We're getting married

The year was 2021, and love was learning to bloom between lockdowns and lifted restrictions…

In a world where “charffing” on social media had become the new courtship ritual, Arnelle and Divan had been dancing around each other in that delightfully modern way – all witty comments and carefully curated posts. But when Divan’s Sunday flight landed in Johannesburg, it was time to see if their digital chemistry could survive the real world.

There she was at 8 AM on a Sunday morning, Arnelle behind the wheel, ready to show this Cape Town boy what Joburg was all about. What she hadn’t factored in was that Johannesburg on a Sunday morning has all the energy of a sleepy suburb – which is to say, absolutely none at all.

“Don’t worry,” Arnelle announced with the confidence of someone who definitely hadn’t thought this through, “I know all the best spots!” And off they went on what would become the most memorably terrifying tour of Johannesburg’s grittier photography locations.

Picture this: Divan, fresh from Cape Town’s gentle mountain breezes, suddenly finding himself on an impromptu tour of Maboneng, Braamfontein, and – heaven help him – areas that made Hillbrow look like a cozy neighborhood. With each turn, his Cape Town calm evaporated a little more while Arnelle cheerfully narrated her greatest photographic adventures like she was hosting a travel show.

“This is where I shot that amazing urban portrait series,” she’d say, while Divan silently wondered if his life insurance was up to date.

By the time they reached the relative sanctuary of 44 Stanley, both were ready for a drink. Or several.

“Mimosas!” Arnelle declared, because nothing says “successful second date” like bubbly brunch drinks. Except, as they would soon discover, Johannesburg in 2021 had many wonderful things to offer, but mimosas were apparently not among them.

After scanning menu after menu with the dedication of archaeologists searching for ancient treasures, they finally accepted defeat. No mimosas were to be found in all of Joburg that morning.

“Tequila?” the waiter suggested, probably taking pity on these two clearly out-of-their-element souls.

And there they sat – Arnelle, who had just given an inadvertent masterclass in “How to Terrify Your Date,” and Divan, who had survived what felt like an extreme sport disguised as sightseeing – sharing what would later be remembered as the worst tequila either of them had ever tasted.

But here’s the thing about love: it doesn’t need perfect mimosas or safe neighborhoods or even decent tequila. Sometimes it just needs two people willing to laugh at the absurdity of it all, to find joy in the unexpected detours, and to realize that the best adventures are the ones you never planned.

As they sat there, sipping terrible tequila and laughing about their morning’s misadventures, something clicked. This wasn’t just chemistry – this was the kind of person you could navigate any neighborhood with, the kind of person who would turn your worst-laid plans into your favorite memories.

Years later, as they planned their wedding, they would look back on that Sunday morning as the moment they knew. Not because it was perfect, but because it was perfectly them – a little chaotic, unexpectedly adventurous, and filled with the kind of laughter that carries you through a lifetime.

They’ve since learned the value of good tequila (and proper planning), but they’ve never forgotten that sometimes the best love stories begin with the worst mimosa hunt in Johannesburg history.