Are you planning your own wedding and need guidelines on how to put things in order in preparation for your big day? Try this timeline we put together.



6 MONTHS AND ABOVE.


* Start a wedding folder.

This is the time for you to start collecting pictures for a variety of ideas on decor, dress, color scheme, bridesmaids dresses, cake, makeup etc. The internet has a plethora of resource on various wedding elements.
Your folder can be an actual folder or a virtual folder on your phone, or facebook page. Or you can create a wedding board on pinterest.com to pin different ideas from websites.


* Determine your budget.

Decide what your budget will be. Having an idea of exactly how much you want to spend helps you stay disciplined along the way. Sure you can make provisions for inflation and unforeseen expenses but try as much as you can not to stray too much from your predetermined budget.

* Decide the ratio of budget-sharing.

This is also the time to decide who contributes what towards all wedding-spending. In Nigeria, a wedding is a huge Family Affair. Therefore both sets of parents, the couple, siblings, extended family members are all key people in this step. The important thing is communication, harmony and understanding amongst concerned parties.


* Start the guest list.

Begin putting together the list of people you would like to have at your wedding. This can be determined by your budget or just by your taste. Some people love small, intimate ceremonies whilst others love to go all out. Keep in mind that catering for guests is one item that'll take a HUGE chunk of your budget so you might want to determine your guest list based on that. Another item that'll eat into your budget is the size and kind of wedding venue. If you're on a budget, yet want a large guest list, you may want to consider using a school field or school hall rather than an events centre. The former is cheaper.

* Reserve your wedding dates and venues for both the ceremony and the reception.

One thing that determines wedding dates in Nigeria is the availability of the venue. So once you decide what period you would like to get married in, the very first step is to secure a venue on your prefered date! Put into consideration that the venue for the ceremony shouldn't be very far from that for the reception. Otherwise your guests (especially those who don't have cars) will just head straight for the reception and skip the beauty of the ceremony.

* Book the Officiants

This is also the time to book the ceremony officiants. Your pastor, iman and other personnel who will be in charge of the ceremony will need advance notice of their duties.
Also, for the Traditional wedding, you'll need to start picking out your Alaga and other necessary officiants.

* Pick your wedding party.

Now is the time to determine who will be on the bridal train. Your bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc will require ample notice of their duties for a number of reasons. For one, it has to be decided whether your wedding date will fit into their schedule. Also they will need advance notice of expenses for their outfits to give them enough time to start saving (lol).

* Hire a wedding planner.

This period is the time to engage the services of a professional who'll help organize the vendors. Even if you don't want a planner, you might still need a wedding day coordinator to oversee the smooth running of things.

* Start researching your vendors.

This includes your caterers, decorator, photographer, videographer, bands, djs, makeup artist, dressmakers, etc. Get samples of their works and designs to help your decisions on whom to choose.


* Start hiring/booking!

You can't start soon enough. Many vendors require months of notice. You may decide to use more than one vendor for each service. For example, a good rule of thumb is to hire separate caterers for ethnic meals and another one for continental/oriental meals. Try not to cluster too many contracts on one caterer. This ensures that you don't get disappointed in many ways. Also you may need one photographer for the bride and family and another one for the groom and family. You may decide to use different decorators for the ceremony, trad wedding and reception. Or use just one and save money. You'll usually need just one videographer, dj, band, makeup artist, MC, etc.


* Schedule meetings with your vendors.

This is the time to start discussing menu, theme for the decoration, music to be played, makeup look, and othe elements. Your budget will be your primary guide. Your tastes and preferences should also help you. We will write a separate article on what to discuss with your vendors and what kinds of questions to ask them. We'll also write about what kinds of instructions to give them look out for that article soon.

4 - 6 MONTHS


* Make your wedding announcements.
Send out pre-notice of your wedding to your guests so they can save the date pending when you send them the official invitations.



* Determine and Purchase your oufits, bridal party's outfits, rings and accessories.

Now is the time to decide on your gown, bridesmaids' dresses, groom's suit/tux, groomsmen's suits/tux, oufits for the little bride, ring bearer, shoes etc.
Decide whether you want to buy them ready-made or you want them custom-sewn for you. Also decide on the design and colors.

For the trad wedding, this is also the time to view samples of your aso-oke or lace and decide on colors and design. Buying the in advance gives you and your dressmaker room for fittings where necessary before the wedding (the wedding planning period is a roller coaster period, couples have been known to lose/gain weight dramatically during this time).
Also use this period to determine what kinds of accessories you want. This includes your veil, hair pieces, hand fan, purse, beads, boutonneire, corsages, shoes and every other thing the couple and bridal party need to look good. It's also important to start shopping for rings at this time. Determine where you want to buy them, the materials you want them made of, the designs, etc.


* Decide on Aso-ebi.
Choose the design and colors of aso-ebi in advance. This gives you time to order them in the quantities you desire without the disappointment of there not being enough in stock.

The kind of aso-ebi you'll chose depends on the caliber of your guests. Also determine what price you want to set your aso-ebi at. One means through which couples raise funds is through the sale of aso-ebi so you also want to start selling as early as possible because of this. Determine if you want to hire a consultant or you want to assign the duty to a family member or close friend.


* Reserve hotel rooms and transportation.

Many of your guests will obviously be coming in from out of town. This is the period to decide what kind of accomodation you would like for them and secure it accordingly. Transportation for guests to the ceremony and reception needs also to be secured at this time.


* Select and purchase your wedding invitations.

Consult with printers to determine the designs and quantities. Once you've made your choice, have them printed and sent out to your guests.


* Meet with the officiants and start composing the Day-of timeline.
You will need to determine the wedding timeline for the ceremony and the reception. Different religious institutions have their own codexes for wedding ceremonies. Consult with your officiants to know how the ceremony is run in your church or mosque. This will enable you determine what will be printed in your programs. Also, use this period to consult with the Officiant for the trad wedding and the MC for the reception.
Once your consultations are done, you can decide on how to print the wedding programs.


* Make final bookings for the other vendors. This includes your cateres, your decorator, your makeup artist, photographer and others.


* Arrange transportation.
Decide on what kind of vehicles will convey you and your bridal party to the venues and secure them as necessary.


* Select and order your cakes.
No we didn't forget. Lol. What's a wedding without a cake?
By now, you may have decided exactly how you want your cakes to look. The one for the trad wedding and the one for the white wedding. By tradition, a white wedding cake has four layers; the bottom layer for guests, the third layer for the bride's family, the second layer for the groom's family and the top layer for the couple. These days the number of layers varies according to preference. Plus, many bakers give free cut-out pieces to be distributed to guests. For the trad wedding cake, there are a wide variety of designs to choose from. Consult with your baker(s) to discuss the designs, sizes and pricing. Make necessary payments.


* Start planning your honeymoon.
Decide on where you want to spend your honeymoon. Start making the necessary arrangements towards it.

2 - 4 MONTHS


* Start your skin treatment sessions.

Many brides neglect this until the very last minute and expect miracles with the makeup on the wedding day. Makeup artists can find this very frustrating. Start treating your skin and preparing it for the big day. Watch what you eat and drink also (this helps overall health and wellbeing and not just your skin).


* Take your pre-wedding shots.

Visit your photographer for pre-wedding shots. Choice locations for couples include beaches, parks and gardens. You may decide on a theme e.g old-school, nautical, "village" setting, baking and cooking, football or and any other kind of sport, victorian or elizabethan era. Or just wear matching polo tops. Lol.


* Schedule hair and makeup trials.
Visit your artists to try on different looks and determine which one you would like to wear for the trad wedding and the white wedding.


* Order your souvenirs and other gifts.

Decide what you would like to give your guests. You may choose a separate kind of gift for those who purchase aso ebi and another kind for those who don't. Also decide what you want to give the bridal party. Make necessary purchases and send them to your printer for branding.


* Choose your music and inform your DJ or band of your choice.


* Meet with your photographer and videographer.

Give them instructions on the kinds of shots and angles you would like.


* Meet with your caterers.
Discuss more about the menu and the timeline for service.

* Meet with your decorator.
Make sure that they understand what you have in mind for your wedding theme.

* Purchase your undergarments, lingerie *wink*, and other accessories you've not purchased prior.

* Finalize the order of ceremony and reception.


* Proof-read the final draft and send to the printer.

* Go for dress fittings with your groom and bridal party.

* Send out the formal invitations.

1 - 2 MONTHS


* Start purchasing eru iyawo and return gifts.

The groom and his family should use this period to start securing items on the bride price list. Also the bride's family should start purchasing their own exchange gifts.

If you'll require gift-wrapping them, determine who'll be in charge of that. Also use this period to decide on who'll be in charge of transporting the items to the venue and setting them up there.

* Check in with your guests to ascertain who'll be attending. This'll enable you give a final head count to your caterers.

* Keep checking in with all your vendors.
Keep them abreast of any changes that may occur.

* Have a meeting with the bridal party for final dress fittings.

* Reconfirm times with your makeup artist and hairstylist.

* Make payments to vendors as necessary.

* Consult with the venue management to determine arrival and clear-up times of vendors. Communicate with your vendors as necessary.

* Have your bridal shower!
This is usually hosted by the bridesmaids and close friends. You may choose to have a family affair with your groom and his folks in attendance.

* Start your wedding countdown!
Have fun counting down to your big day. Pray with your groom for guidance, love, trust and harmony as you both prepare for this huge journey. Relax and have fun. Be thankful and grateful for how far you've come. Anticipate the life ahead.

TWO WEEKS TO GO.

* Make any final payments

* Check in with all your vendors.

* Check in with the hotel and transport persons.

* Delegate wedding tasks.
Decide who'll be in charge of what on the trad wedding day, the white wedding ceremony and at the reception. Inform them as necessary.

* Determine the final headcount and communicate to your caterer(s).


* Go for your last dress and ring fitting.



ONE WEEK TO GO!

* Break into your wedding shoes.
Wear them around for about 20 minutes everyday. This will enable you get used to wearing them for all those hours and hours on your wedding day.

* Have one last meeting with all your vendors and people you've assigned wedding duties to. Be clear on exactly what you want.

* Have a massage, manicure, pedicure or other pampering treatment.

* Nourish your body properly. You don't want any unexpected bloating or weight loss! Drink plenty of water.

* Relax. Let go of all your worries. You're almost there!




48 HOURS TO THE WEDDING

* Take time off to get plenty of sleep.

* Pray for success and a hitch-free event.

* Have fun with each other as a couple, family, your bridal party and friends.

* Pack your suitcases for your wedding day and honeymoon.


* Also pack emergency items. Needle and thread, sanitary pads, medication for headache, stomach-ache and menstrual cramps, etc. We have a comprehensive list on emergency kit items in another article here on Nairaland and on our blog.


* Relax some more!



WEDDING DAY!

* Get married

* Have fun at your reception!

* Dance and be merry.

* Live happily ever after.



THE END.

Look out for our other articles on how to select your venue, photographer, caterers, decorator and other vendors.


At April Bridal Concierge, we offer wedding preparation/planning services for an all-inclusive-fee. We perform many wedding tasks and eliminate the need for your to hire separate vendors for certain aspects of the wedding planning.

This is perfect if you're having a wedding ona budget and can't afford a wedding planner yet still want professional administrative help in planning for your wedding. Our fees are a fraction of what many planners charge and we go the extra, extra mile for our clients.

Also we are available to run every kind of wedding errand for you.

Take advantage of our on-going promo and hire your own Personal Assistant to help prepare you for your wedding.



If you've got questions to ask, call us on 09097981908 or email us at aprilconcierge.ng@gmail.com.

We'll be very happy to be of service to you.


Have fun planning your wedding!

Thanks and God bless.

Very helpful, thank u!

You're very welcome, ma'am.

BridalAssistant!! We can be part of your team as aso ebi consultant.

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Thanks a lot for your contribution, ma'am.

But as a Bridal Assistant, it means that it is also my duty to do the asoebi consulting and run asoebi related errands for the bride, groom and their parents.

This includes purchase and delivery to everybody that the asoebi has to be delivered to. It also includes the purchase, branding and delivery/distribution of souvenirs to those who purchase asoebi.

As a Bridal Assistant, it is my duty to help couples eliminate issues of multiple billings associated with hiring different vendors for a number of tasks which they would otherwise have hired vendors for in other cases of events planning.


We aren't just events/wedding planners. We are available to run every other kind of errand for the couple and their parents which regular events planners don't usually include in their packages.


And we provide quite a number of these kinds of services for an all-in-one, all-inclusive fee.

Thank you, ma'am.