Tejiri and Jade were former secondary schoolmates until Cupid stepped into the picture. They reconnected on Instagram and discovered a love that had been quietly waiting to surface.
Everything about Tejiri was a source of unwavering conviction for Jade and he knew he had found “the one.” He decided to surprise her with a thoughtfully executed proposal. Tejiri believed he was attending a conference in London, but to her amazement, he travelled all the way to Nigeria to create the perfect moment. He asked her to marry him and of course, she said ‘Yes’! It was such a magical moment, and you’ll find yourself smiling as you scroll.
Enjoy their proposal photos and love story below:
How we metBy the groom, Jade:
I first met TJ during our secondary school days at the University of Benin Demonstration Secondary School. She was three years my junior in school and was in the same class as my younger brother. Back then, we had no real interaction. I went on to attend the University of Benin while she went to the University of Port Harcourt. Years later, we started following each other on Instagram, likely because we recognised each other from secondary school. I secretly admired the pictures she posted, but I didn’t make my first move until 2018.
I slid into her DMs with what I thought was a smooth and cute birthday message, but her response wasn’t exactly encouraging. I tried again in 2021, sending her another DM, but she kept responding with one-word replies. At that point, I stepped back, reminding myself that I’m a “spec” too. (Lol.) Then, out of nowhere, on October 27, 2023, she randomly popped into my head—no Instagram post or external trigger—just pure intuition. I decided to shoot my shot one more time, this time going full honey badger mode. To my surprise, she was feeling the boy this time!
We had an epic, hours-long phone conversation, and I was blown away. I found myself thinking, “Wait… is she really this amazing?” From that moment on, I was hooked. Every call and message after that only deepened my admiration for her. I kept wondering, “Is this girl even real?” But she consistently proved me wrong with her kindness, selflessness, and incredible perspective on life. The way she treats people and sees the world was mind-blowing.
Obviously, I had to see this magic in person. So, I hopped on a plane to Nigeria. When we met face-to-face, she was even more amazing than I imagined. Love, respect, kindness—she had it all. That’s when I knew I couldn’t wait. I had to make her mine before someone else tried. After returning to London, I was already planning my next trip to see her. For the engagement, I went all out. Getting her ring size was quite the challenge. I even tried enlisting my sister-in-law to rent a jewelry box and invite TJ over to try on pendants and fashion rings. On top of that, I measured her sister’s ring and added a little bit of inshallah to the process (lol).
Credits
Planning and Decor @truelovelanePhotography @jewel_shot_itVideography @jossy_visuals
