I’m so happy to finally share some photos from our Nigerian ceremony! I made sure to include a lot of FAQs from the event and some special moments from our big day. We found the venue in a short amount of time and struggled to get all the details finalized due to so many moving parts. Thanks to a magnificent team (tagged below) it came out PERFECT! I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out. Get ready for a lottt of photos. I apologize in advance if the load time is slow. It was too difficult to narrow down these shots!
A Nigerian engagement ceremony may look like a wedding, but it’s not! Similarly to a traditional wedding, it’s hosted by the bride’s family before the wedding ceremony. I’ve had family members do it the same day (I’m tired just thinking about that). However, most brides choose to have it the day before. It was originally my plan to have a day in between and I had a lot of family members share that they appreciated the break!
The Nigerian engagement ceremony essentially is the groom’s public declaration for his intention to marry. He enters with his groomsmen and formally asks both families for my hand in marriage and their blessing. Afterward, the bride follows with her own bridesmaids and similarly asks for a blessing from both the bride and groom’s families. The bride then “chooses a gift” from an array of options. Ultimately, she’s drawn to the Bible that holds an engagement ring inside. After the presentation of gifts and lots of prayers, the couple is officially engaged!
In our culture, dating is basically engaged and the engagement is basically marriage. We take relationships very seriously. LOL. So while it’s not the official wedding ceremony, it’s still revered as an important day! And of course, Nigerians LOVE to party! If you get the chance to be invited to a Nigerian event like this be ready to dance and eat all.night.long.
It’s usually a bit more intimate of a gathering in comparison to the traditional wedding ceremony. So don’t be offended if you don’t make the final cut. However, if both families are Nigerian and the events are during the weekend don’t be surprised if the guest list is just as long.
Not at all! In the same way that you can add different elements to an American wedding, unique touches can be added to the event. More specifically there are 3 major ethnic groups in Nigeria. My family is Yoruba so of course, it will be different from the others (Housa, Igbo.)
Traditional Nigerian outfits are typically made by hand. Immediate family members and bridal party give their measurements months in advance. The bride (and her mother probs lol) will pick out the designs, colors, and materials for everyone else. Once everything is selected they’ll share what color each side should wear in the invitations! Anytime I see traditional outfits I’m always astounded by the talented seamstresses. It wasn’t easy working with a bridal party in 10 different states either, but we made it work!
Women’s head tie: Gele
Men’s top robes- Agbada
Wrap skirts- Iro
Great question! Nigerians basically invented “making it rain.” And we do it at every big social gathering (birthdays, weddings, graduation, etc.) I’ve kept some video on my Instagram wedding highlight (@goodtomicha) for you to see, too. It’s definitely a lot more fun than opening a card with money inside!
Possibly my favorite part?! And also the most stressful. A lot of African restaurants run more like a mom and pop shop than full catering services. It took us a while to track one down that we liked and provided the service we were looking for! But let’s just say my lil’ Nigerian belly was very happy. We had jollof rice, fried rice, pounded yam, plantains, puff puff, meat pies, scotch egg, and more. No photos of the food unfortunately but it was all traditionally prepared! The cuisine is very similar to Caribbean-styled food but can be a bit spicier. P.S. If you’re looking to try out some West African food anytime soon, start with jollof rice. You won’t be disappointed!
Venue: Dekalb History Center
Planning: Shatila Davis, All That Sparklez
Photography: Syd and Lex Photography
Hair and Makeup: Kristen White, Edge and Priss
Geles: family friend
Outfits: custom
Officiant/Emcee: family member
DJ: DJ Majesty
Catering: Nations Cafe
I’d love to answer any questions you have about the day! Comment below 💗
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Tomi, this looks incredible! The outfits are stunning & I loved hearing more about the origins of this ceremony-such a fun post!
xoxo, Jordyn
Thanks, Jordyn!
These photos are so great – it looks like such an amazing event that you will definitely never forget!
Jenna ♥
Follow me back? Life of an Earth Muffin
Thank you Jenna! It definitely was ❤️
Tomi, it was so gorgeous and quite moving. Thank you for posting about the engagement ceremony. A memorable event.