The events, and what each one needs
Weeks before
Introduction
Both families, small guest list, elders present, catering for a formal sitting.
Day one
Traditional engagement
Alaga duties, aso ebi coordination, gele stylists, talking drums, full catering.
Day two
Church or mosque rite
Officiant, venue booking, order of service, separate outfits.
Day two
Reception
Largest guest list, DJ or live band, money spray logistics, late service.
VENDORS THIS WEDDING BOOKS
TYPICAL BUDGET
$70k to $130k
For 300 plus guests across two ceremonies. Guest counts run high because extended family is expected, so per-head catering dominates.
Plan this wedding in AyeDu
Understand
The events, in order
- Introduction
- Traditional engagement
- Church or mosque rite
- Reception
Plan
Turn the rituals into a plan
Each event gets its own guest list, timeline and budget line.
Find
Vendors for Nigerian weddings
Filtered by the traditions each vendor has worked, not just their category.
Guests, aso ebi and the spray
If you are sent the aso ebi fabric and want to take part, buy it and have it sewn. Never wear another family’s aso ebi. If you are not sent it, wear your best traditional or formal dress. Avoid white or ivory at the white wedding.
Bring cash in small notes for the spray. Guests spray the couple while they dance, designated money pickers gather it, and the amount is read socially.
Where couples go wrong
Booking the venue before agreeing the guest list. Parents invite people you have not met, and the number quoted in month three is not the number in the room. Set limits with both sets of parents first, then order extra food anyway.
Treating the alaga as an MC. She runs the rite, not the party. A good alaga keeps the engagement near two hours. Brief her, and brief the DJ about her.
The venue contract questions
Whether outside Nigerian caterers are allowed and whether there is a usable kitchen; whether live drumming is permitted and when the music must stop; whether money spraying is welcome, in writing.
Then the fees nobody quotes on the tour: kitchen buyout, cleanup, security. A venue that advertises Nigerian weddings has answers to all of these on the first call.
The planning clock
Twelve months: agree with both families which rites, in what order, and how many invitations each side gets, then book the venue. Ten to eight months: the alaga, the caterer, the church or mosque.
Six to four months: place the bulk aso ebi order and book gele stylists and drummers. Week of: withdraw the spray cash in small notes, brief the pickers, and print the start time thirty minutes early.
Common questions
Nigerian weddings, answered
A Nigerian wedding usually has two distinct celebrations: the traditional wedding, where the groom’s family formally asks for the bride, and the white wedding, a church or civil ceremony with a Western-style reception. Both often fall within the same week, each with its own guest list and wardrobe.
What is the difference between a traditional and a white wedding?
The traditional wedding is the cultural rite between the two families, with the formal request for the bride, the bride price and full aso ebi. The white wedding is the church or civil ceremony with a Western-style reception. Most Nigerian couples in the US hold both, often within the same week.
What is aso ebi and who pays for it?
Aso ebi is the coordinated fabric worn by family and friends so the wedding party reads as one group in photographs. The couple’s family chooses the fabric and supplier; guests usually buy their own. Order early, because the lead time on custom fabric is the constraint most couples underestimate.
What to wear to a Nigerian wedding?
If you have been given aso ebi, wear it. That is the point of it. If not, wear bright, formal traditional or Western dress; Nigerian weddings are not understated. Gele headwraps are common for women at the traditional ceremony, and a stylist is worth booking if you have not tied one before.
How many guests come to a Nigerian wedding?
Guest counts run high because extended family and community are expected rather than invited, and 300 or more across the two ceremonies is common. Per-head catering therefore dominates the budget. Plan the guest list per event rather than once, since the traditional and white weddings often draw different crowds.
Do Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa weddings follow the same order?
No. The three differ significantly in the sequence, the roles played by family elders, what the bride price involves, and the language of the ceremony. This guide describes the broad two-ceremony structure common across Nigerian weddings in the US, and each variant is reviewed by someone from that community.