Our Story
Every love story is unique, but ours feels like it was always meant to be. With a little help from timing, friends, and some patience our love only grew stronger with time. Even the most ordinary felt extraordinary when we both are together.
Scroll down to see this beautiful love story evolve
Somewhere in 2023
Love at first annoyance
It all started in a classroom at Utrecht University, during our Master’s in Public International Law. The lecturer had just opened the floor for discussion. Bianca, as passionate and sharp as ever, dove straight in. And then… a voice to her right. Some random guy had the audacity to challenge the idea she had just supported. She was immediately annoyed. Who was this guy? But even as she rolled her eyes, there was something about him, something intriguing and attractive.
Despite the rocky academic start, something lingered in the air. A quiet knowing that, beneath the debate, this was someone worth getting to know. And as it turns out, first impressions, even the frustrating ones, sometimes lead to the most meaningful beginnings.
9 October 2023
The Graduation
The next time Bianca and Koral would cross eyes again would be at the end of their master’s degree during one of their proudest achievements. They were picking up their diploma with their families, celebrating the reward of all their hard work. After the ceremony Koral and his family were just leaving a terrace and something made him look back. There in his eyes he saw that beautiful woman again. Recognizing each other they waved and continued their paths.
9 November 2023
The first date
Exactly a month later, a mutual friend nudged them to go on a date. Both hesitant and wary of love, Bianca received a message from Koral, they began talking until he asked her out on a date.
He booked a beautiful table at Le Jardin in Utrecht, where a delicious 5 course dinner was served, paired with fine wine set the stage for conversations that sparked something unexpected.
But afraid to fall inlove, Bianca confessed she didn’t want a second date. Though disappointed, Koral insisted on taking her for one last drink at a bar across the street and if she still felt the same way that he would agree to drive her home safely.
Yet fate had other plans.
After leaving the bar, they walked towards his car, when they reached the car, they discovered the back window shattered and Koral’s backpack stolen. Despite the setback, Koral still drove Bianca home.
When arriving at Bianca’s house, Bianca lent over to give Koral a final hug goodbye.
She walked into the reception of her building and turned around to see Korals car still parked outside.
Bianca then called Koral to check that he was okay, only to be told he heard a weird noise in his car and that his car wouldn’t drive away.
Turns out, the transmission in the car broke right in front of her door!
The car wouldn’t move, and neither could Koral. It was clear: their journey was only just beginning.
Building careers and relationships
It wasn’t always easy, loving someone in uniform. When Koral first met Bianca, he was a young Navy officer at the very beginning of his career. Full of ambition, but constantly being called away by duty. Life at sea meant long days, unpredictable schedules, patchy internet, and far too many goodbyes.
Their relationship was tested often, in ways that only time and distance can. But love, as it turns out, has its own kind of strength. While most would have drifted apart, Bianca and Koral held on fiercely, stubbornly, and with deep belief in what they had. Through every challenge, they chose one another again and again. They learned to find joy in the little things: a message that got through, a short call in the middle of a long day, a shared plan for the next time they’d be together.
And somehow, what started as a test of endurance became the foundation of something unshakable. What grew between them wasn’t just romance, it was loyalty, partnership, and an unspoken promise: “No matter where we are, we are home with each other.”
14 February 2024
Their first Valentine’s day
Our first Valentine’s Day wasn’t just romantic, it was cultural!
Instead of a fancy dinner with candlelit clichés, Koral had something more meaningful in mind: sharing a piece of his heritage with Bianca. So, he took her to Evim, a cozy Turkish restaurant tucked away in the heart of Rotterdam.
The name Evim means “My Home” and that’s exactly what it felt like. Warm lights, the scent of grilled spices, and tables full of stories. Bianca got introduced to the delicious dish called “Beyti Kebab” and got a taste of Koral’s favourite dish “Iskender”
Loves grows where cultures are shared, and food becomes memory!
22 February 2024
The First Holiday
Our first real adventure together brought us to the heart of Istanbul, a city where continents meet, spices fill the air, and every street corner tempts you with something delicious.
From the moment we landed, it was all about food, laughter, and getting wonderfully lost in the chaos. We strolled through ancient streets, drank countless glasses of çay and discovered just how many kinds of kebab one city could offer (answer: endless). Bianca tasted almost all the delicious flavours of Istanbul.
But beyond the flavours and laughter, something deeper was simmering.
One evening, after a day of wandering through the Grand Bazaar and stuffing ourselves with too much baklava, Koral sat Bianca down and finally asked her to be his girlfriend!
It happened right at sunset with the most beautiful view one could have in Istanbul.
She said yes!!
And from that night on, Istanbul wasn’t just a place we visited. It became a part of our love story.
Love Across Harbours
While Koral was at sea with the Navy, life moved to the rhythm of deployments, long watches, and unpredictable communication. Days blurred into nights, and messages were short or delayed, if they came through at all. While Bianca was staying home all by herself. But even in the distance, Bianca remained close, not just in heart, but in presence as well.
During two of his port calls, she boarded planes navigating unfamiliar cities just to share a few precious days together. In Bristol and later in Edinburgh, they wandered cobbled streets, laughed over warm pub meals, and tried to ignore the ticking clock before the ship set sail again.
These visits always were bittersweet. It always was like a mini holiday, but …. goodbyes came too quickly, and time was never enough. But in every short reunion, they deepened their bond.
Meeting South Africa
The first time Koral set foot in South Africa, he didn’t quite know what to expect. He came with an open mind, a little curiosity, and a lot of excitement, but nothing could have prepared him for how deeply he would fall in love with the country, the people, and the place Bianca calls home.
From the moment he arrived, he was welcomed with open arms. Bianca’s family and friends embraced him not as a visitor, but as one of their own, with stories, laughter, and of course, braais that turned into late-night memories.
He saw sunsets he’ll never forget and stood in awe at landscapes that looked too perfect to be real. From mountain ranges to golden coastlines, wild vineyards to city rhythms. Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Johannesburg, every corner offered something breathtaking.
But more than the beauty, it was the feeling of being there, of seeing Bianca in her element, surrounded by the people and places that shaped her. That made the trip unforgettable!
Koral thought he was just visiting. But by the time he left, South Africa had already taken a piece of his heart
18 April 2025
THE ENGAGEMENT
Some proposals take planning. Ours? It took a secret mission across three countries, a few incredible people, and just the right moment beside a lake.
Koral knew from early on that he wanted to propose to Bianca, and he wanted it to be perfect. The ring had to be special. With the help of Antoun, who helped finding the diamond and create the ring, the first piece of the plan fell into place. But getting the ring to Koral without Bianca finding out… now that was where the fun began.
Bianca’s mom, Debra, played a vital role behind the scenes, helping Koral plan every detail while keeping it all beautifully hidden. Her aunt Kim, who just happened to be flying from South Africa to England to visit her son Keaghan and his wife Caroline with their baby Wren, agreed to be the secret courier. She carried the ring halfway across the world, tucked away, safe and sparkling.
Then came the covert operation. While Bianca thought Koral was just having a normal day at work in the harbour, he secretly booked a same-day round-trip flight to the UK. He met Kim, Keaghan and Caroline, picked up the ring, had a coffee, gave a few hugs, and flew straight back the same day with his new ring.
Just a few days later, in the dreamlike beauty of Lake Como, with still waters behind them and mountains rising like something from a film set, Koral asked Bianca to marry him.
She said yes!
And just like that, a journey that crossed oceans and borders turned into a single, perfect moment and the beginning of a lifetime!
