To start with, congrats on your recent engagement! The next step is to begin making arrangements for your Nigerian wedding.
It's quite acceptable if the joy of your engagement overwhelms you as you try to decide where and how to arrange. It will be the biggest event you have ever planned, therefore planning will be very important.
The traditional Nigerian wedding process, which must be completed before you can get married, is different from other wedding processes and is a part of your bride-to-be's planning phase.
No matter how big or little your wedding is going to be, this customary step must happen first!
According to my experience, there are six stages you can follow to get your wedding planning off to the correct start while making sure you follow the necessary traditional steps first.
STEP 1 - Introduction of the Nigerian Wedding Family
Following your engagement, a ceremony called the Family Introduction is arranged to officially introduce the two families to one another. Key members of both families are being introduced in order for them to get to know their respective prospective in-laws and provide their consent for their children's engagement to be married. It's a modest gathering that happens in the bride's house.
The civilizations of the Igbo and Yoruba have Family Introduction. The steps involved in a traditional Igbo wedding and the requirements differ from community to community.
In Yoruba and Igbo Land, the completion of the traditional wedding process is particularly significant since it denotes the couple's marriage and grants them all the rights of married couples.
STEP 2 - Double the fun at two weddings!
It is typical for a Nigerian bride to simultaneously organize two weddings: the traditional wedding and the church wedding, which is often known as the "white wedding" in Nigerian culture. Before the more western-styled church wedding ceremony, the traditional wedding frequently occurs first. Before the church wedding, the couple may choose to hold their traditional wedding days, weeks, or months apart.
The good news is that compared to a white wedding, a traditional wedding is less stressful on the bride because she can leave the majority of the traditional wedding duties to her parents and senior relatives.
To put up a ceremony that matches your style and that of your spouse as a couple for the white wedding, you will need to devote a lot more time and effort.
Both Igbo and Yoruba culture have names for traditional marriages. It is "Eru Iyawo" in Yoruba and "Igwa nkwu" in Igbo. Both families in the Yoruba and Igbo cultures conduct investigations into their future in-laws through people who are acquainted with the bride and groom's families before the marriage may move forward following the family introduction.
Before you and your partner decide on your wedding dates, they do the investigations to make sure both families are aware of the personalities of each family and that there are no hidden issues that could jeopardize the future of the bride and groom.
In Igbo culture, the traditional wedding occurs once the families have fulfilled the conditions for the traditional wedding, and the celebration is held in the bride's parents' house. Traditional weddings have evolved over time into lavish events that are sometimes conducted in sizable reception rooms.
The traditional wedding might occur months, weeks, or even days before the white wedding in Igbo culture. To save money, several Igbo couples today choose to hold both ceremonies on the same day. You can decide whether to hold a large, conventional wedding celebration or a small, intimate one.
A traditional Yoruba wedding is also a lavish, grand event that typically occurs the day before the church wedding and is held in a sizable reception hall.
The "white wedding," as it is popularly known among Nigerians, is a westernized wedding ceremony that is modeled after the British cultural influence in Nigeria (Nigeria was a British colony before gaining independence in 1960). It is also known as a "church wedding," "religious wedding," or "white wedding" since the bride dons a white gown during the ceremony, which is frequently held in a church and is conducted similarly to a western wedding reception.
Step-3: Find weddings and determine your priorities.
With the knowledge of the two weddings of Nigerian couples mentioned above. To obtain an idea of the cost of a church wedding, your style, and the wedding you and your partner desire, you'll need to do some research on the wedding industry.
You have greater choice over what you want and don't want with a church wedding. Because you and your husband have little say in traditional wedding obligations. Your parents, however, will manage the issue better for you and your husband if you let them know your worries.
After doing your study, you should make a list of your top goals and develop a budget to assist you keep your spending under control.
Making a list of your priorities might help you focus on the wedding accessories that are absolutely necessary. For instance, was your wedding large or small, invitation-only or accessible to all? Where to create a splash, what to eat and drink, how to compromise or, if necessary, do it yourself.
Your wedding planning process will go more smoothly and help you remain within your budget if you have your priorities and spending plan in order.
Step-4: Set a wedding budget in.
It's crucial to establish a wedding budget to prevent overpaying. Weddings frequently have a propensity to go over budget, so it's crucial to determine the type of wedding you want and how many people will be attending because these factors will have the biggest impact on your spending.
Nowadays, the bride and groom cover the cost of their own wedding together. However, the couple may occasionally receive financial support from their relatives to cover the cost of their wedding.
Whether or not you receive assistance with your wedding costs, the objective is to establish a reasonable budget to prevent overspending. Additionally, because you haven't overspent, you will be in a good position to handle any surprises that may arise—which can happen with weddings—with ease.
STEP-5: Select A Wedding Location
You now know the church wedding you want, you've decided on your wedding date and budget based on your study, and it's time to find a wedding location that matches your wedding's vision.
You must choose and reserve your wedding venue and date before you purchase your wedding gown. The earlier you book, the more likely it is that you'll receive the location of your dreams for the big day.
Step-6: Create a check list
Making a checklist will help you keep organized when planning your wedding, which is the final step. To keep on schedule for your wedding date, cross each item off your list as you finish it.
In order to prevent forgetting anything crucial and to help you cope with the stress of organizing the largest event of your life to date, especially if you have planned weddings in the past, creating a checklist is crucial.
You can easily plan a wedding if you know where and how to begin. Therefore, if you ever find yourself wondering, "How do I plan my Nigerian wedding?" From where do I begin? I sincerely hope the six steps listed above help you find the solutions so you may start your preparations without any tension.
I wish you well with your preparations and marriage! Cheers!
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