In a world where more and more connections are being made through dating apps and DM dives, NFL player Nazeeh met his love, Gabrielle, better known as Gabby, the old-fashioned way when they crossed paths in Tampa, Fla. in the summer of 2023. “Nazeeh asked me for my number and Instagram, and we’ve been inseparable ever since,” says Gabby. “We became best friends.”
In addition to her beauty, what appealed to the Kansas City Chiefs cornerback was that she wasn’t afraid to tell him the truth. When you’re a successful professional athlete, people have a habit of being “yes men” to keep you happy. She gave it to him straight. “I was talking to her about getting a motorcycle and she told me I shouldn’t get one until I’m done playing football,” he recalls. “She instantly cared for my well-being. People normally tell me to do what I want, but not her.”
For Gabby, his willingness to let her in, not being afraid to be vulnerable during difficult times, let her know he was her person. “Life became easy with him,” she says. “He allowed me to be a part of his ACL recovery process, and during that time, we developed spiritually and emotionally. Things are never perfect, and I always appreciate that because there is always the willingness to grow and to keep pushing forward. Being willing is so important.”
Nazeeh thought that he’d be hit with one of those “When you know you know” moments everyone speaks about. “But with her, it was a thousand quiet ones, each glowing with her extraordinary love,” he says. “She was different—loving, caring, and always putting others before herself in a way that felt like a gift.”
“I knew she was my person because she made life feel like home,” he adds. “Her laughter turned mundane moments into magic, her love a safe harbor and a wild adventure. She was the one who stood by me, her unwavering devotion teaching me that true love is a promise kept every day.”
And so, he didn’t waste time. The couple met in July of that year, and he proposed in September. The two were long-distance until the end of 2023. So that September, he visited her in Atlanta, and proposed by setting up the house he was staying in with “hundreds and hundreds of red rose petals and candles.” Rose petals led her to a room playing their favorite song, and there he was on one knee, 500 long stem roses in one hand, a gorgeous engagement ring in the other. “I instantly cried and dropped to my knees with him as he asked me to marry him.”
The same love felt on that night, and that you can feel in the way they speak about each other, was emanating through The Glass Venue in Miami when Nazeeh and Gabby said “I do” on June 28, 2025. And while the celebration, a luxe black tie affair, was the ultimate celebration of their bond, the couple have actually been married since 2023, and shared the news on their wedding day. “It was the perfect time to tell our families, because it was the first time they were all in one room together,” Gabby says. “Although, I don’t think anyone was really surprised. Not because they knew we were married already, but because the love we share is the closest thing to ‘If they aren’t already married, they should be’ they had ever seen.”
They may be newlyweds in a sense, but the couple are already seasoned spouses. They’ve experienced the highs and some not so high realites, and they’re looking forward to where life and love, takes them next. “We have been submerged underwater wearing super heavy scuba tanks, exploring the sea together, we’ve driven around on boats with our dogs, we came home with a hairless cat, and so much more,” Gabby says. “There is never a dull moment with the Johnsons.”
See more from the couple’s special day, find out why they decided to keep their first nuptials on the low, and learn more about their love story in this week’s Bridal Bliss.
Speaking of mothers, when speaking on Nazeeh, Gabby says, “I knew he was the one for me when I met his first love, his mother, Kisha. We met and instantly she became like my second mother. Nazeeh was a week out of surgery, and we all sat in the living room playing Monopoly, watching movies until we all fell asleep. The comfortability, compassion and care was always there.”
“Her heart was a sanctuary,” Nazeeh says of falling in love with Gabby. “When doubts weighed me down, she wrapped me in warmth, her caring nature a steady reminder of my worth. She didn’t just see my flaws; she loved them, choosing me with a sincerity that made every day brighter. Her selflessness shone in small acts—leaving sweet notes, listening with her whole soul, or placing my needs above her own without a second thought.”
“He’s my strength when I feel weak,” she says of Nazeeh, “my confidence when I feel less than. He’s my home.”
“Our wedding day overflowed with joy, but one moment eclipses all: seeing my wife walk down the aisle,” Nazeeh says. “Her loving, caring heart, always putting others first, shone brighter than ever. I was a bundle of nerves, knowing she’d be breathtaking. When she appeared, radiant and graceful, her eyes locked on mine, I couldn’t hold back the tears. It wasn’t just her beauty—it was her boundless love, choosing me. That moment, when she became my forever, will live in my heart always. To my wife, my home, my everything.”
Though the couple said “I do” in front of guests, they actually first wed in 2023. “We told minimal family about us first getting married. Our moms were our witnesses on that special day. We decided to marry because we couldn’t understand life without each other any longer. It mended broken pieces, and filled in the missing puzzle pieces,” says Gabby. “We also decided to keep our relationship a secret, because we loved very fast and we weren’t interested in all of the outside opinions of our family and friends.”
The couple chose to marry at the very popular space, The Glass Venue. It spans 6,500 square feet, and in addition to an indoor cocktail building and large reception hall, they even have a waterfall, too!
The ceremony was an unforgettable one. A very special aspect of it was a memorial created for their late grandparents. It was surrounded by flowers, “their pictures sitting there watching us tie the knot.”
The couple were all smiles in a portrait with their proud parents.
Nazeeh and Gabby are pictured surrounded by their very stylish wedding party, who wore black, complementing the couple’s white attire. The party, and the couple’s guests, wore black, making it truly an “all black, black tie affair.”
The Johnsons shared that marriage for them has been an opportunity to get to know one another more and more each day. “What’s made us stronger is the challenge of learning one another through all of the ups and downs,” says the bride. “And honestly, you never stop learning a person. Even after 50 years of marriage.”
Nazeeh describes Gabby as “my forever, whose boundless heart changed everything.”
A fun fact: The couple’s favorite song, the one that Nazeeh proposed to Gabby with, is “So High” by John Legend.
“There was no specific theme, but we love the simplicity of black with acrylic accents. The bits of white accented my white dress and his off-white tux,” Gabby shares.
“We appreciated the simple elegance radiating from the decor,” she adds. “It wasn’t too much, it was just enough to make the most extraordinary night, feel luxurious.”
The outfits were stellar, including this second look, and their teeth were shining thanks to the couple’s custom mouth pieces. “Mine engraved with the number 13 and red rubies, and his with diamonds and a gold ‘G.’ It was just so exciting!” she says of the special touch.
Once the reception got going, the couple ended the night matching their guests in black. “We got to look great and loosen up after all of the stressful parts were completed,” says Gabby.
“It’s been blissful, challenging and adventurous,” says Gabby when describing married life so far. The adventure comes from the fun they have together. The challenging part? “With football and all of life’s ups and downs, we are learning to always keep one another first and to accept when it isn’t perfect. We take from those moments, and turn them into learning curves to better our marriage.” Through it all, they’re grateful to do life together, hence, the bliss. “Every moment we share together is full of so much joy.”
Vendors
Makeup: Ashley Strong
Hair: Bri Moore
Planner: Moyah Daniels of The Glo Experience
Photo/Video: Travis Daniels
Venue: The Glass Venue
Catering: Sogno d’Elite Events
Photo Booth: Esteem 360 Photo Booth Rentals
Cigars: Cigar Stud