Nigerian Wedding Decor: All You Need To Know
I’ve been shying away from writing about Nigerian Wedding Decoration because there is a lot to talk about on this topic and it just seemed like I may not be able to cover it all.
But I’ve decided to take a leap of faith. Lol. Anyway, here I am, writing about it, so enjoy!
The Nigerian wedding decor, can single-handedly be the most expensive item on your wedding budget. Many couples do not understand why this is so. I intend to write extensively on this topic in about 3 or 4 articles, so that our future couples understand the reason behind this.
Without further Ado, let’s jump right into it.
Related: How To Prevent Nigerian Wedding Vendors From Disappointing You.
General things you need to know about Nigerian Wedding Decorations/decorators
Your Nigerian Wedding decor could be either one of these three on the same day or on different days:
- Traditional Wedding Decor
- Church, civil or joining wedding decor
- Wedding reception decor
Whatever it is, ensure that it is properly communicated with your Nigerian Wedding Decorator.
NOTE: Florist is what decorators are called in the western countries.
1. Nigerian Wedding Decor is expensive and it would most likely be more expensive than the cost of your wedding venue.
2. It is advisable to have your wedding planner go over your wedding decor details with the decorator or you may have a wedding day disaster loading.
I recently had a bride who told her decorator that she wanted a minimalist themed decor, this led to the decorator removing vital things like the dancefloor for instance, from their decor brief and the bride was given a quote according to the minimalist brief she had given the decorator.
Only for me to come on board and the bride was shocked when I mentioned the things her decorator had informed me that she wouldn’t be doing.
Wedding TIP: Please always involve your wedding planner when explaining your briefs with a Nigerian wedding vendor. Nigerian vendors can sense when a client is clueless about certain things and some may take advantage of the situation. The worst part is that you would likely still pay the same fee but won’t get so much out of it.
3. A themed Nigerian wedding decor will cost more than a regular wedding decor. This is because the decor accents to execute a themed wedding in Nigeria are expensive and sometimes not available. They have to be shipped into the country most times.
4. Not everything you see on social media is what it actually is. Social media is a make-believe platform and Nigerian wedding vendors have mastered the art of working this to their favour.
Wedding TIP: Ask a lot of questions before booking that favourite vendor of yours. Be sure that the works posted on their social media pages are actually done by them.
5. Create a detailed moodboard with pictures for your Nigerian Wedding Decorator. Do not assume that they know what you are talking about. If you like a particular colour, flower arrangement or any decor accent, be sure to include all these details in your moodbaord, to avoid stories that touch.
6. Nigerian Wedding Decorators may be reluctant to take up your wedding decor job if it includes wearing of chair covers. This is mainly because many of them don’t have nice chair covers anymore as the trend has moved to using fancy chairs like, chiavari chairs and the other luxury chairs as shown below.
7. Nigerian Wedding Decorators charge according to the size of the hall and not your number of guests. So if your wedding is a 500 guestlist and your wedding venue sits 800 guests, then best believe that you will be charged for 800 space capacity.
This is because it would take a lot of Decor accents to fill up a 800 seating capacity hall. a lot of man labour as well.
8. Some Nigerian decorators now charge a fee for set up and tear down and this does not come cheap. It would also increase your wedding decor budget.
Related: 13 Hidden Wedding Costs You Should Know About When Planning Your Nigerian Wedding
9. Many Nigerian wedding decor do not handle table shapes. That is charger plates, napkin folds, wine and water glasses, menu cards etc. This should be part of the caterer’s services
Read: Catering At A Nigerian Wedding: All You Need To Know
10. Some Nigerian Wedding Decorators do not handle other aspects of the decor like the ambience lighting for the hall… special effects like fireworks, low fog, confetti blasts, car decor etc… so be sure to ask your decorator about this
Wedding TIP: While some may handle the lighting and special effects, be sure to ask if your decorator will be doing these things. In as much as there are vendors who can handle these extras, please note that these extras do not come cheap and you may want to bargain a better deal with your wedding decorator.
11. In light of the pandemic, it is important to note how many chairs each table will seat because a minimum of 5 or 6 chairs is allowed in some wedding venues and this can significantly increase your number of tables, which in turn can add up to your wedding decor budget.
12. The best way to get a great deal from your decorator is to list out all your wedding decor details to your decorator before requesting for a quote. Do not list some then start adding to it later. This will only allow the decor realize how little they had charge and would allow them mark up their quotes for all the extra things you are throwing in.
13. Your wedding decor moodboard or brief should contain the following items:
THE BASICS
- The Wedding Date
- The Wedding Venue
- The Wedding Theme
- The Wedding Colours
- Number of guests
- How many seats per table (in light of the pandemic restrictions)
- Size of hall
- Start Time of the Wedding
- Type of chairs to be used
THE DECOR DETAILS
I for one, like to start off with the decor accents that my couple are particular about… be it the ambience lighting or specific details, like if the couple doesn’t like or want too much of flowers or wants more of lighting or crystals or whatever important decor details the decorator needs to know, which may affect the quotation the decorator may send. I just like to list them all out, so that we get that out of the way.
TABLE COVERS: Here you list out the number of tables and the kind of table and colour of the table covers you want. Now would also be a good time to state if you want special table covers, like a double Layered table cover or table runners.
CHAIR COVERS: Despite mentioning that many Nigerian wedding decorators don’t do chair covers for plastic chairs anymore, it doesn’t mean that your fancy chairs can’t be decorated as well. See samples below:
CAKE TABLE: you add a picture of the kind of cake table you want, state whether you want the table adorned with flowers or candles or whatever your preference may be. If you want a special cake table, like for a themed wedding or a suspended cake carrier in the air, you should inform your wedding venue, your decorator, your cake baker, and definitely your wedding planner about this.
DANCEFLOOR: There are about 3 or 4 main types of dancefloors used at Nigerian Weddings. The LED dancefloor, the flex dancefloor, the SAV dancefloor and the glass dancefloor. Be sure to state what you want and also do not forget to include the size and shape you want.
1. The LED Dancefloor
There are different types of LED dancefloor, so you may want to be specific about your preference. It can also be very pricey to rent, so best believe that your wedding budget will shoot up by a couple of hundred thousands of Naira.
2. S.A.V Dancefloor
S.A.V dancefloor is a stick on dancefloor, which is normally stuck on a raised wooden poatform. If done right, it is neater and far more preferable than the flex dancefloor. Decorators normally just print your wedding logo on the S.A.V print, so if you want something different or an abstract design, please communicate this with your decorator or your Wedding Planner.
3. Flex DanceFloor
Flex Dancefloor types are the least preferable when it comes to dancefloor but some decorators opt for this because it is the cheaper option. It is normally just placed on the bare floor and if you are lucky, your decorator may be nice enough to place it on a raised platform. If done right, it can be neatly done.
4. Flower or light glass dancefloor.
A tepid transparent glass is placed on the dancefloor with flowers or lights arranged inside to reflect outside. This type of dancefloor is also very costly.
WALL DRAPERY: here you state the kind of wall drapery that you want and the colour of the drapes as well.
STAGE DECOR: The stage area is also referred to as the sweetheart area. It is best to attach a picture to show samples of what you like. You can also add descriptions if the pictures are not clear enough. The decorator may not copy it exactly but at least they would be able to have an idea of what you like. Also don’t forget to mention if you would like a joint couples chair or single ones. If you want a LED stage decor, please state it on your brief. These out non-regular decor accents, cost quite a lot money and you wouldn’t want to receive the shock of your life when your decorator comes with a totally new quote after stating some specifics you may want to add to your decor brief.
THE WALKWAY: State the decor accents you would like on the walkway and also attach a picture to this in the decor brief moodboard.
CEILING INSTALLATIONS: Your budget may not be able to accommodate ceiling installations, because this can be very pricey. If you want it, I would advise that you add this to the initial brief before sending it to your preferred decorator. Add as many pictures that best describes what you want.
PARENTS AND BRIDAL PARTY TABLES: These two tables are normally exquisitely decorated. Thw tables coulf be the normal banquet rectangular tables covered with table covers or special fancy tables. Whatever your preference is, should be stated in your decor brief. Also send as many pictures that best describes how you would like the tables decorated.
PHOTO AREA: A photo area is a space designed for your wedding guests to take pictures. It may include the pre-wedding shoot pictures of the couple or it may not. It all depends on what your preference is. But be sure to include this in your decor briefs. Also include other decor accents like the carpet, flowers if wanted. I once had a decorator not bring a carpet for the photo area, just because the bride didn’t tell him to. So send pictures with clear descriptions of what you want.
CENTREPIECES: Centrepieces are the flower areangement placed on each table. They can come in different sizes and colours or flower arrangements. Attach as many pictures as you can possibly find.
CAR DECOR: Not all decorators do car decors, so be sure to ask and include this in your decor brief if you want it done. I normally make custom license plates for my couples as a complimentary service. You can have this done HERE
MOOD LIGHTS: Like I’ve mentioned earlier, not all decorators do this. But it wouldn’t hurt to add it to your decor brief because some actually do this and you can save some couple of thousands if your decorator adds this to their package. These lights come in different colours, so if you want a particular colour of moodlight, say ‘Amber’ for instance, ensure that you communicate this with your decorator. Some of these moodlights are placed on the air conditioners (AC’s) in the hall, while some are placed on tripod stands. You may be need up to 25 to 30 moodlights to get a full ambience lighting coverage
BRIDAL SUITE: This is a new trend, this is like a photo area for the bride’s bridal wears. It is normally done in the bride’s hotel. Do not assume that it comes with your decor package, unless if it is stated in your package. It also comes at an extra cost, so be sure to include this in your decor brief if you want it, before sending your moodboard to your Nigerian decorator.
FAUX WALL: This is also a new trend. It is a fake wall normally placed at the beginning of the walkway. The concept was for couples to take pictures without the doors to the hall showing in the pictures. It gives the pictures a clean look.
GAZEBOS: Gazebos in Nigerian wedding decorations is a covering over the dancefloor. It could be hung over the fancefloor or created using trusses. It can also be of any design, balloon, flowers, crystals etc…
WELCOME SIGNAGES: This is a signage welcoming your guests to your wedding.
14. Pinterest pictures are only used as inspirational pictures. Do not expect your wedding decor to be the exact same design, shape or form as your Nigerian Wedding decor. This is as a result of a number of factors… for instance the venue may not have the same aesthetic design as those on Pinterest. There are also some wedding colours that are very difficult to find in Nigeria. Some of those colours don’t even exist in flowers or material.
15. In light of the pandemic, there are some civid restrictions that have been put in place for a lot of events Centres in Nigeria, especially Lagos state. For example, the total number of guests allowed is 500. Which means that the hall should be able to sit at least 1,000 guests normally. Also only 5 or 6 guests are allowed per table in some halls.
This may increase the total number of tables that your decorator would need to cover, which would lead to the decorator charging extra, because a round banquet table sits 10 guests normally. Before covid, 400 guests would require 40 tables but now, the same 400 guests would require 80 tables or less. So be sure to inform your decorator about this.
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X.O.X.O, The Best Wedding Planner In Nigeria,
Olamide~ The Heiress
Head Planner,
La’ Heiress Weddings
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