Wedding Checklist for Planning Nigerian Weddings – White and Traditional

WEDDING PLANNING

6AUG

This Nigerian Wedding checklist is the perfect starting point for planning Nigerian Weddings. It breaks down the most essential tasks you will need to complete based on a 12 month engagement wedding planning period. Unlike any other wedding checklists that exist, this one includes both White Wedding and Traditional Wedding tasks. Keep in mind that this wedding planning list is meant to guide you. There will surely be additional steps unique to your wedding. Don’t forget to create daily and weekly lists. This will make larger tasks on this wedding checklist more manageable. Make sure you delegate appropriate tasks to the relevant friends and family members. Also, if you hire a wedding planner, be sure to prioritize their wedding checklist and planning advice. 

NIGERIAN WEDDING PLANNING CHECKLIST

10-12 Months Before Your Wedding

• Congratulations on your engagement! The first step will be to announce this to all relevant parties. Be sure to go out of your way to personally inform people who may be offended if they hear the news indirectly from other sources e.g fussy aunties and long lost best friends across the continent.
• Share this wedding checklist with all friends and family members helping you plan the wedding.
• Select a wedding date. The traditional Nigerian wedding ceremony will be held anytime from the same day as the white wedding ceremony, to a few months before.
• Start a wedding planning file, folder or spreadsheet to keep records of all contracts, vendor quotes and wedding documents.
• Discuss a wedding budget and how expenses and duties will be shared between the two families and the couple.
• Draft a preliminary guest list to get an estimate of guest numbers. Request lists from both sets of parents. Doing so as soon as possible will prevent you from searching for inadequate venues, and giving vendors wrong quotes.
• Select bridal party members and inform them. The earlier the better, especially for those who are coming from other states / countries or have to take time off work to attend. 
• Choose the church/mosque ceremony location and confirm date and availability with the leaders.
• Decide on whether you would like to hire a wedding planner and book one if necessary.
• Start researching wedding dress ideas. It’s never too early as some custom gowns take up to 5-8 months to prepare, and alterations and multiple dress fittings eat up extra time.
• Search for bridal hairstyle and make-up inspiration.
• Select and secure a Wedding Photographer for both the white and traditional weddings.
• Select and secure a Wedding Videographer for both the white and traditional weddings.
• Start researching and booking other wedding vendors, especially those who handle one wedding per day.
• Start Honeymoon researching and planning to get the best flight and hotel rates.

7- 9 Months Before Your Wedding

• Start hunting for the wedding reception venue and secure this as soon as possible.
• Select your wedding theme and wedding colour schemes, including aso ebi colours and wedding reception colours. Browse our Wedding Photo Gallery for inspiration.
• Choose a date for your Introduction ceremony, where you are officially introduced to your new family for the first time. This is the first part of most traditional wedding ceremonies.
• Choose aso-ebi for family members, friends and guests attending the white wedding and traditional wedding. If your aso ebi is super customized, you will need to import it and this will take a while. 
• Select and purchase your Wedding Dress. The earlier the better. 
• Research and secure a Makeup Artist and for both weddings. Book a gele artist for the traditional wedding if your Makeup artist will not be handling it.
• Research and secure a Hair Stylist for the white wedding
• Choose a Caterer for both weddings and decide on menu.
• Choose an Event Decorator and florist that best suits your requirements.
• Order your English and Traditional Wedding Cakes.

4-6 Months Before Your Wedding

• Visit fabric vendors to choose your Introduction outfit. Start thinking of wedding day aso-ebi ideas as well.
• Choose the bride and groom’s attire(s) for the traditional wedding.
• Finalize and present traditional wedding list (engagement list) to grooms family.
• Finalize the Guest List, compile addresses and send out electronic save the dates
• Book the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for your reception.
• Select a Band for the reception for both weddings.
• Select a DJ for the wedding reception.
• Book any other musician/entertainment.
• Order your wedding invitations. This isn’t done too early to allow for changes in venues or dates.
• Choose your white wedding hair accessories.
• Buy your white wedding shoes, purse and jewelry (earrings, chains and bracelets).
• Choose a second wedding dress if you will be wearing two.
• Choose the Groom and Groomsmen attires and ties.
• Choose the Wedding Bouquet and Boutonnieres.
• Buy and inform your bridesmaids’ of the gown you have chosen. Take varying body shapes into consideration.
• Buy your Traditional wedding shoes and bag.
• Buy your Traditional wedding jewelry (beads) and other accessories.
• Buy the Wedding Rings. Account for time needed for engraving and additional sizing if necessary.
• Order Rental Equipment: eg. marquee, tables, chairs etc.

2-3 Months Before Your Wedding

• Schedule hair and makeup trial appointments and ensure that hair accessories and hair style are complementary.
• Take engagement photos to be displayed at your wedding, on your wedding website, and party souvenirs.
• Start Buying items on the traditional wedding list (engagement list only relevant to the grooms family).
• Choose Bridesmaids accessories.
• Send out wedding invitations, aso-ebi and gifts for the aso-ebi purchasers.
• Begin personal shopping for clothes needed for pre-wedding parties or honeymoon.
• Begin organising transportation and accommodation for out of town guests and the wedding party.
• Schedule a wedding rehearsal and notify everyone involved.
• Finalize Honeymoon details and make necessary reservations.
• Create a wedding website to share details of your wedding with friends, family and other guests.

1 Month Before Your Wedding

• Book wedding night accommodation.
• Book Transportation for couple, family and wedding party.
• Inform DJ on Father/ Daughter song, First dance song, specific processional music and any other *Must play* songs.
• Organise fittings for your bridesmaids and groomsmen and ensure they receive their dresses, suits and other accessories
• Prepare for the “secret” bridal shower your friends may be hosting for you
• Write vows if you choose to personalize them.
• Buy Wedding undergarments.
• Confirm all details including location, date and time with all vendors.
• Confirm all details including location, date and time with all vendors.
• Organise car decorations.
• Purchase gifts for your bridal party.
• Schedule a final dress fitting, and make sure you are wearing shoes this time. You should also have a bridesmaid there to learn how to bustle your train and fasten your buttons.
• Create a seating chart and finalize seating arrangements. This is quite difficult to enforce, so at the very least, place cards designating some tables to important family members, friends and colleagues should be visibly positioned.
• Finalize the printing of all on-the-day stationery, including menus, programs, table numbers and gift bags.

2 Weeks Before Your Wedding

• Confirm your total wedding look – ensure you have all necessary accessories for you and your bridal party.
• Finish personal shopping.
• Finalise honeymoon plans.
• Go for final beauty treatments: spa, facial, wax. This is not the best time to experiment.

1 Week Before Your Wedding

• Confirm final guest count and inform caterer and reception venue.
• Have a final consultation with all vendors.
• Pack an “emergency kit” for the wedding day which may include: safety pins, tissues, cosmetics, hairspray, thread and needle, headache pills, and mints .
• Confirm honeymoon bookings and have ready all necessary documentation: tickets, passports, traveller’s cheques, etc.
• Pack for honeymoon.
• Attend any required ceremony rehearsals at your church or mosque with your leaders 
• Sit down and organise the actual wedding day into some sort of time schedule. Provide the wedding party with the schedule.
• Break into your shoes! Wear your wedding shoes around the house and on the same kind of floor you’d have in the wedding, until they are comfortable.
• Ensure that all vendor payment deadlines are met.
• Practise your dance moves. Don’t carry last on your special day.

The Day Before Your Wedding                

• Confirm that all members of the wedding party are organised and well prepared.
• Appoint your official *Cash Collectors*.
• Have a massage, manicure and pedicure and relax.
• Complete your evening skin routine so that your skin is moist for your wedding day make-up.
• Relax!
• Get to bed early!

On the Day Of Your Wedding

• Eat a good breakfast.
• Review your on the day wedding schedule.
• Relax and pamper yourself.
• Be at the ceremony at least five minutes early.
• Smile and enjoy – this is your special day !
• Party Hard! 

The Day After Your Wedding

• Send out thank you emails, write thank you notes and make thank you calls. An 6-week period of grace is the norm.
• Ensure all vendors have been fully paid.

Although this Nigerian wedding checklist has been designed for a 12 month engagement, we understand that not all last that long, so all wedding planning activities mentioned in the wedding checklist above will be carried out in a much shorter time period. Also, hiring a wedding planner or on the day wedding coordinator (recommended) will considerably reduce your workload as they will be handling many of the tasks on your behalf. Your event planner will also be able to provide you with a more personalized timeline appropriate for your event size and budget, so please work closely with them to achieve the best outcome for your event. If you are looking for more wedding planning information and lists, then check out our wedding resource page. Please like, tweet or pin this Nigerian Wedding Checklist if you think others may find it useful.

Reference.

Wedding Feferity