A Jamaican-Nigerian connection

There’s no telling when business will collide with pleasure.

For Nini Amerlise and Joshua Nwosu, they met at the Congolese restaurant called Lil Africa in California. He was there with his old record label, and the 2017 winner of Supermodel Canada had just been hired as a waitress. Initially, Joshua didn’t acknowledge Nini’s presence but things, during that first meeting, quickly went from cold to hot, switching their trajectory to long and lasting love.

“On that day, we hit it off so well that B’kem, flabbergasted, shyly told me he loved me, and I felt the same way, which has led us to where we are today; married and excited for the future ahead,” Nini told Island Wedding.

The Jamaican-Canadian model, found the Nigerian-American recording artiste to be very spontaneous, free-spirited and unique, with that cool ‘Nigerian-Cali vibe’. “I enjoyed that he kept his hair in dreads and had his own unique style. His love for Jesus was the crème de la crème for me. I adored his passionate love for his music and what he represents; all of it has been an inspiration for me,” she shared.

One month after they met, the two went out on a date on November 30, 2018. Nini might have instigated the occasion with a comment, but Joshua planned a surprise date at the House of Thai Taste on Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles. The dinner was intimate and the food, filled with wonderful flavours. From there, he drove his soon-to-be beloved to part two of their date night: go-karting. She was 25 at the time, but felt like a teenager all over again on the love escapade, driving on three concourses with her future boyfriend before closing off the night with arcade games. That special occasion sealed the deal, and the duo embarked on an incredible relationship thereafter.

Joshua, who goes by the moniker B’kem, initially thought Nini was quiet and unresponsive. That was until her explosively enchanting personality came to light. “When she loves, she loves hard,” he explained, adding that she will go the extra mile for what she wants. “She is delicate. But she is also prayerful, and that’s what made me love her even more, because it’s something we had in common.”

He went on to share just how her spiritual connection has helped him to draw closer to God. “She connected me to my church family, and was the catalyst to the end of my smoking and drinking. I used to smoke weed and cigarettes in the past until one day, I heard the voice of God tell me I was going to quit. I told everyone in my former circle who were also smokers, and they laughed at me. After I met my wife, I realised the manifestation had taken place. I quit smoking, I quit drinking, and I was different,” he said.

Outside of that, Nini has motivated him throughout his career, even through his transition to writing music with purpose. “Lots of people didn’t like that fact, yet she kept pushing me to listen to God. That led to the music awards I received that I [had] never received before.”

Nini describes her life partner, B’kem, as incredibly giving and humorous, “Whenever I am upset and unhappy, he does everything possible to try to cheer me up. He is loving, kind-hearted and passionate, [and] does everything from the depths of him and doesn’t hold back.”

Since their exhilarating courtship, Joshua has taught Nini the importance of effective communication and speaking in the right tone. It has not only helped with their relationship, but it has played a tremendous role externally in business and friendships.

“He has also shown me what it means to love a man. I didn’t grow up with a father, so I have been hardwired for many years to see through a narrow lens of my own misconceptions. Through him, I began to understand the complexities and beauty of the male composition and how they are designed, in addition to spending time in the Word of God. Men genuinely love respect and honour. The more you shower them with this, the more one will have a blissful home,” she added.

Surprise ENGAGEMENT

Two years and nine months later, Joshua planned another surprise date. Only this time, it was to ask Nini, the love of his life, to make him the happiest man alive by being his wife.

B’kem performed a couple of his songs at church, Supernatural Life Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, to celebrate his latest musical album. The plan was that after his performance, the church’s apostle would invite Nini to the stage to share her story as a supermodel and emerging actress, then he would go down on one knee and pop the question. What he didn’t bank on were the emotions that surrounded the occasion.

“On the altar of the Lord, before I proposed and pulled out the most expensive thing I had on me, we both cried. I told her I loved her from the depths of my soul and that I knew she didn’t see this coming. I had spent so much time concealing the ring that the Lord led me to, that I didn’t even expect the pressure getting down on my knee would have [on me] to the point of tears of joy.” With tears running down her cheeks, Nini said yes.

Family, friends and sponsors stepped in to make the couple’s wedding a success. But both Joshua and Nini set the plans in motion. “Celebrity Chef Tremaine Turner of Pop Up Kitchen flew in from California and cooked a stellar main course of jerk chicken Alfredo, with vegan options for our guests. Top Jamaican-American media provider of SurgeonLyphe photography wowed us with incredible images, video, and drone footage, capturing all the precious and significant moments of our special day. NA Management Incorporated navigated the cake, accessories, bouquet and décor with a small window of time, after the event planner setback,” the bride-to-be shared.

On May 21, Joshua and Nini tied the knot in a picturesque wedding ceremony at The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was the perfect middle-ground wedding destination for both families to unite in the name of love. Those in attendance arrived from Toronto, California, Nigeria, Ghana and Jamaica. The beautiful bride was a vision of elegance and enchantment in the most exquisite bridal gown from celebrity designer Alexander Bridal Couture. Boasting a sweetheart neckline with a ruffled bottom, she added a lace veil and a golden tiara with encrusted crystals. Her handsome groom, decked in an all-white suit, provided a suave frame for his picture of love and happiness.

Among the highlight reel for the bride were the ceremony itself and those in attendance, specifically her grandfather and apostle. ”The ceremony was my favourite part, as it was intimate. It literally felt like my husband and I were the only ones in the room. It was also humbling to know my grandfather was able to stand in for my deceased dad, flying all the way from Canada to hand me over to my husband; that was an unforgettable, cherished moment. Our apostle flew in all the way from Nigeria, as he was on assignment; we felt very loved and special in the eyes of God.”

All the stress and the last-minute cancellations didn’t matter for the groom when he saw his bride walking up the aisle towards him, “When I saw her in her dress, my heart stopped, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I was stuck like, ‘Wow! That’s my wife?! My God!’ She was, and is, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com