Big Wedding, Small Budget.

Back in the day weddings were a lot easier to plan, you have family and friends actually helping and supporting you in the process, usually mums will organize women to come cook at the back of the yard, we buy everything ourselves. Hall decoration takes almost nothing, the seating arrangements were theatrical, making it so easy to invite the whole village, there were balloon decorations and old fashioned draping, we had the high table system, no particular seating section for the couple, no VIP or VVIP section, no caterer and service attendants just family and friends assisting in serving food and drinks and even souvenirs, things do get clumsy but it was what it was then. Usually it is the very wealthy that could afford a proper setting to an extent, they use big hotels who'll incorporate the banquet seating arrangement making it classy, and even if they were to organize themselves there was always some element of class. 

But with the evolution of party planning, things started to change. Not that family and friends don't assist still but there are more options. We have planners, DIY's, more ideas, more creativity etc. However, inspite of this beautiful happenstance, we still carry our old fashion ideology into the modern day planning. Like i always say, the cost of your wedding is usually determined mostly by your GUEST LIST, and this goes in two ways but for the purpose of this write-up i'll only talk on one way which is the guest number. Kindly note that when you invite people to your wedding, you are asking them to come witness your new found status, you want them to merry with you because its a good thing. 

I would normally think that the people who are close to you and your family should be at this gathering and not otherwise, i also would expect that you are prepared to take care of them. Now due to the seating arrangements these days, you may spend about N4,000  on each guest in an average wedding, after adding the cost of food, drinks, centerpiece, napkins, chair, table, linen, souvenir and all that makes up a proper setting. Multiply that amount by 1000-300 guest and see what it gives you. You have not  added other basic things like venue, clothing and so many other things that make up a complete event. If i were to use a theatrical seating here, by the time you knock off tables, linens, centerpieces etc, you'll see that you have saved yourself some money.

Am not trying to suggest to people to use the theatrical seating arrangement, but am only trying to show how the number of guest can affect your budget. So this ideology of inviting the whole village to your wedding should die the way theatrical seating arrangements at weddings died, because it cost more to bring that ideology into this modern day setting. Like it or not these days people tend to spend more on weddings, yet they want to invite more? and usually they can't afford it. If you can afford it, there is no problem at all, but where i have a problem is when you can't afford it but you just what to maintain that ideology of inviting the whole village. Some want to respect their parents wish by inviting all their parents friends, how about respecting yourself by cutting back, usually you don't know half the people at your wedding. Some plan their wedding hoping that certain friends or relative will pick up certain bills. Maybe some uncle promised you XXX amount, what if that uncle is unable to redeem that promise, what happens? you are already indebted. It doesn't matter who pledged to do stuff for you, plan your wedding according to your pocket.

Its very important to plan because anything can go wrong but at least you'll still have a wedding. It amazes me when someone's wedding is like a week to go and they are still saying they don't have money, like seriously! Your wedding isn't a charity, its the ceremony that makes your marriage formal, and it also isn't a business venture. I personally think no one should borrow to have a wedding, and no one should be indebted when planning, its not right. You may not be able to afford the wedding of your dreams but at least you are getting married to the person of your dreams, that should count. Truth is nothing else matters but the two of you.

As an event planner, i want the best for my clients and people generally and part of what i do is help people make informed decisions.  

Did you know you can have an intimate wedding with few family and friends by using a restaurant? all you need to do is pay for the food, and cut off all that venue, decor etc budget. Did you know you can have a wedding with minimalistic arrangements? simple yet classy? Did you know that if you can't afford a planner you can get DIY service? Don't go looking for a planner when all you need is some decor rental to decorate your hall. I realized that in most cases when people say they want a planner, what they are really saying is that they just want the decor done, which i find myself asking when all that is done, what happens on the day of the event? who coordinates and manages everything to ensure it goes well? normally they have no answer or the same old my family and friends will help, which may not be bad, but would it be organized? It goes back to that part that shows that you may not be prepared to take care of your guest, you want to, but not prepared. Truth is most planners can decorate your hall but not everyone can afford that service so they just opt for rental decorators. It also appears that all most people want is how beautiful the hall looks as against the general beauty of the event which involves the most pivotal role which is management. Theres nothing wrong in just wanting a decorator but seeking DIY advice when you can't afford full planning is a good way of planning a nice wedding on a budget. There are so many cheaper, nicer and even classy options but would you be open to those options without feeling left out? 

Everyone knows in their heart what they can afford at the point of planning their wedding, and what i've been trying to say in summary is 'Be Yourself'. You don't have to pay for that size of hall if you don't invite that large no of guest, you don't have to pay the caterer that amount if you would reduce your guest list, same goes for the chair and table rental,etc. Really your wedding ceremony must not be conventional, also you don't have to throw a lavish traditional and white wedding, you can make one loud and the other quiet. And if you must do inspite of all the constraint then do it well, get professional advice, plan well. You can have a beautiful wedding by avoiding all the odds caused by lack of proper planning and conventional thinking. So my dearies debunk that thinking, its better to have a small wedding than a disorganized one especially when you are trying to make it look like a big wedding. More importantly, you are not impressing anyone, your wedding is about you and if you don't have that type of budget that goes with planning a big event then make it simple.

LAUNCHING THE PEARL TOWER 'EKO PEARL EVENT'

We recently held The Eko Pearl Tower launch, being built by Eko Pearl Nig Ltd and it was an awesome event. The Eko Pearl Tower is a 24 storey residential tower located on the harbour front on Lagos innovative Atlantic city 'Eko Atlantic City'. 

It was such a challenge planning this event, since we wanted it to represent the excellence, finesse, precision and luxury that the Tower projects. But in the end the hard work paid, the management, i'd say was impeccable, the decor, simple but classy. Everything was on point, from the invites to the last management detail. I must confess that as daunting as it was planning the event, we had a great time managing it.

The Eko Pearl site

However, as the program progressed it hit me that it wasn't just one of those property launch, it was a good cause. Building a prime city of international standard, thereby creating jobs and giving some Nigerians the opportunity to actually live luxuriously with great ROI in their own country, is a positive contribution. I may not have that much knowledge in property development but what came to me was the fact that living in a place like this can actually guarantee a new lease on life (funny, right?but true). Less pollution, conducive environment, serenity, a system that works, growth and dev, close to nature,  etc. What i see mostly is 'LONGEVITY', good health and good investment. 

Some Nigerians live the good life already, they travel abroad frequently, they buy properties all over the world in prime areas, they have what it takes but truth be told that even with all the wealth, living in Lagos city can be hostile.

The dynamics of Lagos city is very unique and complex, but it still remains one of the best places to be in the whole of Africa. However, Lagos state is still grappling with serious challenges in all its social and economic forms. But, who would blame it for its challenges when the city receives more intending residents daily, creating serious urbanization concerns. Energy and water access, sewerage, transportation and housing have all been adversely affected by haphazard development of a geographically disjointed city. Unlike the rest of Nigeria, Lagosians do not have access to steady electricity. Despite the regions endowment of water, the city suffers from an acute and worsening water supply shortage. And due to inadequate sewerage, much of the city's human waste is disposed of by the drainage of rainwater through open ditches. With congested bridges and roads, traffic situation is a daily problem in Lagos, and it can be really bad. With all these challenges you'd agree with me that the new city is very welcome and thanks to Eko Atlantic city, the urbanization challenge in Lagos will at least be curtailed.

Eko Atlantic city

Eko Atlantic city is a mega city supporting the already overpopulated existence of lagos.
This city will become the financial centre of Nigeria, if not West Africa and trust me it is no easy job. The development brings together private individuals and companies who have the knowledge and expertise to transform land lost to the power of the sea into an ocean-front city that will be one of the wonders of the 21st century which can be compared with the United Arab Emirate city in Dubai. And the project is being achieved through a team effort between investors, planners, engineers and contractors, one of which is Eko Pearl Nigeria Limited.

Residents of Eko Pearl Tower, will enjoy first class infrastructural amenities, excellent security services,  splendour of actually living in a luxurious apartment,  clean air and all the benefits that comes with living in Eko Atlantic city. 
The design indicated that it has a pool and terrace level floor, a technical, ground and basement floors, both dedicated to 345 parking places and 48 storage rooms.
Three types of apartments are provided, known as “Typical apartments”, duplex apartments and pent house floor.
Typical apartments are located starting from the first to the 18th floor, with typical apartment floor occupying a total of 394 square meters. Each floor consists of one entrance hall, two sitting rooms, a dining room, one living room, one kitchen, four-master bedrooms, one guest bathroom, one laundry and three balconies, among others.
Besides, duplex apartments are located on the 19th-22nd floors. It also has similar features like the previous apartment, except that it has a lounge, one kitchen and pantry and two balconies. The upper level is designed as one living family room, four master bedroom and two balconies.
There are also five underground parking space and two storage rooms for the duplex apartments, while there is provision for four underground parking spaces, and one storage room for the typical apartments. Two penthouse apartments, located on the 23rd and 24th floors measured 627 square metres per floor. It features one entrance hall, three sitting rooms, one dining room, a lounge, one living room, one kitchen, four master bedrooms, a guest bathroom, one maid room, a laundry and four balconies, with 52 parking spaces are dedicated for the leisure of the residents’ guests.

A document made available to The Guardian, revealed that Eko Pearl Towers are designed according to British standards, with the exterior walls of all main facades built of two layers, solid block in exterior and hollow blocks in the interior side.
The buildings are of roof terrace, basement walls, water tank, made of vandex, or similar, while elevations are asphalt coating paint under exterior stone cladding. Windows and doors are of aluminum material, including the rolling shutter in bedrooms.
Painted wooden doors are fitted to the storage and maid room, a typical door at the floors are wooden door veneered with “walnut”, including the service entrance. The doors and staircase, technical rooms and lobby are installed with fire rated steel materials, while stainless steel balustrade with glass cladding for balconies.
The floor finishing is of Epoxi coat, or similar for basement, and Mass dyed ceramic used for the storage and driver rooms in the basement. The lobbies and stairs at basement are of marble and stone.

Amazing, isn't it? So I'd suggest that if you are planning on investing in a prime area in Nigeria, then Eko Pearl Tower should be it.

Eko Pearl Tower

www.ekopearl.org, www.ekoatlantic.com, www.propertyindex.com.ng

Your wedding is for you

Certain experiences has got me thinking about whats important to most women thats about to get married. Is the wedding really about you and your spouse or about pleasing people or a status symbol? Alot of people cant afford the wedding of their dreams but yet they want the wedding of their dreams making it almost impossible to attain a quality event.

My advice to ladies;

• Your wedding is firstly about you and your spouce 
• If you are working with a planner always always be open
• Always cut your coat according to your size
• If you want classy on a low budget ensure you get a planner who's creative enough to help you achieve it, though classy may be pricey but a level of class can be achieved on a low budget.
• DO NOT try to impress friends and family, you have got to be real and true to yourself. for instance you dont have to get expensive items as souvenirs, you dont have to invite everyone( you dont even know most of them), you dont have to compel your friends to buy expensive aso-ebi (remember everyone in your friends league may not be able to afford it, or may have other pressing needs)
• Just as your wedding decor is important, the management is way key as well, so in planning do not leave out the wedding day coordination.
• Try to avoid last minuites.
• You do not have to purchase an expensive wedding dress when you know your budget is low, you can rent a very lovely dress and look the expensive part.
• If your parent is insisting on so much, then you may have to suggest to them to contribute financially, for instance if they are asking you to invite more people you will spend more, so they should as well support you with money.
• Avoid listening to too many different people and follow your heart
• Be specific in giving certain details. If you are planning for 300 let it be the same amount, it becomes tacky when you plan for 300 and 600 guest turns up, it will be tough for the vendors to manage, they may not even have enough to go round leaving some form of disorganization.
• DO NOT say 'afterall you have invited the guest whatever they get let them have' its totally wrong, if you cant take care of them then dont invite them.
• If you cant afford a big wedding then plan towards having a small wedding.
• If you really cant afford to make both the traditional marriage and white wedding elaborate then pick the one you feel you want to make elaborate and concentrate on it. who says both have to be elaborate?
• Get wedding planning advice from a professional planner, the planner does not neccessarily have to manage your wedding physically but you can consult them for advice and maybe day-of-coordination if you want.
• Most importantly, like i have said over again, be true to yourself, you alone know your budget, you really do not have to impress anyone simply do what you can, the best you can and avoid the tackiness that comes with 'big wedding dreams on a low budget'

My bride in red

I promised some photos of my bride in a red dress when i wrote on wedding dresses. This is Anna and Tutu's wedding, held in Lagos. It was an intimate wedding, simple yet classy and unique.

Bride

Couple

Is'nt the red dress simply gorgeous? well i think it is and so is the couple. 

Young Female Titans

Young female entrepreneurs are changing the face of Nigeria. More young women are taking the bull by the horn and chasing after their dreams and aspirations. It is so encouraging to see that our women are not just subjected to the norm of being in the kitchen instead they are determined to make a difference, cutting across all fields, be it financial services, media, real estate, engineering, beauty, entertainment, event, fashion, the list is endless, young women in Nigeria are taking charge.

Often times though, we hear about the achievers, successful women in business and in the professional world, how they started and became successful which is really great and very inspiring. However, there are women who are in the process and seldom looked at. I set out to highlight some young Nigerian women who are still in the process but making dramatic impact. Against all odds these women set out to pursue their dreams, it was not an easy journey for them, it was not all rosy, but they remained steadfast and committed. Together, these women represents an up-and-coming entrepreneurial generation, proffering innovative solutions in their fields. It is my desire that many young women will be inspired by the experiences shared here to go the distance. It is very okay to dream big, you can be the receptionist in a company and aspire to be the MD, You could innovate something entirely new and create a business around it, you could create a system around an existing business, you can do anything you desire, it only takes hard-work, determination, passion, time, resilience, strong will and a 'can-do' drive. It is not easy but it is worthwhile.
Meet three inspiring young Nigerians in business;

Damilola Aina, 27, CEO Damilola Diamond (DD)

Résumé: An over achiever with a university degree. Her craving to organise people's outlook fashion wise launched her passion as a designer/image consultant. And today she has helped so many young women look even better.

Path to the Top: Her flare for fashion and style started at age 15 and she never believed in the word 'impossible'. While in the university Damilola went into modelling, and did jobs for companies like LG Slim, MTN, Coca-cola, Collectibles, Starcoms but to mention a few, she even won the Miss Festac Town beauty
pageant. At age 16 she started her business and her defining moment was when she succeeded in styling most of the girls in school. According to Damilola, she knew she had  more to offer so upon graduation she went on to acquire more experience by working with companies like Insight advertising, Sound city and Vlisco. These working experiences helped her grow her business stronger and better.

Recommendation: "Who says you cant wake up to be the person you dream to be! The you in you makes you the you that you are. Move! Dream! Achieve!.....don't sit and sleep, act!"

Obianuju Chinwuba, 33, Co-founder UOC Foods

Résumé: Obianuju is the CEO Hongel Ltd, a customer based company that specilaizes in wellness and beauty product distribution. She is also the co-founder of UOC Foods Nig, a food supply chain, catering to the stomachs of so many busy individuals. With her experience in health and food, and also thanks to her husband who's a medical doctor she facilitates seminars on healthy living.

Path to the Top: Like many other graduates, Obianuju set out to get a job, but while she worked full time she started a small business that she managed only on weekends. However, with a burning desire to manage her time given that she's married with two kids, and to discontinue building other peoples dream she decided to resign from her job in 2011 and according to her she took a 'daring step' and launched out Hongel, her health and wellness business which is something she desired so much. She stated that being in the business environment and acquiring knowledge and skill helped in setting up her business. With the rate of economic growth, and people getting busier and busier by the day finding less time to shop or cook, Obianuju saw the need to create benefit and so decided to diversify in 2012 when she co-founded UOC Food, starting out with hygienically packed groceries, then progressed to making home cooked meal services.

Recommendation: "There are many challenges on the way but i don't let them deter me. Sometimes even a 'NO' from a client spurs more interest in me."

Lydia Lubo, 26, CEO Cakeville

Résumé: This ambitious young lady manages her cake making business and is fast becoming a brand. She bakes exquisite cakes of all types, and very creative. This experience has accorded her the opportunity to participate and win cash prizes in various cake baking competitions.

Path to the Top: First it started with the desire to just make some money and she attended a catering school, but as she trained she realised she developed a strong love for making cake and became very passionate about it. After completing a six months course in cake making together with loads of inspiration from Buddy Paulo of Paulos she set out to establish Cakeville in 2010. According to her its been a wonderful experience watching cakeville grow irrespective of the challenges she dealt with.

Recommendation: "The number 1 secret to making your business grow is 'PASSION'. You have to love what you do and be dedicated time wise and financially."

Proffering Solutions

There are hands on brides with natural ability to create their dream wedding but wants help with details along the way, there are also brides without any natural ability and who cant afford a planner to help create that flawless wedding. No need to fret, our DIY and Day of co-ordinating package is now available to take care of your wedding planning needs.

DIY Services includes: Vendor recommendation, Concept creation, Budgeting guidance , 2 hour planning session, Unlimited emails and phone calls, Assist in helping you make informed decisions

For DIY consult we offer a day of co-ordinating with 20% off, if interested.

Contact us on
Mobile: 234-8168554446
email:    contact@sautaver.com


Please note: DIY services is not limited to just weddings, it could be any other event.

Favourable favours

Todays type of favour

One part of a wedding that somehow people look forward to is the wedding favours.  Wedding favours for guest are made to be small tokens of appreciation for attending the wedding and they also serve as souvenirs from the wedding as well.  Most couples want to be sure that people remember their special day, so they give out favours that are meaningful as an expression of their appreciation. Its a good gesture to want to appreciate people for coming to your wedding and leaving them with something to remember you with. However, most people do not know whats behind this act of giving. Before now, i have always thought that just like the word, souvenirs are merely for remembering peoples event. 

Wedding favours are an unusual yet very common added touch to a wedding. Much like giving wedding gifts, these have been a tradition for many centuries dating back to the European aristocrats of Italy and France. They would provide their guest with a small gift which was called a bonboniere. This was a box that was made out of metal, porcelain, precious stones or crystal. As weddings were seen as a lucky blessing or a privilege, by giving out bonboniere to guests, the couple felt that they were bestowing good luck upon their guests as well. The boxes would contain five pieces of sugar candy or almonds that represented Health, Longevity, Fertility, Wealth and Happiness. As the years go by, the confectioners jumped on the distribution of almonds, dipping them in sugar and other sweet coatings turning them into a more modern and luxurious gift.The Italians traditionally gave out chocolates, whereas the French would give out candies and sugared almonds. The Spanish guests would traditionally receive a small vase with orange blossoms, and the Dutch would receive five pieces of candy that represented wedding wishes which were otherwise known as bridal sugar

Today it is still considered appropriate to send your guests home with a gift in form of wedding favours. 

These favours are presented in a number of ways, largely in a more personalised manner and sometimes coordinated with the theme of the wedding itself.  Many couples now opt towards the more modern idea of marking the occasion with small signs of the occasion, or providing not just sweets but small gifts such as personalised candles, bottle openers, coasters, wall clocks, notepads etc. Wealthy couple give out items like phones, china's, electric kettles etc. Here in Nigeria we even have two kinds of favours the couple to guests favours and the aso-ebi favours which is normally given to friends of the couple who buy their aso-ebi (which is the common outfit for the day).

Favours are not just attached to weddings alone, of course they are given out at birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. 

But like most things in the modern day event, the idea is actually soaked in a history we have long since forgotten. So when you are picking out favours remember you are bestowing the good luck of your day on your guest. For most brides, i will say your wedding favours does not have to be like someone else's. Its not a competition, because Magogo gave out DVD's doesn't mean you have to give plasma screens ( am just saying), always do what you can. You don't have to buy the world for your guest, its the gesture that actually counts not the item. Even the little things would be appreciated too, it even makes you more unique when you do things your way and not the way people want it to be. I have organised a wedding where the favours were the traditional sugared almonds wrapped in little sash drawstring bags and it was just beautiful. 

Whatever you choose to give, know that you are wishing your guest Health, Longevity, Fertility, Wealth and Happiness.