There are 2 types of small weddings – (i) those where there is a small number of guests, and (ii) those where the planning budget is small. The fact is that both types can be equally beautiful and memorable and ‘small’ should be nothing to be ashamed of. There’s a stigma to the word ‘small wedding’ in Nigeria. But thankfully, all that is slowly changing as more celebrities here are opting for small, intimate weddings. So, Nigerians are learning that there’s something good, not shameful and classy about ‘small weddings’. In this post, we’ll look at the types of ‘small weddings in Nigeria’.
Photo Credit: Wedding Photography by Obi Nwokedi
I receive a lot of questions from readers asking about ‘planning a small wedding in Nigeria’. The question I often ask is this: what type of small wedding are you looking at? Small weddings are not necessarily the easiest to plan, and being clear of what you want is the start to making a wedding plan that works. A very simple way to determine the type of small wedding you want is to determine your intentions – why do you want to have a small wedding? It’s very important to start out knowing your ‘WHY’ so that you will know what to cut down (either cut cost down or cut down number of guests).
If you plan to have a small Nigerian wedding, you’re not alone, but do you know that not knowing the type of small wedding you want could lead to getting the wrong results. Not all small weddings are the same – some weddings are small because they cost ‘small’ money, not because they have plenty or few guests. On the other hand, some small weddings are small because they have small/ few numbers of guests invited.
In one type of small wedding, the issue is not money but about planning a classy wedding with only intimate friends as wedding guests – this is the type of small wedding common with those celebrities. And, in the other type, the couple’s intention is to keep costs very low. Read on for tips and advice on how to know the type of small wedding you desire, and how to achieve it.
What Does “Small” Mean to You?
Small weddings do not necessarily mean ‘cheap’. The first thing you need to do is to be clear about what “small” means to you. Different people have different ideas of what a ‘small wedding’ means. To some people, a small wedding simply means a small number of guests. To others, it means a low budget.
For example, Stephanie Okereke had a lavish, private destination wedding in Paris – it cost a lot of money but it’s a small wedding because they invited only a few guests. TuFace had a similar style of small destination wedding in Dubai with a small number of select guests. Not long ago, Toke Makinwa had a low-key private court wedding – and she said they plan to have a bigger Naija style wedding where more guests will be invited, including their entire family and a lot of friends.
When planning a ‘small wedding, start off by deciding whether what you want is a low budget small wedding or an extravagant, low-key wedding with few guests. Know that, when planned right, a low budget small wedding can look really elegant and classy.
When “Small Wedding” means ‘Low Budget Wedding’
If your idea of ‘small’ means having a low-cost wedding, I wrote you two articles on how to save costs when planning a wedding with a low budget – you can read the first one here and the other one here.
- ALSO: Everything you need to know about planning a low-cost small wedding AND how to save costs doing it
When “Small Wedding’ Means “Few Guests” and Not “Cheap”
If you have a big wedding budget and money is not the reason why you want to have a small wedding – but instead, you simply want only a few guests consisting of close family and friends – then read this post on how to trim down the number of wedding guests.
- ALSO: Why and When to write a wedding guest list BEFORE starting to write invitation cards
How Much Is Needed to Plan a Small Wedding In Nigeria?
There’s been no study that can categorically tell you that this is how much Nigerian weddings cost on average. So, it’s wrong to start asking questions about how much budget you need, instead, ask something in the line of I have X amount, how can I make it work for a wedding? No two couples spend the same amount of money on their weddings. No matter how much you have, you can still have a great wedding – if you are realistic about what to cut out and how to save cost. A great wedding starts with making a wedding budget – so do your budget first and then take measures to save costs during the wedding planning process.
How Much Does a Small Wedding Typically Cost in Nigeria? Get Ideas From 5 Real-Life Weddings
Have you ever wondered “how much a small wedding would cost in Nigeria”? or even how much do I need to implement my wedding plans in Nigeria? Here at NaijaGlamWedding, we believe that you can have an elegant Nigerian-style wedding on absolutely any budget if you apply a little bit of planning and creativity. The truth is that when you start planning your wedding, you will have no idea how much things cost, and a good place to start when making your wedding shopping list is to look at other couples wedding budgets to see examples of how much other couples spent on their own small Nigerian weddings for ideas of how much to keep aside for your own wedding in Nigeria.
Below are examples of how much small weddings cost in Nigeria:
- Wedding cost for 100 guests in Nigeria
- Wedding expenses for 150 guests in Nigeria
- All 5 budget examples from 5 small weddings that took place in Nigeria – click here to see them.
Hopefully, after seeing those examples, you would be able to come up with even better ideas on how much to budget for your own small wedding.
Small Wedding Planning: Your Takeaway
It looks like ‘small’ is the new ‘big’ with wedding style trends by Nigerians, made even more trendy by recent celebrity weddings – think about the celebrity weddings of Tuface, Toke Makinwa, Stephanie Okereke – they all had small, intimate wedding styles. So, in this post, I want to help you get clear on the type of small wedding you want to have. Being clear is the first step to getting the wedding planning right.
So, the first thing you need to do when planning a small wedding in Nigeria is to figure out clearly what type of small wedding you’re considering – is it a “small budget” or “small guest list”? Be sure to read the follow-up post on the steps to planning a small Nigerian wedding.
Now it is your turn to tell me in the comments: what type of small wedding are you planning to have – a small-budget wedding OR a wedding that is regarded ‘small’ because there are few guests?
What if I want a small wedding with minimal guests, at most 50, as well as elegant with small money?
Hello Emmanuella. You can have as many or as few guests as you choose – because you are the celebrant (bride or groom). So, yes, it’s okay to have 50 or less guests at your wedding, and it can still be classy, elegant and as much fun (or more) as weddings with 500 guests.