Inspiration

Regal Romance: Washington, D.C. Engagement Session

Nofisat and Abdul met several times before they finally hit it off. But the third time was definitely the charm. The first time they met was during their freshman year of college. “He tried to hit on me as he walked past my dance practice. At the time we both were young. I played hard to get and he was just playing,” recalled Nofisat. About 4 years later, the two met again at Nofisat’s cousin’s wedding. “It was a random acquaintance, and we knew we might have been feeling each other at the time but both of us were too cool to admit it. This eventually spun off into phone calls and messages. He asked me to be his date to a wedding and I had to cancel last minute. I felt terrible and as a result I ended up asking him out on our first date, which marked our third official meeting.” Ever since then, these two love birds have been inseparable! They are now planning an Art Deco meets African Contemporary wedding this fall. Check out their artsy, elegant engagement session, captured by Dotun Ayodeji Photography

Bride: Nofisat Sonekan, Physician, Producer, Writer

Groom: Abdul-Lateef Almaroof, Law Enforcement

Place of residence: Prince Georges County, MD

Wedding date: September 30, 2017

Wedding location: Bethesda, MD 

Engagement Shoot Location: Washington, D.C.

Proposal Story: 

I missed my own engagement because I refused to drive an hour to a family hiking trip after my night shift ended. I thought it was just another time meeting the groom’s family and didn’t want to leave a bad impression being cranky and tired. Poor planning on both ends really. When he got home, he came to my room and proposed to me while I was lying in bed. I felt terrible and overjoyed all at the same time. I felt like I ruined a special moment, but further reflecting we both agreed it strengthened the intimacy of the proposal. We went to dinner and celebrated the next day. Love is imperfect and we are okay with that.

What makes your love special?

Our love is special because we are very different on the surface and we grew up in different backgrounds, but our souls are in sync.  No matter where we were in life, our spirits have led us back to one another. We’re the underdog couple- adventurous, bold, and clever.  We keep those around us asking, “what’s next?” Our bond is deeply rooted in principles of black love and its preservation across the diaspora. Our love represents constant sacrifice and humility.

What are you most looking forward to as a married couple?

We are looking forward to self-growth and learning about ourselves through one another. We look forward to traveling the world, especially the diaspora. We look forward to building a legacy in both of our homes in America and Africa. We look forward to growing in our faith. We look forward to growing old together.

Congratulations to the happy couple! We wish you a wonderful wedding and marriage.

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