A Union Of Greater Heights! Joy and Obi’s Adorable Love Story & Pre-Wedding Photos

New York based couple Joy Adaeze and Obi Okere @obi_okere  became business partners of Curl Sistas Hair in 2014. They met a few years ago in school and as most friends do, they both share a lot in common and both aspire for the same type of success in life – But this magnetic connection is simply one of a kind!

The bride @joy_adaeze is an award-winning style blogger.

As soon as they both pulled apart they were mysteriously drawn to each other all over again. Their love grew as a lily blossoms, slow and sweet with a drop of cheerfulness every step of the way and after 5 years of dating it’s hard to avoid the beauty in it all.

#JoyandObi

~ Pre-Wedding Photography:  Iris Mannings

Enjoy!

How We Met
from bride-to-be Joy
I was a freshman at Rutgers University and signed up to be on the dance troupe for an African organization called Twese. The first day of rehearsal, I met Obi. My first impression of him was that he was cute, with a nice smile and body. We crossed paths again a year later when we were both models for the Twese fashion show. Since Rutgers was such a big school, we didn’t run into each other much but when we did, it was always cool. We hung out a few times just as friends, since we were both in other relationships at the time.A year after we graduated, in the Summer of 2008, we ran into each other at a mutual friends BBQ. It was the craziest thing, I wasn’t even going to go, because I didn’t have a ride. I ended up catching a ride with a friend at the last minute. At the BBQ, I ran into a bunch of people from Rutgers – It was like a mini reunion! I noticed Obi glancing in my direction from across the room and then he walked over.

We talked and I gave him my number — just as friends.We hung out that summer, went to church together, brunch, movies, and it was cool. Obi and I had so much in common, we shared similar goals and thoughts on success. We would talk on the phone almost every day and share personal development tips. We both had a similar outlook on life too, I had studied pre-med in school and wanted to go into fashion styling and he studied engineering and wanted to be a life coach. Six months passed, and we fell in love.Proposal
from groom-to-be Obi
I always knew that Joy would be the one that I would marry, because she is everything that I want in a woman. In the five years we’d been together, I couldn’t see myself with anyone else. I ended up buying an engagement ring without ever knowing how I was going to propose. I actually hid the ring from her for a month trying to decide on the best way to go about it all.I wanted to do it in a special way, a way we would both remember for the rest of our lives. I decided to propose on Valentine’s day. On the 14th, I took her out to the Sea Grill Restaurant that overlooks the Rockefeller skating rink. I was so nervous, but tried my best not to show it. By the time we finished eating, it was just after midnight, and the skating rink was completely empty and fully illuminated. I told her that I wanted to go check out the gold statue that overlooks the rink. While  we were there, I gave her a second Valentine’s Day card where I asked her if she would marry me. She was completely surprised and immediately cried tears of joy. I got down on one knee and nervously slid the ring onto her finger, when she said Yes!

~ City Hall Wedding | Photography: Raat Fashion

Wedding Illustration ***

Credits

Pre-Wedding Photos by Iris Mannings – @irismannings | City Hall Images by Roland Agli – @raat_fashion | Illustration by Oana Voitovici – @thefluffinessmarket
Hair: Curl Sistas Hair | @curlsistas