How are you guys doing? We are fine preparing for a busy next month, we would like to thank you for all your comments and emails (and in some cases pictures). Nneka - we are still laughing out loud from your comment about the snake skin wedding gown. That will be crazy but if there is one out there we will like to see :)
Most of the emails we receive are about wedding planners, who we are, how much we charge etc. This post will attempt to cover all those questions, if we don't please keep asking.
Take Care
Gbemi and Molara
Who is a Wedding Planner?
A Wedding Planner is known as a wedding consultant, event planner, event or wedding co-ordinator etc If you've ever been a bride, a groom, or even a bridesmaid, you also know the kind of stress involved with planning a wedding. A wedding planner must be able to remain calm in the face of adversity. He/She must be personable,and be a good negotiator. He/She is the mouthpiece for the bride and groom when it comes to hiring vendors and negotiating etc.
The Wedding Planner will be able to get you the best service for the lowest price (your budget). She must also be very well organized. A wedding planner will have a good fashion sense. He or she will know about colour, music, and flowers etc. A good knowledge of religions is also imperative, since a wedding ceremony is often a religious one. Related to this, is a knowledge of customs and traditions, which are also part of many wedding ceremonies.
How to hire a Wedding planner?
1. Must good planners nowadays have a website for information
2. A planner should be able to show you some of her work
3. A planner should be able to provide you with verifiable references
4. When you speak to a planner once you don't connect, keep walking! You must be able to trust
and be comfortable with you planner.
Meet the planners
As of now we have 3 planners below, we are expecting some more planners and their profiles soon.Meet the planners
Molara Akinosho of Just Weddings
Name of company:
Just Weddings (JW Events)
Website/Email Address:
http://jwevents.net/ (Official site)
Temporary site - Just Weddings
Countries you service:
Africa and beyond
Briefly tell us about your company:
JW Events is a Lagos based Event Design and Co-ordination company with a focus on chic weddings and special events. We are young, creative and passionate about style and creating beautiful, memorable events for our clients. We are that *wow* factor company!
What is your main speciality:
We believe each bride is different and so is each wedding. I would say event designing and planning for each bride.
5 Words to describe you:
Down to earth, creative, friendly, adventurous, fun loving
1 Advantage of your job:
You get to meet a lot of people, people you only read about or see on TV, next thing you are entering their house, room, having a close relationship with them
1 Disadvantage of your job:
There is no social life what so ever. It’s terrible!
Advise to brides to be about wedding planning / hiring a planner:
I would say employ an event planner, it is better for you, the ability to transfer all your stress and ideas of your wedding to someone else believe me it’s worth every penny of it. So you can focus on what is most important your marriage.
1 misconception about the wedding industry:
That we want to take all we can from every bride
1 misconception about you:
I don’t really know what people say I keep my focus on what God is saying or thinks
If you can change anything about the wedding planning industry what would it be:
I would want us to be more creative, and have more funds in the field so we can achieve more
Your favourite vendor to work with:
The MC I think we are the one that determine the mood of the party
Price range for day of events co-ordination and full wedding Planning:
It depends on how small or big your event is from 150 to a percentage of total budget
3 other planners you will recommend to other people and why:
Gbemi Adenekan (Omega Events) cause we think alike
Jibola Ponnle (Stencil Events) cause she is creative
Ibidun Ighodalo (Elizabeth R) cause I like her approach
Funke Obruthe (Zapphaire Events) cause I like her energy
Funke Obruthe of Zappahire Events
Name of company:
Name of company:
Zapphaire Events
Website/Email Address:
http://www.zapphaire.com/
Countries you service:
All countries
Briefly tell us about your company:
Zapphaire Events is an events planning, consulting and coordination Company. We plan all kinds of events from weddings, corporate events, social parties etc.we also provide ushers etc, advice you.
What is your main speciality:
All areas but more of weddings.
5 Words to describe you:
I am a go getter, energetic
1 Advantage of your job:
Getting to help people
1 Disadvantage of your job:
Not having a social life!
Advice to brides to be about wedding planning / hiring a planner:
Hire one you can trust and that you are really comfortable with
1 misconception about the wedding industry:
1 misconception about you:
That zapphaire events is really expensive to hire
If you can change anything about the wedding planning industry what would it be:
People getting into it should know what they are doing
Your favourite vendor to work with:
Price range for day of events co-ordination and full wedding Planning:
From 150k to 1million
3 other planners you will recommend to other people and why:
Gbemisola Adenekan
of Omega EventsName of company:
Omega Events
Website/email address:
http://www.myomegaevents.com/
Countries you service:
Nigeria and England (would go else were on request)
Briefly tell us about your company:
We are a full service Event designing, consulting, and planning and Coordinating Company managing the most important events (yours). At Omega Events creating personalized affairs is what we do best; we believe each occasion large or small deserves the same personal attention to detail.
What is your main speciality?
Every and anything related to wedding (focusing on budget monitoring)
5 Words to describe you:
Detailed, creative, calm, fun and very hands on.
1 Advantage of your job:
Meeting lots of different people and making new friends/acquaintances.
1 Disadvantage of your job:
It can be a bit physical
Advise to brides to be about wedding planning / hiring a planner:
If you do decide to hire a planner (which you should) interview her, ask lots of questions, ask for referrals and most of all if you don’t click don’t force it. You need to be comfortable with your planner to trust her with your wedding.
1 misconception about the wedding industry:
That anyone can plan a wedding, that Nigerian planners cannot match planners abroad.
1 misconception about you:
That Omega Events is expensive
If you can change anything about the wedding planning industry what would it be?
Have a regulating body to protect clients/planners from people who wake up one morning and call themselves wedding planners with no clue.
Your favourite vendor to work with:
The photographer
Price range for day of Events Co-ordination and Full Wedding Planning:
Depending on size, location, etc 75k and above.
3 other planners you will recommend to other people and why:
Molara Akinosho (Just Weddings) - apart from the love I have for her :), she is very creative.
Jibola Ponnle (Stencil Events) - We haven’t met yet but I know she is very professional and detailed.
Vivian Adeniyi (The Event House) - my very dear friend, very detailed, dedicated and she knows her stuff.
Question of the day
Why is it that people are willing to pay an MC - 400k or a musician 1mil but they feel a wedding planner is not worth much. Why are wedding planners not valued?
Rant of the day!!!!
When you get a business card of say a caterer for example and it reads:
Mrs Abc
Catering, decorations, wedding planning, drink, cocktails, MC, band etc
Why is it that people can not stick to one thing or like things?
