Are you newly engaged and feeling like starting wedding planning? Stop, don’t start wedding planning yet! Here’s what’s next -> NaijaGlamWedding’s couple’s wedding pre-planning quiz that will help you both flesh out your wedding visions and get you and your fiance on the same page.
After spending weeks ‘feeling engaged’, snapping and posting your engagement ring photos, most brides ask ‘now what’s next?’.
Without a clue, some women start shopping for a wedding gown, which is a wrong idea at this stage – because there’s a high possibility of not liking that dress later. Sounds weird but it happens. Some brides jump into wedding planning right away. Again, that is a wrong idea and you’ll soon find out why.
So, what should you really be doing after engagement? Doing a wedding pre-plan to flesh out details of what your big day will look and feel like is what to do. This exercise will help you get clarity, save money and time so that you focus (time and money) on only what’s important to both of you. You’ll thank me later.
So, I designed a special wedding pre-planning quiz for my Nigerian engaged couples, to help you with that. All you have to do is tick an option for each question, and it’s a fun exercise by the way.
NaijaGlamWedding’s wedding pre-planning questionnaire has helped many of our readers to kick off their wedding planning with more clarity and get them out of the ‘how do I start planning my wedding’ mode.
Our pre-planning wedding questionnaire/ quiz for couples is the absolute ‘what’s next’ after an engagement. But first, I’ll explain why taking it will do you and your fiance a whole lot of good. Swipe/ scroll down to read on.
The Benefits of Taking Our Wedding Pre-Planning Questionnaire for About-to-Wed Couples
According to history, couples fight after getting engaged. Most of the fights happen during wedding planning, and it’s usually about wedding plans and disagreement over choices. Our couples’ wedding pre-planning quiz (down below) has helped some of our readers avoid quarrelling and conflicts while planning their wedding.
Before you get ready to start planning your wedding, you need to know what you want versus what s/he wants, and you need to figure out a way to get on the same page.
I designed a couple’s wedding pre-planning questionnaire (down below) that will help you, as a Nigerian couple, identify your personal wedding dreams and differences, with a goal of meeting in the middle to choose only one idea that represents you ‘two as one’.
I am sure you have an idea of the type of wedding you want. Your fiance also does. You may have even envisioned the D-day’s events in your head. Are you assuming that your fiance also wants similar wedding details as you?
Have you asked yourself if your partner also wants the exact things you want, the same way you want them? Some women plan their weddings without even stopping to ask the groom what he wants. Don’t do that.
If you don’t start off your wedding planning on the same page as your fiance, you would be stuck on arguments and delays. To help you harmonize your wedding vision with that of your fiance, we created a couple’s pre-wedding-planning quiz to get you two on the same page.
Many couples fight and argue during their wedding planning months, but it can be minimized. Here’s a scenario:
- WHAT YOU WANT: Let’s say, in your head, you want a one million Naira (N1m) budget wedding at an indoor venue, with 300 guests. You also want 2 outfit changes and a peach colour scheme. Guess what? Because he has a mind of his own, he also has ideas of the wedding – which may not all be the same as yours.
- WHAT HE WANTS: Let’s say, in his mind, he wants a N500k wedding in an outdoor venue, with only 100 guests and he wants both the trad and white wedding on the same day; and he wants a yellow-themed wedding. He thinks you should hire a wedding planner; you think you can plan it yourself.
The truth is that during their first wedding pre-planning discussion, every couple comes to the table with totally different ideas and visions. Through some digging and talking and compromising here and there, you will both come out with one single idea for every element of your wedding.
That’s what our pre-wedding planning quiz for couples will do for you – the quiz is down below.
You’re both going to have only one wedding, only one budget, only one colour scheme. Therefore, you need to have one single vision with which to plan the wedding. How do you merge your wedding wants with his own? How do you both agree?
To make this process easy for you, we designed a pre-wedding-planning questionnaire/ quiz. First, print it out before answering the questions. Have your fiance also do the same.
The purpose of the couples’ pre-wedding questionnaire is to help each of you articulate your inner wedding vision and dreams, with every information in your head, so that you can design your an awesome Nigerian wedding.
Now, here’s the quiz below:
Now, Take Our Wedding Pre-Planning Quiz/ Questionnaire
First off, drop every assumption about you thinking you know everything about how your significant other would like the wedding to look and feel. We advise that you fill this wedding questionnaire together as a couple or you can print out 2 copies for each of you, and later compare your answers.
So, get your husband-to-be, grab a comfortable seat and take this easy quiz together.
Q1. Tick two to three words that you think will describe the type of wedding you dream to have
- Small – Big – Low Key – Lavish – Cheap – Quiet – Intimate – Over the Top – Classy – Glamorous – Elegant – Themed (with Aso-ebi uniform fabric for guests) – Traditional – Religious – Court Registry – Secular – Strictly by Invitation – No Children (Adults Only) – Formal – Disco/ Dance Party – Fun – After-Party will be Included
Q2. What will be your wedding colour scheme [SEE: Complete Wedding Colour Combination Ideas]
To help you brainstorm, popular Nigerian wedding colours include:
- Reddish: Crimson, Maroon, dark red, red, wine, rose
- Brownish/ Yellowish: chocolate, brown, tan, gold, yellow
- Green/Gold: grass green, mint green, lime green, gold, yellow, gold, olive, yellow
- Purple/Pinkish: purple –violet, magenta – Hot Pink –pink – violet- purple
- Bluish: turquoise, sky blue, royal blue, navy, blue,
- Neutral: white, ivory, cream, vanilla
- Black shades: silver, grey, black
Q3. Geographic Location: Where in the World do you want to get married in? [SEE: How to Find and Choose a Wedding Venue]
- Your Town/ City of Residence (where you live)
- In Your Village/ Hometown (where you were born/ raised; your ancestral home; your parent’s hometown)
- A Different City/ State from your residence, BUT in Your Country of Residence (Local Destination)
- In Another Country Outside Your Residence (Overseas Destination Wedding)
Q4. Time and season: When do you want to get married? [Read: How to Choose the Best Wedding Date]
- During a public holiday (Valentine’s day, Xmas, New year, Sallah Day, Democracy Day, Worker’s day)
- On a memorable date (such as 4/4/2014; 5/5/2015)
- In the rainy season
- In the harmattan season
- In the dry, sunny season
- On a special day (my/ my fiance’s birthday; my parent’s wedding anniversary; our anniversary)
Q4. When are you going to be on leave from work or during your business’ off-peak time/ season?
- Any particular month?
- On your / your parents anniversary
- On an easy to remember date like 4/4/2014
- On a special holiday (Valentine’s Day, New Years, Etc.)
(Note: If you plan on a destination wedding overseas, decide the best time/ season from these: spring, summer, fall, winter )
Q5. What type of wedding ceremonies do you want to have? (How Many Types?)
- Traditional
- White wedding
- Court wedding [SEE: Court Registry Outfit Ideas for Women]
- A combo of above three
- A combo Trad + white [SEE: How to Plan a Traditional and White Wedding on Same Day]
- Combo of trad + court
Q6. Type of Venue Where you want to get married and the type where you want to have your reception party (specify next to venue type below):
- In a Religious House (church/ mosque/ other)
- Outdoor or Indoor Venue (hall)? (specify) ____________________
- Hotel Venue
- Restaurant Venue
- Private Event Place/ Centre
- Outdoor location (such as a park, open field)
- Outdoor Location of a Hotel or Restaurant
- Other (specify) __________________
Q7. Where do you want to have the reception? [SEE: Wedding Reception Checklist]
- Worship house event hall or outdoor venue (of the same place where you are joined in marriage)
- Resort
- Outdoor or Indoor Venue (hall)? (specify) ____________________
- Hotel Venue
- Restaurant Venue
- Private Event Place/ Centre
- Unpopular Event Spaces such as a community centre/ city hall, school event halls or outdoors (in a primary, secondary school or university)
- Outdoor location (such as a park, open field)
- Outdoor Location of a Hotel or Restaurant
- Other (specify) __________________
Q8. How do you want to have the reception?
- Same place as the wedding ceremony
- Different venue from the wedding ceremony
Q9. How many people will you invite? [SEE: How to Make a Wedding Guest List (Who to Invite and Who Not to]
- 10 – 25
- 25 – 50
- 50 – 100
- 100 – 200
- 200 – 500
- 500 – 1,000
- More (specify) __________________________
==> Printable our free wedding guest template here – print one for you and one for him.
Q10. How much do you want your wedding to cost? Although you may not have made a budget, or know who is contributing financially to support your wedding, select how much you think your wedding should cost: (choose 1)
- N150,000 or less
- N151,000 – N250,000
- N251,000 – N350,000
- N351,000 – N450,000
- N451,000 – N600,000
- N601,000 – N1m
- N1m – 2.9m
- N3m – N5m
- Over N5m (specify_____________)
==> See our free wedding budget calculator and template here.
Q11. Who will pay for the wedding and reception?
- Bride and groom
- Groom
- Bride’s and groom’s parents
- Bride’s parents
- Groom’s parents
- Wedding Sponsors including a wedding chairman
- Contribution from Relatives
- Committee of Friends
- Other (specify)_________________
Q12. If you are going to fund all or part of the wedding, how will you get money to pay for it?
- Savings
- Loan/ Borrowing
- By selling something I own (land, shares, car, pieces of jewellery, other (specify) ________
- All of the above
Q13. How much money do you have at the moment and how much more do you need to look for or save? _______________________________________________
Q14. What tasks will you undertake for the white wedding? (follow our complete wedding checklist for ideas. Also, see our to-do list for traditional wedding planning).
- Religious ceremony planning
- Reception planning
- Invitations & program (including guest lists)
- Venue decorations
- Wedding souvenirs, gifts
- Music ( DJ or band), MC
- Transportation
- Food, drinks
- Wedding cake
- Photography &/ or videography [SEE: How to Choose a Good Wedding Photographer]
- Honeymoon planning [SEE: Our Answers to Common Honeymoon Questions Couples Ask]
- Other__________________
Q15. Will you go for a honeymoon? Y/N [SEE: Why You Should Have a Honeymoon]
Q16. How much can you afford to spend on the honeymoon?
- Up to N100,000
- N101,000 – N300,000
- N300,000 – N500,000
- N500,000 to N1m
- N1m to N2m
- Above N2m (Specify) ____________________
Q17. Where will you go for the honeymoon? [SEE: Mauritius Honeymoon Story from a Real Couple]
- Affordable hotel in the state where you wed
- A luxury resorts in Nigeria (Obudu? LaCampaigne etc?)
- Affordable hotel overseas
- Luxurious hotel overseas
- Other__________________
Q18. What would be your most important priority on your wedding day?
Rate the following in order of importance, from 1 to 10; (put a number next to each item below, to show their levels of importance, with 1 as the most important and 10 as least important to you):
- Wedding Attire
- Food
- Drinks
- Wedding cake
- Venue appearance (ambience, decorations, table centrepieces)
- Music
- Wedding photography
- Wedding Video
- Wedding souvenirs/ favours
- Attendance and comfort of Guests
Q18. After the D-day has come and gone, what do you want to remember most about your wedding day (Tick 1 or more)
- How it trended on Instagram and all over the Internet
- How big the wedding was
- How you had so many guests and a full hall
- How happy your guests looked
- How the DJ got everyone dancing and partying hard
- How the food was so good and every guest had enough to eat
- How beautiful your venue decoration was
- How beautiful your dress looked
- How small and intimately private your wedding was
- How the wedding was the talk of the town
- How everything went smoothly and easily
- How happy your parents and relatives were
- How romantic it was
- How beautiful it was
- How everything was so correct and tasteful
Q19. How long apart do you want your traditional and white wedding to be?
- Same day
- 1 to 2 days interval
- 1-week interval
- 2 weeks to 1-month interval
- 1 month to 3 months interval
- 3 months to 6 months apart
- 6 months to 1 year apart
- Other (specify) _____________________
Q20. How do you want to save for the traditional marriage/ engagement LISt? [SEE: Traditional Engagement Lists for Nigerian Weddings]
- Separate from the white wedding savings
- Together with the white wedding savings
Q21. Will You Have a Wedding Planner, Plan it by Yourself, or Plan it Yourself with Selected Family and Friends? [SEE: How to Know If You Should Have a Wedding Planner]
- Hire a Planner
- Plan Myself
- Plan Myself + some Family Members + some Friends
Q22. If you had to pick 3 non-negotiable things you want to have the best of, no matter how expensive, what would they be? (each partner should choose only 3)
- Good Food
- A Great DJ
- Quality Photography
- Fancy Venue Lighting (mood and ambient lights)
- Top-Notch Venue Decor
- Towering-high wedding cake
- Expensive, designer wedding gown and/ or shoes(for the white wedding)
- Expensive, designer wedding suit and/ or shoes
- The Latest Fabric (Lace, Aso-oke, George, etc.) for the traditional wedding attire
- Honeymoon
- Other (specify) _____________________
After You’ve Completed the Pre-Wedding-Planning Quiz, Here’s What to Do
1. Be sure to write down your answers, and later compare it to your fiance’s answers. The goal here is to find out where you two are on the same page, and where you are not.
Comparing your quiz answers, you should have seen a couple of differences in what your fiance wants and what you want regarding your wedding. That’s okay. It’s better to find out now than quarrel about it during wedding-planning.
2. Next is for both you and your fiance to merge your ideas. Agree on where there are differences in the quiz responses. That way, you will have the same idea for what you require from your vendors, in terms of your wedding styling and design.
Take turns to compromise here and there – that’s how to arrive at one single idea about every part of your wedding.
3. What to do with Your Answers? Use your answers to inform your wedding planner about how you want him/ her to plan your wedding. If you’re planning your wedding by yourself (without a planner), use your answers to design your wedding and set the tone for the look and feel of your big day.
Hopefully, our pre-wedding planning questionnaire will help you know the areas where your wedding preferences, wants and ideas differ so that you can make compromises early before the wedding planning starts.
Once the two of you figure out what you want and how you envision your wedding, you can begin to plan all the details — including, of course, the budget and all the other fun things.
See More Pre-Wedding-Planning Advice (Video Tutorial)
To validate our point that you really need to have to get yourselves on the same page, listen to what Nigeria’s top wedding planner (Funke Bucknor) says in the video below:
In summary, the very first step in planning a wedding is DISCOVERY – discuss with each other to find out what you and your fiance want, and try to get each other on the same page, regarding your wedding style.
That way, you will avoid any unhealthy arguments and also be sure that any wedding planning decisions either of you makes, in the absence of one partner, will be in line with the agreed wedding day look and feel.
Now, Are You Ready to Start Planning Your Wedding?
Once you have defined your wedding style and design, and you and your fiance are ready to start planning your wedding, here are some beginner wedding planner articles we wrote to help you at that:
- SEE ALSO: How to Deal with Wedding Planning Anxiety & Stress
- Common Costly Wedding Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
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Wrapping Up
Here’s a quick recap: Don’t start the wedding planning until you flesh out your personal wedding visions and areas of differences. Compromise to achieve a single wedding vision that you can use to plan the wedding yourself or hand over to a wedding planner
That’s it on how to use the wedding pre-planning questionnaire to flesh and harmonize out your wedding details. I hope you enjoyed reading it.
I’d like to know how the above quiz worked out for you. Let me hear it in the comments section below.
Ngee says
HI!! this site is very inspiring and i love all the detailed breakdowns. please could you upload a printable version of this planning questionnaire
Stella Anokam says
Hello Ngee. Thanks for the sweet feedback:) Okay, I’ll add that to our to-do list – will be done as soon as we get a chance. In the mean time, check out our wedding planning tools page (click here) for our many printable wedding planning checklists, worksheets and more.