Hello my good people of nairaland. How is it going? This is Timagex. I am a creative wedding and fashion photographer based in Ibadan, Nigeria. I also create informative contents on event related topics. (Check my profile) My instagram page is @timagex_bridal_clicks. I will put the link here. Show some love. https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/

WEDDINGS! WEDDINGS! WEDDINGS! The thought of it alone sends shivers or excitement down the spine of people. Why? Some, because of the bad choices and decisions they made while organizing their wedding, others, because they want to organize one and they do not know where to start because of funds. I am here to tell you that, you can organize a wedding here in Nigeria without breaking the bank and I will show you how.
　　
I am going to be focusing on the typical ‘Yoruba’ wedding in Nigeria.

1. DO NOT PLAN YOUR WEDDING TO IMPRESS ANYBODY.
A lot of bachelors and spinsters are out there, ripe and ready for marriage, but, their finances cannot carry the kind of wedding they envisaged for themselves. As in, their account balance does not resemble the type of wedding they want. While I’m not saying people who spend money on weddings are wrong, or an elaborate wedding is bad, I am just saying that, not everybody can afford a classy wedding, and, that is the truth. Why do most people want to get married in a big and lavish way? Most people want a loud wedding that will be the talk of the town for years to come. Some want it so as to brag to their friends and relatives. Some also want a big wedding because of online standards and fake life vibes. See, from from my experience as a wedding photographer, nobody really cares if you go over the moon to impress. Guests just want to eat, vibe to live band, take pictures and leave. I have also seen cases where the new couple bank on the money they are going to be sprayed at the reception while dancing. Are you serious? Some will spray money, most will not. It is also sad that, most couples prepare for wedding and not marriage. After they must have taken loans to fund their lavish weddings, and build their marriage on debt, they will now start running from pillar to post when it is time to pay up. Don’t let it be you. Cut your coat according to your size. You will be fine.

2. HAVE A BUDGET AND STICK TO IT NO MATTER THE PRESSURE.
All wedding preparations comes with pressure. The pressure to do more than your power being the most. Having a budget and being strict with it puts you in check.

3. START PLANNNING YOUR WEDDING ON TIME.
I believe one of the mistake prospective couples make is late planning. Why would you wait till dying minutes before making necessary arrangements? Ehn? Start planning your wedding in good time and in advance so as to avoid “rush fees”. What are rush fees? Rush fees are additional fees a vendor charges a client for jobs or services that they want done in a shorter time frame than usual. In this context, the rush fee will be the extra fee a vendor charges you when you do not book them on time. As a wedding photographer, I will probably charge more if I am called to shoot a wedding impromptu and same goes for other vendors. No vendor will charge you normal fees when they are not booked on time. I have once been booked for a wedding that will hold in September around february. That is an example of good planning in my book. Book your event centres, “alaga iduro”, dj/live band, etc on time. You save money on the long run.

4. USE A DIY APPROACH.
DIY simply means “do it yourself” Look around and see what you can do by yourself. I will not dwell much here.

5. TRY A COURT/REGISTRY WEDDING.
A registry wedding only lasts for around 20-30 minutes. In that 30 minutes, you get counseling, and your marriage certificate. After that, a small photo session. Then, the couple and their small family, friends and guests can either get a takeaway package or head to the home of the couple for a quick “menu menu”. That is all! (May I present to you, Mr and Mrs lagbaja). No event center, no mc, no live band and dj, no long bridal train, etc, and you get the same quality of marriage certificate gotten from church. You must have spent less on food, security, logistics and even photography and videos.

6. GET MARRIED ON A WEEKDAY INSTEAD OF THE USUAL WEEKEND.
Saturdays are for weddings! Saturday “owanbe” vibes are great. I agree. But, do you know that, your wedding does not have to be on a Saturday? Personally, when I eventually want to get married, it will be at a registry on a rainy Tuesday morning. I swear! In my opinion, Saturday weddings are overrated.

7. RENT WHAT YOU CAN.
Most people get married only once in their lifetime and they spend huge money on stuffs that can be rented. A clear example is the wedding gown. The wedding gown is not even going to be worn throughout the day. So, why waste money on something like that? There are fashion houses and boutiques that rent out beautiful wedding gowns at cheap rates as opposed to buying. Do you know people rent wedding cakes these days? Yes! That very big wedding cake you saw at that reception is not real. The only “cake” is that part you are eating, the rest of the upstairs is not cake o! But, if you must buy anything, don’t overdo it.

8. INVITE YOUR GUESTS DIGITALLY.
Invitation cards are good and lovely, but, have you have you tried inviting people digitally? Get a graphics designer to design your invitation card and send to your selected guests. The guests are not going to be much anyway, so, calls and texts will do it. Do you know how much they print invitation cards these days?

9. WATCH OUT FOR VENDORS DOING DISCOUNTS.
It is a fact, that, most vendors have particular times and seasons when they do discount of prices on their services. Most people believe festive seasons are wrong times for weddings. While this might be true in some cases, it is also not true. Many vendors do discount on sallah and Christmas periods. Open your eyes and align yourself for benefits. Take advantages of the bargains and promos.

10. REACH OUT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE PROFESSIONALS.
Do you know how much you can save if you reach out to your friends who are professionals? Instead of presents, friends and families can give you skills. There is no how the bride is not going to have a makeup artist or a bridal hair stylist as a friend. The groom might even have a school buddy that is a wedding photographer and he might be willing to cut the couple a good deal or give a very good discount. Do not get me wrong. I am not saying the intending couple should look for free services. I am just saying that, there are situations where family and friends can be of help. Do not be scared to reach out. The very worst answer is NO. But, not trying at all is worse.

11. SKIP THE RECEPTION.
It is a known fact that, plenty of Nigerians hold hot jollof rice and amala in high regard, including myself. There is nothing as relaxing and fulfilling as having a sumptuous and mouthwatering plate of top tier “egusi soup” with soft and gallant pounded yam before you, in a cool atmosphere while nodding to the live band. It is the main reason many go to event centers uninvited. Some guests and families will not even bother to attend the church ceremony, but, they will be the first set to mark attendance at the reception. It is that serious. Setting up a good reception is a big deal. But, you can still feed your guests without having to rent an event center and all. I photographed a wedding without reception around 2020. After the church ceremony, some people were already stationed outside to give a package to everyone. The package included sweet and hot jollof rice, a beverage and one other thing I cannot remember right now. We were done with everything around 3pm. How nice! Skip the reception if it is going to drill a hole in your pocket.

12. PLAN A ONE DAY EVENT INSTEAD OF TWO.
Most engagement ceremonies in the south west are done on Fridays. Then, the church wedding and the reception will done on Saturday. That is the norms. But, recently, there has been a new trend. What people do now is, they rent a hall/event centre, do the traditional wedding ceremony, quickly followed by the church/nikkah and then the reception in the same hall on the same day. That is genius! Let me explain. In the first scenario, after the traditional engagement on Friday, there will be small reception where guests will dine and wine. Then, the wedding proper on Saturday and guests will wine and dine, again. But, in the second scenario, only one location and only one scenario of dining and wining and only one cake. This saves cost! Do you know how much a bag of rice is now? What of a cow? It is also a good idea to source your catering services from within.Although, the one day arrangement is usually more stressful, but, I can assure you, it is worth trying out. Whoever improvised this method is a smart person.

13. LIMIT YOUR GUEST LIST.
The more guests you have, the more you are likely to spend on food, drinks, space, logistics, security, etc. That is why it is important to have a guest list and make sure it is the A LIST. Well, I must admit that, having your list as the A LIST might be a bit challenging especially if you have a big family or you are the extroverted type. But, sit your family down during meetings and convince them that, you are getting married in a low-key way and make them see reasons with you. My point is, have a strict guest list. The guest list should contain only the people you cannot do without. Always remember that, if you get pushed to get loans for the wedding, you are going to be alone when paying back. I, Timagex, can promise you that. Wedding is a day, marriage is a lifetime.

That is it my people. The economy is really not smiling, but, life must continue. Let us know your favorite tip(s). Bookmark this post and share with your single friends. Additional tips are welcomed. Check my profile for event related topics. My personal blog is coming up! Watch out!! I remain Timagex, your fashion and wedding photographer. For bookings and inquiries, my whatsapp number is on my profile, email is imagesoftimagex@gmail.com or reach me via my instagram page @timagex_bridal_clicks. I will put the link here. https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/
　　
　　Thank you so much for reading. Have a nice day.

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cc Rocktation. Help us to reach the promise land. More Nigerians need to see this...

You sabi. Great stuff bro! You write well.

In this harsh economy, no matter how frugal you make your wedding to be, you go still broke after the wedding. It is better to wait for buhari to finish his evil tenure before you wed.

AgubataAkokwa:
In this harsh economy, no matter how frugal you make your wedding to be, you go still broke after the wedding. It is better to wait for buhari to finish his evil tenure before you wed.

Lol. Haba. No

I believe it depends on cutting ones coat according to the cloth available. No do pass yourself. Have a budget you can afford and above all, don't try to impress people. The wedding is for a day; marriage for a lifetime.

WhisperedNoise:
You sabi. Great stuff bro! You write well.

Thank you for the kind words, sir.

AgubataAkokwa:
In this harsh economy, no matter how frugal you make your wedding to be, you go still broke after the wedding. It is better to wait for buhari to finish his evil tenure before you wed.

Comrade! Calm down...

Hello everyone,
Please who knows where I can rent Yoruba wedding/introduction attire for me and my husband in Lagos/Ibadan.
Thanks in anticipation �