Bisola and Segun's Wedding

5/09/2021 La' Heiress 0 Comments

COUPLE: Bisola and Segun

ROLE: Partial Wedding Planning, which means that the client has some preferred vendors they will like to use, while the planner provides the remaining vendors and then the planner coordinates all vendors.

DATE: Friday, 13th of March, 2021.

LOCATION: Lagos

GUESTS: 150 (planned), 800 plus (unplanned)

HASHTAG: #theAOunion #AyaOgidan

So apparently, the bride had been a fan and big supporter of the La' Heiress brand for the longest. She had been to a couple of events we had planned in the past and had also recommended some of our past brides to us. She is also a makeup artiste.

Partial wedding planning. Which means that the client has pre-selected some vendors while we sourced for the remaining vendors. So we ended up suggesting a few vendors in addition to the ones they already had and coordinating the entire event. We Drew up a floorplan, created a dress-up timeline and created a wedding reception programme breakdown for all the vendors and coordinated all activities on the wedding day.

It was a 3 in 1-day event, which meant that they were going to have the Nikkah, Engagement and reception on the sake day and at the same venue.

We had started planning the wedding since 2019 and the wedding date was stated for March 2020... but Covid caught up with us and we had to postpone the wedding indefinitely for a while... thankfully, we had not even started paying our vendors yet, so I didn't have much to think about regarding payments and refunds.

We had originally planned for 150 guests but 300 guests incase we had an overflow... but we had food for over 700 guests.

The couple had also paid for the extra hall (which could sit another 100 guests) in the compound, for the over flow and we had set up canopies outside for at least 200 guests. So in total, we could sit about 450 guests, which I felt should be enough. Oh how wrong I was...

Because we were just gradually easing out of the Covid, there were some restrictions that came with Covid-era events. We were only allowed to set up for 50 guests inside the hall and 150 guests outside, in the compound. We were also only allowed 5 seats per table.

Since we were only allowed 50 chairs and 100 tables in the main hall which could sit about 400 guests normally... we decided that we arrange the 50 chairs for the Nikkah (which was the first event to take place) then after  rearrange the chairs again for the engagement (wrongest move).

So the decor had started a day before   but the decorator had somehow still managed not to finish the decpration due to some unforseen circumstances beyond their control. So this had guests waiting outside under the canopy we had setbup outside. Eventually, the decor was all set but we still had to wait for one of the parents before the Nikkah could start.

By the time the Nikkah ended, there were so many guests outside that they had already filled up the seats under the canopies and the rain didn't help matters too because guests wanted to come in but we couldn't have this because there were no seats for them to sit inside as we had only 50 chairs allowed in the hall and the Lagos State official that was sent to our event wouldn't allow more than 50 seats. 🤦🏽‍♀️ In fact, we had managed to squeeze in 60 chairs but he still complained about this.

To cut the long story short, we started allowing guests in as they could not possibly stay in the rain and there was no space for them to sit outside anymore... all the spaces, including the second hall we paid for and decorated were filled to the brim.

We eventually had up to 800 plus guests... 🤦🏽‍♀️

- The food was surprisingly sufficient for the additional number of guests, as we had 2 caterers. Although it had taken more time than normal to serve all the guests because of the additional guests that showed up.

- The couple had enough time for their hotel pictures to be taken.

- We were able to set up the honeymoon suite as a surprise for our couple.

1. The first challenge we had was trying to rearrange the hall again for the Traditional space space the reception because the manager and Lagos State official only allowed us to set up 60 chairs inside the main hall, so we had to rearrange the chairs back to the reception area which was alot of work as there were so many people outside already.

2. There was a guest list for those who were supposed to be inside the hall but apparently, half of the people on the guests guestlist didn't come. So more people wanted to enter as a result of this. And the families were already creating a scene because they both wanted their families in the hall (on top the 60 chairs that was set up in the hall o 🙆🏽‍♀️)

2. We struggled to create space for the couple's friends because the hall was filled already with family guests and the couple's friends whose names were written on the guestlist didn't show up, so it was difficult to determine who the couple wanted in the hall as a result of this. The couple eventually asked us to allow all the friends that were around inside the hall, so we had to bring in more tables and chairs to set up for them inside the hall.

3. The couple's friends started asking for small chops but there was no small chops because no provision was made for small chops at the event.

4. It was also supposed to be a strictly by invitation wedding bwfore the Covid-19 lockdown, but because of the long break, the iv's were dismissed and we had to use discretion, plus they had sold a whole lot of asoebi.

1. Most times, the hall is usually booked before the planner is contacted and if this is is case, if you want to have a 3 in 1 day event and all will be happening in the same space, ensure that the space (hall) you book, can sit all your guests at once. That is, if you are preparing for 500 guests for the reception and 150 guests each for the Joining/Nikkah and Engagement, ensure that all can be set up independently of the other. That means that we can set up for all the 3 events without having to rearrange after one event is over. The event will have a seamless flow this way than having to rearrange after the event.

Except if the hall has an additional space that can be set up, maybe a gallery or a space outside the main reception area that can be set up for guests to sit while the rearrangement is going on.

2. Please and Please, be truthful about your number of guests, it is always better to prepare for more than for less. Despite the fact that we had prepared for 300 guests more than the original number, we stoll had way more than that and this always leads to a rowdy event.

3. Dear couples, please if you do not have a particular item on the menu, stop telling your friends that you have it. We had friends telling us that the couple asked that we give them small chops, knowing fully well that we didn't have small chops prepared for the day.

#TheAOunion was a success regardless. It wasn't the best of events we have had to manage or coordinate but we absolutely love our couple and we wish them a lifetime of happiness and love. Thank you once again for choosing La' Heiress Weddings.