Everyone
hopes to have a wedding ceremony at some point in their life and most
have dreams of what and how it would be, where it would and the
excitement of it all. No one ever dreams of the amount of stress that
comes with planning the wedding, though, especially in cases where the
couple has to work with a tight budget.
In
Nigeria, especially its capital city Abuja today, the wedding trend
involves a lavish pre-wedding photo-shoot and an equally picture-worthy
event…but what do you do when you want to follow this trend but have
limited funds without coming off as cheap?Jumia Travel, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking portal, reveals how anyone in Abuja can plan a frugal but not cheap wedding in Abuja.
Avoid guest list bloat, strictly by invitation
Yes,
you have always dreamed of a big wedding with everyone you know on your
guest list, but you may need to cut down on the number of guests if you
want to achieve your new dream of having a classy wedding. Do not feel
obligated to invite anyone, a large number of guests implies extensive
costs and again a less intimate. To save as much as you can, try
inviting fewer people and ensure they know they can only gain entrance
with an invitation card or pass which you will send to them. Arrange to
have bouncers or ushers at the entrance to expedite this.
Hold the ceremony at home, or outdoors.
The
general idea is to have the wedding in large halls or event centers,
but truth be told, these venues usually come at a steep price. Rather
than rent any of the expensive building or function halls in Abuja for
your ceremony and reception, consider using your home or that of your
parents or a family friend’s, depending on how much space it has. A
properly decorated reception outdoors creates a picturesque, memorable
ceremony while eliminating the cost of renting a venue. You may want to
put the weather into consideration and ensure you have a backup plan if
it is a rainy season.
Seek help for catering
You
already are not having a large event so catering is not going to be an
elaborate affair. Rather than hire a catering company that will charge
you very greatly, rally family members around, including extended ones
to help with the catering. You can hire all the dishes and cutlery you
need. Even better, if you are a Christian and getting married in your
own church, ask the women for help. Most churches have a women’s
committee that will be very happy to assist with that aspect for a small
donation or even free, as long as you are a committed member.
Be flexible when choosing the wedding gown
Although
you already have your heart set on the picture-perfect gown sold in the
UK or Dubai, you may want to go for something cheaper but equally
fabulous from a local bridal shop, or something on sales in one of the
online shops that deliver to Nigeria. Again, you may decide to hire
rather than buying the dress as that would be a cheaper option, only
that you won’t get to keep it. If you are the traditional type, you may
also just go traditional and go with your mother or mother-in-law’s
wedding dress depending on its state, also keeping in mind that fixable
tears or major stains, but typically, most loose beading or threading
issues can be taken care of during the alterations process.
Plan a simple honeymoon
The
honeymoon is a huge part of any wedding but ensure you plan to keep it
simple rather than ostentatious. While a lavish exotic honeymoon might
seem like a romantic and fun way to unwind after hectic weeks of
planning for your wedding, it’s far cheaper to stay closer to home. You
may decide to go for a week in a fabulous resort like La Campagne Tropicana Resort in
Lagos, just 2 hours away by air, or go somewhere with more adventure
like Jos where you could spend a week or two seeing all of the local
sights you’ve never had time to see before.
______________________________ _____
Nkem Ndem | PR Associate at Jumia Travelphone +234 (0)7033853356 | skype Vivienne Ndem
Well, there are several aspects of wedding and making it perfect. Wedding invitation card is one the important aspect of making any marriage special.
ReplyDeletespecialized marriage planners