Bakara + Jamal
Love in the Fall

Online dating is the new norm, but stories about the experience are usually comical, somewhat traumatizing, or will leave you wondering whether the app effort is worth it. Every once in a while you come across a story where an app brought two people together who were truly meant for one another.

Bakara and Jamal are one of those lucky couples. They first connected on Bumble.com in early 2022 but quickly agreed they hated communicating via the app. They felt comfortable to move to face-to-face and planned to meet for a drink before heading to a concert featuring one of Bakara’s friends. Even though they had no expectations, they ended up hitting it off to the point that they never made it to the concert.

Over drinks, they learned how much they shared including their families being from the same place, several common interests, their morals and values, and everything in between. They also learned they shared a genuine love for travel and that they were both learning to speak French.

In June of 2023, they put their new shared French language knowledge and love of travel to practice when Bakara joined Jamal’s family on a trip to France for his niece’s sweet 16th birthday. Everyone but Bakara knew that Jamal had plans to propose!

Cue the necessary photoshoot at The Eiffel Tower. Jamal asked Bakara to turn around for an “artsy” photo and while her back was turned, he dropped to one knee. Of course, she gave him a resounding “yes!” They spent the next 10 days in Paris, Provence, Porto, and Lisbon celebrating their engagement.

Bakara and Jamal will get married this Fall, a season Bakara clearly loves 🙂

When asked about what they were looking forward to most, Bakara says, “I’m most looking forward to Jamal seeing me walk down the aisle and for all our family and friends to be together in one place. I’ve enjoyed planning my future with Jamal. I’m getting excited about all the great things to come!”

While Jamal, “is looking forward to enjoying each individual stage in our relationship. Dating, engagement, marriage, and celebrating with those closest to us. Also looking forward to building our own family and growing our lives together.”