Wow!! Stephanie Okereke Idahosa showed us how to have a style-savvy destination wedding. I'm sure not a few singles are inspired to have such a wedding after watching the video clip of the wedding in Paris. You have to be very rich to pull it off. She hit the ball right out of the park. However, you can have a style-savvy destination wedding right here in Nigeria. There are a few good resorts around even right here in Lagos. Rather than burden your guests with buying aso-ebi, have them pay for their accommodation at a resort.The problem is we like to sell aso-ebi so we can make money on the aso-ebi to pay for some expenses for our weddings. Our guests should not be paying for our weddings.You decide you want to get married and you want a classy wedding, by all means be able to afford it yourself. When you sell all these aso-ebi at cut-throat amounts, your friends and families are forced to buy but deep down they are not happy. If you have watched Stephanie's wedding video clip you will agree with me that the wedding was romantic, beautiful and breathtaking. She looked like a princess in her Ellie Saab wedding dress while Linus looked like a prince in his tux. If you haven't seen the video you can see it on my blog, www.susansavvy.blogspot.com
In recent years, destination weddings has become a trend among the rich. The choice destinations for Nigerians have been Dubai ,U.K. Seychelles among others. Remember Funke Fowler Kuku and Doyin Abiola's daughter held theirs in Dubai a while back. For globe-trotter types, getting married in an exotic locale makes an already fabulous event even more fabulous. I don't know how Stephanie planned hers but it was perfect according to sources who attended. From the venue, Abbaye de Cernay, Paris to the fireworks later in the night, it was awesome. The Abbaye de Cernay has a long history,it was at a point the private residence of the very wealthy Rothschild family. The vintage beauty of the castle and the ruins of the old abbaye would make for great photographs. The natural beauty of the environment is so serene and breathtaking that I'm inspired to visit this place.
If you are inspired to have a destination wedding, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Choose a destination. Be sure of how many guests you can accommodate and that will guide you in the choice of a venue.
- Shop for packages. Look for all inclusive destination wedding packages in that area.To avoid headaches,look for for a package that helps you with transportation, marriage licences,reception venues,wedding consultants, accommodation for guests and group discounts.
- Plan ahead. Most resorts or hotels allow the couple to reserve blocks of rooms at a discounted rate for guests so request as many as you think you may need.Travelling abroad does require a lot of advance planning for the couple as well as their families and guests,passports,visas,time off from work etc.
- Combine to save cash. You can save money if you combine wedding and honeymoon set in that romantic getaway. For your guests, attending the wedding can be a mini vacation or if they like,they can extend their stay and save money that way.
- Do your weather research.Depending on the time of year the wedding is holding,you want to make sure the weather will be good for you and your guests to really enjoy the destination.In Nigeria it would not make sense to go to a resort for a wedding during the raining season.
- Make your guests feel at home.Your guests who went out of their way to be at your wedding need a little pampering.Modern etiquette absolves the bride and groom from paying for your trip but if you can charter an airplane for your guests like Stephanie and Linus did,good for you.However,there are a few conveniences that the happy couple can handle in advance. Try to provide transportation for your guests from the airport to the hotel. Also, provide several options for accommodation of varying price levels so that people on different budgets have options to consider.If your budget allows, consider holding an extra event like a welcome party or a group excursion for your guests to take in the local sights and sounds.In Paris,Stephanie's guests went on a boat ride.
- Welcome bag. Since you may not be able to welcome all your guests personally upon arrival, a welcome bag or basket is a great way to receive all your guests. In the welcome bag,you can include a welcome letter telling your guests how happy you are that they made it with a short and sweet note typed but signed in your own handwriting.A detailed schedule listing all the events,time,location and dress code. Snacks,chocolate and water or even wine would also make your guests feel welcome.
Culled from Life & StyleSavvy with Susan Ikhine column,City People Magazine
Nice write-up.
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