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Weddings are some of the most stressful events to plan in Nigeria especially when you are have limited capital. It is one of the main reasons that people shy away from proposing to their partners and can be extremely confusing for the people involved. The assumption is that the bigger the wedding, the more memorable it will be but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. A wedding is memorable because of the two individuals getting married, every other thing is just an addition. For those of you planning weddings, there are ways to get the most appropriate wedding ceremony that would not run into millions of naira.

Attendance:  

A budget wedding is not a society wedding so you would have to cut down on your number of invited guests. You must remember that the more guests you plan on having, the more the event venue will cost. Create a list of all your family and friends, send invites to them according to your list and let them know if they can bring a plus one or not. We would advise not to have more than 50 people. The important thing to note is that the list captures all the key members of your family and close friends. You might be thinking, ‘What about the other people that want to come?’ Well, you can also take advantage of technology and have someone stream your wedding live via social media platforms for free.

Venue:

Now that you have decided your audience, the next thing you want to talk about is the location of your wedding. You can search for various event centers but remember to be realistic. You venue housing 50 to 100 people should be about 150,000 to 200,000 naira on average and would cover power as well (Prices vary from state to state). If you are in Lagos for example, this would not be the time to look for venues in Lekki phase 1 or Ikoyi. You might want to get a venue in places like Ogba or Surulere. Remember that it’s not about the destination but about the people getting married. You could also relate with your network to find out which be venues you can get for free or cheap. Please always have a backup plan if you choose to go with this option.

Food:

In every Nigerian wedding, the food is always a talking point and a prayer point for the couple. People might forget everything but they don’t usually forget about the food. The important thing to note is that you do not have to spend too much money on food because you have cut down on the number of invited guests. With 300 thousand naira you can have the food completely covered. Please make sure your food is served by a caterer with no interest(s) in the wedding and ensure that your event planner has a preset order for food sharing based on the list of guests. Remember, you are not obligated to give more than one meal at your wedding so keep it simple.

MC:

There’s always that one friend that can be your Compere for the wedding. If you absolutely have to pay him, 50 thousand should do.

Music

Get a DJ. You don’t need a live band. 50,000 to 100,000 naira should work.

Cake:

Please keep this professional. You don’t want a cake that looks like a wrap of pounded yam or tastes like kerosene. Get in touch with professional cake makers with a proven history of success. Investing 50 to 75 thousand on the cake would ensure that you get a very good cake with adequate steps. It also means you can rest assured that the bakers will use the standard equipment.

Clothes:

There seems to be a new trend of couples changing multiple times during a wedding. First, that should not be a concern of yours because you can do with the same pair of clothes for the duration of the wedding. Who says you have to choose an outlandish color for your bridal train or groomsmen. Simple colors like black, blue, red and pink are easy to purchase and might already be available. Asoebi isn’t necessary and shouldn’t be made compulsory.

Decorations:

This is one of the areas that would need a professional touch. Pay a decoration company or professional to handle this and do not leave this to chance. The look and feel of the venue will be a source of soothing relief and could make the wedding look grander than it actually is. For the size of the venue, we prices would vary from state to state but we place the average price range of a good interior designer at 80,000 naira.

Security:

This is another section of the event that you would want to leave to the professionals. Get an actual agency or company to handle this for your wedding because they would have no stake in the wedding and as such would follow your guest list strictly. The fees paid to these companies are dependent on the number of personnel needed and the number of hours.

Transportation:

Make sure you use about 1 or 2 clean cars. The ribbon decoration around the car works every time.  

Time:

Keep your event short and simple. Let the joining and the reception take place at the same venue. The joining should be done in 45 minutes or less and the reception should take about 3 – 4 hours. This way you can get all the benefits of having a complete wedding without overstretching time and resources.

Network:

Everyone is usually one person away from a solved problem. Make sure you network with friends, colleagues and family, you never know who could offer the services for free or a fraction of the price you were asked to pay. Don’t be scared to ask for help but make sure you have a backup plan for any free service you are supposed to get. One thing you must note is that if the service to be rendered is going to be below par, it is not worth it even if it is offered for free

With these steps, you are well on your way to organizing a beautiful and memorable wedding without even spending up to a million naira. There no need to break the bank or wait indefinitely because with the resources at your disposal you can get amazing results.

The total amount by my estimates is 805,000 naira. So with a little under a million naira you can plan your entire wedding without having sleepless nights and then you can focus on building a future with your spouse.