By Hafeedoh Balogun
Let’s be honest here - Nigerian weddings can be pretty expensive! Unfortunately, some brides and grooms may encounter money-related struggles while planning their dream wedding day, whether unforeseen expenses or overstretching their budget.
We’re big fans of making sure you spend within your budget and have spare cash for your lives as newlyweds after the perfect wedding! But, ultimately, to achieve this, one must pay a lot of attention in the planning phase and make certain changes to set a sensible budget early on.
Read on for our tips to help you manage costs when planning your Nigerian wedding.
1. Reduce your guest count
The number of wedding guests significantly impacts your budget! Your guest count affects cost items such as your venue (larger venues are more expensive), catering (more mouths to feed), souvenirs (more gifts), etc. A more intimate wedding will help take things from overwhelming to manageable. In addition, you might benefit from making your wedding strictly by invitation to ensure no surprise guests.
2. Choose limited menu options
The number of wedding guests significantly impacts your budget! Your guest count affects cost items such as your venue (larger venues are more expensive), catering (more mouths to feed), souvenirs (more gifts), etc. A more intimate wedding will help take things from overwhelming to manageable. In addition, you might benefit from making your wedding strictly by invitation to ensure no surprise guests.
3. Skip the reception after-party
We’ll admit it too; more time to celebrate with your families and friends is fun! However, hosting an after-party can be a strain on your budget as you would need to cater to your guests for the extra hours they stay to celebrate with you. If you’re already on a tight budget with the wedding itself, don’t feel obligated to throw an after-party.
4. Hold multiple ceremonies on the same day
Picture this, you’re holding your religious ceremony on a Thursday and your traditional ceremony on a Saturday. That means securing two event centers, catering for two sets of guests, more outfit changes - basically paying for most things twice.
To avoid stretching your budget, you could consider holding multiple ceremonies on the same day. If you choose to do this, think carefully about your wedding day timeline to avoid stress!
5. Negotiate with vendors
Negotiating with all your vendors might not be the best answer to your budget issues, but it could help save you some money! But do this carefully, understand how much is typically charged for certain products or services and by specific vendors. Also, reach out the right way and engage with prospective vendors prospectively! Lastly, prepare to compromise on your vendor choice if some vendors are unwilling to move on price.
