This week, our real brides come together to share three confessions about their weddings. Tweet us @bridalguidemag with the hashtag "#realbrides" to share yours!
Hi BG brides! I know you're scratching your heads over my latest headline, wondering why I would put myself through the time, cost (and okay, I'll admit it, fun) of planning two large-scale events. Allow me to explain—Most Nigerians have two wedding ceremonies: a traditional ceremony and a ‘white-dress’ wedding ceremony the day after the traditional ceremony. Every bride and bride-to-be knows the stress of planning your wedding and reception. Now imagine doing it all twice. Picking out two sets of invites, picking out two menus, two venues, two bands/DJ’s, two everything! Planning both ceremonies had the potential to be easier but things that work for a regular wedding ceremony wouldn’t necessarily work for a traditional Nigerian ceremony. For example, people don’t RSVP, so I need a venue that can hold all the people we invite, same for food, same for beverages, etc.
This small logistical problem made planning the traditional interesting but not impossible. The one thing I am excited about for both ceremonies is the clothes! I love clothes and fashion. On my actual wedding day, I am going for simple and elegant. My bridesmaids and I are all going to be wearing very classic styles and I can’t wait to see it all come together. For the traditional, we are going for drama and glamour. Nigerians don’t do weddings halfway and I can’t wait to see the outfits that night. My bridesmaids and I are going to be wearing very fitted dresses and the drama and glamour is going to come through our makeup, jewelry and geles (headties). I even get a stylist for my traditional ceremony, which is customary in Nigerian culture—it's that big of a deal! I already told mine that I want to be dramatic that day. Check out some gele styles below and if you have any stress reducing tips, please share!
Left: Photo courtesy of 3D Looks Makeup Artistry; Right: Photo Courtesy of Segun Gele
P.S. Less than a month left until the big day—August 20th is sneaking up on me!
—Tolu Ogbechie
Tolu Ogbechie is a real bride who knows a thing or two about how to tell a story: she met fiancé Brian in a literature class at the University of Georgia and he popped the question in a StoryCorps session after three years of dating. They will be having two weddings in August 2011; a modern, American fête and a traditional Nigerian ceremony. This multicultural couple is planning a gray, orange, and white color scheme that will incorporate various elements from their backgrounds.
