Rolake and Uyi’s Heart-warming Love Story, Wedding & her Journey to #BBNWonderland where she Won a Baileys Bar!

Rolake won her #BBNWonderland experience with a humorous tale about her cousin Julie. She just got married to her love of one year Uyi, who she met at her cousin’s wedding.

Wonderland 2016 was a fabulous weekend affair by Baileys and BellaNaija Weddings for 30 brides-to-be from all over Nigeria, treating them to amazing prizes and an unforgettable time. Each bride had a unique story that led them to the event, and unique experiences they came away with, meeting and making new friends along the way.

The ladies now also have their own What’s App group where Rolly is the self-professed humorous one, and to show their love and support, some of the ladies came for her wedding, rocking their B Squad hats from the day!

For Rolake, she came to Wonderland with the main aim of mingling and not staying to herself as she usually does, but fate had more in store for her, as she ended up winning the deluxe Baileys bar at her wedding, with hundreds of drinks from other Guinness brands.

When it comes to Rolake and her love Uyi, there was an instant attraction on that destined day in April 2015, but he thought she was married with a baby who she carried everywhere that day. She also had a lot of the baby’s photos on her Instagram page, so in his mind it was a no-go area! 8 months after they met, she took the bold step of contacting him via DM after he followed her on Instagram, and the rest was a future in the making!

Rolake’s #BBNWonderland love and friendship story is really one about making bold steps and not second guessing yourself. We are inspired!

Enjoy!

Our Love Story
Flashback to April 2015, it was my cousin’s wedding and I was a bridesmaid, a cery busy bridesmaid at that. I caught someone looking a few times but I was busy coordinating, having fun and also carrying my little nephew around with me almost throughout.

So he looked, oh he looked! But he never came close. Why? Who cares, guys always look. Fast forward to a month later when wedding pictures came out and as usual, I was tagged on Facebook and Instagram, this same man who was just looking at the wedding followed me on Instagram!

Ok, this one has come again, he saw me at the wedding, he was looking… Is he just seeing me now? Perhaps he was too busy selecting ladies at the wedding, now he can notice me… Ok so I was already liking his look, his beard got me… Beard gang and some demon I thought.

He didn’t still talk to me, can you imagine? I wasn’t bothered but again I was curious, I was seeing someone already at this time but nothing serious. But why is this guy liking my pictures everyday? He didn’t talk to me at the wedding and now not even a DM! Serious matter!

It was December 30th 2015, it had been 8 months. So I thought I will slide into his DM today today! So I did, with no intention, I was just curious!

“Hey Bearded Guy”! and minutes after he responded, “Lol… Hi cutie, compliments! Bleh, rather too polite for my liking, or so I thought.

It was then I realized this man didn’t step a foot forward because he thought the child I was carrying at my cousin’s wedding was my child and I probably wasn’t available! My Instagram page confirmed it! The baby’s pictures were everywhere! Sigh

Back and forth chatting into the night, praying together and attending service together sometimes. So yeah, with us, it went down in the DM.

Several dates ensued and 6 months later, baba put a ring on it! He wasn’t waiting another year to be with me, he said. It was like a joke! I bless God for giving me an upright man who saw something in me in less than a year what no man who dated me in many years ever saw.

We got married on November 12, 2016 celebrated by loved ones and family. It was indeed the appointed day, a day that the Lord made.

My BBNWonderland Experience
Sometimes, we unknowingly underestimate ourselves and what we are capable of, only if we know and understand God’s design for our lives. I pulled Instagram up after a long day at work and decided to check the hot new wedding pictures, stealing ideas and how to look on my wedding day then I saw an advert on BellaNaija and Baileys Nigeria Wonderland on giving 30 ladies a treat… I really needed a treat, I was stressed.

Thanks to my cousin, we had become really close after her wedding from helping me reach out to vendors to making calls to negotiating deals. Julie is an amazing person, wife and mother of 1 also reading to meet up with exams and trainings here and there, she had that extra time to chat with me every morning making sure everything was handled, the wedding was just 2 months away. I was stressed, so stressed without a planner, she was my planner but there was little she could do with her tight schedules.

With my bad habit of second guessing myself, I was so sure I wouldn’t be picked! But I just applied for the Wonderland competition anyway. I wrote a story about my cousin being the best person that happened to me while planning my wedding. I thought it was probably not anything compared to having 30 friends who were helping you plan your wedding, there will definitely be many stories like that! Here I am writing about one person! Psstt! Second guessing myself again.

As early as 2 am Monday morning, 25th September, 4 days after my court wedding, I was restless, so I decided to check my mail, TADA! Welcome to BBNWonderland!

I didn’t even read the remaining details. I woke hubby up, “Hey hey, I am going to Wonderland” He thought I was going nuts! “Where is Wonderland? What’s going where this early morning, what movie did you watch?” he asked all at once. He didn’t understand my joy until I showed him the mail I got!
I barely slept, I was thinking about the spoil and the fun…Why is Friday September 30th not here? I want to go to Wonderland!

Throughout that week, I was already in Wonderland mentally.

Friday 30th September came, I told myself, ‘Rolake, that is why you don’t have many friends, you are going to a place where you are supposed to make friends, I began looking for ladies who won same, started chatting them up and ‘famzing’. lol… This time, I was determined to not be the regular Mrs Keep-to-Myself or “let me maintain my lane” kind of girl! I was not going to win anything, I probably wouldn’t participate in anything, just have fun and make friends, that was my aim.

First person who seemed so warm towards me was Dupe, super friendly, jeez! I was like, is this girl always this way or she’s just acting. We chatted so much before we got to Wonderland, then Rita came along, we had agreed to look out for each other immediately we got to the hotel.

Then I got to wonderland, I made many more friends even though I kept forgetting their names so soon, Simi, Dami and Dami, Chizzy, Busola, Wilma and the list goes on.

Again, God surprised me, I went with the mind of winning nothing, who am I to win again I said….I underestimated myself again, I won lots of goodies, from a purse and jewelry set from Le Reve Pieces to a Baileys Bar at my wedding. Even though BellaNaija and Baileys made sure everyone went home with presents somehow.

We now have an amazing What’s App group called #BBNWonderland Brides, we have formed a bond with it, looking after each other, we talk about everything, we make ourselves better, we learn everyday! Antoinette and Chizzy are like our mother hens. Toke, our prayer warrior. I am the clown of the group, everyone is incredible in their own way. When I wasn’t active in the group for some days, I felt empty… They missed me and they showed it deeply.

I am married now and these 30 something girls are now my #WonderLadies.

Thank you BellaNaija and Baileys Nigeria for making our paths cross. I probably wouldn’t understand why I never should underestimate myself or what I am capable or feel like other people have the higher chance of getting something I truly wanted. I learnt so much about myself I didn’t know I was, now I know I am very friendly and incredibly funny. My best experiences in 2016 wouldn’t be complete without the Wonderland experience.

White Wedding

Vendors
Event Planner @owambeevents
Bride’s Makeup: @baf_beauty

Traditional Wedding Credits
Photos: @eastwardeden
Attire: @mareejune
Décor: @decorbytolufashe
MC: @lanregreg
Aso oke: @bimmms24
Jewelry: @th7_accessories
Nails: @embellishbysarahjames
Shoes and Bag: @ummhie

White Wedding Credits
Photography: @tamoimagesweddings
Wedding Dress: @mareejune
Bridesmaids Dresses: @fablanebyderin