We first met back at Wits University in 2010. Irina was studying there, and while Steve was studying through Unisa, he used to go to Wits to see his friend Matt(and get some of the cheap Chinese food on campus:)). Irina was busy studying for her Economics test, looking at the same page for an hour, and Steve offered to help(as he was studying Economics himself). Irina said that she didn't need help because she understood the subject(spoiler alert- she didn't, and she didn't do well in that test at all!). From then on they bumped into each other a few times through mutual friends, until eventually chatting one night at a friends house. And the rest was history!
Steve chose Cape Town as the city to pop the question in, as both Irina and Steven love it. Irina considers Cape Town to be her favorite city in the world, so proposing in the Mother City was very special! Steven planned a beautiful weekend and picked the gorgeous Kirstenbosch Gardens as the setting for the big question. The center diamond in Irinas' ring belonged to Steves grandmother, and it is a very special memory of his grandma.
Strapping young lad with a sense of humor. Born and raised in the city of Johannesburg (eastside -but not that far east). I am somewhat internationally traveled, mostly visiting beautiful beaches (Thailand, Mauritius, Zanzibar are some to mention). I am very much an African baby and love visiting our game reserves - frequent trips are crucial. I spend most of my spare time with the lovely Irina, family and friends or playing and watching sport (football and golf mostly).
I was born in Moldova, grew up in Ukraine, and South Africa has been my home since my parents immigrated here in 2001. I studied Mathematics at varsity but chose to follow my passion for all things beauty and currently work as a Senior Brand Manager for Maybelline in South Africa. I love to travel, and exploring the world one country at a time. In my spare time I run my fashion and travel blog, read and plan our next vacation!
As two very different people with different interests, we find it to be very special that we found each other in this world! While Irina likes to shop and Steven to play golf, we always seem to find middle ground as a couple and do things that each other enjoys. Steven even got into loving cats, even though he always said he was a "dog person". Together we love to travel, explore different restaurants, spend time with friends and family and argue about what to watch on Netflix(Irina often wins and its Gossip Girl or Friends ;))