6 Things Most Nigerians Forget When They're Planning A Wedding

1. Don't forget to schedule a 'last call.

This way your band/dj, MC, photographer, cake maker etc, will check their readiness/availability and equipment functionality test carried out to certify them fit for the ceremony. 

2.  If your church and reception venue are in two separate locations, schedule more travel time.

Just in case there's traffic etc, Journey Management on Nigerian roads are not always successful, especially in cities like; Portharcourt, Lagos and Abuja. Your reception venue should have a window and be ready to greet guests when they start arriving.

3. Don't plan things so tightly that there's no wiggle room.

Every wedding needs a plan, but that plan needs to be flexible so that the day has a natural flow to it. If you schedule too many things and there's no room for things to shift you'll end up having to cut and that could be upsetting. It is always advisable for couples to make sure they leave room for interruptions.

4. Not EVERYONE needs to give a speech.

If dad is paying for the wedding, he might want to say a little something and that can be the one parent speech. If you really want your best man and a bridesmaid to give speeches also, then make sure you schedule them separately. I recently attended a wedding where during the first dinner course the father of the bride gave a lovely speech. Then we did a dance set and after that the main dinner course was served. The best man and maid of honour didn't do their speeches until that final dinner course was being served. That's a lot of time for your guests to be in their seats and not mingling with their neighbours, so it's best to break them up. Some couples have insisted on doing all the speeches at once and it never goes well. People start getting antsy.

5. Don't forget to keep everyone hydrated.

Dry season weddings can be hot and I've seen a lot of guests and sometimes even brides overheat and miss out on the best parts of the wedding. The best way to avoid overheated guests is by offering a drink station near the ceremony area, or water/drinks already placed on tables as they arrive. Guests who arrive early are always looking for something to do so checking out your cool flavour offerings is entertaining for them and helps keep them nice and comfortable.

6. Don't plan a wedding you can’t afford
Now, the financial aspect of every project is the most critical of it. If you can't finance a project, you can't execute it. You should plan a wedding you can finance, it is not good that an average Nigerian couple will plan a societal wedding they can't afford just for show off and such weddings most times fail. Studies have shown that most couples in Nigeria are faced with huge debt just after a successful societal wedding.