Precious & Ukay’s Vintage Style Pre-Wedding Shoot | Alero Marcel Photography

Precious and Ukay are one cute couple!

Their love story has a lot of interesting twists – when they met she gave a fake name and number but a few years down the line and an epic surprise proposal later they are now newlyweds.

We can’t wait to share the wedding photos! For now enjoy the pre-wedding photos by Alero Marcel Photography.

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Bride: Precious
Groom: Ukay

How We Met
From The Bride
We met at a cyber cafe during my secondary school days lol. As naïve as I was, I was just browsing doing my own thing then this nice looking lad walked in with his friend. He noticed me as well and was just staring at me. I was nervous and wondering why he was staring, then he walked towards me and asked for my name and phone number. I gave him a wrong name – Sandra – and also gave him a wrong number (LOL). As a smart guy I “guess” he dialled the number I gave him and discovered it was wrong, so he asked for the correct number I finally gave him the right number, but still with the fake name. After then he called and asked that we should do lunch, dinner or just hang go out, but I kept turning him down because I felt too young for all that. His quest was just getting too much, and I decided to stop taking his calls. I guess he also got fed up and stopped calling.

In 2009, we met again for the first time after 3 years at a restaurant and he was looking at me like someone he knew, I also recognised him but just put up an attitude, bought my stuff and walked away. Before I got home, he called that same number and asked “Am I speaking to Sandra and did I just see you now?’’ I just laughed and said my name was not Sandra. I gave him the right name this time and then we got talking.

By then I was done with my secondary school and about to get into the University, so we became good friends. A few years down the line, we found love and yep!!! Here we are today. I’m so thankful for our friendship, relationship, and the love that we share.

The Proposal
Bride: It was on my birthday in 2012. We initially planned that he was going to come to London so we could celebrate together. He knows how much my birthdays mean to me and that was my 21st so I wanted it extra special. All this planning was already happening from January, with so much anticipation that we would spend my August birthday together. Suddenly in July he told me he lost his passport and that we should pray he finds it, if not he won’t be able to make it for my birthday. I had already started to get paranoid… then August came and he told me he still couldn’t find the passport.

Groom: Unknown to her I already started planning the proposal from January with the help of my friend in London as well who helped in the planning and mischief lol.

Bride: It was on the 13th of August he called me and told me he had to travel to Warri for a work-related meeting. At that point, I lost every hope that he would make my birthday.

Groom: Before then, I already told my friend to suggest dinner with her friends for her birthday and actually help plan it – choose the venue, arrange for a cake and photographer etc. When I called her on the 13th of August I was already in London but I roamed my Nigerian number and so she totally believed I was in Warri.

Bride: The 14th came, and he called me all through the day. We spoke, and obviously he knew that I wasn’t happy because I thought he wasn’t going to make it. And so I told him I would cancel the dinner, which his partner in crime and I already planned. He said “no don’t cancel the dinner someone has put in effort to plan just cause I can’t be there. Just go and have fun. We still have many more years ahead of us to celebrate together.” All that fell on deaf ears, as I was just too depressed.

The midnight of the 14th came. Naturally I expected at least a call from him or a text message. But nope. None of that happened. Then I got really sad and just slept off.

On the morning of the 15th, I went for my lecture and was just inattentive in class. At some point, I cried because as at lunch time I still did not get any happy birthday text from him and in my heart, I hated him so much for that. I couldn’t stay until the end of the lecture of course. I went home and just laid down and then his partner in crime called me and said “hey what’s up, dinner still?” I complained to her that he hadn’t called all day or anything so she decided to come over to the house. She cheered me up and asked me to dress up, that I should enjoy my 21st regardless.

On our way to the venue I had to call a few of my friends to meet us up and then we got to this beautiful rooftop area of the hotel and we were all just hanging out.

At 6pm no call from him still “hmmmm,” I was just saying to myself that whenever he calls he better have a good lie to tell me as to why he hasn’t called or sent a birthday text. Anyway, his partner in crime told me that her husband and her cousin where also coming to meet us. That they decided to come and just cheer me up, so she wanted to go get them from downstairs. I didn’t suspect a thing – I was just like “awww sweet of them.”

I was seating backing the entrance and few minutes later she walked back in. I said “where are your husband and cousin?” She said “they are coming” I said OK and continued talking with friends. Moments later I noticed my friends that were facing the entrance were all smiles and then I turned to see what was going on, then I saw Jim, my fiance’s friend. I thought my fiancé sent him to cheer me up because I still believed he was in Warri as he said.
I turned to greet Jim, and my mischievous lover was just right behind him with a bunch of flowers! He walked in with about 4 of their friends. At that point I was so happy! It was beautiful, the love soared! I forgot all the hours he didn’t call. His presence just made a huge difference and then it was all merry eating and drinking and catching up.

Groom: In that moment I was just so nervous because it was almost time to pop the question. I even went to the restroom a few times. But I had my friends for support, and that made me more confident.

Bride: When it was time for everyone to go, my friend decided to do a vote of thanks, just for fun. Suddenly, Jim said nope the man of the hour had to officially thank everyone for being there. So he stood up. He began by thanking everyone, and then all of a sudden, he became emotional and started saying nice things about me and our relationship. Then his friends started screaming “Do it! do it!” I was wondering what the “do it” was for. Then he just went on his knees, and that was just the magical moment! I was too happy of course, I said yes. It was beautiful. He pulled off the surprise so damn well.

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Photography: Alero Marcel Photography | www.aleromarcel.com | +447542380441 | instagram.com/aleromarcelphotography

Makeup: Florence of Flotem Makeovers | instagram.com/flotemmakeovers

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