OUR JOURNEY

A Digital False Start

Then the timing finally became right.

2011 TO 2026

A decade of love, timing and grace.

The story of how we met had a false start years before it truly began. Back in September 2011, a few brief pings travelled through the digital void: a “hi can we chat” from Anu, followed by a short “k” from me, Temi. But the timing was not right, and the conversation fizzled into a five-year silence, a dormant thread waiting for the right moment.

That moment finally arrived on Saturday, October 1st, 2016. While Lagos celebrated Independence Day, a simple “Hey” finally stuck. On that day, we bonded over a playful debate about Adobe Lightroom versus Serif software and he won me over with the image of him balancing a football match with a high-stakes doll tea party for his five-year-old daughter. 

As the connection deepened, we moved the chat over to the IMO app. Anu was genuinely surprised to find out that I was staying in on a Saturday night and even more shocked to learn that I was happily single, joking that “everyone in Lagos gone blind?” That flattery led to a moment of raw honesty when I asked about a “wifey”; Anu opened up about his divorce and the betrayal that had ended his marriage. However, after a quick follow-up on October 3rd, life got in the way again, and we drifted into silence for nearly three months.

THE JOURNEY

From Lagos to London

It was not until December 21st, 2016 that the thread was picked up for good. Anu reached out with a casual “na so life take be?” to bridge the gap. Although Temi admitted to being “kinda scared” to move from the bravado of an online chat to a real-life meeting, Anu and Temi finally met in person Christmas day 2016 when Anu visited Lagos from London. 
Interestingly, Temi was dealing with severe acne and black spots at the time but thanks to some clever makeup, it wasn’t visible during their first encounter. By their second meeting, Temi decided to go completely bare-faced, half-expecting the sight to put Anu off. To Temi’s surprise, Anu wasn’t fazed at the slightest.
That Christmas marked the beginning of a friendship that eventually and seamlessly transitioned into a long-distance relationship spanning the thousands of miles between  two countries and cities.
They eventually discovered that they had attended the same secondary school, though years apart, which meant they were never there at the same time. This shared history had resulted in a web of mutual friends on Facebook, eventually leading them to become acquaintances through the “People You May Know” feature. In a final twist of fate, Temi found out Anu was actually her older sister’s school father during their time there. Who would have thought?

 

Building a Family Bond

In the visits that followed, Temi met Anu’s mother and his five-year-old daughter when they visited Lagos and the bonding felt entirely natural.
Anu also met Temi’s family and struck it off with them immediately, blending into her world just as easily as she did into his. By the time Temi moved to the UK in 2018 after a 2017 postponement, their long-distance Lagos-London stretch evolved into a short-distance one between Canterbury and London. Temi’s relationship with his family blossomed; his mother and daughter truly became her own. His mum never let her leave London without bags full of soup and foodstuff, and his daughter would wait faithfully on the balcony every fortnight for her arrival.
 

A Surprise Proposal

The proposal had originally been planned to take place at Temi’s house in Canterbury but the plans shifted to when Temi visited London. Anu pushed the moment from 14th to 15th February, 2019 to throw Temi off the scent, especially after Temi’s  housemate accidentally tipped him off that Temi was suspicious. Anu handed Temi a box that looked exactly like a ring box, only for Temi to find a neck chain inside. Just as Temi convinced herself it was not happening, Anu played a video of Temi’s  closest friends and family giving speeches. Anu proposed right there in front of his mum, his cousin and their daughter, who almost cried because Daddy had not proposed to her as well. 
 

An Unexpected Path to the Altar

The road to the altar was just as unexpected. While Anu was recovering from a surgery that had turned dangerously septic, Anu called Temi in Canterbury to reconfirm her birthday. Anu hung up, only to call back moments later to announce that “I have booked our legal notice appointment at the registry in London”. Temi was shocked but the path was set. They were legally married in the summer of 2019 with just three witnesses, their then eight-year-old daughter, and a cosy reception of twenty people.
 

A Decade of Love

Now, ten years after that 2016 encounter and seven years after their registry wedding, they celebrate their traditional wedding with their larger family.

22 · 10 · 2026

The City Club, Surulere, Lagos