From a Six-Hour First Date in Atlanta to a Romantic Proposal in Lagos! Lola & Robel Were Meant to Be

BNW February 5, 20260 Comments

How can you tell someone is meant for you? Sometimes, it’s in the ease of conversation, the instant alignment, and the way time seems to disappear. For Lola and Robel, it was quite simple; even when their faces were masked, the connection was unmistakable.

There might have been a pandemic, but nothing was going to stop it from coming alive. What was supposed to be a quick first date turned into a super interesting conversation that lasted hours. They just kept going on and on, talking about everything and anything. Soon they realised how in sync they were, despite their diverse cultural backgrounds.

Over time, the bond they’ve built has blossomed into something so solid that Robel made plans and surprised Lola with a breathtaking proposal in Lagos! He led her into a beautifully decorated garden with a seaside view, got down on his knee, and asked her to marry him. She said yes! Now wedding bells are ringing, and the lovebirds are definitely picking up this call. The stunning photos from the day tell us all we need to know about the romance that filled the air, and we are absolutely swooning hard over each beautiful frame. 😍

Enjoy their proposal photos and love story below:

Their love story as shared by Lola:

We met during that in-between phase when COVID social-distancing rules were just starting to ease, quite literally with face masks on. Our first date was meant to be a casual 1–2 hour drink on a rooftop in Atlanta, but it turned into almost six hours of nonstop conversation. The masks came off eventually. We talked about everything! Even the topics most people avoid on first dates and quickly realized how naturally aligned our values were, despite coming from very different backgrounds. He’s Ethiopian and grew up between Addis Ababa and Seattle, while I’m half Nigerian and half African American and grew up in Nigeria. From family and culture to politics, creativity, and our shared love for film, everything just clicked. He’d never been to Lagos, and I hadn’t been to Addis Ababa. We both love to travel, and since we met, we’ve always talked about doing a trip to show each other our hometowns, so it felt full circle that he chose to propose in Lagos!