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THE WEDDING PLANNERS
If you went to Nigeria this past Xmas, I am sure you OD’ed on attending weddings.
Your sister, brother, cousin, best friend or even school mother tied the knot and you were there to celebrate with him or her.
I am sure you were probably impressed by the quality of the event.
The decorations were on point; everyone got come food or at least was better than what you have experienced in the past.
The business of wedding planning is huge in Nigeria!
From pioneers like Yewande Zaccheaus of Eventful Limited to the established youngsters like Omolara Akinosho of Just Weddings.
The art (ok…it’s not really an art but u get my point) of planning weddings is on the rise in Nigeria.
Here are two of my favourite young event/wedding planners.
I have attended weddings and other events that these ladies have organized and they were really on point!
I present Funke Bucknor of Zapphaire Events and Ibidun Ajayi of Elizabeth R
Ibidun Ajayi of Elizabeth R is one of the most sought after event planners in Nigeria. She is reputed for her ability to ‘think outside the box’ and deliver creative event ideas. Ibidun entered the public eye when she won the Miss Lux Beauty Queen title in 1998; she took a short timeout from the popular scene to graduate from the University of Lagos and hone her event management skills. She came back with a bang when she launched her event planning firm, ‘Elizabeth R’. Since then, Ibidun has planned and packaged many high profile events with dazzling results and consistently receives rave reviews from clients and guests.
Check out Ibidun’s work from Sylvia Edem’s 2006 wedding to Christopher Emechete (the couple met through a friend via the pages of Ovation! long story…) which I talked about some months ago…HERE. It’s the one with the infamous ‘vieled horse drawn carriage’. Creativity at its best!
Funke Bucknor of Zapphaire Events is known for her bubbly personality and her uncanny ability to deliver top-notch events on a wide range of budgets. Anyway, she is really talented! There is no need for me to say more…..just click on the pics below to read her interview from the ‘Wedding Planner’ magazine (it’s a fab wedding mag by the way…all prospective Nigerian brides need a copy)
BTW, I just have to say, thanks for all the luv, I’m always so blown away when I read the comments…..have a great day.
Check it out and let me know what u think! Tell us your wedding stories….any fun experiences – do you love weddings, crash weddings and stalk wedding websites or do you hate weddings and never want to get married?…lol…Let us know!
Thoughts
January 31, 2007 at 8:56 am
Some wedding planners are the ish.I’ve alwayas liked Ibidun
Dimples
January 31, 2007 at 10:00 am
I love WEDDINGS so so much!!!! as in they are just FAB!!…Bella like really like anyone is going to tell u they crash weddings…hehe!!!
Anyways i have seen so many pictures of Naija weddings this christmas(sob sob!!! i didn’t go)…and whoa!!!! have those wedding planners taken it to the next level…as in some J-lo kinda stuves in Wedding Planner.
Saw Ibidun win Miss Lux and she seem to have just shot from glory to glory…I’d use creative to define her…Good on u girlie!!…
Funke Bucknor planned a friends wedding this Xmas..and yeah TOTALLY what great work!!!
Bella also add Molara Akinosho of “Just Weddings”-in some of the pictures in the Funke Bucknor interview (who remembers Uncle Wole from the “Animal games” phase…YES YES stop fronting u did..lol…yeah his daughter)…
Love her work and one can see up and coming things happening with her career.
As usual nice post Bella and to all have a FAB day ahead!!!
Anonymous
January 31, 2007 at 10:02 am
Funke is hot!!! She’s got so much energy, you can’t help but admire her work.
School Girl
March 30, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Umm, im doing a project for school on Nigerian wedding traditions and i wanted to know if you could help me know what they are like.
Favoured Girl
January 31, 2007 at 10:46 am
I LOVE weddings! The planning is stressful, but I really like it when everything comes together beautifully, and you can stand back and admire the efforts the bride and her planners have made. When I was planning my wedding, I had so much fun! Weddings are always going to be big business everywhere, because every bride wants her day to be perfect.
Nowadays, planners too have really stepped up o. The last wedding I went to was so lovely, all the ladies were asking for the planner’s phone number!
Glossipearl
February 11, 2018 at 12:19 am
Hello Favoured girl. May i have this special planners phone no too??
LondonBuki
January 31, 2007 at 11:12 am
My friend’s reception in Lagos, earlier this month, was decorated BEAUTIFULLY! Well thought out…
There are talented individuals in Nigeria…
Mona
January 31, 2007 at 11:49 am
Not bad at all missy..I m gonna forward this to my aspiring wedding planner friends and yes i’m routing for Just Weddings
Her site http://www.bisidada.com/justweddings AB FAB
Bisi is her cuz btw n she planned her intro/engagement reception…lovely pics…see pics at http://www.bisiandofon.com
Guy Horny
January 31, 2007 at 2:06 pm
HMMMMMM! (I Sigh)
Bella, your blog is great, you keep beating my senses everyday i come here.
Good job Lets be having more dear
Calabar Gal
January 31, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Wedding Planners are stepping up their game a great deal!!! Their work is just WOW!! I saw lara’s (just weddings) work in bisi and ofon’s wedding website and it was so creative especially the introduction and engagement pics with the African theme.
Bukky George-Taylor
January 31, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I am not a fan of weddings but you know who is really grat’
NEWTON AND DAVID by Uche Majekodunmi (my beloved God Mother)…she truly is amazing with her work…
But these ladies you put out there are just as talented.
Its a great talent to know how to organize weddings and make sure things go well.
LOVELY!!!!!
naijagal
January 31, 2007 at 3:49 pm
while I would never? crash a wedding (well never say never) I have a love for weddings and that is why I have a partner where we sell wedding favors online!
DCSOIREE WEDDING FAVORS
January 31, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Check out my site later on today I will be updating it with new favors for weddings et al
koshie
January 31, 2007 at 3:57 pm
the bride is not pretty at all. and why that white cloth on the horse? is he going to be baptised or is he a moslem?
TaureanMinx
January 31, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Gosh @ the above comment. I think Funke is great cos I’ve been to a few weddings she planned and I there was food right there as I was sitting down! Thats a feat in Nigeria
TaureanMinx
January 31, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Oh I didn’t finish, I meant to also mention that I was lead to the right seating position by her hostesses who were dressed nicely and were quite friendly and they didn’t sulk or frown when you asked questions cos Customer Service can be kinda wack over here. I was impressed.
Gbemi's Piece
January 31, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I used one of the wedding planners you mentioned at my wedding and let’s just say I have mixed emotions. She did many things right but there were some issues. I don’t mean to take up too much space, I might want to blog about this cause I now realize I never vented about my issues. Okay, so I had a small wedding for Naija standards and couldn’t invite some family members (distant) and friends but guess what? My planner had a table reserved in the back for her own friends. Also, I had carefully mapped out seating arrangements but when I walked in, my place cards were not put up so people were all over the place. It was by invitation-only (everyone that was invited got a card) but there were quite a few mogbos – I guess they intimidated the hostesses. One thing I thought was kinda razz was that in the middle of the event, the hostesses started throwing tons of their business cards on the tables. There’s gotta be a classier way to advertise. Finally, my pics (intimate ceremony pics) were used without my permission. That’s a real biggie cause my husband especially is really private.
Other than that, I love Naija weddings. I think planners have a very important service to provide and it seems they keep getting better and better.
Belle
January 31, 2007 at 5:12 pm
once again bella, another great post!
Kpakpando
January 31, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I’ve been to two weddings by Funke Bucknor, a year apart btw and they were both good, and I saw the growth (business and design wise) of her. At least visually as a guest I was fully engaged.
But bia, is it me or are all replants in Lagos doing wedding planning or fashion design; not sayign they’re not good at what they do, because some are, but haba. never mind
mystoriesmytestimonies
January 31, 2007 at 7:24 pm
i love weddings… i should look into this wedding planning thing …
nice post bella..
wendy
January 31, 2007 at 7:47 pm
I really love weddings and I went to a wedding this december that was planned by Funke Bucknor. It was the bomb, see the pics for yourself.
http://www.ananduzo.com
naijacutie
January 31, 2007 at 8:55 pm
i just luv weddings…naija ws rili mad dis xmas…..felt like erbody got married dis xmas…lol
tatafo!
January 31, 2007 at 11:20 pm
nice post bella!
the wedding favors website is really nice, hopefully you’ll still be in business when i get married *lol*
Vera Ezimora
February 1, 2007 at 1:06 am
Bella,
I don’t have wedding stories o! None of these my husbands want 2 propose 2 me.
Speaking of husbands, have u seen Boorish Male’s blog? All I can say is mm mm mm
Mari
February 1, 2007 at 1:24 am
You are so right. Wedding planning have definately stepped up coz from all the pictures I’ve been seeing lately, it’s be wow after wow. Quite impressive.
Lady E
February 1, 2007 at 9:44 pm
They are soo Great Yes i Agree, but why have these fanatstic wedding planners not got websites.. i am getting married in Nigeria this year and being an Event Manager myself i wanted a Professional to co-ordinate my wedding for me i looked all of the web and only came up with ONE Event Managers site who operates in Nigeria and London Omega Events, i found loads of Nigerian Wedding websites, like http://www.naijaweddings.com http://www.nigerianweddings.net http://www.lagosriviera.com and the One Event Company http://www.myomegaevents.com Personally i think it is just a natural progression why all the shock that the weddings are so fabulous, we as nigerians are fabulous and we like better you mean all this going abroad and studying abroad it should not have an impact on Nigeria for Nigerians… I think yes…
Vera Ezimora
February 1, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Bella Naija, how do I contact that wedding planner?
I’m getting married!!! I just got engaged today.
Check out Guy Horny’s blog 4 details.
Oh, and check out Boorish Male’s blog too
Anonymous
February 5, 2007 at 11:33 pm
wow, great site and comments. Well I live and breathe nigeria. The top planners are Funke Bucknore, Lara Akinosho, Jibola Ponnle, Gbemisola Adenekan and Ibidun Ajayi. They all have websites but Ibidun – http://www.zapphaire.com, http://www.bisidada/justweddings, http://www.stencilevents.com, http://www.omegaevents.com. They are all fantastic ladies. Some of them are over hyped in a way but they are all good. I will try to add their photos soon. But planners are the in thing now……………..
Lady E
February 9, 2007 at 1:05 am
@Anon. Thanks for those sites very very usefull… Nigerians are talented!!! Keep Doin Your Thing BellaNaija your Smoking!!:)
Anonymous
February 9, 2007 at 6:39 am
Try and checkout a good one here at BridalFever.com. It’s an online meeting place where brides and vendors can create, share, discuss, explore, and make new wedding connections. BridalFever let’s anyone create an online event & wedding website instantly! Upload images, edit content, embed popular online tags, and change your design anytime. You can try out all 30 customizable templates to match your wedding theme.
Anonymous
February 10, 2007 at 11:06 pm
I tried the http://www.omegaevents.com,its actually http://www.myomegaevents.com, very nice
Anonymous
February 13, 2007 at 6:41 am
Yes impressive. And Lara of Just Weddings ( http://www.bisidada.com/justweddings ) is diinitely da ish!
Anonymous
April 28, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Riviera Garden http://www.lagosriviera.com is very nice.
Actually attended a wedding there a few weeks ago. Beautiful venue.
Anonymous
May 8, 2007 at 12:30 am
i love weddings and i have been to many weddings in nigeria. the ladies you have mentioned are ok in their own right but very few planners think outside the box.
their events are same ol with few distinguishing elements.
a lady that does stand out though is jibola ponnle. she is thorough, extremely professional and very creative. her events always have an edge that you remember.
nigerianweddingplanners
June 12, 2007 at 2:27 am
please visit my new blog at nigerianweddingplanners.blogspot.com
Tope
April 25, 2008 at 4:56 am
Molara Akinosho of just weddings is the real deal, and from what i remember one of the earliest if not THE earliest on the scene of today’s legion of wedding planners. She planned my sister’s wedding back in 2001, before wedding planning became a cool career ambition for graduates, and it was wonderful! I personally think she deserves the credit for the rise and rise of the wedding planner in today’s nigeria. much respect!!!
Anonymous
June 6, 2008 at 12:16 am
We Nigerians are really stepping up with our creative wedding ideas. Here are some of my favorite’s Nigerian wedding websites.
chiomaandakolisa.com
femiandlolu.com
http://www.ikeore.com/
http://www.samsonandshade.com
http://www.theomotoshos.com/
Angel
September 11, 2008 at 8:11 am
Hi Nice Blog .Over the last 10 years there are so many things that have changed in the Wedding Reviews business, some of them for the good of the industry and others to its detriment. The internet has accelerated the transference of information and made products readily available.
Anonymous
December 14, 2008 at 10:36 am
Yeah wedding planners in Nigeria are doing a great job!I couldn’t find the wedding favors site but I did find Elise Charles (www.elisecharles.com), its a really nice site and they offer unique gifts/souvenirs for weddings and other events.
Noella2
December 15, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I attended a Nigerian wedding in my country and can only say that your planners have Style! Great taste!
kelly
January 14, 2012 at 10:03 pm
These two are good! In naija of today we also have wonderful events and wedding planners emerge with beautiful and splendid ideas and great job executions. You should try http://www.kristabelaevents.com, they have high taste and class.
olanike awosola
February 1, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Good evening ma… pls you are so good and inspiring, am in my final year studing microbiology, am so inspired by your works ma….pls ma i would love to work under you..i supplies ushers, and i do Mc here in sch and ard in some events, ma i dnt mind at all if i can join one of your ushers? or do any other things, really so happy if u can help me.. thanks …ma pls would so glad if you reply me positively….thanks ma
ineh princess
April 25, 2012 at 10:04 am
i know abt a very young event planner in abuja…………she has done for so many minsters and wonderful people………..she is very good in event planning and manager….and she is full of energy….and wont rest until she makes ur event a talk of the year…………………MIZZ-PEE EVENT RESOURCES is the name and u can reach her on 07065504337…………
gail Olofin
June 7, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Nice…you should also contact Abby of ABYSALEVENTS you can reach her by email abysalevents @ yahoo.com or call 08023390983, she does excellent weddings ,
Mercy
August 16, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Can someone at list create a list of their Prices
mirabellisa
January 31, 2017 at 7:46 am
yes, you got those two right. Another good planner is miraevents, she knows how to nail it. we expect her in the picture very soon