The wedding between Toluwalope, the daughter of the Chairman of Tom and Associates, Abiodun Toki, and her beau Temitope Jegede, held at the Events Warehouse, Ilupeju, Lagos and the reception followed immediately at same venue. NNEKA NWANERI was there.
Beauty, elegance and fashion combined in Lagos last Saturday to make the wedding of Toluwalope, daughter of the Chairman of Tom and Associates, Abiodun Toki, memorable. At the event were individuals with a penchant for quality. Everything about them had a touch of class.
The event itself was classy. That was evident from the gates of the hall to its interior. Parked at the premises were exotic cars brought by men and women of style who had come to grace the event.
They were mostly clad in native attires of pink and ash; the colours of the day. The bride’s and groom’s kinsmen also wore uniformed colours.
The tables in the hall were decorated with featherlike flowers; the chairs and table overlays depicting the glamour and colour of the day. The hall was filled to capacity. So much so that guests had to make do with additional tables and chairs hurriedly arranged outside the hall.
The presiding Pastor, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Area 01, Oluyinka Gbajabiamila, officiated the union.
After joining the couple, the cleric took the bible reading from Gen 2:23-25, which guided his sermon entitled One Flesh, One Spirit, One God. He said since we are in the season of new things, and the couple had begun a journey of an everlasting testimony of love, they should wear the garment of meek and kind spirit, which he said is the inner beauty God expects them to show in their action, speech and mode of dressing.
“Look at the examples your parents have laid for you. Make as your quintessential example the bonding of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If these three can be one in Heaven, God has commanded you today to have one spirit, one flesh and one blood,” he said.
The groom wore a black suit and ash-coloured inner blazers, while the bride shone in her flower-patterned white wedding gown. They both beamed with enchanting smiles as they danced, each trying hard to out-dance the other on their way to the podium where a mini-tent decorated in white and ash stood to welcome them.
Comedian First Born was the master of ceremonies, and he dished rib-cracking jokes out to the delight of guests.
The Chairman on the occasion and former Secretary to Ogun State Government, Otunba Gbenga Onakoya, expressed his delight at the day, which coincided with his 28th wedding anniversary. He called out his wife, Benedicta, and planted a kiss on her lips.
He encouraged the groom to have patience and perseverance in his dealings with his wife.
The couple later cut their pink and white three-step cake at the spelling of J-E-S-U-S.
Dr Kayode Bamgbola, who gave the toast, recalled that since 2008 when he knew Tolu, he had not seen her without a charming smile.
The groom, who was full of praises to the Almighty, eulogised his late sister who saw him through his education. The Political Science graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) described his wife as a paragon of beauty.
“He told The Nation about the eight-week assignment given to him by his father-in-law: “It was like a reality show with series of interviews. I go to his office like every other week and we talked about so many issues of life.
“He wanted to know me and how intelligent I am, and I’m sure I surprised him. The interaction was very instructive for me. I learnt a lot.
“He is a great man and asked some very sensitive questions on how to project plans for his daughter. It was a good experience.”
He continued: “I’m very excited and actually short of words. I’m so fulfilled and I know I have found a good thing.
“It’s been a very wonderful experience and I’m looking forward to a very wonderful life with her.
“We met through my very good friend, Deola. She mentioned her name to me, and I added her to my friends on Facebook. We got chatting and became friends, and here we are today.
“I chose her because she is a very wonderful lady with a kind heart. She is trustworthy and faithful and very beautiful. Luckily for me, God gave me the go ahead.”
Assuring his wife, he said: “Welcome, Tolu, into my life. I know we will do a lot together and I’m going to be the best husband you can ever have. I’ll make your dreams come true. Thank you for loving me.”
Responding, the bride expressed her happiness. She said: “We met through a mutual friend via Facebook and I have since known him to be funny and extremely caring. He is romantic and expressive. I am the calmer version of that.”
Mr Toki, who influenced his daughter to abandon the banking sector and join him in the family business as an Executive Director, said: “I wouldn’t have chosen a husband for my daughter. But when she introduced him to me as her fiancé, as tradition demands, I had to have an interaction of over two months with him, wherein he visited my office every Wednesday for eight weeks before I could even talk to him on whether he could marry my daughter or not.