Simi’s Detty December Trip Led to Something Even Sweeter – Love!
by BellaNaija Weddings · BellaNaijaWhen it comes to love, so much can happen in a short time, no matter the season. And what better time to find your soulmate than in the month of cheer and celebration? Four years ago, Simi visited Nigeria for Detty December. Thanks to Tomiwa, however, she ended up with something far more exciting… love!
Introduced by a mutual friend, the pair didn’t even have a proper conversation at first, but Tomiwa definitely noticed her. Just two days later, he got her number, and that simple moment marked the beginning of something special. As they started talking, their friendship deepened throughout the month, growing naturally and effortlessly.
It’s no wonder that they’ve now decided to spend the rest of their lives together. Today, they are serving sweetness with their swoon-worthy pre-wedding photos, filled with timeless elegance and warm love. Their beautiful love story has us cheesing out, and we are so excited for them.
Enjoy their pre-wedding photos and love story below:
How we met
By the bride, Simi:
Our love story was one that I never saw coming. In December 2021, during my first Detty December in Lagos, I had no idea my life was about to change forever. I was in my final year of medical school and had come home to Nigeria to spend the holidays with my family. One casual evening, my friend Mayowa stopped by my house with two of his friends, including someone I had never met before. That was the first time I saw Tomiwa. He was extremely quiet. I greeted everyone, said hello to him, and that was the beginning and end of our interaction that night. Two days later, Mayowa told me Tomiwa had asked for my number. I wasn’t looking for a relationship at the time, but something in me said, Why not? We started talking, and from the very first conversation, everything felt unusually easy.
We realised how incredibly similar we are. Our birthdays are just one day apart in the same year, and his birthday also happens to be the same day as my dad’s. Our first outing turned into hours of talking, laughing, and connecting like we had known each other forever. But time wasn’t on our side. At that point, I only had three days left in Lagos. I was supposed to go to Ghana for New Year’s and then return to the US to begin interviews for my first doctor job (residency). But life had other plans. I caught COVID, had to quarantine for five days, and missed my Ghana trip. Because my interviews were scheduled back-to-back and I didn’t have enough free days to travel, I ended up extending my stay in Lagos by three weeks.
With the time difference, many of my interviews were at odd hours, but Tomiwa showed up for me in the most thoughtful ways, keeping me company, bringing me food, encouraging me, and making sure I never felt alone. What was supposed to be an inconvenient delay became one of the sweetest, most meaningful seasons of my life. That month made our bond undeniable. After that extended month in Lagos, I returned to the US, and we kept talking every single day. Three months later, I went on a trip to Kenya, and Tomiwa flew out to meet me there, and it was in Kenya that he asked me to be his girlfriend. A year after that, he moved to the US to be closer to me. And somewhere along the way, we discovered something that made our story feel even more destined: my dad’s best friend is married to Tomiwa’s mom’s sister. Our families had been connected long before we ever met. We just didn’t know it. Two years later, we got engaged. What started as a quiet ‘hello’ during Detty December became the love story of my life, and to think that I almost missed it.
Credits
Bride: @purplefranchise
Photography: @capturingmomentsphotograph