How much will your Wedding Planning cost?

How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost in Nigeria?

₦150,000 to ₦3,000,000
Cost of wedding planners depends on the number of tasks they have to take on. Sometimes wedding planners are only required to put the modalities in place for the wedding day. The price for planning the wedding day only costs less than when the wedding planner also has to arrange for a bridal shower, proposal ceremony etc. The more the activities given to the wedding planner, the more the cost. Experienced wedding planners usually charge based on their client's wedding budget.

Types Of Wedding In Nigeria

The cost of wedding planners in Nigeria in 2024 depends on the type of wedding to be planned. Nigerians do four major types of wedding due to the difference in religion and ethnic backgrounds. Civilization has also allowed some Nigerians to value the legal part of marriage. Below are the four main types of wedding in Nigeria:

Traditional Wedding

The traditional wedding is usually obvious from the attire worn by the bride and groom. It is the native attire of the couple’s ethnic group. It can accommodate as many people as desired by the couple. Some traditional proceedings are included like getting a list of items as bride price, aso-ebi (specific attires to separate the grooms family from the bride), MC to coordinate the activities like prostrating for the brides family etc. This is usually elaborate and getting a wedding planner would be the best way to plan this kind of wedding. Many Nigerians even do two traditional marriages if the bride and groom are from different ethnic groups.

Islamic Wedding/Nikah

This type of wedding is done by many devout Muslims in Nigeria. It can take place in a mosque or in another venue. An Imam (cleric) officiates it. It is not necessary to read a vow as both the bride and groom can simply say  ‘I do’. The bride wears a heavily laced long sleeve native gown. It can be any color chosen by the couple. The groom also wears a native attire of the same color. Nikah can be elaborate and that requires the service of a wedding planner. The Imam issues a certificate of marriage at the the event.

Church Wedding

Church wedding is also called white wedding because the Europeans introduced it to Nigeria. Christians perform this kind of wedding and it usually lasts for about 2 hours in the church. The pastor coordinates the wedding, he makes sure that the bride and groom read their vows before he joins them together. The bride is usually dressed in a white gown and the groom in his blue/black suit. The couple is accompanied by their family and close friends acting as bride’s maids and groom’s men. Most Nigerians usually have a reception for eating and drinking after meeting in church.

Cost of wedding planners: bride and groom sitting

Court Wedding/Registry

The court wedding, also known as registry does not have so much glamour with it. Both couple must be above 21 years by the law if they are not wedding under the guidance of their parents. The registration process for this wedding takes up to a month and the attendance is limited due to the size of the registry. The wedding itself takes less than an hour, the couple swears an oath and receives a marriage certificate. However, most Nigerians do the court wedding in addition to other types of wedding e.g. church wedding. You may not require the service of a wedding planner for a court wedding because there is no party.

What is Included in the Price of Wedding Planners?

The wedding planner does a variety of things depending on what is agreed on with the client. Some wedding planners only take charge of the wedding day itself. These kind of wedding planners cost less to hire. Some wedding planners take care of the proposal, bridal shower, bachelor’s eve, engagement ceremony etc. The wedding planner’s fee includes a separate pay for each event. This can range from ₦150,000 to as high as ₦3,000,000 or even more.

In addition, the wedding planner’s fee may also include some add-on such as the cost for hiring a caterer, dessert maker, makeup artist, disco jokey (DJ), event decorator, buying a wedding gown etc. It is important to do a wedding planner cost breakdown when thinking of hiring a wedding planner.

Price List of Wedding Planners

A wedding planner’s price list depends on many factors. These include; the number of days for the entire celebration, the activities to hold, number of guests, caliber of the guests and the families, and sometimes the location (in cases of destination weddings). The table below shows a sample price list and wedding planner cost breakdown:

Factors Price (200 guests)
Traditional wedding ₦200,000 – ₦500,000
Church wedding (with reception) ₦200,000 – ₦500,000
Islamic wedding/nikah ₦150,000 – ₦300,000
Bridal shower/bachelor’s eve Around ₦100,000
Destination wedding Agreed fee plus travel expenses

The Most Important Tasks For Wedding Planners

Wedding planners often have specific tasks they have to take care with utmost care. These tasks decide whether a wedding party is a good one or not. The goal is to know all the task in a list of importance to the audience and the couple. This is the only way to achieve success, that is pleasing everyone at the wedding. However, this cannot be done without prioritizing the desire of the couple. This means they would be getting what they for specifically in a wedding. There are four major tasks that needs to meet the demand of the couple. These are the wedding decoration, wedding catering, event ushers and wedding cake.

Wedding Decoration

Most wedding planners are also wedding decorators. The most important factor in a wedding decoration is the wedding type. If a couple is doing an Edo traditional wedding or Yoruba traditional wedding, the hall decoration should be able to say that. This is the same for a church wedding. The hall decoration is the first impression for the guests. It is what tells them that the wedding is worth their time. If the this part is flawed, it would leave a bad impression of the wedding in the minds of the guests. Wedding planners pay great attention to this part of the wedding, because weddings are usually once in a life time and mistakes are not allowed.

There are different wedding packages used as a standard by wedding planners and it also includes the prices and offers of each package. This is something the couple needs to be aware of, as well as the cost of the type of decoration they want. A wedding planner can also decide to hire a wedding decorator for this part. Everything is done is such a way that the wedding’s success is assured.

Wedding Catering

Wedding Catering in Nigeria is really a big deal, so much that one of the most common question associated with wedding is “How to find wedding caterers near me?”. A wedding planner must be able to provide a wedding caterer that will meet the couple’s expectation. The kind of food the couple wants in the wedding would determine the type of caterer that would be gotten. They might want traditional food like Yoruba traditional meals, Edo traditional meals, Igbo traditional meals etc. They can also want a variety of different meals.

Wedding planners offer the couple a price list of different meals per guest, so they can work with their budget. The wedding planner must avoid the problem of finished meal when many of the guests are yet to arrive. This requires a lot planning and monitoring. It creates a bad reputation if the meal doesn’t go round in a wedding. The wedding planner must also take this part seriously.

Event Ushering

If the meals are properly planned for the number of guests and everything is ready, that’s just half the job. How does the meal get to all the guests without serving some people multiple times? This is where the event ushers come in, they are in charge of distributing the food amongst the guest. Their job is beyond how the food goes round, it is the way the guests are treated. The place they are to sit, how the whole event is organized and how it remains so.

Event ushers are usually working under an event ushering company. The wedding planner needs to find a very good one if the wedding is to go according to plan. The event ushers would make sure of that. Wedding planners also determine the number of ushers the event ushering company is to bring for the wedding.

Wedding Cake

A wedding cake says a lot about a wedding, since the cake cutting is part of the ceremony. This part is a tough one as couples can demand for any type of cake such as the Delta traditional cake, Yoruba traditional cake, Edo traditional cake etc. These types of cakes have professionals that specifically make them, which means you would have to contact a Delta traditional cake baker, Yoruba traditional cake baker and an Edo traditional cake baker respectively.

However, the guests with such demands are usually satisfied if they hire a wedding planner. The wedding planner makes their demand possible because they have access to different professionals needed for any kind of wedding. The cake of each wedding is usually unique, it is like the trademark for that wedding. This is why it is very important for a wedding planner to find a wedding cake decorator to create want the couple wants.

Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is another task that must not be taken lightly. A couple can only have their wedding once, this means that family members that stay far away would make themselves available. The pictures taken with these people is the only way keep the memory of the day intact. In Nigeria, a part of the wedding is usually dedicated to taking pictures. This picture taking can last for an hour, and the couples wouldn’t complain. They know they are going to refer to those pictures in the future. A wedding cannot be successful unless you have a good wedding photographer.

Therefore, if the photographer’s flaw is not be noticed on the wedding day, the damage of poor or lost pictures will still create an unhappy client. This can be so painful that the couple would easily create a bad reputation for the wedding planner by telling their friends about it. A good wedding planner makes every effort to provide a professional wedding photographer at a wedding ceremony.

A wedding at the beach

Should I Hire a Wedding Planner or a Wedding Stylist?

People easily mix up wedding planners for wedding stylists because they don’t really know the difference and they end up making the wrong choice. Wedding Planners ensure  that all the practical details, logistics and contractual “planning” processes are seamlessly developed and delivered from start to finish, whereas Wedding Stylists work to assist you to determine what your unforgettable day will look like.

For example, a Wedding Stylist  helps to make your wedding look a specific way but he/she won’t be at the ceremony to make sure the wedding party adheres to the timing as rehearsed, neither at the reception to ensure the pre-reception drinks and canapés are served with the appropriate flow and pace. However, event planners will be present at the wedding and they will oversee the tiny details you don’t even realize you need until the wedding day arrives.

A wedding stylist might charge you lesser but you will still have to pay for their service. Many wedding planners can double as wedding stylists, especially for those good at the job. It is best to hire a wedding planner to take care of everything than to pay someone else to do half the job.

Does Hiring a Wedding Planner Save You Any Money?

Not entirely. The cost of wedding planners add to your entire wedding budget. Hiring a wedding planner does not save you any money directly. You don’t exactly cut cost on your total expenses, instead it increases. However, the organization a wedding planner brings to your big day is always worth the price. Again, hiring a wedding planner could get you the best prices for other vendors like the baker, make-up artist, dressmaker, DJ etc. This way a wedding planner could help manage your wedding budget list better and save you some money.

Tips to Have a Budget Wedding

  • Avoid aso-ebi drama: The pressure to include aso-ebi is the biggest flaw in any budget wedding. There are many reasons why aso-ebi is not necessary, that means it is not worth it if you have to go out of your way to have it.
  • Reduce variety of meals to be served: It is great to have traditional and continental food for your wedding. You may even want to spice things up with desserts, appetizers, and even take away snacks. However, if you want to have a budget wedding, consider doing just traditional and regular foods. Your guests will eat whatever you can afford to give with love.
  • Rent a wedding gown/suit: Yes, you only get married once but your special day remains special even if you have to rent a wedding gown/suit. It reduces your total wedding cost significantly, because the cost to purchase them are usually on the high side. The pictures you will take, will serve as a memory for years to come. Moreover, after your wedding day, you may never wear it again.
  • Hire an affordable wedding planner: Hire an affordable wedding planner that can manage all the activities of your big day. The cost of hiring a wedding planner is also worth the peace of mind it brings.
  • Avoid multiple ceremonies: Many Nigerians are not able to do a budget wedding because they want to do traditional wedding, church wedding and even go to the registry at the same time. But if you really don’t have the means, you need to choose which is important to you and stick with that.
  • Limited attendance: Another way to cut wedding cost is to make attendance strictly by invitation. This way, you cater for a limited number of people within your budget. Catering for a lot of people would also increase your cost for the venue and feeding.
  • Using family members: To reduce the cost of wedding planners, you could consider getting members of your family to do the cooking. This takes out the cost of a caterer.
Get free cost estimates from trusted Wedding Planners near you.

How do we know these prices?

Thousands of people ask VisCorner for price quotes every year. We track the prices they get from Wedding Planners and share them with you.

Wedding Planning pricing guide
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