Our hearts are full of love and joy—thank you for joining us as we begin forever together. Joseph and Judy

It was December 30, 2022 — the second and final night of Afrochella. My girl Kashima, a colleague from work, and I had planned the ultimate two-day festival experience. Kashima was ready to dance, my colleague was on vibes, and I was rocking a short, flared African print dress that could easily qualify as a “main character” outfit. Afrochella is two events in one: vibrant daytime festival with food, art, and fashion, then high-energy concert by night. That evening’s lineup? Stonebwoy, Asake, Shatta Wale… but everyone was really waiting for Burna Boy. Meanwhile, across the park, Joseph’s friend Makafui had purchased tickets for the festival but couldn’t make it that night. So, he handed one over to Joseph — which we now call fate disguised as a spare ticket When the crowd started pressing forward for Burna Boy, my Jamaican instincts kicked in: This looks like a stampede waiting to happen. My friends and I moved to the back where there was space to breathe… and maybe dance a little. I’m not a dancer — at least not the “can-go-viral” kind — but come on, it’s Burna Boy. I was moving. Apparently, those moves caught the attention of two guys: a Nigerian and a Ghanaian (Joseph). The Nigerian made his move first… but the vibes weren’t vibing, and he eventually retreated. Joseph had been watching from nearby. He swears I looked like a doctor (I’m still not sure why) and says maybe it was my outfit, maybe my smile, maybe the fact that I wasn’t here for nonsense — whatever it was, he decided to approach. We shouted over the music, he asked for my number, I said no. He asked for my Instagram, and that, I gave. The next day, he messaged and asked me out. The timing? Impeccable — except I was flying back to Abu Dhabi the same day. We kept in touch… until February, when I pulled a classic ghost. In March, I messaged him to say I’d be in Ghana for a friend’s wedding (ghosts can come back to life). Joseph didn’t waste time — he invited me out. We went to Aburi, then dinner, and — plot twist — I met his mom, grandmother, and sister all in one day. By nightfall, the whole family wanted to know who this “beautiful girl” was. When I left Ghana, Joseph took me to the airport. We talked for a while again… and then, yes, I ghosted. Again. Fast forward to September. There was a death in Joseph’s family, and when he posted about it, I reached out to offer my condolences. That one message reopened the door, and this time, I stayed. By November, Joseph asked if we could give this a real try. I said yes. From there, we became frequent flyers. I went back to Ghana in March, then again in August. In December, he proposed — but first, in true Ghanaian tradition, he went to my “Ghanaian family” (my dear friend Stephen’s family, since my parents have passed) to make his intentions known. In April 2025, we had our first trip abroad together in Côte d’Ivoire. I flew… and Joseph? He took a 14-hour bus ride to meet me. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. And now, here we are, counting down the days until we say I do this December. What started as a casual night at Afrochella, turned into our forever.