Sunday Special: My Nigerian Wedding Planning Experience Series

I was a newbie Wedding Planner that year and I think it was my second or third wedding or so.

I had been commissioned to coordinate both the traditional ceremony and the wedding reception.

The incident happened during the traditional ceremony which was a day before the wedding reception. I had not gotten used to the fact that friends of the couple normally arrive late to weddings (I still don’t understand the rationale behind this though)

I had not recommended any vendor for the event and the caterer happened to be a family member.

Anyway, the friends of the couple had arrived at about 6pm and by this time, the caterer’s food was almost finished, so we were trying to ration the portions we were serving guests.

As soon as I saw the groom’s friends enter the premsies in their agbadas, looking dapper and sharp, I informed the caterer that we needed to serve some new guests.

At first, they struck me as young men who wouldn’t care if they got food or not (oh how wrong I was 😩🤦🏽‍♀️)

It was as if they were reading my mind, because shortly afterwards, they demanded to be given something to eat.

They had first asked for small chops but when I told them that we didn’t even serve small chops that day, they seemed shocked and thought I was lying because apparently, the groom had told them to expect maximum enjoyment. (Whatever that meant)


I sha told the caterer to give me food for the groom’s friends o, that was how she told me that meat had finished.

Ah! Meat has finished ke? I could see at least 8 expectant faces, hoping to eat some delicious jollof rice… how was I going to tell them that food had finished?

I told her to check the coolers well, she then told me that the pieces of meat left had lots of bones.

I told her to put them like that on the food but she should make it 2 pieces instead of one.

Then she landed another shocker! She said the meat wouldn’t go round if she puts 2 pieces of meat on each plate.

Toh… I then told her to serve it like that. She did and I carried the plates personally to serve the food to the groom’s friends.


But what I was welcomed with, shook me to my very core.


In my mind, I was still rejoicing and thanking God that I was able to get them something to eat, but as soon as I set the food down infront of them, one of them looked at the food with disgust and shouted, what is this?

I was shocked and said jollof rice.

Then he said, he could see that it was jollof rice but he was asking what kind of food I had served them…

At this point, I was completely taken aback… as I was trying to explain that the food had finished, the next thing I saw, was him storming over to the caterer stations to demand for 2 pieces of protein as opposed to the one piece of protein that was on his food.

The caterer had tried to explain that the meat had finished and they were given the last ones, but all her explanations had fallen on deaf ears because he started shouting at the top of his voice, saying and I quote,

” I DID NOT COME ALL THE WAY FROM THE UNITED STATES FOR 1 PIECE OF MEAT “

Even the one piece of meat that was initially given to him, he had thrown it on the floor, saying that it was only dogs that ate bones.

Toh… (hands on chest)

After creating a scene for like 20 minutes, I eventually had to give him the food I had kept for the groom, as the couple were already getting very worried and asked that I gave him the groom’s food instead.

LESSONS
– Dear wedding guests, it’s in your best interest to come early to Nigerian weddings. Not every couple can afford to have extra chops for guests that arrive late to their wedding. Forget what they may have told you, every couple would want to save face infront of their friends, but Nigerian weddings are very expensive and not every couple can afford all these extras. I would also advise that you eat something before going to any wedding.


– Dear couples, please stop giving false impressions to your friends, if you won’t be having small chops or desserts for instance, don’t tell your friends that there would be small chops and desserts.


– Dear couples, you already know the kind of friends you have… please make adequate preparations for them. Espcially after they have bought expensive asoebi. Many times, it is the wedding planner who has to face the brunt of these rude friends. If it is chinese food they eat, then have Chinese food ready for them.

– But more importantly, you need friends that won’t create a scene on your wedding day. Same as bridesmaids, you don’t need people frowning or not being happy for you. Any little reaction from them will affect you either negatively or positively.

– Ever since that day, I have made it a point of duty to always ensure that some food is kept or prepared specially for the couple’s friends and bridal party.

You Know I Love You
X.O.X.O Your Integrity Planner
Olamide~ The Heiress
Head Planner,
La’ Heiress Weddings