You know only one thing gets us this excited and it is love! How it shows up never ceases to amaze us! Sometimes, you are searching and you find it. Other times, it finds you just where you are and ends up being a perfect fairytale. Today is all about the beautiful TV and radio entertainer, Simi Drey and her forever love, Julian.

Theirs is a magical tale that will have you blushing hard! It all began one evening after Simi’s salsa dance lessons. She came across some of her friends and as fate would have it, Julian was with them. The moment Julian saw her, he knew that he had seen the woman of his dreams. He definitely couldn’t let her out of his sight and after the first date, they knew what they had was more than a mere feeling.

Now, all roads lead to ‘happy ever after’ for these sweethearts and we cannot get over their intimate and heartwarming civil wedding photos. Simi gave off the chic vintage vibe with her gorgeous looks and Julian made a super dashing groom. It is such a delight to see their families radiate with joy on this special day. We can’t get over how significant and personal every detail of the wedding was. Their wedding is the right dose of sweetness for your day!

Enjoy their civil wedding photos and love story below:

Their love story as shared by Simi:

It was the 12th of April, a warm evening in Lagos. I had just finished my salsa lessons at a local bar, my hair messy and my face flushed from the energetic dancing. As I stepped outside to catch my breath, I saw a group of people playing pool and laughing. One of them was Julian, who had just moved to Nigeria that very day. I knew some of his friends and went over to say hello. As we chatted, Julian caught my eye. There was something about the way he looked at me that made me feel like he saw right into my soul. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but Julian later told me that the moment he saw me, he knew he wanted to marry a girl like me. A week later, Julian showed up at another salsa class of mine and we danced together. After that, I didn’t see him again, but he found me on Instagram and we started exchanging messages. It wasn’t long until he asked me out on a date. On the 24th of May, I was getting ready for our first date when I suddenly had second thoughts. I was scared that the date would lead to disappointment.

Did someone say, gorgeous bride?

Eventually, I finished getting ready and went. I am so glad I did. We met at a restaurant on Victoria Island and ended up spending the entire evening laughing. We didn’t even touch our food. I was completely mesmerized by Julian and I could tell he felt the same way. The restaurant closed around midnight, but we were so engrossed in each other that we barely noticed. We even forgot to take our uneaten food with us when we left even though the waiters had packed it up for us. From that night on, Julian and I spent more and more time together. In early June, I was invited to a movie premiere for a film I had featured in. I had already asked my grandmother to be my plus one, but I asked Julian if he would like to join us as well. He said ‘yes’, and on the 9th of June, Julian, my grandmother, and I attended the premiere of “Another Father’s Day” together.

My grandmother and Julian hit it off immediately, and she whispered to me later that she liked this new admirer of mine. Julian must have liked her too as at the end of the evening, we made our relationship official. Three years went by and in January 2022, Julian went on a business trip to Ibadan. Or so I thought. My mother later told me that Julian had gone to my family’s house to ask my father for permission to marry me. My father was teary-eyed as he and my mother both gave their blessing. On the third of June, 2022, Julian and I flew to Kenya, a country that meant so much to us. We planned to stay in Nairobi for a few days and then drive to a Safari lodge to spend some private time immersed in wildlife and nature.

Show us a cuter couple!

On the 9th of June, Julian and I went on our final evening safari. Our ranger drove to one of the highest hills where we could watch the sunset over the Kenyan savanna. Our ranger brought out a bottle of champagne, served us glasses and then disappeared suspiciously. Julian and I stood at the edge of the hill, the wind was blowing softly and we embraced each other to keep warm. He told me how much he loved me and how much I meant to him. My heart started pounding as I felt he was going to finally ask me to be his wife. He opened his mouth again… but all he asked was if I was ready to go back to our camp for dinner. I was slightly disappointed but I hid this well and said that I was starving. Unknown to me, Julian had a ring in his pocket but as I am hard to surprise, he wanted to through me off guard.

That night as we were walking to the main hotel quarters for dinner, the hotel staff led us away to a private enclosure under the stars. There was already a table for two laid out to perfection next to a warm bonfire. The waiters brought us an array of delicious meals to fill our stomachs. The night was beyond compare. Julian asked me how he could make the night even more special for me. I told him it was perfect enough. However, he stood up, walked to my side and then knelt. Simileoluwa, Audrey Adejumo, will you marry me? I said yes. We celebrated our engagement with a romantic dinner on Diani beach, surrounded by the sound of waves crashing against the shore. As we sat there, hand in hand, I couldn’t believe how far we had come since that first salsa lesson all those years ago. Julian and I had found each other in the most unlikely of places and our love had grown stronger every day.

This is how Simi and Julian had their civil wedding

Julian and I had initially planned for our civil ceremony to be in the Summer of 2023 in Germany. However, in September 2022, Julian suggested we get married just before Christmas instead of waiting that long. Initially, I wasn’t keen on having a winter Wedding but I spoke to my parents and they loved the idea of me in my white dress against a backdrop of snow; the perfect winter wonderland. I have to give thanks to my mother and father-in-law as they immediately started planning. They contacted the court to find out what documents a British Nigerian citizen would need to marry a German and we sent them across.

Let’s get this wedding started!

We decided to have a private, intimate ceremony in the idyllic countryside of Western Germany, near the village Julian had grown up in. I decided I wanted an elegant, classic wedding dress, reminiscent of the 1950s and the Nigerian designer Nkadumeje, helped bring my vision to life. To top off the look, the Nigerian hair stylist Kafayat of @HairKarved, styled my hair with inspiration taken from Marilyn Monroe. I was a little bit worried I would be cold but honestly, on the day of our wedding, I had so much adrenaline running through my veins, I felt so warm and incredibly happy.

Signed and sealed!

Aww, the symbol of our undying love!

The officiator for our court wedding was a woman who had known Julian since he was a baby and was his parent’s neighbour. During the ceremony, she told us tales of Julian’s childhood and also recited a beautiful poem about how Julian and I had met. At a point I had to blink back the tears and I know I wasn’t the only one.

Now Mr & Mrs!

When the ceremony ended, we went to a traditional German restaurant called Ballebäuschen Restaurant that my in-laws had rented out for the occasion. They had also ordered white Amaryllis flowers and Christmasy pine leaves to decorate the entire restaurant.

Check out the newest couple in the city!

The restaurant catered our meals and we had seven courses of traditional German delicacies including shrimp on beetroot, venison, goose and an abundance of wine. Once we had eaten to our heart’s content, we all went back to my in-law’s house where my father played the piano and my father-in-law played the guitar. We sat around the living room singing along to the tunes.

It’s wedding reception o’clock

All of sudden, Julian whispered in my ear and said there was a surprise for us outside. As I stepped outside the house, I was serenaded by the angelic music of the Posaune Choir, a traditional church choir. They played Christmas carols while we drank mulled wine to keep warm. After, we gathered back inside, turned up the speakers and danced the night away!

Together forever!

Credits

Bride: @simidrey
Groom: @julkuna_matata
Dress: @nkadumeje
Hairstylist: @hairkarved
Grooms suit: @etro
Reception: @Ballebauschenrestaurant
Flowers/ Decor: Blumen Schindler