Pressed Garden · Hauwa & Daniel

Plate II A letter

Before anything else, a note

Dear friend,

Six years ago, two volunteers in borrowed gloves spent a whole harmattan Saturday arguing about whether bougainvillea needs water. Since then we have survived a year between Abuja and Port Harcourt, a letter every week with a flower pressed inside, and one very nervous question at dusk in Millennium Park.

Now we are making it official, and the day would not be complete without you. Come and eat with us, dance with us, and pray over us as we start a home, and a garden, together.

With all our love,Hauwa & Daniel

Plate III Our story

Two stems, one bouquet

Four specimens, from a dry January in 2021 to this November, pressed and labelled the way a herbarium keeps them.

Scroll slowly: each one inks itself in over its pencil sketch, then settles under a sheet of vellum.

Her roots

Hauwa

Born in Kafanchan, Southern Kaduna, in 1996. Lover of acha, seed catalogues and a very sharp pair of secateurs.

His roots

Daniel

Born in Jos in 1995, Igbo by family and Plateau by temperament. Lover of cold mornings, his mother's ofe nsala and confident opinions about plants.

Herb. H. & D.No. 1 Specimen no. 1: The first argument, Wuse, 16 January 2021 Bougainvillea glabra ‘Leave It Dry’ Loc.Community garden, Wuse, Abuja Coll.H. Bitrus, who was right

Specimen no. 1 · 2021

The first argument

Wuse, Abuja · 16 January 2021

A dusty harmattan Saturday, a community garden in Wuse, and a bed of bougainvillea that needed replanting. Daniel turned up with two full watering cans. Hauwa told him bougainvillea flowers best when you leave it thirsty. We argued until the light went, then all the way to the suya spot. Her bed flowered first. He has still not conceded.

Herb. H. & D.No. 2 Specimen no. 2: By return of post, Abuja and Port Harcourt, 2023 Plumeria rubra ‘Every Monday’ Loc.Gwarinpa, Abuja ↔ Port Harcourt Noteposted Monday; arrives flat by Thursday

Specimen no. 2 · 2023

By return of post

Abuja ↔ Port Harcourt · 2023

Daniel's job sent him to Port Harcourt for a year. Hauwa wrote every Monday, and every letter carried a pressed flower: frangipani from her mother's tree in Gwarinpa, hibiscus from the hedge by the gate, and once a single bougainvillea bract, just to make a point. He reminded her that Port Harcourt is already called the Garden City. She kept posting.

Herb. H. & D.No. 3 Specimen no. 3: A jar at dusk, Millennium Park, 14 March 2026 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Kept Every One’ Loc.Millennium Park, 9.07° N, 7.50° E Coll.D. Okoro, on one knee

Specimen no. 3 · 2026

A jar at dusk

Millennium Park, Abuja · 14 March 2026

An evening walk in Millennium Park that Daniel kept steering towards one particular bench, and a glass jar holding every flower Hauwa had ever posted to Port Harcourt. He had kept every single one. She said yes before he had finished reading out the label he had written for the lid.

Herb. H. & D.No. 4 Specimen no. 4: You, Abuja, 13 November 2027 Ixora coccinea ‘Everyone We Love’ Loc.Maitama and Jabi, Abuja Coll.you, we hope

Specimen no. 4 · 2027

This is where you come in.

Abuja · 13 November 2027

Ixora grows in tight, bright clusters, dozens of small flowers holding each other up, and it is the one flower in this book we cannot press on our own. That is the picture we have of 13 November: a family from Southern Kaduna, a family from Jos, and every one of you tied into the same bunch.

Kindly reply

Plate IV When & where

Two days, one family

Every event is in Abuja. Tap a venue for directions, or save an event straight to your calendar.

Plate V Order of the day

Saturday, in order

On the day itself this list follows the clock, so you can always see what is happening now.

Plate VI What to wear · Aṣọ ẹbí

Dyed in our colours

Our colours come straight out of the garden: bougainvillea for the Bitrus family and leaf green for the Okoro family on Friday, then the softer sage, plum and ixora of the reception lawn on Saturday. Screens vary, so take the colour names and hex codes to your tailor as well.

Plate VII The wedding train

The people beside us

A sister, a brother, cousins from Kaduna and Jos, and two fellow volunteers from the Wuse garden: the people who carried us here, and who will walk in ahead of us.

Plate VIII Kindly reply

Will you celebrate with us?

Fill in the seed packet and we will hand your reply to WhatsApp, written out and ready for you to send. Access cards with your table and venue details arrive by email two weeks before the wedding.

Admission is strictly by access card, and each card admits only the names on it.

Please reply bySaturday 2 October 2027

H & D Seed Co. · Abuja

Kindly reply

Sow by Saturday 2 October 2027

Your name, or your household

Will you be there?

Joyfully accepts Regretfully declines

Seats on your card

1 2 3 4

You will find me at

Phone

A note for us

Nothing is sent from this page. The next step opens WhatsApp, and you press send there.

Sealed, not sent yet

One last step: send it

Press the button to open WhatsApp with your reply written out, then press send there.

Open WhatsApp to send (opens in a new tab)

If WhatsApp does not open, copy your reply and send it to +234 800 000 0000.

Plate IX For our guests

A few details

Should I bring a gift?

Your presence is the gift. If you would like to give something more, everything is under Gifts: pick something off our wish list, or give towards our first home from Nigeria, the UK or anywhere. At the reception, envelopes rather than spraying, please.

How do I get my access card?

Once you reply, your access card is emailed to you two weeks before the wedding. It carries your name, table number, venue address and a QR code for check-in. Save it on your phone or print it, and if anything looks wrong, message our planner on WhatsApp.

My table is still unassigned. Should I be worried?

Not at all. Tables are assigned in the final week, once every reply is in. Your access card will show your table on the day.

Can I bring a plus one, or my children?

Each access card admits only the names printed on it. If your card says "and guest", you are welcome to bring one. We love your little ones, but the reception is an adults-only evening so that everyone can relax.

What is the aṣọ ẹbí, and where do I get it?

It is the family fabric for Friday's engagement: the Bitrus side wears bougainvillea, the Okoro side wears leaf green, both finish with gold, and friends may choose either. Fabric is available from Mrs Bitrus until 10 September 2027. Saturday has no aṣọ ẹbí: garden formal in our colours is perfect.

Is there parking at the venues?

Yes. The chapel has its own car park with ushers directing, and The Lakeside Garden has a secured car park at the main gate, with a paved walk down to the lawn. If you are using a ride-hailing app, the drop-off point is the main gate at both venues.

Where should out-of-town guests stay?

We have held a block of rooms at a hotel in Wuse 2, ten minutes from the chapel, fifteen from the reception and twenty-five from Friday's engagement in Gwarinpa. Mention "Hauwa and Daniel" when booking for the wedding rate, valid until 15 October 2027. The details are in your access card email.

Plate X Gifts

Your presence is the gift

Truly. Bring yourselves and your prayers, and that is everything. If your hand still finds something to give, there are two ways: pick something off our wish list, or give towards our first home.

Our wish list

Bought something? Press I'm getting this so we can mark it taken before two aunties buy the same watering can. Bigger gifts can be shared: chip in any amount through the details below.

Most of our list is on Jumia (opens in a new tab)

Or give towards our first home

Copy what you need. Put your name in the narration or reference, so we know whom to thank.

From Nigeria₦ naira · bank transfer

Your bank app shows the account name before you confirm. If it does not say HAUWA BITRUS, do not send; message our planner on WhatsApp instead.

From the UK£ pounds · or IBAN from abroad

Your bank checks the name before paying. It should match DANIEL OKORO; if it does not, stop and message our planner.

From anywherePayPal

This PayPal is linked to Daniel's UK account, so the gift lands in pounds; PayPal converts most other money. Prefer a bank transfer from abroad? Use the UK details: that account takes international transfers.

On the dayan envelope

There is a gift table at the reception, under the canopy beside the high table. Aunty Laraba keeps the book and receives envelopes with both hands. Write your name on the envelope so we can thank you.

Envelopes rather than spraying, please. The Central Bank has views, and so do the aunties.

Giving from London, Houston or Toronto? Use the UK or PayPal details; there is no need to carry cash to Abuja.

One house rule: if it is not on the list, please do not box it. The house is small and the garden is big, and a third kettle would end up living in the shed.

Plate XI The sounds

Our wedding playlist

From the first dance to the last Amapiano run, with plenty of Osadebe for Daniel's uncles. Follow along, and tell us in your reply what we are missing.

Listen on Spotify (opens in a new tab) Listen on Apple Music (opens in a new tab)

Plate XII From our loved ones

Hauwa & Daniel