For a short-notice wedding, choose the best of available wedding venues and make it good. Also, keep your options of venue types open – it must not be a big hotel or indoor venue. Other venue types are also great. Additionally, be open to a weekday wedding, if you find that a great venue is not available on a Saturday which is preferred for weddings in Nigeria. We’re seeing a trend where some Nigerian couples are fixing their weddings through Mondays and Fridays, and Akah and Claire’s celebrity-style wedding in Lagos showed us that Nigerian weddings can be even better on weekdays. HINT: Some hotels offer a good discount on their event halls on any weekday when those halls are usually vacant. You can ask for a discount if they forget to tell you.
Step 8: Book the Officiant
An officiant is a person that will join the couple during your wedding. Depending on whether it’s a church/ worship house wedding or a court registry wedding, or traditional wedding, arrange and book your wedding with them, and lock in the date.
Step 9: Start booking the major vendors right away (and make deposits to lock them down).
You need to start booking vendors as soon as possible – caterer, wedding cake, photographer, MC, DJ/ Band. Be sure to pay them a deposit to confirm their attendance. Also, only book the vendors that people recommend as trusted to show up, and also good at what they do.
Step 10: Keep your Invitation List Simple
Know that you must not invite everyone you know to your wedding. So, make a list of people first, and trim down the list to only the sure-to-come guests. When planning a wedding in a short space of time, you need to quickly book a venue and let all your guests know you’re getting married – the date and place.
Step 11: Only invite close friends and family you are sure will attend.
Don’t waste your invitation cards on the maybes. Only send out invites to the few you are sure of. The notice is short, and only your closest people will attend your wedding even if they have to cancel other pr-planned events. There’s no time to invite the maybes. There’s no need to invite people you don’t regularly see or speak to – such as old classmates, long-lost relatives and friends. When thinking of who to invite, start with the people who are presently in your life. You may not be able to invite too many people in this short time. Some people need a long notice to commit to an event, so leave that kind of people out.
Step 12: Send out invitation cards 2 months before the Wedding
Once you fix the wedding date, it’s time to start sending out invitations to the people on your guest list. It’s important to do this as soon as possible so that your guests do not commit to other events on your date, and also give them time to keep your wedding date open. Depending on how much time you have, you can send out a paper of digital invitation cards. If there’s not much time (say, less than 3 months), use every means (not only paper invitation cards) to spread out your wedding invitation.
Send text messages via phone and WhatsApp, send emails and make phone calls to tell your friends and family of your wedding date, and also ask of their availability. It’s okay to skip the paper invitation cards and opt for only text messages and emails. Be prepared to hear some people tell you that the time (notice) is too short and they cannot make it. That’s okay, invite the other people.
Step 13: Choose and Buy Your Wedding Outfits
When planning a Nigerian wedding within a short space of time, sewing the wedding gown or groom’s tuxedo/ suit may not be the best option, because most Nigerian tailors usually disappoint their clients. Unless you can get your wedding attire ready in the first month, the best option is either to rent or buy a ready-made bridal dress or groom’s suit.
- 7 Things to Consider Before You Buy that Wedding Gown
- Wedding Gown Shopping Tips to Help You Save Time and Money
- These Are the Best Wedding Gowns for Your Figure (with Photos)
Step 14: Choose the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Attire
For a quick wedding that is scheduled to take place in a few short months, having the bridesmaids and groomsmen go for ready-made, matching outfits. Knowing how unreliable Nigerian tailors are, a short notice because to cut-and-sew your bridesmaids and groomsmen outfits will not guarantee the outfits will be ready on the promised date. Unless you really know that tailor, maybe you can pay extra for express service and an agreement to get the outfits in less than 2 weeks, so that you have some time to do any amendments if required.
A Wedding in 3 Months or Less is Possible If Planned With Quick Execution
If the idea of short engagement appeals to you, then go for it and start planning your wedding right away. Whether you want to have a short period of engagement before the wedding or just prefer to plan a quick wedding, ensure to take care of the basics (budget, date and guest count) first before booking a venue or vendors.
Be sure to print the above 3-month wedding planning checklist to keep all your to-dos handy as you go along. Just remember to keep things as simple as possible and skip anything or vendor that would take too long or that you’re unsure of – because there’s no time to gamble with uncertainties and packing nervousness. Finally, know that many brides have successfully pulled off amazing weddings in less than 6 months, in less than 4 months and in 3 months. So you too can! Go for it!
MORE WEDDING PLANNING TIPS:
- Nigerian Traditional Wedding Planning (Checklist)
- Nigerian Wedding Reception Planning Checklist
- Day of Wedding Coordination Checklist (to Hand to Your personal-Person)
- 10 Tips to Avoid Common Wedding Photographer Disappointments
- Common Wedding Reception Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Your Turn Now
That’s all on how to plan a Nigerian wedding in 3 months, or in a few months. Take action and it will go well. Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed reading, please share this post on your social media pages by clicking the social sharing buttons down below. Also, consider subscribing and joining our community, so that you will be the first to know every time we publish a new post.
Before you leave, I want to hear from you – do you think it’s better to plan a wedding within a few months or within 12 months or more?
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