Hello everyone! My name is Adekola Taiwo. I am a wedding photographer based in Ibadan, Nigeria. I am also a wedding and events consultant and I share free wedding tips on my instagram page every week.

My Instagram page is @Timagex_bridal_clicks.

This week, I will be sharing six important things potential couples must do before their wedding day.

1. DO A COMPLETE TEST RUN OF ALL YOUR WEDDING ATTIRES AND SHOES.

According to fashion designers, some dresses only fit when you stand or walk a few steps in them. New dresses, like, your wedding dress might become a little bit loose or tight on your wedding day.

Imagine you are a bride, you are walking down the aisle with the little bride in front of you, but, you can't walk properly because your shoe feels too tight or you are dancing and the shoes decides to come off!!! Scary right? or as a groom, your trouser is too tight and you can't walk comfortably? All these will not happen if you did a test run of "ALL" your wedding attires.

I have personally seen cases where some brides find it hard to walk in their wedding gown! So, it is very important for the prospective couple to walk, sit, dance, and do ALL the activities they might do on their wedding day before the actual wedding day! It even brings a kind of confidence and erases the fear of something going wrong.

Don't forget the shoes!

2. SUBMIT A FINAL CHECK LIST TO YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER.

It is a known fact that, most Nigerian weddings are always filled with invited and sometimes, uninvited guests. Hot jollof na your mate? Some of these uninvited guests dress so well that, someone might erroneously think they are related to the couple. The downside of this, is that, the photographer might find it hard in recognizing genuine family members.

But, there is a solution. The solution is that, the couple should submit a check list to the photographer and then, assign a family member that can help in recognizing the important guests. This will help to filter out the people who came to the reception for hot semo. Imagine a situation whereby, your big uncle who came all the way from canada did not even feature in the photographs because he dressed like a random guest.

The check list is like a to do list. It will contain the things that you give the most priority to. Give your photographer a check list to remind them of important things and important personalities.

3. SEND YOUR PREFERRED PLAYLIST TO YOUR DJ.

It is very important for the couple to make a list of most preferred songs that they want the DJ to play at their wedding reception or after party. Most of the time, the DJ just plays a trendy song that he feels the couple will like and this might not go down well because the couple might have a different taste in music. Imagine a situation whereby, the dad of the bride (a respected pastor) is dancing with the bride and the DJ chips in "za zu zeh"!! or "idi oremi" by naira marley! Abomination!! (This situation happened at a wedding I photographed in Osogbo, Nigeria)

Furthermore, there are even situations whereby the new couple and their friends might have special dance steps rehearsed for a particular songs. It is not going to happen if your DJ is not carried along.

So, potential couples, put together a list of your favourite jams and send to your DJ before the wedding day.

4. ASSIGN SOMEONE TO PICK YOUR CALLS AND RESPOND TO MESSAGES.

It is not a rare sight to see the bride or the groom taking calls and responding to messages while the church service or the niqqah is going on. Apart from the fact that is it bad, it also drains concentration. As a couple, it is very easy to be caught up in calls and messages on your wedding day. But, one of the disadvantages is that, it leaves you disoriented and absent minded. Instead, assign a trusted friend or family member to respond to calls and messages. Some grooms give their phones to their best man and some brides give their phones to their chief brides maid, which is totally cool. Let your phone handler know his or her role before the wedding day. It is very important.

There are situations where the photographer might be trying to take a creative shot of the couple and needs to do a bit of quick directing, but, he misses the shot because the bride was not paying attention, instead, she was directing who should get jollof or semo!

As a couple, your phones will always distract you on your wedding day. Have someone to handle the phones.

5. GO OVER LOGISTIC PLANS.

Who is driving the couple? How are the parents' of the groom going to get to the reception? The last thing you want to hear as a couple is that, some family members got lost on the road because they cannot locate the event centre or the church program is about to start but the ring bearer is in another car that is now stuck in traffic!! These kind of logistic issues can cause hearts to beat faster than normal. It can even make the groom to start sweating from the inside.

The first precautionary move is to hire a good logistics or transport company to handle everything. But, if hiring a company is too pricey, get family members to handle it. Go over the logistic plans over and over again. It is better to be over prepared than to be under prepared.

Make sure that capable hands are on deck.

6. SECURITY!

One of the things guests remember after events is how they felt and how they were treated. There is nothing as glorious as your guests feeling pretty secured and safe while they do justice to the exquisite delicacies before them with peace of mind.

Weddings are always filled with invited and unknown faces. I have personally seen examples where some people decided to fight at receptions because of a plate of jollof rice. As a new couple, your safety and that of your guests are very important. Dont take it mildly. It is advisable to hire security agents before hand as some people are not easily controlled until they see stronger forces.

A warning from a goliath looking bouncer is enough to instill peace in some situations. Security is very important, make adequate provisions for it.


Thank you for sticking with us till the end. We do not take it for granted. Watch this space as more tips will follow.

Please, feel free to add your own tips and advice. I remain timagex_bridal_clicks. Your favorite wedding photographer.
please, help to push to the promise land.

By the way, I took these pictures. follow @timagex_bridal_clicks on instagram for wedding related contents. CHECK MY SIGNATURE April discount is also on...

Whatever you do don't go soak garri after your wedding.
Reception is not marriage.

Make it simple and go home with your wife.

Those who come to eat joloff will not be with you after the reception..
Be wise.
My wedding only ten guests, 5 from wifey family 5 from mine. Shikina!

P

Take time to think it through to see if the person you're about to marry is worth committing to for the rest of your life.

E get why.

I want to travel out of Africa especially Nigeria but I don't have the money to do that.

Please Someone should pay for me and I'm ready to pay back twice or thrice of whatever you spend on me.

Please I'm not gonna do anything drug,, internet scam and whatever that will get me into the hands of police or any force.

I'm the only son of my mother and father and they love me so much and so,,I don't want to waste my time in the hands of the police or lose my life and cause a big disappointment to them.

Thanks for your consideration and quick reply.
08165632342

Rubbish and absolutely rubbish.

7. Don't allow hungry Tilumbu amala and ewedu urchins to know your wedding venue if you don't want your guests to suffer pickpocketing

Nice point you have there, most especially that shoes part, it may look insignificant but mehn it can spoil your mood for the day.

Because of Event of how many hours Na im you wan kill yourself with list.
Wedding is just a few hrs or at Most one day. Marriage is a life time journey. Don't spend all your time for a One day event. You still have a life time journey ahead.

TRASH!

You are right

Who wedding epp. This is a useless topic and I blame moderators for forcing it down our throats

Everyday marriage advice yet high rate of marriage failures

Genotype, fertility and other recommended medical tests including Rhesus D.

Don't forget to ensure the Hotel you booked for your wedding night is intact. Ensure to leave to the hotel with your wife immediately after the wedding. Else all the money you make for the wedding will be used to settle transport of your siblings

Nice one, I missed that #3, the DJ was just playing rubbish, anyway na village shall

Nice. I like the way you're advertising yourself here by being helpful - sharing free tips for more hitchfree weddings.
I've learnt a thing or two from your style. More grace to you and your work.
I'll check out your Instagram.

Nice write-up.

That security is very important, especially when pastor go shout, any person wey get anything to say that will make this wedding no hold, security go just eye any moutherfuka wey go try say any rubbish

boysy:
Don't forget to ensure the Hotel you booked for your wedding night is intact. Ensure to leave to the hotel with your wife immediately after the wedding. Else all the money you make for the wedding will be used to settle transport of your siblings

Just see yarns. SMH

Yet, you'll still find something amiss. You can only do so much o.

Beautifully crafted

Omor