YOU’RE ENGAGED!! Pop the bubbly, let the excitement sink in, and let’s talk about what’s next. Wedding planning extraordinaires, Aleah and Nick of Valley & Company Events are here to help spell out those very first steps so you can fully enjoy the early days of your journey down the aisle. Grab a seat and let’s get started!
1 .Soak it In
Before you do any actual planning, take a breath! This is one of the most exciting times in your lives, and we recommend relishing in that and celebrating with family and friends before you do any framework building. Take a week to just enjoy and daydream about what the day means to you and what you
want it to look and feel like.
2.Talk Priorities
When you’re ready, talk to each other about your priorities for the wedding before you set any plans into motion. Consider:
how you want the wedding to feel (intimate, formal, a destination?) and who you want to share in your day. Think about what season best suits this vision and your schedules.
3.List it Out
Individually, write down a list of locations and venue properties you could envision your wedding at. See how your lists match up together as well as with your initial priorities.
4.Ask Your Bridal Party
Ask away! Once you have a few ideas in motion for how you want your wedding to look and feel like, ask your bridesmaids and groomsmen who you want to stand by your side
5. Announce + Celebrate!
Spread the news! We hear it all the time – it’s so easy to get (naturally) bombarded with excited questions about the when, where, and what of your wedding when you announce your engagement, so having just a few ideas on the table before sharing the joy can make that part of the story that much more enjoyable when you have details to share!
The bride looked gorgeous in Deola Sagoe's Komole Iro and Buba piece which is rumored to reportedly costs between N500,000-N1.5million, for her traditional wedding to Olumide Aderinokun. Check out more photos after the cut......
There is a 'single, saved and not having s*x' movement started by a 25yrs old lady, Antoinette Igebu, who is an unapologetic Christian.
She is also an Engineer, Consultant and Writer. She's into business. She believes woman should be what our mothers were - good ladies that will transform into good wives and build their home. She got married to the love of her life last weekend.
From Antoinette
Where do I start really? How about the day we spoke. I had received a call from a friend asking me if I had a boyfriend and telling me one of his friends wanted my number. Initially, I was like "Gosh. These boys have come again". So I asked the basics. What's his name? Surname? Where did he see me? What exactly does he want? Is he a Christian and I don't mean church-goer? What does he do? Is he fine? Lol! I was a bit skeptical but I gave my friend the permission to give this "new guy" called Chris Oguta my number. After the phone call, I proceeded to wear my Detective Cap immediately. Google to the rescue! I didn't find much except for his LinkedIn profile. Bummer. I scrolled through and thought to myself, "This will have to do for now".
I had thought Chris would act like the typical boy who would take ages to call (after begging for your number o! Forming will now start. Idongerrit) but he called me almost immediately. We clicked. Which is something rare for me especially with "prospective toasters". Maybe it was due to the fact that he asked if he could take me out for a "meal" and I was like, what age are you from please? Who still uses the word "meal"? Are you a vampire? Lol. He called me razz and said it was Jand English. Right.
Wow, I'm only on the day we spoke still? Okay, let me speed this up a little...
So I agreed to going out for a meal with Chris and we set a date. He came to pick me up and the first thing I noticed was his very "yellow" hand. Then my eyes travelled up to his face. Niiiice. I liked what I saw. Totally different from his LinikedIn profile photo (Thank goodness, he has changed it now. I made sure of it). Talking to Chris felt... natural. We were so real around each other and it really was the best date I had ever had. I had been to Cactus several times before so it definitely had nothing to do with the venue or the ambience. I felt peace about this guy and I just could not explain it. By the time he dropped me home, we both didn't want to leave each other's sight.
The next couple of weeks was like a whirlwind. We spoke on the phone A LOT! Gosh, I wonder how we did it then. Our relationship was pretty much long distance - he lived on the mainland part of Lagos while I lived on the island. If you live in Lagos, you know that's long distance. So, we made sure to spend time on weekends. I was attracted to his personality - especially his love for God and his respect for my values. I knew he was the one, and I knew he knew I was the one. Haha. Our love grew deeper and 3 weeks later, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend.
Chris and I both knew we were going to get married afterwards. There's no way in the world I would have said yes to being his girlfriend if I wasn't sure he was going to be my husband. It was in May that he asked me to marry him. I was having the worst day and he asked to take me out so I could clear my head. I should have figured out what was about to happen because he was acting so weird.
We were done eating and about leaving when my friend walked in. Immediately, it dawned on me and I started screaming. HAHAHA. He got down on one knee and I honestly don't remember anything he said. Scratch that. I didn't hear anything he said. Till he asked if I would marry him and I screamed, yes of course!
Is he the one? Absolutely. Does he make me happier than I ever imagined I could be? Absolutely. Am I excited to start this new chapter of marriage in my life? HECK YES!
From ChristopherIt was September 2015 and I was single and searching (not even going to front. Lol). I was going through Instagram and I saw this very interesting picture appear on my Explore page. I decided to click on the picture and with every other click through more of her pictures, I became more curious to find out who she really was. Her posts were not typical and for someone who had so many "followers", it didn't seem like she was selling something.
Already being very curious, I was faced with a dilemma. Should I DM her? Will that really be the best approach? Then from a stroke of luck (well, hard work actually because I went through virtually all her pictures), I saw a comment by a friend on one of her pictures. They seemed to be cordial, so I knew that was my inroad. (Meanwhile, she later told me that if I had gone through the DM approach, it would have been a NO NO. Thank God for saving me).
Days later, I was having a telephone conversation with her and asking her out for a 'meal'. Our first meal/date went very well and I probably hadn't felt so comfortable with anyone on the first conversation. That's when I started to have the feeling that something special could be brewing. I did my background check (you can't blame me, this is Lagos) and I was very happy with the feedback. Antoinette ticked all the boxes for me.
Few weeks later (including many hours spent on the telephone), we started dating officially. I genuinely believe it was the best thing that had happened to me. By the time I proposed in May, I had long known that Antoinette is the love of my life and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Fast forward to December and that's exactly what I'll be doing. Cheers to a great future to us!
Tennis champ Serena Williams has announced she's engaged to boyfriend of 15 months, Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian.The 34-year-old champion revealed her engagement story on Reddit – with a short poem . Congrats to the couple, more photos after the cut.....
The actor got married to Jumobi in 2000 and they are now blessed with four kids.
He shared the beautiful photo above and wrote;
"Jumobi to the world, Aabike to me. The mother of my kids, love of my life, my rock, my shield, my baby, my woman, my everything. I want to say thank you but that's not enough, I want to say I love you that's still not enough, I want to say God bless you and that also seems inadequate for all you have been to me and the kids.
You have kept me grounded, loved me unconditionally, prayed with me and for me and gone without to ensure I shine. You know how when close friends and family ask "How is bros?" and you respond with "He's there, I still haven't killed him in his sleep yet" they laugh at the humour but I smile with admiration because I know the truth. The truth is that you have consistently tolerated me and all my excesses and for that I am extremely grateful.
I don't know how I would have done all I have done and I'm doing without your support.
Thank you for deliberately taking a back seat to make me shine.
You know baby, God has put to shame those who said we wouldn't last. It's amazing how far we have come. 16years and counting ain't bad is it now?
Yea, I know they are not enough but I'll still go ahead and say THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU and GOD BLESS YOU my ABK. Happy wedding anniversary baby."
Most times these mums find it hard to adjust when another woman comes into her son’s life, they often get jealous and this can be annoying to the wife.
Many men are still much attached to their mum, even as grown men this occurs mostly if he is the only son.
He does and will do anything to make her happy. Most times these mums find it hard to adjust when another woman comes into her son’s life, they often get jealous and this can be annoying to the wife.
A similar case is that of Tolani, my friend It was few weeks to one of our client’s wedding. Tolani and I were to discuss the designs we will use for the decor she sounded like she was far away from the conversation.
So I asked her what the problem was after much persuasion she finally opened up. Her mother-in-law was giving her headaches she controlled her husband like he was a 12- year -old and she was beginning to wonder if she married a boy or a man.
A recent issue that got her so upset was the fact that her husband left her at an event that they were both invited to by a family friend because he had to run an errand for his mother, which she felt was not an emergency. She further complained that she felt like her husband had two wives. She’s totally confused on what to do.
Are you in similar shoes with Tolani? Your mother-in-law practically dictates what happens in your home? Then you are married to a mama’s boy. Are you in similar shoes with Tolani? Your mother-in-law practically dictates what happens in your home?
Then you are married to a mama’s boy. A man’s first love is his mother, she brought him to this world and she taught him how to take his first step.
She is the first authority in his life, the first human he sees and recognises when he was born. You can see that the bond is quite strong.
The best way to solve this problem is to call your husband to order and make him realise that after God, you and his kids comes before anybody.
That his responsibility is to provide and protect you and your children. Though it will not be easy but if you don’t set your standards right you will always be second place to his mother.
You are not trying to come between him and his mother but he should try and balance his relationship between the both of you. It is good for a man to have a great relationship with his mum, because such men will know how to take care of a woman but not striking the balance is a problem.
It is only when you make him realise all these, that you will have peace of mind in your home. Do not approach him with a judgemental approach do it in a calm way, he might not take it well initially but he will think about it and make adjustments hopefully.
One of the daughters of former NAFDAC boss late Dora Akunyili, Somto, is set to wed her fiance, Chinonso Asuzu. Both medical practitioners based in the US, they got engaged in May this year. They have been in a relationship since 2012. They had a long distance relationship for about three years until they met for the first time in December last year. Their wedding will hold in Agulu, Anambra state. Congrats to them. See more photos after the cut...
Comedian Olufemi Fagade aka Omobaba got married to his girlfriend, Toyosi, in Ibadan today December 27th. The wedding was attended by his family members and friends such as Gbenga Adeyinka, Sound Sultan and others. Congrats to them. More photos after the cut...
Chozy surprised his cute lady Joy when he took her out on a surprise date, and capped it by proposing to her. The excited lover boy shared the photos and wrote:
#SheSaidYes!! Words can't fully express how much I love you @virtuous.joy! Thank you for your constant love, encouragement, support, motivation, and being my best friend. Thank you for your patience with me and making me feel like the greatest
man on earth. You are such an amazing, beautiful, God-fearing woman and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you!
Special thank you to all who helped make this the best day of our lives!
There are some things that you just can’t plan for on your wedding day. The florist can bring the wrong colored flowers; the food may be served late; and there’s a solid chance that someone in your bridal party will get too drunk and say something you really wish they didn’t.
When my husband and I got married in a provincial park, we reserved a secluded group campsite so that we could be married outside in private. It had a large open shelter that we could have used if it rained and a large private field dotted with fall foliage and mossy rocks for fantastic photos. On the side of the site, there was a gorgeous forest that had a small clearing where we were married.
That didn’t stop the unexpected from happening though. One of the neighboring sites was booked for very vocal army cadet training; there was a child’s birthday party squatting on our reserved site; and a dog ran up to us and barked during our vows. My husband, a metal music lover, had a separate playlist for our wedding ceremony, but somehow it switched to a metal song during our recessional.
Luckily, my husband-to-be (at the time) arrived at the site an hour prior in anticipation of potential issues. He was able to speak with the army cadets and ask for 30 minutes of silence, and the birthday squatters apologized for intruding and quickly left.
The dog and the metal music though? Well, that’s when flexibility and a sense of humor can really come in handy.
Thankfully, there are some things you can plan for. Here are just a few to make sure you have a stress-free wedding day.
1. Have Your Final Payments Ready
Many vendors require a retainer to reserve their services and expect final payment on the day of your wedding once the service is complete. To ensure a stress-free wedding day, keep a spreadsheet of all the vendors you’ve hired, any payments you have already made, and any payments that are still outstanding.
If a vendor is expecting payment on the day of your wedding, be sure to have a check or delayed email bank transfer ready. If you are writing checks, designate someone you trust to track down your vendors and pay them. The last thing you’ll want is to be stopped mid-party and asked to write a check!
2. Leave Some Wiggle Room
It may be tempting to plan out a wedding day schedule. While it is necessary to a point (you need to know the time of your ceremony, and guests should know the general outline of the evening), scheduling moments down to 15 minute increments will only set you up for a stressful day.
Looking back at your wedding day, it won’t matter to you if the speeches stretched 20 minutes longer than you allotted. Leave some room for some spontaneity and for some potentially unforgettable moments!
3. Bring a Second Pair of Shoes
Those gorgeous heels are going to feel like torture devices after a few hours of standing, taking pictures, and dancing. Don’t wait until you’re limping around—make sure to pack a pair of flats or something similar for when your feet are telling you they’ve had enough.
This goes for men too. Some men’s dress shoes can be downright uncomfortable, especially when you’re not used to wearing them. Don’t worry about how you look once the photography session is over. Dance the night away with your love, your family, and your friends in comfortable kicks.
4. Break in your shoes
Speaking of heels, all heels are at least a bit uncomfortable when you first buy them. To avoid blisters, wear them around the house in the weeks leading up to your wedding so that they have time to form to your feet.
Again, this goes for the fellas too! Wear your dress shoes around the house as much as you can to break them in a bit. (Ever watch “Friends”? Remember how Chandler slipped all over the dance floor at his wedding? Don’t be that groom!)
5. Hire a Day-of Coordinator
A day-of coordinator can be an absolute life saver. They can pick up your flowers, set up any remaining decorations, and make sure all deliveries are not only on time, but also are up to your expectations.
This coordinator will be your right-hand— someone to smooth out any concerns and disasters. You may be able to get away with having your bridal party do bits and pieces, but a day-of coordinator can really see the big picture know all the ins and outs like a pro so that you can have a stress-free wedding day.
6. Pack a Wedding Day Survival Bag
There are so many little things that might not be necessary, but that can make a world of difference if a crisis arises. Having a survival bag could make all the difference on your big day. Hair pins, extra make up, make up remover, a mini sewing kit, tweezers, super glue, floss, and eye drops are just some of the items that you may need for a stress-free wedding day (or at least a less stressful one). Here is a thread from the Wedding Bee forum of many more survival bag ideas!
7. Designated a Wedding Dress Helper
Putting on your wedding dress almost always takes longer than you anticipate, and it can take substantially longer if no one knows how to fasten your bodice or tie a corset back!
And, depending on your dress, you may have chosen to get a bustle. These can be as simple as a little loop that hooks onto a small button or as complex as a 25-point French bustle.
Be sure to have someone with you at your final fitting, or have a run through the weekend before the big day to avoid any unexpected dress stress.
8. Have Breakfast Served
Many brides and grooms get wrapped up in the excitement of their wedding day and forget to eat. You don’t want to be in a position where you are ready to go but have to scarf down a messy breakfast just as you’re about to head out the door. Tuxes and dresses alike could easily be ruined this way.
Plan to have breakfast delivered, or prepare it the night before. Hard boiled eggs, fruit, and overnight oatmeal are easy make-ahead options. After all, a stress-free wedding day starts with a good breakfast! Right?
9. Get a Massage
For a seriously stress-free wedding day, have a massage therapist work out some of those wedding day knots. It is not only luxurious, it is a super relaxing way to start your wedding day.
The grand wedding of Nana Shagari, the granddaughter of former Nigerian President Shehu Shagari and her husband Salet Lukat, former Vice President Namadi Sambo's in-law was held over the weekend in Abuja.
Nana , is a First Class graduate from the University of Leceister, UK and student at the Nigerian Law School, is the daughter of Muktar Shagari, former deputy governor of Sokoto State and one of the longest serving Ministers during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. more pics after the cut......
