We planned honeymoon first

Miriam met JB as a client two years ago. After his mother’s advice to buy land, Halera got the money he had saved to buy a car and through Phoebe, their ambassador he met Miriam. Her persuasiveness in salesmanship compelled him to buy the land. He paid instantly.
“I was tired and did not want to go back to the field. JB insisted we go together while Phoebe assured me that would drive. I had sold my last plot in Gayaza where he wanted, so I had to convince him to buy from a further place and he did,” Miriam says.
The further the place, the longer the conversation. By the end of the trip, JB had learnt that she was a Seventh Day Adventist  like him. He learnt more about investing in land.
Processing JB’s paperwork took more time than it normally did and throughout that time, they talked and got closer.
Phoebe invited JB to Miriam’s company thanksgiving. JB felt she was the one.
“Everyone talked about how prayerful Miriam is. She even went to the prayer mountain. I was smitten,” he says.
He was single, so was she. When he made his intentions, she said she would think about it in April the following year. However, intended to marry her earlier than that time.
Proposal
She declined his first proposal under the guise of being busy.
“You are very handsome. I need to be loved and not have to fight for my man,” she had said.
His response, “I will defend you and I will tell everyone. You will never have to fight with anyone over me. So, can you be my girlfriend?”
Miriam prayed about it. She planned to go for an overnight at the prayer mountain and he tagged along. JB preached to her basing on Isaiah 54. After the sermon, he proposed again and she said yes.
“As we left the mountain, he kept asking. Can I tell people about it? Can I call you my girlfriend? Can I post you?” I said yes. He was so happy but I was not so sure. Also, how I would tell my children, parents, or my close people about it. What if he changed his mind?” Miriam recounts adding:
“The more I talked to him, the more he assured me all was well. He answered every question I posed.” 
 Two months later, they visited JB’s parents. And, on her birthday, he proposed to her in front of her family. She said yes.
On December 15, 2022, the couple had their introduction at which they set their wedding date August 31, 2023.
Preps
After their introduction honeymoon in Egypt, JB started making deposits to their wedding service providers. By the end of February 2023, he had deposited 80 percent of the money. At end of March, the couple discovered they were expecting. They revised their date to June 29. They had a wedding preparation launch and held their last meeting a month later.
Both wanted a Caribbean-themed wedding. They set up a wedding committee to help out.
“It was my dream wedding. I had watched a lot of films. Also, I wanted to eliminate a fleet wedding convoy. It is unnecessarily expensive and inconveniences road users,” she says.
Their parents suggested that she goes home for five days until the wedding.
Meanwhile, the wedding committee was finalising, and the groom had a bachelor party.
On the wedding eve, they went separately with their people and service providers to One Love beach, Busabala stayed in the cottages so that they could do everything in time. The beach had some uninvited guests. 
“We had a civil wedding because as Adventists, we can only wed in church. We were advised by our leaders to do a civil wedding and the church leaders to pray for us after that,” he says.
Wedding
The groom in his custom-made suit at the altar waited for his bride, the first verse of Mpanilina by Mowzey Radio and Deena played. He went to meet his bride midway the aisle. He removed her veil before the vows.
“I could not wait any longer. It is like we had never lived together. She was happy and the day was blessed,” he says.
For Miriam, “I saw my wedding perfectly happening, marrying a perfect person with loved ones surrounding me.” 
Though it rained that day, not even a drop fell on our venue. Later, when they went to take pictures a few meters away from the beach, it was raining heavily.
Honeymoon
“We planned for the honeymoon before the wedding. Initially, our plan was to go to Israel. Our travel planner, however, told us we needed a marriage certificate to get honeymoon visas in Israel. So, we changed to the Sandies Bathala in Maldives. It was a four-hour-sail from the shore,” he says.
They spent five days in the Maldives and extended it to Dubai for four days, where they also did business before returning home.
Two cents
Miriam says when you meet someone, be sure they are the people you want to spend the rest of your life with. 
“If someone loves you and treats you the way you want, you may not necessarily ditch them because your friend, parents or relatives said so. Happiness begins with you.
Know what you can afford for your wedding and talk to your partner about it.
Be careful with spiritual people. Not all are right and some might not align us with God.”
JB says if you find someone and most signs show they are the one for you, do not waste time just make it official.
“Believe God. He will step in for you. If your partner is your friend, the better. If something goes wrong in a relationship, a friend in them will be there for you until everything is resolved.
Make money, travel and make memories to remind you why you chose each other.”