This is the story of a woman named Sharonda Trent – How she got married to her husband met online on Facebook after he proposed her with a ring of $2000. Read the complete story below, she explained –
When I was about to order a coffee and bagel from Dunkin’ Donuts before my flight to the Middle East, my younger brother called me.
Since I’d bought the plane tickets, he had been calling me. This time, he begged me to wait for him at the airport.
My brother said he would pick me up right now.
My brother ruined my mood even more by arguing with me, and I hung up after a while. No one was going to stop me from going to Dubai, not my family, friends, or even my pastor.
During our WhatsApp conversations, we planned our wedding
I chose my future husband — who I’d only met on Facebook and WhatsApp — myself. It didn’t matter to us that we hadn’t seen each other in person. Having started direct messaging each other in April 2021, husband proposed online on Facebook in April 2021. We were in love.
Our plans were to meet in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on November 25, 2021, because it was about halfway between the US and Kazakhstan, where Precious lived. We would stay in Dubai for three days, then have the wedding in Nigeria, where he was born.
The majority of the arrangements were done on WhatsApp. We chose our rings and honeymoon hotel. I gave my dress measurements to his sister-in-law Chika to send to a tailor. I wanted my outfits to be custom-made in Nigeria.
A friend request from Precious was sent to me on Facebook in the spring of 2018. He liked the scriptures and encouragement I posted on my feed. We talked about what it meant to be Christian, but it was never romantic. We went on with our lives and lost touch.
After three years, Precious sent me a direct message. I was wondering whether I would ever find the right man to settle down with. This time, Precious told me he loved me from the beginning.
In order to make sure he wasn’t a scammer, we had a video chat
Despite the fact that he said he knew I was the right woman for him, I don’t believe in marrying someone just because they want to be married. I wanted to get to know them first.
Then we talked about our jobs – he taught English in Kazakhstan, and I had written two books – and what we wanted from life. He was humorous and honest. He stood on his own two feet. He had all the qualities I was looking for in a husband.
There are a lot of scams out there. But he was who he said he was. He was handsome. It felt safe to speak with him. He understood me.
In April 2021, my husband Pious proposed me online via video chat. I said yes straight away. He sent me $2,000 in cash to buy an engagement ring. I picked up the money from Western Union. I sent him a photo of the ring on my finger.
It was said by my family that Precious wanted to marry me only so he could get a US visa
It took us six months to plan our wedding in Nigeria, where Precious grew up. There was a lot to organize since Precious’ tribe – the Igbo tribe – had two wedding ceremonies.
They thought Precious must be a scam artist, since we were planning to marry without ever having met.
Several of my brothers and sisters told me that he wanted to marry me just to get a visa for the US.
My pastor told me he’d seen a documentary about a woman who married someone she met online. “It didn’t end well,” he said.
As I was about to board my flight, I hung up on my brother because I had had enough. They tried to change my mind, but I wouldn’t budge.
From Philadelphia, I caught a direct flight to Qatar and a connecting flight to Dubai, where I arrived on November 25, 2021. The flight was delayed. I was exhausted. As I walked into the arrivals hall in Dubai, I looked around and thought, “Where is this guy?”
When I saw him waiting for me, any doubts that I’d had vanished. We knew we were attracted to each other. We hugged. But we didn’t kiss. We’d decided to wait until our wedding day.
I tried on my two wedding dresses, a red silk gown and a traditional white gown, and they fit perfectly. We spent three days in Dubai, then traveled to Nigeria. Precious’ family members, who live in the south of the country, were so happy to see us.
In a fleeting moment, I thought, “Oh, my gosh, are you really doing this?” and, “If this is a mistake, you have to live with it.” But I had faith. I knew Precious was a decent, loving person.
Our first wedding anniversary is coming up, and my family has come around to the idea of our marriage. They’ve told me they’re happy for us. We live in Kazakhstan where Precious continues to work.
I haven’t had the time to sit down and reflect on what I’ve done. But I understand enough to know it was something I had to do. I’ve always been a risk-taker. You have to take risks in life to be successful.
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