HOW TO PLAN A NIGERIAN WEDDING #2- WEDDING PLANNING TIPS !

This is the second video in my wedding planning series, did you miss the first one? You can see it here. Ehen, in this video I share with you tips that were passed on to me and what I learned from my experience planning my wedding. You're free to support my post with your comments on how to plan. You can read the post or skip to watch the video. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel  :D

Always remember the bigger picture: wedding planning is stressful and can sometimes cause people to forget what the main koko is- which is getting married. The bigger picture is that the marriage happens as easily and enjoyably as possible. Prepare yourself for drama and prepare to overcome them. 

You gonna learn how to compromise, persuasive and diplomatic: Everything is not going to go your way...what if your future MIL (mom in law) says she prefers brown as the colour of the day and you don't like brown...chai...you have to find a way to make the brown work for you. Be diplomatic in your interaction with in laws, vendors and everyone. Learn how to be persuasive- all these skills will help you in your marriage.

Focus on what's most important: Some brides would prefer an expensive wedding dress over a beautiful hall. What do you prefer? Pick out the aspects of the wedding you'd love to highlight and the one's you can compromise on. Some people will not compromise on food but don't mind if they don't have a DJ...so choose your areas of focus.

Don't be a perfectionist: No wedding is perfect and you will stress yourself out trying to make yours perfect. No matter how "on point" your wedding planner is or no matter how much you spend, there will be little lapses on that day...for example, my bridesmaids didn't have bouquets...but did anyone notice? I don't think so! We pray for perfect weather but what if it rains???

Avoid unnecessary comparison and competition:Your wedding IS NOT going to be the bestestestest wedding in the world, it is also not going to be the most glamorous on BellaNaija...so avoid competing with other brides and other weddings. Have the wedding of your dreams as much as you can and stop trying to "overdo" someone else's wedding. 

Don't get into debt: Cut your coat according to your cloth...weddings don't have to be very expensive- you shouldn't use all you've earned paying for a wedding, at the end of the day the guest you're trying to impress will chop and clean mouth and go home. You will be left with bills, and in debt. Don't start a marriage that way-it's too much burden. Have the wedding you can afford. 

Always remember as a couple you're team: you will get loads of advice from everyone...sieve the one that you both want...not every advice you're given will work for you. Work as a team, plan as a team, don't go and pay for that cake until your hubby approves. 

Be organised: The day before the wedding, pack everything you're going to need in a box, your underwear, your accessories, your reception dress, extra shoes...etc. If you're going away on your honeymoon pack everything up and be organised. If the car is ready, put it in the car you'll use or hand it over to someone who will make sure you get those items at the reception. I forgot to pack my gele so when I was meant to change at the traditional wedding I couldn't because there was no gele and I can't wear buba like that.

Stay away: If you can, stay away from your house on the wedding day, you can stay in a nice hotel close by or closer to the wedding venue to avoid traffic and to avoid being stressed by guests on the wedding morning when you're prepping. If you have to stay at home then get one of your mean aunties to stand by the door. LOL.

Don't play with food: Make sure you eat something on the wedding morning before dressing up. The first thing I did was to swallow eba...I would have preferred 6-6 sha( akpu)...LOL. Hunger can make you look tired and washed out and you might not get to eat till later on in the reception ...so fill your belly before leaving the house. 

Rest: Because Nigerian weddings involve a lot of ceremonies, get some rest the night before. You would look so much better and make the job of your make up artist easier. If you have bags under your eyes there's no magic to completely remove it...so make sure you rest.

Enjoy your day: Final tip would be to enjoy your wedding: you've been planning this day for a long time, don't let it come and go just like that. Chop inside the rice, chop from the small chops, be merry. Take time to notice everything, your guest, your family, your spouse...take it all in as much as you can because that day goes by in a blink and you don't want your wedding to be a blur in your memory. Enjoy your wedding day!

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