Budgeting 101

Wedding planning Guide

Your budget: this depends entirely on the type of wedding you want and is one of the most important (and difficult) parts of planning your Big Day. As your dreams of dresses, decorations, and all things delightful come closer to coming true, costs can quickly spiral out of control. Now you may have your money-organising skills down to a fine art, but here is a reality that even the most budget-conscious bride-to-be has to face: whatever you plan on spending, you will probably end up spending more, build in a 10% contingency buffer to your budget.

Within African and multicultural weddings, where essentially you have two separate weddings to pay for, it is important to keep track and know how much you will allocate for the traditional wedding and how much for the White Wedding.

Not managing your finances accordingly can have a big impact on your wedding and your planning journey. After you have completed the five questions on page (xxx) and you have decided on your budget and what kind of wedding you want, you can start to look at the different aspects of your wedding and how you are going to allocate the funds. At this point, you may want to speak to anyone who is paying for specific things (e.g. your cake) as they may want a say on the final decision and how their money is spent.

Remember: Money you hope to receive as a wedding gift should NOT be part of your budget.

How to choose your dress

As a 21st Century bride, you have the luxury of a huge selection of gowns to choose from. With inspiration spanning hundreds of years, you can be whoever you want to be on your Big Day. You can be the Princess Bride, the Modern Bride, or the Classic Bride. You can be sexy, elegant or even edgy. This is your life, your happy-ever-after, and you have all the freedom in the world to reflect your personality and diversity.

As an African bride, in particular, You have even more than the white wedding dress: There is the traditional dress for the Knocking, an outfit for the traditional wedding and even an outfit that follows the white wedding dress in the evening be it a reception dress or a traditional dress depending on the culture. Here are my top tips when it comes to your white wedding dress shopping

Time

Give yourself plenty of time to find the perfect dress; you don't want to be limited by timing. With that said, there is such a thing as too much time; start shopping around 10 months in advance to get a feel for what you love, and plan to place your order approximately 7-8 months before the wedding date.

Personal Style

Choose a gown based on hhow you feel wearing it rather than trends and Follow your instincts; women look their best when they feel comfortable and confident.make sure to stay true to your personal style and frame.

Keep an open Mind

Keep an open mind; start by trying on all the silhouettes to see what looks best. Don't be convinced something is unflattering until you try it on; you may be surprised by what you think will and won't work.

Take a small but trusted group shopping

Skip the large entourage when shopping and limit the outside influences. Less is more; ultimately, how you look and feel in your wedding dress is your decision to make.

For more help finding your dream dress. Contact the team today to disuss your upcoming Luxury wedding.

African Fairytale wedding

This wedding was spectacular, to say the least, and went viral afterwards and was especially a hit on Instagram!

We joined the couple in planning 8 months before the wedding and from the very beginning, I knew how special this wedding would be. We worked with Jane and Azeez to create personal touches that incorporated both cultures and honoured both the Rwandese and Nigerian guests in attendance.

The day started at the Savoy Hotel where the bridal party prepped their hair and make up with the Deborah Lola and Edith Williams team in the Bride’s Suite, before heading downstairs to the Abraham Lincoln suite for the ceremony. For the Muslim Nikah ceremony and vows, we envisaged a floral canopy being the backdrop and a great compliment to the art deco in the room. We enlisted one of London’s top floral company’s Kuy and Co florals to decorate, and the room was breathtaking, to say the least! The intimate ceremony was followed by a reception in the adjoining Manhattan room where guests drank champagne and sampled the Savoy Hotels finest Canapés & a selection of oriental and eastern dishes with Michelin star service.

For the 500 guests invited for the evening’s reception, we headed to North London’s largest venue- Meridian Grand.

The wedding was themed “fairytale” and for that our friends Enchanted by Syma created a bespoke set and stage along with a dance floor and walkway which adorned large florals and fairytale creatures. The set included features such as two water fountains, over 50 tables adorned with beautiful floral arrangements and one of our biggest set designs to date. No detail was left to chance to make sure that each guest was well looked after no matter where they sat in the ballroom.

Guests were ushered to their seats to the sounds of DJ Neptizzle before the reception began. one of the things we worked on during planning was an evening program which involved both families and reflected the couple's personalities. Our MC Eddie Kadi guided the evening effortlessly from the entrances and entertainment such as games before taking us through an evening of entertainment that saw Ballerina’s, London’s leading Rwandese dancers and special performances by Nigeria’s top Musicians King Wasiu Ayinde & Davido.