vendors
Wedding Dress: Dazzle Bridals
Groom’s Suit: Amba Bespoke Clothing
Best Man’s Suit: Amba Bespoke Clothing
Bride’s Makeup: Dainty Affairs
Wedding Planner: Kehinde Odukoya – Color Me Beautiful Events
Wedding Cake: Solape Tawose for Krunchies Bakery
Food: Pepper Konsult
Decorations: Fifi Events

The post Our Wedding Story: Seni Adebajo-Olowa & Adeyinka Ojo appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

What’s not to love? An intimate wedding, on a stunning private island with a helicopter whisking the bride and groom away and landing back on ground for them to begin their joyful lifelong journey. This was Ehi and Ade‘s wedding day!

From the boarding pass invitation cards with leather passport covers to the groomsman dressed as an airline pilot and friends as chic air hostesses, the helicopter ride after the marriage blessing, guest tables labelled after airlines, the exquisite aeroplane-shaped cake and a performance by award-winning Canadian soul singer Akin Busari, Ehi and Ade’s wedding in picturesque Caledon, Ontario, Canada was simply beautiful and oh-so unique. All that without breaking the bank as the bride shares her top wedding planning tip, “Negotiate Negotiate Negotiate! – You can get the best wedding without breaking the bank.“

Ehi and Ade met at the most unexpected place (a baby shower!) and then a wonderful surprise proposal; Definitely tips the romance scale on BN Weddings!

Enjoy…

____________________________________________________________________________________________

How Ehi & Ade Met
by Ehi
We met at a baby shower in December 2009. Ade walked up to me and said “you are the most beautiful girl in this place and I happen to be the best looking guy here, what do you say, we exchange numbers?“

I was taken aback by his cocky attitude and overconfidence and I just yelled “NO”. I normally don’t do that but I just had this sweet urge to pop his self assurance 🙂

To cut the long story short, he later tracked me on Facebook via tagged pictures of the event and we found out we attended the same church. So when I needed a ride desperately to church the Sunday after, guess who made me take his number to call him? Yup…me! It all started there…

The Proposal
My surprising proposal came during my birthday party which I had planned with so much excitement and vigor. I was carried away with making sure my party went as planned and catering to my 100+ guests. Little did I know that my Mister had another plan.

Sometime during the event, I was called on the hot seat amidst all my guests to unwrap my gifts and attempt to guess who they were from. One after the other I went through my gifts until I got to a huge box!

As I unwrapped it, the box got smaller and smaller; box in, box out, it mysteriously reduced in size and at this point, my first disappointment was “this is definitely not the iPad I requested for”..well after what seemed like 15 boxes and a gazillion of wrapping sheets, I finally get down to a tiny trinket and in opening it, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to behold, A RING?!!!.

“Well, why would anyone give me a ring for my birthday” (I silently thought). I thought hard about this for 5 long seconds and as I turn around to seek answers, I see Ade kneeling right behind me and all I remember is him saying a bunch of things which I don’t remember because the whole party went ballistic and I must have ran around the whole room saying “NO WAY…NOO WAAY”.

It was most surprising to me because he was supposed to be out of town for work that weekend and I was too busy being a planner to think of this proposal, it was a nice surprise and I said YES…
_____________________________________________________________________________________
To the sounds of Frank Edwards’ stirring gospel track “Mma Mma“, Ehi Irianan walked down the aisle with her father to the beautiful gazebo where her groom, Ade Mabo was waiting for his wife-to-be. Everyone was there to celebrate Ehi and Ade’s love, as their marriage was blessed, guests clapped and cheered as they were pronounced as husband and wife.

The couple were literally whisked away after the ceremony as they embarked on a helicopter ride. After they landed, they savoured the special moments with their bridal train, family and friends. Smiles were all around as photos were taken and everyone soaked in the stunning landscape on the scenic island. The bride, Ehi looked angelic in her ruffled mermaid silhouette wedding dress paired with sparkly pink shoes which matched her bouquet of fresh pink roses. The groom, Ade was sleek in his suit paired with Ray Ban Aviators which matched the aerospace theme of their wedding.

Then it was time was the reception where everyone enjoyed the delicious food, a taste of the aeroplace-shaped cake and all the fun games Ehi and Ade had lined up. It was a simply marvelous day!

BN wishes Ehi and Ade all the joy and blessings of marriage.

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding
Ehi and her sister celebrated their traditional wedding on the same day. So sweet!

Wedding Details
Wedding Dates:
Traditional Wedding – April 21st 2012
White Wedding – August 2nd 2012

Wedding Venues:
Traditional Wedding – Family Home in Warri, Nigeria
White Wedding – Private Island in Caledon, Ontario, Canada | Royal Ambassador Event Centre, Caledon, Ontario, Canada

Wedding Colours
Traditional Wedding: Gold and Mint Green
White wedding: Pink and Silver

Wedding Theme: Aerospace Theme

~ Photography: Andy E. Williams – www.andyewilliams.com
~ Additional Photography: Event Union, Toronto – www.eventsunion.com

“Flying with the Mabos” – Ehi and Ade’s Creative Wedding Video Introduction

Ehi & Ade’s Stylish Wedding Film Preview

Vendor List
Event Coordination: Lola Coker-Esu for The Socialites Manual – Facebook | Twitter | Website
Wedding Dress: Allure
Groom’s Attire: Harry Rosen (Suit) | Hugo Boss (Shoes) | Louis Vuitton (Tie & Pocket Square)
Decor: FETES
Cake: Airplane Cake by For the Love of Cake – www.fortheloveofcake.ca
Food: Agape Food
Bridesmaids’ Flowers: Gift Solutions by Blossom – www.blossomsoccasions.com
Wedding Favors: Gift Solutions by Blossom
Performing Artist: Akin Busari
Music: DJ Chigzy
Cinematography: Frank Coral

The post Fly Away With Me: Ehi & Ade’s Marvelous Wedding in Canada appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

The Akpos Okudu label is a definite favourite on BellaNaija. Known for its effortlessly girly ready-to-wear pieces, the designer is always on our one-to-watch list! On the 19th and 20th of October 2012, designer Akpos Okudu and her beau Technology entrepreneur, Owhonda Nwokekoro celebrated their traditional and white wedding in Port Harcourt.
It was a gorgeous day and BN Weddings is glad to share all the beautiful details!

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How Akpos & Owhonda Met
by Akpos
We met in a friend’s room in university 7 years ago. I had just started learning to sew. So I went to sell chiffon tops to my friends in their room in school and he had come to see my friend who was his coursemate. As soon as he saw me, I think he got a little confused LOL…So we got talking, started out as friends and then love came knocking 3 months later…

The Proposal
In March 2012, it was his birthday, I had planned a surprise dinner party for him  with my friends, his friends and sisters. When we got to the restaurant, I thought my surprise was perfect and that he fell for it.

Little did I know, he knew all along and had a surprise waiting for me!

After cocktails, the waiter handed me a tray but instead of a menu, there was a scrapbook and the cover had – 15 REASONS WHY I LOVE AKPOS OKUDU – this scrapbook was filled with baby photos of me and him, photos of our first date – he even drew and he coloured…I mean with crayons!

I cried as I read it.

The 14th reason was “and one day, I WILL MARRY HER” and as I turned the page to read the 15th reason; it said “PLEASE SAY YES” and he was on his knees with the most beautiful ring! I don’t even remember saying yes, I just kept crying!

__________________________________________________________________________________
Akpos Okudu and Owhonda Nwokekoro‘s wedding was so beautiful! Not just because of the gorgeous bride in her tulle wedding dress with a beautifully embellished neckline or the groom in his sleek black suit, yes, that was all very stunning but you could simply feel the love in the air and that made the day so magical! The festivities began with Akpos and Owhonda’s wedding ceremony where the couple said “I Do” and then moved to their reception at the Atrium Events Centre in Port Harcourt.

Guests described the ambience as celestial with rays of sunshine – flowers, feathers and candelabras in pristine white were accentuated by petals, ribbons and the happy bridesmaids dressed in yellow. Akpos and Owhonda’s first dance was surreal…for three minutes, the couple were wrapped up in the their own world as they danced to one of their favourite songs in each other’s arms. There was a major surprise cooked up for the bride by her groom as the maid of honour performed Akpos’ favourite song,  Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me“. After that, it was dance.dance.dance as family and friends enjoyed Akpos and Owhonda’s day.

Such a special day for a great couple!

BN wishes Akpos and Owhonda a blessed life together as one.

~ Photography by 7th April Photos

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding
~ Photography – 7th April Photos | 07032110022 | photos@7thapril.com | www.7thapril.com

Wedding Colours
Traditional Wedding: Baby pink and gold
White Wedding: Canary Yellow and Silver

Wedding Theme
Celestial with touches of sunshine – all white with yellow accents

Vendor List
Wedding Dress: Pronovias
Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Akpos Okudu – www.akposokudu.com
Wedding Planner: The Bride
Wedding Day Coordinator: Tres Bien Events
White Wedding Reception Venue: Atrium Events Centre, Port Harcourt
Wedding Cake: Dripples
Food and Dessert: Cinnamon and Sauces
Cocktails: Cinnamon and Sauces
Drinks: Anderson & Co.
Decor: Dezua Events
Flowers: Dezua Events | Flowery
Small Chops: Cherry Chops
Ice Cream: Whitney’s Party Shop
Videography: EvE Entertainment
MC: Romeo Without Juliet | Dan D’Humourous | Michael Ogolo

The post Our Wedding Story…Fashion + Tech = ❤: Akpos Okudu & Owhonda Nwokekoro say “I Do” in Port Harcourt appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

An absolutely gorgeous wedding with an even sweeter love story! On BN Our Wedding Story today, we journey to Atlanta for TV host Seun Maduka and civil engineer Damola Adegoke‘s stunning wedding!
We admit that we just couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful bride! Seun and Damola’s wedding story takes things up a notch. From the way they met to their divinely orchestrated second meeting (in church!) then the yummy proposal on a romantic cruise and finally their blessed wedding day!
Enjoy…

How Seun & Damola Met
Seun starts
Damola and I met at a summer barbeque in Atlanta. As I was grabbing something to eat at the event, I couldn’t help but notice a tall dark and handsome figure. Our eyes instantly met.

Damola interjects
She was the prettiest person I had ever seen. So beautiful she left me speechless. Something about her stood out. It was almost as if the room stood still.

Seun continues
He summoned up the courage to say hi to which I responded. He asked for my name and I said “Shay”*insert foneh* thinking he was American, then I asked for his name and he said Damola to which I replied “in that case my name is Oluwaseun”. We both laughed about it and we got talking immediately. It was almost as if I had known him in like forever. As much as the conversation was flowing, I had to dismiss myself just to keep him guessing *ladies have you started taking notes*. We both felt something deep down and I was thinking like oh yeah he is definitely gonna ask for my number before the party is over to which I planned on doing small shakara and saying NO with the hope that he would be persistent sha *ladies, bullet point number 2* To my utter shock and disappointment, the party ends and he sees me walk out the door and even has the nerve to say bye WITHOUT ASKING FOR MY NUMBER *yepa*

Damola interjects
I knew we had a strong connection but I couldn’t summon up the courage to ask Seun for her number. On my drive home, I kept thinking about her and beating myself up for not asking for her number. I never stopped thinking about her after that day.

The Divine Connection
Seun continues
Fast forward to some months down the road. My sister and I had come to visit my aunty in Atlanta who had a baby. We drove in from out of town late at night and were so tired from the drive. We had only slept 3 hrs when my aunty woke us up at 7am for church. We were so tired and weak that we asked her if we could sleep in but my aunt insisted that we attended church *thank you Aunty Motunde for insisting*. During the service, I had my aunt’s baby on my lap and a wonderful lady sitting behind me (my future mother in-law) took the baby from my lap. I didn’t know what to think of it especially because I didn’t know who she was. After the service, I looked back to take the baby back from her only to see the same ‘Mr. Tall dark and handsome’ standing beside her (Damola) and even playing with the baby. It turns out that my aunty and Damola’s family have been long time family friends.

Damola interjects
I was so happy to see my beautiful queen again. This time around, I knew I couldn’t let her go, so I asked her for her number.

Seun continues
And this time around, I knew there was no time for shakara, I had to give him my number. The next day was coincidentally my birthday. He called me and we have been like 2 peas in a pod since then.

The Proposal
by Damola
I proposed to Seun on her birthday on a cruise to the Bahamas. Last year, Seun and I decided to take a cruise for her birthday, I knew at that point in my mind that this would be the ideal place for me to ask her to marry me. I had already talked to her parents and my parents about my intentions along with our family members. My friend and his wife came with us on the trip, and they both played along like we were only going for her birthday. We arrived in Orlando and took a shuttle to the port were the cruise ship docked; we checked into our rooms and I knew I had to get ready first so I can go upstairs to the restaurant to reserve our sitting and come up with the proposal strategy. I told the waiters my idea which was to get her a heart shaped cake and write happy birthday on it, and then after we eat the cake the plan was for them to come with a plate that will say ‘will you marry me on it’ *sounds like a good plan right* WRONG!!! I guess the waiter didn’t understand clearly what I was saying. The waiter brought the cake to the table, at this point, I am thinking the cake will say ‘Happy birthday Seun’ but instead it said ‘Will You Marry Me’ on the cake. So I guess I was just as surprised as she was because that was not the plan. The plan ended up working out though. As soon as I noticed it, I immediately got on one knee and asked my beautiful bride to marry me and she said YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!
____________________________________________________________________________
With talented singer/songwriter/sister of the bride Gloria Maduka singing Shania Twain’s classic hit “From This Moment” as the bride Seun Maduka walked down the aisle to her groom, Damola Adegoke; Everyone knew we were set to experience a stellar day filled with love.
Damola: “I promise to start watching your chick flicks and all of Bravo channel’s Real Housewives series except during Monday Night Football”
Seun: “I know you love to eat and you can eat a whole house, but baby, I promise to cook you a whole mansion“

As Seun and Damola recited their vows, family, friends and guests smiled! The celebration moved to the reception where Seun and Damola rocked with their friends in the majestic Biltmore Ballroom which had been beautifully enhanced with crystals, vases filled with floating candles and royal purple linens which matched the white and purple ribbon wedding cake. As Seun and Damola danced, the bride’s ruffled mermaid wedding dress swirled in style while the silver Jimmy Choos she received from her beau as a gift on the morning of their wedding twinkled each time it caught the light. The night ended with the band playing on while the couple changed into their traditional Yoruba party attire and enjoyed the special day with their family and friends.

BN wishes Seun and Damola a blessed life together filled with joy, love and favour!

White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

Wedding Details

Dates
Traditional Wedding: 24th August 2012
White Wedding: 25th August 2012

Wedding Venues
Traditional Wedding: Riverdale Town Center
White Wedding: Biltmore Ballroom, Atlanta GA

Wedding Colours
Traditional Wedding: Groom’s Colour – Royal Blue | Bride’s Colour – Gold
White Wedding: Groom’s Colour – Peach | Bride’s Colour – Red | Bridal Party Colour – Purple & Silver

Wedding Theme: Fairytale

Vendors
Bride’s Wedding Dress: Anya Bridal
Groom’s Suit: Men’s Warehouse
Wedding Planner: Tiffany Rolle – tiffvrolle (at) yahoo.com
Traditional & White Wedding Cakes: Memorable Cakes by Kristen Brousseau – kristenbrousseau (at) yahoo.com
Wedding Singer: Gloria Maduka – www.gloriamaduka.com
Makeup Artist: Glitz by Tolulope Kara – tkara83 (at) gmail.com
Bride’s Hair: Mary Omotunde for Annointed Hands Salon – foluhair (at) yahoo.com
Food: Nation’s Cafe by Chef Okon – nationscafe (at) gmail.com
Disc Jockey: DJ Majesty – djaymajesty (at) gmail.com
Live Band: Taiwo Owokoniran – towokoniran (at) gmail.com
Engagement/E-session Photography: Cryxtalx Video and Photography – prince (at) cryxtalx.com | www.cryxtalx.com
Traditional Wedding Photography: Akobi Heritage Photography – www.akobiheritage.com
White Wedding Photography: Blane Marable – www.blanemarable.com | blanemarable (at) gmail.com
White Wedding Photography: Claire Diana Photography – clairedianaphotography.com
Videography: Cryxtalx Video and Photography – www.cryxtalx.com

In case you missed it, check out the bride’s TV show “United States of Nigeria“

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

We are so happy and excited about the start of the new week on BellaNaija Weddings.
We kick off the festivities with Oluwatosin Obasa and Abolade Kehinde‘s bright and beautiful wedding! The story about how Tosin and Bolade met is definitely unique and we love the role a very special person played in getting this lovely couple together.
Read on to find out more and experience Oluwatosin and Abolade’s special day!

****

How Oluwatosin & Abolade Met
by Tosin
We met in September 2011 through Bolade’s mum whilst I was working at the bank.

His mum and I fell in love with each other from the first day we met and we had developed a mum and daughter relationship. Unknown to me, she had made her findings about me and wanted me to meet her son who just relocated back to the country that same year after being away for almost 30 years. She called me up one day and said “I want you to go open an account for a senior staff of ‘so so and so company’ and I have spoken highly of your bank. So, please go there today and the client will be waiting.“

I got there a bit late and apologised for coming late. At this point, I had started calling his mum “mummy’ and I said to him, “I’m sorry I came late (liking him already lol), mum asked me to get here before 4pm” and he said, “You mean my mum?“

I was shocked because she didn’t say anything of such to me! I am sure you might be wondering why I didn’t know from their last names….I mistook her last name for her first name and her first name for her last name; therefore it didn’t click! I called her immediately from his office and said, “Mummy, where did you send me to?” and she laughed at the other end of the phone saying, “Just finish, we will talk later“

That was it!

The Proposal
It was during one of the long public holiday breaks and we were both stressed out from the previous week wahala at our different jobs. He called me and said “Let’s get away from the madness of Lagos, Let us go to La Campagne Tropicana (he had booked a chalet and prepared for our trip).

While we were there, we walked on the beach, played table tennis and did loads of fun stuff but I didn’t have a clue of what he was about to do!

While we were in our chalet, it was quite dark and he kept asking me “Tosin, can you help pass this…Tosin, can you help pass that…“. Obviously, I had to turn on the light each time I got up and I was getting frustrated. The final time he asked me again and I turned on the light.

I was so shocked when I saw the ring “staring” in my face! He had opened the ring box and left it on the table. The moment I saw it, I screamed and grabbed it. He asked me, “Will you marry me?” and my answer was YES! I can never forget that day – August 20 2012!

***

Oluwatosin Obasa and Abolade Kehinde’s wedding journey started with a Valentine’s themed traditional engagement on the 14th of February 2013. The venue which was filled with everything “Valentine” was truly a delightful sight to behold.  Tosin and Bolade completed all their traditional engagement rites with their families and friends in attendance. With that important step completed, everyone congregated once again for Tosin and Bolade’s white wedding just a few days later.

Crystals and pearls adorned Tosin’s white lace wedding dress which she designed herself while the rest of her bridal look maintained the classic theme. Elegent diamond earrings, an all-white-rose bouquet and a lace-edged veil. Bolade’s black suit with satin lapels was accessorized with an ivory silk cravat and pocket square set. The final element of his groom look was an antique gold and pearl tie pin. Tosin and Bolade’s church blessing was monumental for the couple, as they committed their relationship to God. Tosin cried tears of joy as she said her vows while her groom encouraged her with a loving glance. In the end, it was all smiles as the couple, their bridal train, families and friends transitioned to the “Back to Eden” themed reception with bright shades of yellow, sunflowers and nature-inspired decor adorning the space.

It was time to enjoy the moment and have a great time! Each and everyone at Tosin and Bolade’s wedding did just that! Dancing, singing, mingling while enjoying an amazing array of food, drinks and desserts. It was a lovely day!

BN wishes Oluwatosin and Abolade a blessed and wonderful life together!

***

~ Photography by Genesis Paparazzi

***

White Wedding

Traditional Engagement

~ Photography: Temitope Valentine for Genesis Paparazzi – genesispaparazzi@gmail.com – 07039685623

Wedding Details

Wedding Dates
Traditional Engagement: 14th February 2013
White Wedding: 16th February 2013

Wedding Venues
Traditional Engagement: Coral Reef Hall, Ikoyi
White Wedding: Ruby Gardens, Lekki

Wedding Colours
Traditional Engagement: White & Red | White & Pink
White Wedding: White & Shades of Blue | Yellow & Ivory

Wedding Theme
Traditional Engagement: Valentine’s
White Wedding: Sunflower – Back to Eden

Wedding Attire
Wedding Dress: Designed by the Bride – Ebony Berry
Bride’s Makeup: Banke Meshida-Lawal for BM|Pro
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ebony Berry
Groom’s Suit: Oliver Benjamin Clothier
Aso Oke: Mrs Duro-Emmanuel – 08075747750

Vendor List
Wedding Planners: Mrs Dara Odubogun and Mrs Aderenle Kehinde
White Wedding & Traditional Engagement Cake: Delibakes Cake & Pastries – 08020550113
Decor – Traditional Engagement: Party Perfect
Decor – White Wedding: Floral Expression
Bouquet & Fresh Flowers: Florals and You
Food, Small Chops, Drinks & Dessert: Kemabom Catering | Kaffi Catering | Chief Cook Caterers | Jade Cuisine | Cyllaps | Adedaas | Princess Catering | Kravin Cakes and Desserts | Larry Spice | Coca-Cola | Gaterie Frozen Yoghurt | The Bakery Co
Programmes: Bubapps Printing International

______________________________________________________________________________________
We love weddings as much as you do! Get in touch…
weddings (at) bellanaija.com
www.bellanaija.com/weddings
www.twitter.com/BellaNaijaWed
www.facebook.com/BellaNaijaWeddings
www.instagram.com/BellaNaijaWeddings

The post Sweet Love: Oluwatosin Obasa & Abolade Kehinde Wed appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Today on BN Our Wedding Story, we are travelling to Dubai!
With the amazing sights, world class hospitality and hotels, it is no surprise that the Middle Eastern hub is now a popular location for destination wedding! Fashion retail entrepreneur Prisca Amaihe of www.fabpieces.com and Technology and construction entrepreneur Emeka Okwara of Nxtin Global Services tied the knot in fabulous Dubai on the 27th of January 2013.

Prisca and Emeka’s wedding had a dreamy old-world royal wedding theme.

Enjoy!

***

How Prisca & Emeka Met
by Prisca
Meeting Emeka on the 21st of April 2011 was no mishap, it was most definitely God’s will! The connection we had was very compelling – it was as if somehow, we were meant to know each other.

A few days after talking on the phone, he took me out on our first of many, many dates at the Intercontinental Buckhead in Atlanta, GA. Though, after our very first date, I needed to sort a few things out independently so I decided to take our get-to-know each other expedition very, very slow aka the ‘Friend Zone’.

I figured – If it’s meant to be, it will be – I know what I’m worth so I didn’t make him endearing my heart very easy. Nonetheless, it was worth it at the very end!

As a friend, Emeka always listened and continually encouraged me to keep pursuing my dreams. He was beyond cheerful and kind to me which I thought was a little too good to be true.

I speculated it was only a matter of time and he’ll show his true side. Little did I know he was plainly being himself. The Emeka I knew then never changed till this day. I always tell him he’s the prime example of the saying: Action Speaks Louder than Words.

After about a year of friendship, he appealed that I let him into my heart. I knew the kind of man I had and I didn’t want to lose him, so I told him the next day that I was ready to take our friendship to the next level. Without wasting time that evening, he took me to The Sun Dial restaurant in Atlanta and gave me a promise ring, thus, we became official.

Approximately two months later, he asked me to be his wife :)! Emeka is a perfect gentleman, Props to Mom and Paps. I thank God everyday for conveying us together. He treats me like a queen and I am excited to spend the rest of eternity with this astonishing handsome man!

Emeka’s Version
The 21st of April will always be a special day for the rest of my life. That was the day I met my wife, Prisca and that was the day I proposed to her one year later. April 21st 2011 was a day my life changed forever.

Prisca has the purest and most beautiful heart I have ever seen on any human being and so starting that first conversation with such a gorgeous lady on the day we first met was easy for me. I invited her to dinner at the InterContinental in Buckhead, Atlanta. At dinner, I was captivated by her beauty, intelligence and purity.

I knew I met my soulmate that day because I had never felt happy and calm in my life before. But I didn’t realize that I was about to go a long and tough journey to win her heart. I can’t wait to tell our kids how hard daddy had to work to win mummy’s heart. The journey to winning her heart was long, bruising (lol), and beautiful. That makes me appreciate her every time I hear her voice.
I never believed in soulmates until I met Prisca. She is my heart, my life, and my soulmate.

Journey to the Proposal
by Emeka
Keeping the engagement secret was one of the toughest tasks of my life. It wasn’t made easier to keep the secret after I gave her the promise ring because the promise ring was an indicator that I would be proposing to her soon. I always told her I will propose on a very special day that had a significant meaning. She felt the next significant day was my upcoming birthday and since we had planned a trip to the Carribean, she suspected that I would propose on my birthday.

She felt so confident about it that she told me she will keep her camcorder on standby to catch the moment. One thing I made sure she forgot was that our 1 year anniversary was coming up before my birthday and that was the day I planned to propose to her.

On the day of our anniversary, I picked up the ring from my jeweler. I worked with the manager of our favorite jazz spot at the Mandarin Oriental in Buckhead, Atlanta and the leader of the jazz band that played that night to strategize on making a grand proposal that fits my princess. I told them to play our favorite song (Unbelievable by Craig David) at 10:15PM with the jazz band playing live in the background.

10:15 was my proposal time.

It wasn’t easy coordinating all these tasks and keeping the secret. Prisca noticed my strange behaviour that day but luckily I managed to change topics when she became suspicious.

Well, the night came fast. I took her to the jazz lounge. I picked up the mic at 10:15PM, made a speech that came from my heart, then walked up to her, and proposed.

She was surprised. She cried. Most of all, she was happy. This was one of the happiest day of my life (next to our wedding). It was a magical moment.

***
It was a day filled with beautiful moments as Prisca Amaihe and Emeka Okwara said “I Do“! With their fairytale theme in mind, the bride chose a dress that was reminiscent of Disney princesses. With a grand ballgown silhouette, exquisite lace beading and embroidery, this was her dream dress. The groom, Emeka chose a cutaway tuxedo which  complemented his beautiful bride’s attire.

At their wedding ceremony at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Prisca and Emeka were joined together as one. After that important step, the couple along with their parents, family and friends returned to the luxurious  Jumeirah Beach Hotel where they enjoyed their lovely outdoor reception. With tasty food on the menu and a fabulous 3 tiered traditional pillow cake with a plethora of flavours including banana, strawberry, lemon, coconut, pineapple and mango, it was a yummy treat for all guests!

Prisca and Emeka’s first dance was just one of the many amazing highlights of their wedding day. After all the traditional wedding reception boxes were ticked, it was time to relax and enjoy the rest of the night with lots of smiles, dancing and joyous moments.

BN wishes Prisca and Emeka a blessed and wonderful life together!

***

Post Wedding Photoshoot

~ Schubert Rodrigues – Dubai Cinematography | schubertrodrigues.com

The Wedding Video

Wedding Details
Wedding Date: 27th January 2013

Wedding Venue
Wedding Ceremony: St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates
Wedding Reception: Jumeirah Beach Hotel – Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Website

Wedding Theme: Royal Wedding – Fantasy fairytale destination wedding

Wedding Dresscode: Classic Traditional or Beach Formal

Wedding Colours
Wedding Party: Women – Royal Turquoise Blue & Gold | Men – Black & Gold
Venue Decor: Rich Silver & Purple

Wedding Attire
Bride’s Dress: Eve of Milady via Brides by Lori
Groom’s Tuxedo: Joseph & Feiss
Bride’s Makeup: Aqeel Mohamed AL Nasser
Bridesmaids’ Make-up: Jumoke Onifade

Wedding Vendors
Wedding Planner: Nazpari Azari for the Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Wedding Cake: Karen Carvalho
Wedding Decor: Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Catering/Food/Drinks: Jumeirah Beach Hotel

______________________________________________________________________________________
We love weddings as much as you do! Get in touch…
weddings (at) bellanaija.com
www.bellanaija.com/weddings
www.twitter.com/BellaNaijaWed
www.facebook.com/BellaNaijaWeddings
www.instagram.com/BellaNaijaWeddings

The post Our Wedding Story: Prisca Amaihe & Emeka Okwara’s Dream Day in Dubai appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

It’s a special day on BellaNaija Weddings!
We have 2 lovely weddings just for YOU.
Deida Omoyeni and Abugewa Oritsejafor‘s wedding was gorgeous. The celebration of their cultures on the traditional wedding day and then their serene white wedding and glitzy wedding reception.
Magnifique!
Enjoy – BN Our Wedding Story – The Deida & Abugewa edition!
***

How Deida & Abugewa Met
by Deida
Abugewa and I met at University of Aberdeen just when I started my Masters degree in 2008. Apparently the first time he saw me was with one of his friends (Andrew) and he was trying to talk to me and I, in his own words, “gave him sweet ela” lol! I always tell him that I couldn’t have done so, hehe 🙂

by Abugewa
Deida and I met at Aberdeen and it was love at first sight . There was this connection which I could not describe but in my heart I knew this was the one. She did though try to make it hard but persistence and conviction won at the end.

How Abugewa proposed to Deida
by Deida
He had called me after work and said in passing that he was planning a trip for us the coming weekend, yayyy I thought! I asked why as it was rather impromptu, and he said because it was a bank holiday weekend so that meant a long weekend and he was just tired and wanted a get away. I was super excited and asked where we were going and he was like he was still thinking but that what do I think about Manchester, and I was like yes yes!! We had gone before and I just fell in love with the city.

So we got there, I had so much fun, he had planned activities for each day. We went to the museums, theatres, exotic dinners, shopping spree and I din’t want it to end. Monday was the last day and that evening we went for dinner as usual (or so I thought).

We got to the restaurant, it was so beautiful and thinking about it now I should have known because all the waiters and waitresses just kept smiling, and constantly kept coming to our table. He held my hands after we placed our orders and started telling me how much he loved me and asked if I loved him, and said all these sweet things about us and how our relationship is the best thing in his life. Then before I knew it he brought out a box from somewhere and went down on his knees and said somethings which I can’t remember, I wasn’t listening because at this point I was in shock, I saw the flash from a camera but I couldn’t see who was taking the pic, then he asked if I will marry him, and of course I said yes! I was blushing so much all through and I was dumbfounded. Then everyone in the restaurant started clapping and the waiters came to give him his cameras and congratulated us, apparently they were in on it too…I couldn’t stop blushing.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
It was glam all the way at Deida Omoyeni & Abugewa Oritsejafor wedding! Starting with their traditional wedding ceremony which celebrated their heritage in true style with the couple’s majestic attire and lush decor all around.

With their traditional marriage rites completed, the next day, it was time for Deida and Abugewa’s white wedding. The bride looked lovely in her stunning tulle bridal gown with a full ballgown skirt, embellished handmade flowers straps and a generous adornment of Swarovski crystals while the groom was handsome in his sleek grey suit with black detailing. After their marriage blessing, the couple and their guests moved on to their wedding reception.

Yellow, gold and lots of bling transformed the venue into Deida and Abugewa’s paradise. The couple was the centre of attention was their love was apparent as they shared their first dance sealed with a kiss! It was a rocking great time with music stars Naeto C and Seyi Shay revving guests up with their performances.

BN wishes Deida and Abugewa a blessed and amazing life together as one.

****
White Wedding

Traditional Wedding

~ Photography: Bayo Omoborinowo – Website | Facebook Link
~ Additional Photography – UK E-Session: Jonathan Addie – Website | Facebook Link

Wedding Details
Wedding Dates
Traditional Wedding: 21st December 2012
White Wedding: Saturday 22nd December 2012

Wedding Venues
Traditional Wedding: The Incubator, City of David Road, Victoria Island, Lagos
White Wedding: The Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David Parish, Victoria Island, Lagos
Reception: Ruby Gardens Event Centre, Lekki/Epe Expressway, Lagos

Wedding Colours
Traditional: Bride’s Side – Lemon Green, Fuschia Pink & Gold | Groom’s Side – Gold & Fuchsia Pink
White Wedding: Bride’s Side – Yellow, Peach & Gold | Groom’s Side – Purple & Peach

Wedding Attire
Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero
Bride’s Reception Dress: Custom
Groom’s Suit: Bespoke
Bride’s Bouquet & Bridesmaids’ Flowers: Bankei
Bride’s Makeup – Traditional Wedding: Banke Meshida-Lawal for BM|Pro
Bride’s Makeup – White Wedding: Dave for MUD

Wedding Theme
Traditional Wedding: Glam
White Wedding: Fairytale

Wedding Vendors
Wedding Planners: Bride & Her Mum 🙂
Decor – Traditional Wedding: Posh Events
Food: Pepper Konsult and Philmoke
MC: AY
______________________________________________________________________________________
We love weddings as much as you do! Get in touch…
weddings (at) bellanaija.com
www.bellanaija.com/weddings
www.twitter.com/BellaNaijaWed
www.facebook.com/BellaNaijaWeddings
www.instagram.com/BellaNaijaWeddings

The post Our Wedding Story: Deida Omoyeni & Abugewa Oritsejafor appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

Get ready to pick off your week on an amazing, oh-so-beautiful note!

BellaNaija Weddings presents Bisola and Edward‘s stunning wedding! There is something so special about college sweethearts or  university lovebirds as our naija people would say.

Bisola and Edward met in college and has been inseparable ever since. Here’s their love story and beautiful wedding pictures captured by Fotos By Fola.

Enjoy!

How Edward & Bisola
by Edward
It all began in September 2007 as I started my third year at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. I was the Vice-president of the African Student Association (ASA)  when I had my first interaction with Bisola who was attending our monthly meeting for the first time. I was able to tell from her name tag that she was Nigerian. This automatically generated an interest as it usually does when I meet any Nigerian. We exchanged the customary greetings and almost immediately I noticed there was something about her that was different. It was not only the manner she carried herself with quiet pride, elegance and grace or the rare humble, kind and hardworking spirit she possessed. I could not explain it and all I wanted was to get to know her a little more. She became an active member of ASA and I seized this opportunity to increase the level of my interaction with her. We went out on our first date on February 16th 2008 and we have been inseparable ever since.

by Bisola
Edward and I met in fall 2007 at an African Student Association general body meeting in college. After the meeting, I was interested in joining the organization so I was told to give my contact info to the Vice President which was Edward. When I first met him, he seemed very shy but friendly and had a huge smile on his face. After our first encounter, we hung out a lot and I began to realize he was hilarious, genuine, caring, very smart, selfless and a gentleman which is very hard to find in college (haha). Knowing this, I decided to sweep him off his feet and off of the dating scene! And we have been joined at the hip ever since.

The Proposal!
by Bisola
When Edward and I knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together,  we decided to take a 2.5 month pre-marital course prior to getting engaged. The morning of the second to last session, which was Sunday May 6th 2012, Edward said we were going to take a short surprise trip somewhere. After driving about an hour, I fell asleep and when I woke up, voila we were in Savannah! What a pleasant surprise I thought! He knows how much I love this city. We pulled into the parking lot of the historic Tybee Lighthouse (which was originally built in 1732). After we got out of the car, we found out the lighthouse was closed for the day but the manager said we could take a quick peak while she finished in the office and then we would have to come back down. We thanked her and walked up the 100+ steps on the spiral staircase. When we reached the top of the lighthouse, we were impressed with the stunning panoramic views of the city and nearby beach. After enjoying the views for about 15 minutes, Edward asked me to marry him with the exact ring I fell in love with 6 months prior and I started bawling. I was totally surprised. Edward also had a photographer at the top who took  pictures of us the entire time. It’s funny because it was actually forecasted to rain that day but the sun started to peak out of the clouds when we got to the top. Afterwords, Edward told me he had actually made arrangements to have the lighthouse opened for us after hours and hired the photographer to capture everything! It was a beautiful engagement and one I can relive any time through pictures.

Planning the Wedding
Bisola’s wedding dress was the first and only dress she tried on at the boutique. It was a trumpet silhouette with lace detail and a tiered organza train. The bust was adorned with real feathers, which was her favorite part of the dress – a perfect mix of romantic and modern. She knew it was the dress as soon as she saw myself in the mirror and I did not want to take the dress off. Bisola said, “I got REALLY excited because everything was coming together and I knew Edward would love me in the dress.” “Initially, I wanted Edward and all of his groomsmen to wear grey suits since it would be a lighter color for our summer wedding but Edward was very adamant about wearing a black suit. We finally compromised, which is one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned from the entire wedding planning process, and made an appointment to try on formal black tuxedos. When he tried it on, I absolutely fell in love with how he looked in a formal black tux and bow tie! I didn’t even want him to take it off.”

As the bride organised her wedding, she has some great tips to share.
“Stick together as a team while planning your wedding. Sometimes family and friends tend to offer and at times insist on implementing their ideas on your big day but as long as you always remember that this day is about you two and work as a team, then others will back down.”
“Attend a pre-marital course. Our course was very in depth – it brought us closer together and made us ask each other questions we never even thought of.”

It’s all in the details! See the lock on Bisola’s bouquet? Her groom had the key.

Wedding Details
Wedding Venue: Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, GA
Wedding Colours: Bold shades of pinks and purples: fuchsia, magenta, hot pink, lavender and deep purple.

Wedding Attire
Bride’s Wedding Dress: Sweet Elegance Bridal
Groom and Groomsmen Tuxedos: Bridal by Lori www.bridalbylori.com
Aso-Oke for Parents & Couple: The Elect Aso-Oke – 77, Oduduwa Way, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Wedding Vendors:
Wedding Planner & Coordinator: Bisola Esiemokhai- Events by BE – info@eventdesignbybe.com | www.eventdesignbybe.com
Day of Coordinator: Angela Davis-Bowman – angelabowman@comcast.net
Florist: Kato Floral Designs – katomaria812@gmail.com
Makeup Artist: Japanese Faces – japanesefaces@gmail.com
Lighting: Audio Fixx – audiofixx@gmail.com
Hairstylist: Arlinda Sanderson – beautyresounds.vpweb.com
DJ: DJ Gee – djgeelib@gmail.com
Invitation Cards: Pink Orchid Press – www.pinkorchidpress.com
Videographer: Gabriel’s Eye – anthony@gabrielseye.com – www.gabrielseye.com
Photographer: Fotos by Fola – info@fotosbyfola.com –www. fotosbyfola.com

The post Always Knew You Were The One: Bisola & Edward Wed | Fotos By Fola appeared first on BellaNaija - Nigeria breaking & top news to the World 24/7. Read Today.

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 - Showcasing Africa to the world. 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 - Showcasing Africa to the world. 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 - Showcasing Africa to the world. 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 - Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.