From Childhood Crush to Forever Love! Enjoy Irene & Chidera’s #BNBling

There is such a thing as perfect timing. That moment when everything seems to align in your favour, thereby leading to something magical.

Chidera had a huge crush on Irene since he was a teenager. They moved to different cities and lost touch… but as fate would have it, they crossed paths again and this time, a sweet love story ensued. Chidera knew that Irene had always been the one for him so it was a no-brainer that he was going to ask her to marry him. He planned a romantic rooftop proposal in the beautiful city of love and of course, she said ‘Yes’!

Enjoy their proposal photos and love story below:

How we met
By the bride, Irene:

I’ve known Chidera since I was 14 years old. His younger sister was my best friend, and our families were close. Despite our shared history, I never knew Chidera had feelings for me. As we grew up, our paths diverged, and we attended different universities. After graduation, I relocated to the United States, and he moved to Germany. Our connection remained more familiar than personal; I saw him as my friend’s brother. Then, in late 2022, everything changed. He commented on one of my cooking videos, complimenting my food and expressing a desire to try it. Jokingly, I invited him to come and try it. To my surprise, he took it seriously and informed me a few months later that he had obtained a US visa and planned to visit. I was astonished.

In February 2023, he reached out and confessed that he had liked me for a long time. He revealed that even as a teenager, he had told his friends he would marry me someday. I was unaware of his feelings all these years. Fortunately, I was still single, so we decided to give it a chance. Chidera visited me in April 2023, and those two weeks were magical. We enjoyed each other’s company immensely and decided to pursue a relationship. He visited again in September, and before leaving, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I happily accepted.

In January, he visited for our birthdays. His birthday is January 23rd and mine is January 27th, so we celebrated together in the US. In May 2024, I visited Germany, not knowing he had planned a trip to Italy and Paris. It was in Paris, the city of love, that he surprised me with a beautiful proposal. Looking back, our journey from childhood acquaintances to life partners feels like destiny. What started as a simple childhood friendship has blossomed into a profound love.