Lauren Rose Ries (aka Lolo) first met Anthelme Conrad Chadare (aka Coco) at a party by the beach in Dakar, Senegal on January 24th, 2015. They locked eyes and Anthelme came over to introduce himself. By the end of the night, they were dancing hand-in-hand to a reggae song. Soon after that fateful night, Lauren & Anthelme were inseparable. They spent time trying new restaurants in Dakar, enjoying the lively music scene, and riding around on Lauren's moped. It seemed like nothing could stop them... Yet, Lauren's homesickness was getting worse after her 1.5 years living in West Africa and she decided it was best to move back to Minnesota to be closer to friends and family. Upon returning to Minnesota in August 2015, Lauren realized that she had something very special with Anthelme that could not be replaced. After many long Skype conversations, they decided to pursue the K-1 Fiancé Visa and that's when the fun (haha... not) really began. Lauren and Anthelme spent a total of 16 months surviving their long-distance relationship with only a six-week visit in Dakar, frequent Skype calls, and constant WhatsApp chatting to keep them connected. They endured the painstakingly slow and anxiety-riddled immigration process and Anthelme arrived in the US in January 2017. Lauren and Anthelme couldn't be happier to be together at last. They currently live with their cat, Kitty, in Powderhorn Park in South Minneapolis. They couldn't be more excited to share their special day with you all on October 8th.