Nigerian Wedding Habits Bride Can’t Plan For

You have been busy planning your Nigerian wedding, and now it’s around the corner. While you have planned out every aspect of your wedding activities, here are my five Nigerian wedding habits that bride can’t plan for that happens.

And even if you planned for these habits and specified them on your wedding invitation to your guest; honestly, you can’t control these habits from happening on your wedding day. 

WEDDING DRESS CODE

Having a dress code on your wedding invitation is good because it’s a way to set the style, tone, and theme of your wedding. But as a Nigerian or Multicultural bride, even if you specified the dress code for your formal religious wedding on your invitations, note that not all your guests will adhere to that requirement. Because it’s a Nigerian wedding habit that is normal.

While some of your guests will adhere to your dress code, some are likely to come in their traditional outfits. Wedding is a big occasion and dressing up in glamorous traditional outfits identifies with big occasion, especially with the elder guests. 

Do not let that stress you out because Nigerian guests and other multicultural guests usually wear traditional outfits to weddings. Weddings are big occasions everyone looks forward to attending, and the same applies to Nigerians; and wearing their glamorous traditional outfits is perfectly normal, as it has always been the standard practice.

NIGERIAN WEDDING CEREMONY ATTENDANCE

At a Nigerian wedding ceremony, the guest attendance is usually low during the religious service (whether in a church or hall) because not all the guests will attend the wedding ceremony. You might experience this happening at your wedding and if that happens, do not delay your ceremony, proceed with your ceremony service time as scheduled.

Few guests will attend your religious service or come while it’s going on; while the rest of your guests will join you during the reception. Before the reception starts, your guest attendance will increase as the majority (if not all) of your guest will be in attendance for your wedding reception to celebrate with you and your new hubby.

GUEST LIST & RSVP

Nigerian weddings have a large guest in attendance and that’s because Nigerians love weddings and love to attend one too. While planning your wedding, it’s good to have a headcount of your guest list so you can plan accordingly to accommodate your entire guest.  

So if you require your guest to rsvp to your wedding invitations, understand that not all of your guests will rsvp, but you still need to plan accordingly to accommodate them because they will show up on your wedding day. Keep in mind that once you invite your Nigerian relatives, family, and friends to your wedding, they will all show up.

ADULT ONLY/ NO CHILD ALLOWED

Having “ADULT ONLY/NO CHILD ALLOWED” is a wedding decision couples make while planning their wedding and that can be for any reason from keeping the wedding small, to save money,  or destination wedding; but whatever the reason is up on the couple. 

For a Nigerian wedding, specifying this rule on your wedding invitation will not prevent children from attending your wedding. 

One or two couples are certain to bring their child to your wedding. It happens no matter how much you try to avoid that. Either a family member brings their child or another guest will do. 

They might inform you ahead of time to accommodate their child, but that always doesn’t happen. Should that happen at your wedding, don’t let it affect your mood that day. The most important thing is that your guests are there to celebrate your big day with you!

SEATING ASSIGNMENT

Nigerian events have large guests in attendance, and weddings are no exception. Assigning seats can be hard to achieve once all the guests come into the event hall, especially wedding receptions.

Usually Nigerian guests prefer first come, first serve scenario where the guests get seated by themselves and seated with their friends. If you have assigned seating but don’t have anyone to reinforce it, the guest will ignore it.  

Seating assignment is good for a small scale wedding of 200 or fewer guests. But if your wedding is over 200, seating assignment will be a task. While nothing is impossible to do, but if you insist on having assigned seating, you will need to make sure you have people at hand that will be there to direct guests to reinforce the assignment as you have desired.

I wish you all the best with your planning & marriage!