Hey #BellaNaijaWeddings beauties, do you remember the #OurBund couple? If you do, we are back with their beautiful wedding.

The beautiful Blessing and her prince charming, Uwem had their white wedding a few weekends ago and it was such a beautiful day for them. They had an intimate ceremony with only 1oo guests in attendance. We were curious to know how they pulled off a 100 guests Lagos wedding party. Gladly the bride, Blessing shares all about it with us.

So relax and enjoy their beautiful day captured by Emmanuel Oyeleke Photography. Catch up with their pre-wedding shoot + love story and traditional wedding.

Hi Blessing, why did you decide on 100 guests and how did you finalise on the guests?

We have always felt that a wedding should be intimate. Attending some of our friends’ weddings gave us anxiety. The faces you can’t recognize and the explosive budget! For us, it was more about having a great experience and delivering that quality experience to every guest. We wanted to be surrounded only by people we know, recognize and give us joy. As soon as I suggested it, he was super elated because we were on the same page. So, we split the numbers: each family got 20 invites including themselves (40 in total) and we both had to share 60 guests.

What measures did you put in place to ensure guests weren’t more than a hundred?

Every part of the experience was personalized. We decided not to send any form of e-invitation for the main wedding. We kept the invite simple and offline. We also sent personalized typewritten letters to everyone we invited. We printed a sitting chart. And had personalized name tags on each table and each souvenir was personalized. We also had bouncers and people had to RSVP. We called to ensure we knew who was coming and who wasn’t. It was pretty amazing.

How did you feel walking down the aisle to your groom? 

It was the first time the whole day I felt nervous but it quickly turned into a feeling of peace. I fought back tears. It occurred to me that he was the only one in this world for me and I would do it a 1000 times over. He looked so meek but I could see the lion in him fighting back tears ?. He whispered how beautiful I looked in my ears and I melted. OMG! I love him

How did you feel seeing your bride walk down the aisle?

I felt like I had won the jackpot and the prize was an exponential mega zillion that could not fit into my account. I was in awe, that she was so simple yet so sophisticated. She was is an angel into my life and I just wanted to dance, cry and kiss her at the same time. I was smiling and fighting back tears. It was surreal. My sunshine, my home agreed to marry me ???. Gosh, I love her!

How did you convince your family about the guest count?

First, we explained our intent to have only people we loved but as usual African Parents swallowed the pill hard. We refused their money. Paid for a hall ahead of time that could only take 100 people. We split the weddings. They handled the traditional wedding and we didn’t involve ourselves too much. We handled the white and didn’t involve them too much. We gave them 20 invites each, sealed theirs differently so they could not give it to someone else. We also informed them that we had printed a limited number of cards so there were no extras and our siblings were part of the 20, so they had to choose wisely. It was fun.

In what way did you invite your guests? a physical card, digital card or via mail?

A physical card and typewritten letters. The After-Party invite was an e-invite. We also had an e-After party invite for some of our younger close friends who were not invited to the main wedding. We had 70 different young people attend this one. It was at the same venue but it was a Bring Your Own Bottle type of party.

How did the wedding planning process go?

My God! It was crazy and fun at the same time. We were on the same page about what we wanted but most vendors didn’t understand what we were trying to achieve. It felt like there was a template to weddings in Lagos and most things we were doing or asking for defiled that template. We decided to work mostly with people who were like us, dared to be different and most importantly, people who knew us and loved the idea of the wedding. It was super fun! Some things dropped by the wayside but overall, it worked out.

What was your most memorable moment at the wedding?

Oh my Gosh! There were so many! The vow was priceless. We were literally fighting tears. It was super amazing to see our friends feel so free, jumping around, smiling, dancing. It was amazing. There was a moment I even walked down to a friend’s table to eat and no one noticed. Everyone had so much fun! It was magical. We would do it over and over again! The After-party was great! People refused to leave and those who left were dripping with sweat. It was so much fun.

If you were to do it all over again, will it still be 100 guests or more?

Totally. Probably Less. It was totally worth it. Everybody ate to their fill. Our hearts and stomach were full. All our guests were super amazing and the gifts, the love, everything, was perfect! Our friends are priceless! And we are glad they showed up for us.

Credits

Bride: @ms_einsteinette
Groom: @monsieuruwem
Couple: @ourbund
Bouquet: @flowershopcafelagos
Coordinators: @theweddingcompanyng
Photography: @eopstudios | @emmanueloyeleke
Décor: @thebusinesscuisine
Makeup: @theresponsiblerebel & @b.e.a.u.t.i.f.i.e.d
Groom’s Outfit: @kochhouse_
Food: @chef_isie
Videography: @temiloluwafilms
Sound: @madestics_ent
DJ: @djskura
Cake: @geedascake
Hair: @darkandlovelyafrica
Shoe: @feragostyle
Hair Piece: @yellowdaisyng
Jewellery: @tweenklezz
Hotel: @raddisonblulagos
Bride’s After Party Dress: @cottonloops
Venue: La Scala