Love can find you anywhere, even when doing your NYSC and not searching. This couple is a testimony to that – they went from NYSC ‘just friends’ to lovers and now married. Read on for their true love story, how from a young age she always dreamed of her wedding day and even knew who will design her wedding gown. She had a perfect plan even before she met her man. Find out how she personally planned her big Lagos wedding with her long-time plans.
Today’s bride is a girl who knows exactly what she wants. From an early age, long before Tosin even met her groom, she had dreamed of walking down the aisle in a bespoke designer wedding dress – one that is different from any other, specially crafted with her very own vital statistics, and made personally by a World-class bridal designer. That’s not all, she knew who the dress designer would be.
So, when Tosin and Dapo decided to tie the knot in Nigeria, it was time for her to bring her wedding dreams to life, and that started with her contacting the designer she had always dreamed would make her wedding gown. It was none other than Nigeria’s award-winning, London-based, Yemi Osunkoya of Kosibah Couture. Read on for the full story of Tosin and Dapo Lam Adesina’s two-day wedding event in Nigeria.
Finding “the one”
We met 7 years ago during my National Youth Service (NYSC) in Ibadan. We became friends and kept in touch even after I left the country (Nigeria) for my Masters Degree in the States (USA). We evolved from being friends to becoming a significant part of each other’s lives.
Planning the Wedding
We got engaged in August of 2013 but the wedding planning process did not begin until December. One of the very first steps I took after I got engaged was to contact my wedding gown designer. Proper planning started in January 2014 and I must confess it was a lot, especially because I had been in Abuja all the while (because of work), So I really just had about 7 weeks to plan the entire wedding.
I started off doing the wedding planning by myself, with help from my mum and sister-in-law. When it was getting somewhat overwhelming we contacted a wedding planner/coordinator who took over from there. I was still quite involved and by the time it was about 2 weeks to the wedding my husband (then fiancee) insisted I stayed out of it and let him handle the rest.
- RELATED: How to Plan a Nigerian Wedding in 3 Months or Less
- How to Manage Wedding Planning Stress and Anxiety
Getting the Look
I had always said to myself, right from when I was a teenager, that Yemi Osunkoya of Kosibah Couture would personally design my wedding dress. When my mum and I contacted him, he immediately got into it and requested that I come to London as soon as possible to see him (to create my special dress design, take my measurements and to do dress-trials and fittings). I was in London for four days and I had to see my designer (Yemi) every day of the four days. By the time I left London, I was super confident that my dress would be fabulous and I was daily visualizing myself walking down the aisle in my dream wedding gown.
My Kosibah designer wedding dress was fabulous. It fitted perfectly and I just felt out of this world. The wedding gown was so comfortable and perfect that I didn’t want to get out of it at all. I had planned a change of clothes but I didn’t change until very late when the party was almost over.
- RELATED: Top Things to Consider Before Buying a Wedding Gown
- Latest Wedding Gown Styles in Nigerian (spotted on Most Stylish Brides)
- How to Know the Best Wedding Gown Style for Your Body
The Wedding Day
The wedding was a two-day event (traditional engagement ceremony and white wedding). When I remember the days, I beam with smiles and joy. Everything went well and so quickly too.
I remember walking into the church and I was amazed at the number of people present. We felt honoured to have so many people come to celebrate with us. I look back now and just cherish every single moment of both days. It was indeed beautiful and I am so thankful to God and everyone that was a part of it.
Wedding Dates and Venues
- Traditional Engagement Ceremony: Friday 21st February 2014
- Venue: Etal Hotels & Halls, Oregun, Lagos.
- Church Ceremony/ Solemnization of Wedding: Saturday 22nd February 2014
- Venue: The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Cornerstone Parish, Okota, Lagos
- Wedding Reception Venue: Yard 158, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Lagos.
Wedding Vendors They Used
- Bride’s wedding Gownwas custom-designed by Nigerian-born, UK-based couture wedding dress designer, Kosibah Couture Bridal & Evening Wear; also on Twitter @YemiKosibah; Facebook.com/YemiKosibah
- Wedding Planner/ Coordinator – Titi Moritiwon (AmaznPlus)
- Venue Decoration for the traditional and white wedding – Amazinplus
- Engagement Cake and Wedding Cake – Simply Sweet
- Music Band for Engagement Ceremony – D’soul Lifters Music
- Music Band for Wedding Reception – Tolu Obey
- Drinks – Unique Events
- Small Chops – Laredo
- Bridal Makeup Artist – Saydat
- Engagement Aso-Oke – Bisbod
- Beads- Eduvie for Coral Factory
- Master of Ceremony (MC) – Ggbenga Adeyinka the-First, Holy Mallam & laff Up
SEE ALSO: How and Where to Find Good Nigerian Wedding Vendors
Credits
- Wedding Story: The Bride
- Photos: Yemi Osunkoya, Bridal Gown Designer at Kosibah Couture Bridal & Evening Wear
More Real-Life Nigerian Weddings
If you’re a wedding freak like us or just want to see more real-life Nigerian weddings to get inspirations to style your own big day, click away (links below) and enjoy:
- He Refused all the Nice Girls SheWas Matchmaking Him But Wanted Her Instead (Dami and Olumide’s Wedding Story)
- After a 5-Year Breakup, An Accidental Meeting Rekindled their Love (Hope and Alexander’s True Love Story & Wedding)
- When I Saw First Her, My Heart Skipped (Angela and Raymond’s True Love Story and Wedding)
- Fifty Shades of Yellow: Yellow-themed Abuja Wedding with Exotic Outdoor Decor – this wedding will make you fall in love with ‘yellow’, and has many wedding styling ideas to copy
- SEE Many More True Love and Wedding Stories from real Nigerian brides and their grooms – this is where to find every single wedding we featured on this blog
Do You Have a Wedding or Love Story?
For this bride, her wedding dream was a designer wedding gown, for some it is a tower-tall wedding cake; for others, it could be a talk-of-the-town venue decoration or the biggest bridal train. What’s yours? This couple’s love story has just reaffirmed that dreams do come true, even the dream of who you get married to – if you work at it. So ladies, hold on to your wedding dreams.
If you too want to see your marriage proposal, love story or wedding on this blog, contact us on social media or email us to submit your wedding/ proposal story/ bridal shower. You can also easily click here to make your submissions to us.
Now, I’d like to hear from you – what do you think of this true love story, their marriage proposal, engagement shoot, and wedding pictures? Comment down below to tell me.
nick says
Nice one!
Stella Anokam says
Thank you, dearie.