It was 16 years ago when Olufemi Adeyemi and Helen George eyes met.
Helen was a business woman and Olufemi wanted to buy phones from her.
Without meeting, the deal was made over the phone but Olufemi was too busy to pick them up so Helen agreed to drop the consignment off at his office. He was a supervisor at The Nigerian Bottling Company in Lagos, Nigeria.
When they met Olufemi wanted to get Helen out of the busy office to get the business deal finalized so they went across the road to a local restaurant – it was strictly business but when Helen re-visited to finish the form filling a few days later Olufemi told her not to come to the office but to meet him at Mr Biggs Restaurant, a well known establishment in Lagos and even though there seemed to be a theme forming it was still strictly business.
Though this time he seemed to make more of an effort with his dress sense turning up in very smart attire as if he was arriving for a date.
If there was an attraction it wasn’t one way. Helen saw him through the window and thought“ this guy looks really sweet, he looks nice”.
The business forms were completed and the conversation became more personal and definitely not strictly business.
“ Where are you from? “ asked Olufemi, “ Calabar” answered
Helen. A possible problem, as he was from a different tribe from Osun State.
When the questions had finished he told her to get a taxi home and not struggle on a local bus but when she found a taxi it was far too expensive.
Olufemi paid the driver and told her he didn’t want her on the bus. The taxi would be safer.
Helen thought “ he is so kind”
She added, “Before I got to my home he had called me three times to find out if I was ok, and on the forth I had arrived but then the texts started. Not in a bad way but in a caring way. I liked his voice, I liked his mannerisms, I liked the fact he cared”.
Five days later he asked Helen out for a date, official. Helen said there was no argument, the answer was a yes within fractions of a second.
The conversation became more complimentary as she commented on how nice his hair was and the reply from Olufemi was “ are you in a relationship” a question quickly answered and asked back to her official date. The reply from both was no. Four months later there was a proposal.
The tribe difference issue was initially a problem but Olufemi’s family wasn’t used to seeing him bring girls home so they asked to meet Helen.
After that and feeling Helens warmth and personality she was totally accepted into the family.
It took 16 years but the rings are now on the fingers of Olufemi and Helen after their marriage at Cardiff City Hall on 7th August and a reception at Deli Fuego with family and friends from Nigeria and the UK dancing the night away. The rain didn’t spoil a second of an amazing day.
Click on Picture Gallery to see more pictures of the wedding.