By Mute Efe.
There is nothing wrong with having a society wedding with the whole city in attendance with lots of food and drinks. But you don’t have to rob a bank because you want to get married. The following are true testimonies of people who found a way to minimize expenses and get married without breaking the bank.
Read and learn.
“I did my traditional wedding in a parlour. No extended family from both sides. The next day we went for the registry. That was all we did.”
– Alo Anuoluwaposimi.
“I got married on a Friday morning. My wedding gown was a 2-yard lace which cost me less than N2,000. My church reception also served as my traditional wedding so guests had only one meal.”
– Temi Ashabi Ajibewa
“I did my traditional marriage in my father’s living room and later went to the registry and had a small reception for family and friends. Then church blessings and thanksgiving. That was all and I was really fulfilled.”
– Jesugorite Omotola Pearl
“We went to the Registry and then had a traditional type ceremony at my dad’s house the following day. No fancy church wedding with the usual accompanying reception and we are as married like every other married couple. No need to break the bank.”
– Laide Ugbechie
“To cut cost I bought one wedding band instead of buying an engagement ring and wedding ring. Traditional marriage was indoors and we didn’t have to travel to the village but got representatives from both sides. In agreement with my wife, we negotiated the village necessities virtually.”
-Julius Afolabi
“We had an indoor traditional wedding. We didn’t even have a church wedding reception. We shared our food and drinks in takeaway packs after the church ceremony. Why should we spend so much money to hire and decorate a hall where people only come to sit and eat and after that they are gone?”
– Usen James
“My wedding dress was hired. I went to a studio and recorded songs that were played for dancing at the reception. My traditional marriage was low key. My father convinced his kinsmen to take some of the items off the list. My husband came to the church in his uncle’s car, and I in a friend’s car. No decorations.” – Esther Offisong
“After the church service, there was no reception. We stationed our cake outside the church for photographs. The food was packaged and handed to guests at the entrance as they stepped out of the church. We had a table beside the cake to receive the gifts. Everything was over by 12 noon. It saved cost and it was stress-free.”
– Ayobami Toyin Amusan
“To save cost, we had our traditional in the living room with immediate family members only. We proceeded to church on the same day. Traditional was from 7:00am to 10:00am. Church was 11:00am followed by reception. We opted for traditional wedding cake only because it was half the price of the white cake. We changed to our traditional attires for the reception.”
– Itohan Sophia Egbon
“We didn’t have a reception and only made plans for 50 guests in takeaway packs. Though there was a plan for decor but we couldn’t afford it at the last minute so we made do without decor. Photographer and video man were friends of hubby. Plenty things we didn’t do as I kept insisting that I wanted my wedding to be different. My mum did the cake when I told her the 10K would be useful for something else. In the end, we had a debt-free wedding.”
– Omoyemi Becky Olatunji.
“Traditional and white wedding on the same day. We used a friend’s car to go to church. No decoration. My suit was tailor-made and my eldest sister did wife’s dress. We shared pet coke and we bought them from Shoprite. It was like N87 per bottle then. The reception was in an open field beside the church. We begged the priest and he gave us free of charge. No groomsmen or bridal train. No time for headache. I didn’t have a best man. I was cleaning my sweat by myself.”
– Omonjeva Nicholas
“My traditional marriage had just about six outsiders in attendance. My husband came with only two people. It was also on Christmas day so we didn’t spend money to cook even one cup of rice. There was no decor, no extra food or drinks, and no cameraman. We used phones to snap and edit pictures. My friend had just gotten married and sent down all her accessories. My bestie did my makeup. I looked pretty and so happy. Family took the major share of white wedding months later. I only took care of my less than 25 guests who attended. I entered my husband’s house with my bank account intact.”
– Ebere Emenyonu-Ibikunle
“We had our traditional marriage and church wedding on the same day. We went to church, then everyone that wanted to eat had to follow us to the village for reception/traditional marriage. We had no video coverage, just still photography. A senior friend gave us her car and I saw no need to decorate it. We saved cost on reception hall, entertaining the same people twice and paying for decoration twice. No bridal train. Just my husband’s best man and my maid of honour. I rented my wedding gown at a highly discounted rate, not the highbrow wedding shops and it was lovely.”
– Blessing Mfonobong Okon.
Now you know that getting married on a low budget is possible if the two of you are determined. What do you think about these tips?
Thank you.
