What started as a simple request for a tissue in a Dubai café turned into a love story that crossed borders, cultures, and traditions.

Katya and Said’s first encounter was unplanned. Katya, visiting Dubai on vacation with her children, was preoccupied when Said approached her table asking for a tissue.

“My kids were really annoying me, so I barely noticed him,” she recalled with a laugh.

Said, however, was drawn to her kindness and patience. After a brief exchange, he asked for her number. Instead, she offered her email, leading them to continue their conversation via an online platform.

Their connection grew organically, built on patience and understanding. Said, originally planning a trip to Spain, changed course and returned to Morocco, where their conversations deepened.

“I appreciated that she trusted me,” Said said. “From the first moment, I felt comfortable with her.”

For Katya, the turning point came when Said invited her to Morocco. What she believed was a casual visit, turned into a surprise proposal. Due to an unexpected hotel mix-up, she ended up meeting Said’s parents earlier than planned.

That moment, she said, sealed her certainty about their future together.

“The way his family embraced me, the love they showed — I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him,” Katya recalled.

Said, 41, a former chef turned entrepreneur, and Katya, 37, who works in healthcare, have embraced each other’s cultures in ways that have strengthened their bond. Their relationship had its own unique set of challenges, but each one only strengthened their bond.

“There were a few raised eyebrows at first,” Katya said with a smile, alluding to the early days of their cross-cultural connection. But Said embraced the journey wholeheartedly traveling to Nigeria, meeting her entire family, and taking part in cherished traditions. In the end, love and a lot of charm won everyone over.

“I wanted them to know my intentions were pure,” he said.

As their bond deepened, so did their digital presence. A playful dance in a Moroccan grocery store during one of Katya’s visits quickly catapulted them into the social media spotlight. The clip of Katya dancing to a traditional Moroccan song went viral, and the couple’s social media followers grew exponentially.

Their content — a blend of humor, cultural nuance, romance, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into their long-distance relationship — has resonated globally. Katya and Said have since collaborated with international influencers, and notable brands.

Their love is rooted in faith, respect, and shared experiences. Together, they have traveled to six countries and built a life that blends their traditions while creating new ones.

“We’re forming our own culture,” Katya said. “He cooks, I watch,” she joked.

Their wedding is a testament to their global love story, with guests from over 50 countries, including Spain, India, Germany, Australia, China, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, and England.

For Said, the journey to this moment has been clear from the start.

“I never thought I’d meet someone like her,” he said. “I fell in love the first moment I met her, and I didn’t want to lose the chance to be with her.”

Smiling at her fiancé, Katya echoed the sentiment: “I said yes when he asked me to marry him, and I’ll keep saying yes for the next 100 years — if God allows.”