A blog about all things Nigerian wedding/event decor related with relevant tips, ideas and advice. It is a spinoff of our main website www.christinescreatives.com
Thursday 30 May 2013
Gbemi & Yewi tie the knot in Dubai
As you all know we LOVE! LOVE!! LOVE!!! weddings, and today we could not resist writing about a story we found on another blog (http://womeninwedding.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/colorful-nigerian-wedding/). Congrats to Gbemi and Yewi's for tying the knot in April, 2013.
Gbemi & Yewi's wedding in Dubai
What caught our attention about this wedding is the simplicity, creativity and class that you can see and feel through the pictures.
The bride is dressed in a simple lace and satin dress, Jimmy Choo shoes and is carrying a beautiful posy bouquet. You can tell it's expensive, but not overdone... she is simply classy!
The bridesmaids are all
wearing bright colored dresses that complement each other and
carrying a single rose. Absolutely no fuss, and definitely classy. We are definitely loving the this wedding already!!! Read more »
In this age of advanced photography and videography, there's no reason why you cannot create a story out of your wedding pictures. In addition to the regular pictures you take with friends and family after the wedding ceremony, you should also consider taking pictures that tell a funny/interesting story. Sometimes, you may be lucky to get funny wedding pictures taken without planning ahead, but a lot of times you have to take deliberate action to make it happen. The video below is a pretty cool example of how to deliberately plan with your photographer to take cool wedding pictures.
Finding a very creative and imaginative photographer may cost a little more in terms of time and money, but it is usually very well worth it - especially when (in the future) you have excellent quality pictures and videos that allow you to reminisce with joy on the days and events that led up to you wedding day.
As with any other aspect of wedding planning, ensure you do your due diligence and get referals before hiring a vendor. Sometimes you may not be able to get personal referrals, but the vendor's social media presence may help you decide whether or not you would like to hire them.
As we like to say, your event/wedding is your own production - make sure its a true reflection of you! Have fun & Cheers!! ;)
So you were selected as the
honorary event planner/host at your workplace; you planned the perfect
event - food, drinks, decor, music, theme - the whole shebang. Everything on
point! You are super proud of yourself and pat yourself on the back!
You can see everyone's enjoying the live band while chowing down on the 3
course meal, all of a sudden you hear one of the guests shriek "Ewww.... there's a fly in my drink!" What do you do? (a) size her up and down, then
decide whether or not she's V.I.P enough to deserve your attention (b) pretend
you didn't hear a thing - after all you are only the event planner/host and not the 'help'? (3) be the perfect host and get one of the servers to
replace the drink... for real, how would you deal with the situation?
There are a few things to consider when it comes to event hosting etiquette. Regardless of the type of event - cocktail,
gala, workshop, barbeque, luncheon - it is your responsibility as the host to ensure that
every guest (regardless of VIP status) is adequately taken care of.
Obviously, it is fine to assign specific servers to VIP guests, however, you need to
ensure that your other guests are not neglected.
If you are planning/hosting an event soon, below are some hosting etiquette you could consider for your next event:
Ensure all your guests have food and drinks within a reasonable period of time. The last thing you
want is people complaining about not having enough food and drinks at the
event
Ensure alcoholic beverages are put away at least 1 – 2 hours
before the event ends (this reduces the risk of people driving home intoxicated. It’s
your party – you set the rules!)
Mingle – make sure you are available to your guests, and that you
are moving around and making small talk. Do not hangout with only one group of
guests, that could make other guests feel less important
Make sure everyone is having a great time! Introduce guests who
may have come alone to other guests. This will ensure no one feels left out
One last thing, make sure the music volume is at a comfortable
level so people can hear themselves when they chat at the tables, and those who
feel like dancing can also dance.
Now that you have these 'perfect-host' tips, how would you respond to the guest who found a fly in her drink? :) . Have a great time
planning/hosting your next event and enjoy the video below! Cheers!!!
"Real Housewife" gets married in a gorgeous grey wedding dress
"Real Housewives of Miami" star Adrianna De Moura gets married.
I am not a "Real Housewives" fan, but when i saw this wedding dress (or wedding dresses lol) I couldn't resist sharing. Adrianna De Moura of the "Real Housewives of Miami" got married over the weekend, and wore a beautiful one shouldered grey wedding dress - gorgeous! Also, she carried a bouquet of lilac orchids, which complemented her dress perfectly. In an interesting twist, the other "housewives" wore white dresses that could easily have been mistaken as wedding dresses.
Do traditional weddings trump white weddings? - culturally that is...
Some people are of the opinion that traditional weddings trump white weddings when it comes to its cultural depth and richness. No doubt, each type of wedding has it's place in our society. While the traditional wedding is more about the fusion of two families, the white wedding is about the creation of a new nuclear family - in the presence of God and man.
Traditional weddings are typically preceded by the
families meeting for the introduction ceremony, so that elders on both sides of the families can be introduced to one another. It then progresses to the actual traditional
wedding ceremony where the groom formally asks for the bride's hand in
marriage. With the traditional wedding you experience a culture of respect, responsibility and love. More and more, couples are getting married
inter-tribally, and the choice to fuse our cultures helps us appreciate the richness and diversity that we possess as a people. We are truly blessed as a nation! Read more »
Marriage on your mind? How do you pop the question?
You have decided that you love her, and she is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with; the question is how do you pop the question? You realize it is a moment you do not want her to forget, and would love her to cherish for the rest of your lives together. Also, you realize it is a significant milestone in both of your lives, where you are both consciously deciding to 'walk this walk of life' together. How do you plan the most romantic wedding proposal for the love of your life?
Wedding proposals can be lavish affairs or very simple, depending on what style you choose. You can choose to propose over a romantic dinner, or surprise her by creating an event just for her. Below, is a beautiful and very romantic wedding proposal... what do you think?
Regardless of how you choose to propose, sharing
beautiful moments together is part of what builds a relationship. Life throws us curve balls from time to time, and we have to
sometimes make a conscious effort to create our own beautiful moments. Wishing you all the best, and lots of love, fun and happiness as you plan your romantic wedding proposal...
Live abroad but planning to get married at home (Nigeria)?
Do you live abroad but want to get married at home? Congratulations!!! You've just decided to plan a destination wedding!
Destination weddings are fun - especially if you are going back home to get married. You get to leave your home-away-from-home to get married in an environment that is exciting, different and culturally rich. Planning a wedding from a distance may seem a little challenging, but if well planned is usually well worth it. You get to re-immerse yourself in the local culture; the people, the language, the food, the clothing, the music... ohhh the music - the Nigerian music industry is growing by leaps and bounds! Absolutely love the video below - "Obi Mu O by Obiora Obiwon"
Since you are so far away, you'll probably have very little control over most parts of the wedding planning process - and may have to rely on friends and family to help you with a lot of the running around.
However, you can still be involved by clearly communicating your vision for your Read more »
Mothers are special... Yesterday was Mother's day, and I am incredibly thankful for my mum.
As a daughter, I am thankful for her tough love, her words of wisdom, her strength during difficult times, her dedication to family and friends, her desire to help the less fortunate, her business acumen and her appreciation of life. I have learnt so much from her - how to laugh, how to cry and how to be strong in the face of adversity. Make no mistake, my mum is not perfect - like everyone of us she is flawed, but that is what makes her the uniquely beautiful woman that she is. Our perceived flaws make us work towards being better, and that is what shapes us and develops our character.
I am dedicating this video to my mum and all the mothers out there who don't realize how truly beautiful they are. Stay beautiful!
Centerpieces: Your event is your own production... make it a true reflection of you
As we wait patiently for the Great Gatsby to be released in movies tonight, we figured we would write a Gatsby themed blog today about centerpieces.
As we all know (hopefully), it
is important that your guests feel welcome when they attend an event
that you are hosting. Food is a universal way of making guests feel
welcome at your home or event, and so is the ambiance you create. You
want guests to leave with pleasant experiences that they'll talk about
with nostalgia for years to come. Think about the Oscars or the MET gala - its the creativity in the fashion, the music, the decor, the venue - pretty much the whole production that keeps people talking and keeps these events newsworthy. Your event is your own production. It leaves an impression in people's minds of the kind of individual you may be.
Using centerpieces on guest tables is
one of the ways to create a comfortable welcoming atmosphere for your
guests. Items that can be used for centerpieces are only limited by your
imagination. Flowers, decorative birdcages, lanterns, fruit bowls,
framed pictures, crystals, candles, gold fishes, feathers .... Anything really. Ok well, maybe not everything. There a few things you may want to consider before selecting your centerpieces: Read more »
English: Bouquet of yellow roses, red flowers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Studies show that most women love flowers, and can typically remember when last they received flowers (The research was conducted in 2005 by The Michael Cohen Group.). Flowers makes women feel special, loved and appreciated. The interesting thing is that the flowers that we give do not necessarily have to be big bouquets, and they do not have to be roses either. As cliche as it may sound, it is the thought the counts. I've heard guys say, 'eh but they are only flowers - and they'll die soon anyways'. Trust me on this one guys, flowers will soften her heart and will most likely make her more receptive to you. Read more »
Most brides around the world choose to carry a bouquet on their wedding day. Brides typically select the style and size of their bouquet based on how elaborate or simple the wedding dress is going to be. For example, cascade styled bouquets are typically paired with wedding gowns that have a long train, while nosegay bouquets are typically matched with simple styled wedding dresses. The fan bouquet has also made a comeback and has been spotted at quite a few weddings this year. An excellent
Revlon Entice 190 - My new favorite nail color :).
The original topic I wanted to blog about today was "Celebrity bouquet look a-likes". I planned to look for nice Nigerian celebrity wedding bouquet pictures online, was going to compare them to pictures of wedding bouquets made by Christine's Creatives, and then write about how to plan a Nigerian celebrity wedding on a budget... Wellll that didn't happen now did it? I started my research for wedding pictures, and celebrity wedding after celebrity wedding, all i could find was major DRAMA. Kai!! From stories of Nollywood stars who married other people's husbands, to a Nollywood actor who was planning a 'secret' second wedding - without the knowledge of the first wife (*Akiyesi God is watching you in 3D!). Seeing as I couldn't find any drama-free Nigerian celebrity, I figured I would write about my new favorite nail color - Revlon Entice 190! Read more »
As florists, we know how
important it is to express feelings through flowers. Giving flowers to friends
and family when they are still around is a way of saying you appreciate, love,
acknowledge and care for them. When they pass on, flowers are also a
way to say, they may be gone (for now) but they are never ever forgotten.
Wreaths by Christine's Creatives Nigeria Limited
When a loved one passes on,
people think about what they can do to symbolize their love for the individual
that has passed on, while also acknowledging their grief of losing that person.
For thousands of years, people across nationalities, race and creed have recognized flowers as a symbol of life, hope and love. Floral baskets, Casket
sprays, Laying-in-state floral gardens, Casket floral blankets, Floral pillows and other floral set pieces are floral designs that bring color and a sense of hope to a
laying-in-state or funeral service.
Nigerian traditional wedding cakes are a thing of beauty and sheer creativity. The detailed work that goes into telling a story through a Nigerian traditional cake is astonishing.
From ankara prints, to traditional gourds, beads, clothing and even people - Incorporating traditional cakes as part of a traditional wedding adds color, richness and depth, while also acknowledging the Nigerian culture.
