My Wedding Budget Breakdown (detailed)

Like I had promised in my last post, I have come to pay my debt. Lol.

The Wedding Budget

Our Budget was Two Million Naira for both the white wedding and the traditional ceremony. And we were working with a 1.5 Million naira Budget. The five hundred thousand naira was going to be our extra.

Now let me say this, I was a different kind of bride. I do not get easily swayed by social media paparazzi, I have never been the kind of girl to wear what was in vogue when in vogue. I couldn't be bothered with that. That's my kind of person.

For me and my husband, the most important thing for us was our pictures, we wanted pictures that we would see 10 years from now and still be happy. So we both agreed to splurge on our photography but not at the expense of other expenses.

We also agreed that we wont be borrowing or asking for money from anyone be it family or friends. We were going to work with what we had. And that was exactly what we did!

Before now, we had asked both parents where they were willing to contribute and we were well informed.

More so, we spaced our dates, our Traditional Wedding was in November 2015 and the White Wedding was in February 2016. Both events took place in Ibadan.

Traditional Expenses Breakdown

Guests: 200

For our traditional wedding, the decor was important, mainly because we were using a compound.

1. Hall: We decided to use my compound and spend the money for the hall on the decoration instead. (so no cost there)

2. Decoration: I knew the decor had to be top notch, I brought about 4 decorators before I was able to come to a conclusion. N130,000

3. Caterer: My mother is a caterer and she was handling the catering but we supported her by giving her N50,000

4. Drinks: N120,000 

5. Makeup: N15,000 

6. Photography: N70,000. We requested for just soft copies of the picture, since my husband was a photographer, we agreed that he would make the photo books instead. We had no videographer, (we were not going to watch it anyways)

7. Alaga: N30,000 (she was a friend of my husband). One advice, try as much as possible not to expect free jobs from family members or friends.

8. Cake: N25,000

9. Hostesses: Our beautiful La' Heiress Hostesses offered to contribute this as their token of appreciation. (Free)

10. Outfits: I went to a local aso oke market in Ibadan and bought our aso oke, I bought two bundles for my self at N2,500 and N3,000 respectively (N5,500) and I bought for my husband 2 bundles at N3,000 each (N6,000). Totalling N11,500. I decided to let these local aso oke sellers join my aso oke for N300 and I bought beads and attached it to the gele for its special bling effect. That cost me about N3,000. My husband gave his aso oke to his brother who is a very good designer to sew for him at N13,000. Total= (N27,800)

I opted for a dress instead of the normal Iro and Buba. I bought my lace N3,500 per yard and I bought 4 yards. (N14,000). My fashion designer of life, Elan Dash designed something for me and I gave it to my neighborhood taylor to sew for me at N2,500. Total= N16,500

Shoes: My husband shoes cost N15,000 while mine cost N3,500 (flat shoes). Total= (N16,500)

Accessories. My aunt offered to pay for my neckpiece. So that was free. I wore my old gold watch since my colours were black and gold. My husband beads (Iyun) cost N1,200.

Total= N34,200

11. DJ: N30,000

12: Bride's Parents outfits: N30,000

13. Wedding stationery: invitation cards, menu and reception programmes, welcome frame, toppers, name place cards, table numbers, stickers, banners, directional signs and the likes. N85,000.

Hotel: N32,400 (3 rooms)

Miscellaneous: N50,000

 Grand Total= N729,400

I decided to attach pictures because I wanted everyone to see that sometimes, it is not about how famous your vendors are or how cheap they are, you can still get good deals and great quality services. 

More so, there are some good and creative upcoming vendors that are still willing to work with your budgets, you just need to look for the ones who suits your taste and pocket.

I will be posting my white wedding budget breakdown in my next post. 

Olamide~ The Heiress

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Having a budget wedding is nothing to be ashamed of

I often wonder why many couples often find it difficult to accept that they had a wedding on a budget.

Budget weddings can be explained in two ways:

1. Small guestlist and a small wedding budget.

2. Small guestlist and a large wedding budget. 

Either ways, it is a budget wedding because of the limited number of guests. These days, be it a budget wedding or not, weddings are expensive because vendors are expensive, even the upcoming ones. 

Vendors now charge what they feel they are worth and we cannot blame them, especially not with the situation of things in the Nigerian Economy.

I had a budget wedding that still gulped about two million naira. And I did not use famous vendors neither did I go above my budget nor wanted extravagant things or did anything in excess.

It is just the reality of weddings these days. 

Whether you had a budget wedding or an extravagant wedding, the bottom line is that you got married to the man or woman of your dreams. It doesn't make you lesser than those who had bigger weddings. 

It is frustrating for me because, whenever I try to interview a couple who I knew had a small wedding, just for the sole purpose of educating the general public that you can still have a small and intimate wedding to save cost and still be happy, they blatantly refuse and deny that their wedding was a budget wedding. It is nothing to be ashamed of. 

In light of this, I will be breaking down the expenses for my own wedding in my next post. Hopefully, this will help others be more open about their wedding expenses so that we can achieve a bigger goal.

Olamide~ The Heiress

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Should Wedding Planners Force Clients Into Using Certain Vendors?

This has been a sensitive topic for me to talk about. For one reason, I am a wedding planner and I wouldn't want to put other planners on blast. After much thought, I have decided to damn the consequences.

If you didn't know, the same way clients have expectations is the same way planners have expectations. I have talked about Client's Budget VS Client's Expectation. Today, I will be talking about Planners Expectations VS Client's Budget. 

Every planner wants that jaw dropping moment for every event they plan but not all clients can afford these jaw dropping moments. Some clients just want to get married and get it over with, while the planner has a different game plan for the event and end up forcing their clients to use their preferred vendor to create the jaw dropping moment they so much desire. And this may cost a fortune.

Recently, the stories I hear from clients and vendors are quite heartbreaking. So before brides start to think that all planners are the same way, it would be safe to talk about this and express my disapproval of this new method of planning adopted by some planners.

A planner is meant to ease off your stress; not just mental and physical stress but also financial stress. A planner should not make you incur more debt. 

A client called me recently and told me she was cancelling her contract with another planner she had already contracted her wedding to. Her reason was that, the planner was forcing expensive vendors on her and also charging her 10% service fee and 5% vat on each of these expensive vendors. This planner also asked her to increase her budget to N10 million from N6.5 million which was her initial wedding budget (for 600 guests minus the hall expenses). 

She went further to say that she no longer reads her emails because it meant more money and she was already feeling pressurized and she did not like it.

This is unacceptable. As a planner, you cannot force a particular vendor on a client, just because you want perfect pictures for social media pages or because of the 10% you demand from these vendors.

Different planners have different terms of service that work for them and we cannot question it or say what you charge for your services is unreasonable but please do NOT force your preferred vendors on your clients. Your main aim is to make your client happy and stress free on their wedding day. You can make suggestions and allow your client decide on what she wants.

Please brides-to-be, do not get carried away by the pictures you see; feel free to say NO when you are being forced against your will. You have the right to say no, after all it is your money here and not theirs.

A good planner should be able to work with any vendor irrespective of their class or 'status' in the events industry and should help their client save money and not incur more wedding cost.

More so, any planner that demands 10% from vendors, can only achieve one or two things. One, the vendor would most likely compromise in service delivery and two, the vendor will only charge higher, so as not to run at a loss after paying the kickback. This simply shoots the wedding budget up and incurs more cost for the client. Imagine collecting 10% from a small-chops vendor. 

Brides out there, please do not allow yourself to be forced into doing what you cannot afford. And dear planners, do NOT force your clients to use your preferred vendor just because... (whatever your reason is). 

Olamide ~ The Heiress

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It is NOT OKAY to Owe Your Weddding Vendors

I have decided to talk on the issue of owing vendors after their services have been delivered because I have personally been a victim of this.

It is sad to know that some clients feel owing vendors is the right way to go. Like I always advise, plan according to your budget. Don't plan your wedding thinking that one uncle or aunty somewhere will foot the bills or give you some money. 

There are disadvantages of owing vendors:

-  By owing vendors, you give them a reason not to deliver fully on your wedding day. For instance, you hire a decorator, she charges you N400,000 and you pay her N200,000. She will probably rent all that she needs, pay her workers and transport these items to the venue... Now, if she is supposed to rent stuffs worth of N250,000 to make your venue look extra nice and you have paid her only N200,000, what she is likely to do is rent stuffs worth of N100,000 and manage it. 

Now, this can only mean one thing, your venue won't look as fab as it should have and two, the decorator will still get her balance. But she is trying to play safe by not running into debt.

- The client also stands the chance of getting disappointed. I have worked with vendors who won't show up until their balances have been paid; can you blame them? The answer is NO. Some vendors won't even set up if they don't get their balances.

I, for one, have learnt to stop all activities once the client does not abide by the rules of my contract. Once bitten they say, twice shy.

It is wrong to owe vendors, and it is a struggle to get balances after the wedding; the couple most times, just go into hiding. They stop picking calls, stop liking or commenting on pictures on social media, even when you mention them. They stop reading your messages, both text and WhatsApp messages... The list is endless really.

And to crown it all, you won't even know how or when to call them. You call too much, you are pestering them. You don't call, then you are ready to forfeit your balance. 

It is just plain cruelty. If you cannot afford a particular vendor, there are many others who are equally good and are ready to work within your budget. 

Please and please always try to balance your vendors before the day. If you are using an event planner or a coordinator, always make sure that the vendors' balances have been handed over to the planner before the event and he or she can disburse after the event. We wouldn't like to start pestering you with calls after your wedding day to ask for balances.

Let's help our vendors grow by not owing them. Thank you.

Olamide~ The Heiress

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The Importance of Having A Vendors Meeting

I don't know if this happens to just me or to other event planners as well. I was speaking with a couple of colleagues recently and they all had a thing or two to say about some vendors who feel the need not to attend a vendors meeting and then come on the event day to create a scene. 

If planners can make out time to fix a date for a vendors meeting then I think it will only be fair for the vendors to attend it. 

Vendors meeting is not a luxury; it is one of the crucial aspects when planning a wedding. Many times, we have vendors missing details or not knowing, for instance, the colour of the day as a decorator. 

Sometimes, a bride only hires a day-of Coordinator and may skip one or two things. Hence, the need for a vendors meeting. 

It is during this vendors meeting that all vendors can come together to see how they can work together as one big team to create a successful event. For example, we all know that there is always this feud between the band and DJ. At a vendors meeting, they can talk about their differences and which aspects of the programme they will be responsible for, thereby allowing peace to reign on the day of the event.

The importance of the vendors meeting is basically to go over all the details so that nothing is missed out. Also to see the other vendors that will be working on the day, to go over the floor plan for the event, talk about balances where need be, bring up suggestions as to how the event can run successfully without hitches.

This is an appeal to vendors out there, please make our work easier and please attend vendors meeting when asked to.

Olamide~ The Heiress

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Did you know?

Did you know? 

Queen Victoria started the Western world's white wedding dress trend in 1840. Before then, brides simply wore their best dress.

I often wonder how trends start but somehow i believed that someone somewhere must have started it. For me, it simply means that a trend can be started by anybody. 

The bottomline is, don't kill yourself with trends. The fact that your friend had an after party does not mean that you should too. The fact that she wore an expensive wedding dress, does not mean that you should too. You can be a trend setter with your inexpensive dress or wedding.

Olamide~ The Heiress

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My Wedding Diary

Wedding planners are not perfect. Many a times, i hear brides say all sorts about a planner who forgot to do this or that on their wedding day and as compelled as I feel the urge to reply, i don't.

And this is my reason: No matter how I choose to reply, it can only bear a double perspective. One, i will be chastising them and praising myself OR  I will be defending them. Either ways, it doesn't sound good.

Wedding planners are also human. They can forget a thing or two. And remember that along side yours, they are also planning for other brides. Cut them some slack. They sure want the best for your day and try as much as they can to bring in all the details and create a wonderful day for you, hence the need for you to appreciate their every effort.

Recently, I have been super busy creating wonderful experiences for my brides and i can say for a fact that nothing prepares you for brides and their tantrum where weddings are concerned. If people knew the stress and skills involved in dealing with different brides and their peculiar wahalas, you will probably appreciate Wedding Planners a whole lot more.

Once again, I sincerely apologise for being M.I.A (missing in action) . But please feel free to send a mail to (olamide@la-heiress.com) and i would always reply.

Olamide~ The Heiress

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Picking That Special Wedding Song

I do not know about you but I know that I am bored stiff with the songs selection brides choose these days, especially for the couple's first dance.

Couple's first dance songs should be songs that mean something to both parties. From the lyrics to the rhythm to the singer. It shouldn't be chosen based on the fact that it is the trending song at the moment. 

Brides to be, this is not a song you choose on your own. Make out time with your fiancé to select songs that you both love and can relate to. You can listen to a couple of songs before making a choice. 

And please there are other songs apart from John Legend's " All of me" and Ed Sheeran's " thinking out loud". Don't get me wrong, they are both beautiful songs but there are other songs and most brides don't even know the lyrics to these songs.

If you're on the hunt for the perfect tune for the first dance, we're here to help. From Nigerian to foreign songs, here are 50 song suggestions sweet enough for a first dance.

1. Hero- Enrique

2. Hero- Mariah Carey

3. Romantic- Korede Bello and Tiwa Savage

4. African Queen- Tuface

5. I need you-  Marc Anthony

6. A thousand years- Christina Perri

7. All my life- KC & Jojo

8. You are beautiful- James Blunt

9. Can't help falling in love with you- Elvis Presley

10. Beneath you're beautiful- Labrinth ft Emeli Sande

11. The way you look tonight- Micheal Buble

12. The only Exception- Paramore

13. Unchained Melody- The Righteous Brothers

14. I won't give up- Jason Mraz

15. I promise- Cece Winas

16. At last- Etta James

17. Oloomi- Tosin Martins

18. Orente- Adekunle Gold

19. From this moment- Shaina Twain

20. Eji owuro- Shola Allison

21. Iyawo mi- Timi Dakolo

22. I wanna grow old with you- Adam Sandler

23. Accidentally in love- Counting crows

24. You're The First, The Last, My Everything – Barry White 

25. I'm yours- Jason Mraz

26. I want it that way- Backstreet Boys

27. Everything i do- Bryan Adams

28. We belong together- Mariah Carey

29. Kiss from a rose- Seal

30. When You Say Nothing At All – Ronan Keating

31. All of me- John Legend

32. Your song- Elton John

33. Twisted- Keith Sweat

34. I will always love you- Whitney Houston

35. I'll be right here waiting for you-  Bryan Adams

36. I'm your angel- Celine Dion

37. Just the way you are-  Bruno Mars

38. I wanna dance with somebody- Whitney Houston

39. Ekuro- Davido

40. Ife wa gbona- Tiwa Savage

41. Ada Ada- Flavour

42. No one like you- P Square

43. Oruka- Sunny Neji

44. Dance with me tonight

45. Bleeding Love- Leona Lewis

46. White dress- Ben Rector

47. A whole new world- Peabo Pryson and Regina Belle

48. Time after time- Cyndi Lauper

49. Tonight, i celebrate my love- Peabo Bryson

50. Thinking out loud- Ed Sheeran

51. When i say i do- Matthew West

52. Titilai- Gaisebaba

53. With you- Oyinkan

54. Forever- Chris Brown

55. You and I- John Legend

56. Love never fails- Brandon Heath

Father- Daughter dance

* Baby girl- Nelson Oliver

* Pray for me- Darey

* Dance with my father again- Luther Vandross (In cases where the father is late)

I hope you find this list helpful. Thank me later *wink*

Olamide~ The Heiress

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The Boss vs Employee: It Was Love At First Sight For Me: Olamide and Olanshile's Love Story

So i had saved this and had wanted to share it but somehow, i forgot to click on the 'publish' button. As i was going through my achive, i saw it sitting pretty and decided to share my love story on how i met my Mr Right. Enjoy!

Our Story

I have always been a sucker for chubby dudes. (In fact everything chubby; I will probably not kill a roach because it’s chubby). While I was doing my youth service in Ibadan, I got a call for an interview at a media company in Lagos. I was overjoyed because I didn't want to stay at home after NYSC was over.

I got to Lagos and started having cold feet. I started thinking of everything that could go wrong and why I shouldn't go for the interview. Thank God for my older friends; in fact they made sure they left work to come take me to the venue.

While we were in the waiting room, a young chubby man came to tell us that we were soon to be attended to and all I could see was that he didn't have a ring on that dreaded finger! Till date, I still don't know why that thought crossed my mind. For Christ sakes, I was there for an interview!

When it was my turn for the interview, I was stunned to discover that the cute chubby man was my interviewer! Jeez! I still don't know how I passed the interview because I kept thinking of his cute chubby presence and his cute voice *still drool every time I hear it*

I was hired... I was Single... He was in a relationship... Spoiler!

The one thing I noticed was that he wasn't a woman wrapper; he had strict policies and abided by them. On his birthday, he was so sad, I mean the guy had sadness written all over him. I was almost forced to ask what the matter was but as “I be employee now and he my boss,” I didn't want to cross my boundaries. But I was happy I could use his picture on my BBM for some days without my colleagues asking ’sup.*big grin*

I got to know that his girlfriend broke his heart prior to his birthday. I should have been sad but mehn, I wasn't oh! I started putting extra efforts in my work activities, always going the extra mile, and then one day, he asked me if I would like to see a movie with him! Bingo!!!!!! Mission achieved! Little did I know that all the while, he was “eyeing” me as well!

And the rest they say, is history. I met the man of my dreams where I never thought I would and it's been a beautiful experience so far and I cannot wait to walk down the aisle with him in November and February 2016.

The Mighty Proposal

This my baby and stunts sha! He likes playing the James Bond 007 stunts on me all the time but this one was the one that was going to change my life forever!

It was my birthday and I had always talked about how I hated birthday proposals because it’s all too predictable. It was a great morning of kisses, roses, breakfast in bed, gifts, two cakes and that clichéd romantic stuff... I was having a great day and it was just about to get better.

Around 4pm, people started calling my boo. I was beginning to feel like he was planning something big (like a birthday bash). I wasn't thinking proposal at all because I have talked and over talked sef about hating birthday proposals.

Then at about 5pm, he asked me to get dressed in a dress he had bought for me. All through the drive, the calls kept coming in, asking for directions and I was like," Okay, what's going on?" But I didn't ask, I just went with the flow *my heart still skips a beat writing this* We picked up his sister at some place, and headed for a buffet on the island.

And behold, everybody was there! My brother from Ife, my closest friends, his siblings. I remember screaming. I just kept screaming. I still thought it was a birthday party until Dotun of Cool FM announced that THE BOO had an announcement.

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Did You know?

Did you know that there are no rules as to how a wedding should go or be?

You don't need to wear a weave just because brides do it? A friend of mine wore a dinner dress as her white wedding gown and she still looked beautiful.

I wore oxfords on my wedding day because i felt comfortable in them.

Did you know that the average cost for fixing and styling a weave is about N25,000 (especially where weddings are concerned)and it could be more, depending on the stylist?

I was a low-cut bride and I looked beautiful. It wasn't about the money but a personal decision.

The moral: You don't need to do something because everyone is doing it. There are no rules, people came up with what suits them and you can come up with yours.

Olamide~ The Heiress

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