Love does not always begin with a perfect first meeting. Sometimes, two people meet when they are young and go their own ways. Years later, life brings them together again. That is what happened to Yado Yakub and Margaret Brennan. Their love story started at the University of Virginia in 1998. At that time, they were only college friends who knew little about each other. They did not know they would get married one day.
Many years passed before they met again in Washington, D.C. By then, both had grown and built their careers. Margaret had become a well-known news reporter, while Yado Yakub had become a lawyer and Marine officer. Their second meeting changed their lives. They began spending time together, fell in love, and married in 2015. Today, their story is known for its sweet beginning, family ties, and mix of two cultures. Here is how their love story grew from a simple college meeting into a life together.
Who Is Yado Yakub?
Yado Yakub is an American lawyer and former active-duty U.S. Marine Corps officer. His full name is Ali Iyad Yakub, but most people know him by his nickname, Yado. He became known to many people because of his marriage to Margaret Brennan, a famous CBS News journalist. However, he had built a strong career of his own long before their wedding. He studied at the University of Virginia and later earned a law degree from the University of Miami.
After law school, he worked in the legal field. In 2007, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He served as a judge advocate, which is a lawyer who works on military legal matters. His work required skill, care, and a strong sense of duty. After his active military service, he also worked in global intelligence and advisory roles. Yado Yakub has spent much of his working life in law, military service, and international affairs. These fields also connect with some of the world issues that his wife covers as a journalist.
Who Is Margaret Brennan?
Margaret Brennan is a respected American journalist and television news host. She is best known for hosting Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on CBS News. The program covers politics, world events, and important issues in the United States. Margaret became the show’s moderator in February 2018. She also works as the chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News. Her job often involves speaking with leaders, asking hard questions, and helping viewers understand major news stories. Before joining CBS, she worked in business and financial news.
Her career has taken her to many parts of the world. She has covered major events and has spoken with important people in government and public life. Even with such a busy job, she has also built a family with Yado Yakub. Her life shows that a person can care deeply about a career and family at the same time. Her marriage is an interesting part of her story because she first knew her future husband long before her television career became so well known.
How Yado Yakub and Margaret Brennan First Met in College
The story of Yado Yakub and Margaret Brennan began in 1998 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Margaret was a first-year student, while Yado was in his final year of college. They knew each other, but they were not close friends. They sometimes crossed paths on campus and said hello. At that time, neither person thought a love story would grow from those short meetings. They had different groups of friends and different plans for the future. Margaret was just starting her college life, while Yado was preparing for what came next.
Their lives were moving at different speeds. They also had different ideas about each other. College gave them a chance to meet, but it was not the right time for a relationship. After Yado Yakub finished his studies, they went in separate directions. It would take about 15 years before the two began dating. Their early college connection later became a special part of their story because the place where they first met would also become the place of their marriage proposal.
Why They Did Not Fall in Love During College
It may seem strange that two people who later got married did not feel close during college. However, Margaret and Yado had different views of each other when they were young. Yado thought Margaret was very serious and careful about how she acted. Margaret saw him as a fun-loving student who enjoyed parties. Their different ways of living did not seem to fit together at that time. Years later, they spoke openly about these first thoughts.
Margaret explained that the timing had not been right for them to date in college. This small detail makes their story more real. People often change as they grow older. Their goals, habits, and views can become different from what they were in school. That happened in this case. The young man Margaret remembered from college later became a lawyer and Marine officer. She also became a skilled reporter with a strong career. Their first meeting gave them a shared past, but they still needed time to grow before their relationship could begin.
A Special Connection Through Yado Yakub’s Sister
One of the most interesting parts of their story involves a woman named Samia Yakub. She is Yado Yakub’s sister. In the summer of 2000, Margaret Brennan traveled to Jordan for a study program at Yarmouk University. She wanted to learn more about the Middle East and improve her knowledge of the region. During this trip, she shared a place to live with Samia. The two young women became friends and spent time traveling together. They even visited the Yakub family grandmother in Damascus, Syria.
At the time, Margaret did not know that Samia would one day become her sister-in-law. She was simply making friends and learning about another part of the world. Their friendship remained an important link between the families. Years later, Samia helped bring Margaret back into contact with her brother. This connection shows how one friendship can play a part in a much larger story. Margaret’s trip to Jordan helped her learn about the world, but it also created a family connection that became meaningful many years later.
Their Lives Took Different Paths After College
After college, Yado Yakub and Margaret Brennan focused on their own lives. Margaret worked toward becoming a journalist. She wanted to report the news and help people understand events in other countries. Her work took her through different news jobs before she joined CBS News in 2012. Yado followed another path. He went to law school at the University of Miami and began working as a lawyer. Later, he joined the Marine Corps and took on legal duties in the military.
Their jobs were not the same, but both had links to public service and world events. For many years, they were not part of each other’s daily lives. They were busy making choices about work, travel, and their futures. Their story was not one of two college students who fell in love right away. It was a story of two adults who first made their own way in the world. When they met again, they had more life experience and a better idea of what mattered to them.
How They Met Again in Washington, D.C.
The next big part of their love story began in Washington, D.C. In 2012, Margaret moved from New York to Washington for her work with CBS News. She got back in touch with Samia Yakub, who was also living in the area. During a meal together, Samia told Margaret that her brother was returning to Washington as well. Margaret was surprised to learn how much he had changed since college. She remembered a relaxed young man, but now he was a trained lawyer and Marine officer.
In early 2013, Margaret saw Yado Yakub waiting at a bus stop while she was looking at homes in the city. She knew his face and stopped to speak with him. It was a simple meeting, but it led to something much bigger. They talked for a short time, and he invited her to a party at his new home. After so many years apart, Yado Yakub and Margaret had a new chance to get to know each other. Neither needed to return to college to find that old connection again.
The Housewarming Party That Brought Them Closer
The housewarming party gave Margaret and Yado another chance to talk. Margaret went with friends, and the two spent some time speaking before the evening ended. Yado Yakub gave her his business card and suggested they meet again. At first, Margaret was not sure whether he wanted a date or simply wished to stay in touch as a friend. Both were busy people with full work schedules. Still, they began sending emails and making plans to meet.
They went out for drinks and meals around Washington. Margaret later shared a funny detail about those early meetings. She believed they were dates, while Yado first thought they were just friendly outings. This difference made the beginning of their relationship a little unusual. It took time for both people to see where things were going. They were no longer the students who had known each other in 1998. They had grown into adults with new interests and experiences. The more time they spent together, the more their old ideas about each other began to change.
How Friendship Slowly Turned Into Love
Their feelings did not grow in a single day. Margaret and Yado Yakub spent weeks talking and learning about each other. They shared meals, discussed their lives, and found more reasons to meet again. Their first kiss came about eight weeks after they began spending time together. Yado was not trying to rush the relationship. He wanted to take things slowly. Margaret began to see a thoughtful and calm side of him that she had not noticed in college.
She liked that he listened with care and paid attention to what she said. Yado also learned that Margaret was warmer and more relaxed than he had first believed. These new views helped their friendship turn into love. By the summer of 2013, they had become a couple. Their bond grew through normal things, such as talking, meeting after work, and learning about each other’s lives. It was not a sudden romance built on one big moment. It was a relationship that became stronger as they spent more time together and found that they enjoyed each other’s company.
A Trip to Thailand Made Their Bond Stronger
Travel became another important part of their relationship. After they had been dating for several months, Margaret and Yado Yakub took a trip to Thailand. Both enjoyed seeing new places and learning about the world. During their time away, they found that they liked traveling together. They wanted to explore rather than spend the day resting at their hotel. They enjoyed the chance to see new things side by side.
For many couples, travel can show how well two people work together. It brings new plans, long days, and moments that may not go as expected. Their trip helped them see that they could enjoy these experiences as a team. Yado later spoke warmly about how happy he felt during that journey. When they returned home, he began thinking seriously about marriage. He contacted a jeweler and bought an engagement ring without Margaret knowing. Their trip had helped him feel sure about the future he wanted. It was another key moment between their first college meeting and their wedding.
The Sweet Marriage Proposal at Their Old College
In March 2014, Yado Yakub planned a surprise for Margaret Brennan. He chose Charlottesville, Virginia, the city where they had first met many years before. Margaret had just returned from a work trip covering world news. The couple traveled to Charlottesville for a day together. They visited local places and later went back to the University of Virginia campus. Margaret was tired from traveling and was ready to eat dinner. She did not know that Yado had another plan.
While they were walking on the university grounds, he stopped her at the place where their paths had crossed years earlier. Then he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Margaret was deeply surprised. It was a special moment because their future together was being planned at the same place where their story had started. Yado Yakub had turned an old college memory into a new family memory. The proposal also showed how much their lives had changed. They had once been two students who barely knew each other. Now, they were ready to become husband and wife.
Their Beautiful Wedding in April 2015
Yado Yakub and Margaret Brennan married on April 11, 2015, at the historic Decatur House in Washington, D.C. Their wedding brought together family, friends, and people from their work lives. It also honored both sides of their family history. Margaret comes from an Irish-American background, while Yado has Syrian-American roots. The couple wanted their special day to reflect both cultures. Irish bagpipes were played during the ceremony. There was also a traditional military saber arch, which honored Yado’s military service.
Guests heard Middle Eastern music and enjoyed the dabke, a group dance linked to Arab culture. Around 191 guests attended the wedding. Margaret wore a wedding dress by designer Monique Lhuillier. The event was not just about two people saying their wedding vows. It also brought two families and their customs together. After the celebration, the newly married couple went on a honeymoon that included South Africa, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. Their wedding was a joyful end to a long journey that had started with a simple hello on a college campus.
Building a Happy Family With Two Sons
After their wedding, Yado Yakub and Margaret Brennan began a new part of life together. In 2018, they welcomed their first child, a son named Eamon Brennan Yakub. He was born on September 11, 2018. Margaret had shared the news of her pregnancy during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier that year. The couple chose Eamon’s name with care. Margaret explained that the name helped honor both their Irish-American and Syrian-American family backgrounds.
In April 2021, their second son, Malek Murphy Yakub, was born. His name also has a special family meaning. Malek is an Arabic name meaning king, while Murphy is a name from Margaret’s family. Their sons added a new chapter to the couple’s life. Margaret continued her demanding work as a news host, while Yado Yakub had his own work and family duties. Margaret has spoken in interviews about learning to be a mother while working in news. She has also shared her thoughts on how young children should learn about difficult events in the world. Their family story now includes two boys and a mix of customs from both sides.
What Makes Their Love Story So Special?
Many people know Margaret because they see her on television. They may know less about the man she married or how their relationship began. The story of Yado Yakub and Margaret stands out because it took years to grow. They met in college but were not ready for love at that time. They went away, built their careers, and changed as people. A friendship with Yado’s sister helped keep a link between their lives.
Then a chance meeting at a bus stop gave them a reason to talk again. Their later dates helped them see each other in a new way. Their trip to Thailand made their feelings stronger, and their college campus became the place of a sweet proposal. Their wedding joined family customs from two different backgrounds. Their children later gave those family links a new meaning. This is what makes their story easy to remember. It is not about fame or a perfect first date. It is about two people finding each other again at a different stage of life.
Final Thoughts
The love story of Yado Yakub and Margaret Brennan shows how much life can change over time. They first met in 1998, began dating in 2013, and married in 2015. Their journey included years apart, a surprise meeting, a thoughtful proposal, and a wedding that honored both families. They later welcomed two sons, Eamon and Malek.
Margaret built a successful career in news, while her husband followed his path in law and military service. Their story is a good example of how friendship, time, and getting to know someone can lead to lasting love. What began as a simple college connection became a marriage and a family.
