My nine-year wedding anniversary is just around the corner. The Hive Learners prompt took me down memory lane, where I recalled how my wedding day went. You see, when it comes to wedding plans, it's a matter of what you can afford at the time and what you and your partner agree with—either a big or a small wedding; It's a choice. The most important thing is getting your union done and being happy. Just like I mentioned in my title, mine wasn't pocket-draining; still, it was a fun-filled experience, but prior to that, my husband and I sat down to discuss what we really wanted. Our lives after the wedding and so many other considerations were put in place.
Then we set a budget, brought out a particular amount, and worked with this budget. I must tell you that this particular action was a strong guide for all the expenses we handled. For each service provider I consulted, I would go back to our budget to know if it's within our estimate or exceeds so much, and then I would decide if to go with the person or not. My wedding took place on December 29, 2014, and by September of that year, we had begun preparation. You see, I had enough time to search for service providers who were affordable, and I booked them ahead of time. The event decorators, the DJ—in fact, I had a free DJ service—live band, sponsored by the priest then, in the university I attended. I really took my time to ensure that my husband and I had a lively wedding without draining our pockets. I must admit that the planning was stressful, but I am happy that things were flowing the way I wanted them to.
The only person who disappointed me was the cameraman. He is a relative of my husband, and we chose him just to patronize him, not knowing he would mess up the offer. Can you believe that I have only printed pictures of my wedding day? My wedding video? I received only the disc, which wasn't of good quality, but it's fine. I didn't expect 100% perfection, and this aspect was the downside of my wedding day. Aside from that, everything else was simply unique and exceptional.
I had people who took care of cooking all delicacies at an affordable price, and before we were set to the church for the holy matrimony, food, meat, and everything was ready. My husband's family has two Reverend Fathers who took care of the church wedding. It was a nice experience in the church. After the church service, we moved to the hall we rented for the event. My decorators did their best, and everywhere was glowing.
Let me tell you one thing I did prior to my big day. Lolz, I knew that I wouldn't escape dancing on that day, and I wanted to dance better than my husband, so I had someone who taught me some dancing moves a few days before my wedding, and I was well prepared to add smiles to my invited guests. When we were ushered in by the live band for the reception, oh, I wish you could see the video. Nkem here danced and danced. It was so romantic, and people were spraying me with money as if they had a money tree on their balcony. Even after cutting cake and feeding wine and cake by me and my husband, we had another session of dance, and it was epic. I think I love the live band, as they were singing with my name, and it made me so happy. I had surveniers for my guests, and I had enough food and drinks to serve everyone who graced the occasion. The reception didn't last more than 3 hours and was done. I received lots of gifts from friends and family. It was really a memorable day of my life.
Traditional marriage, according to my culture, is the most important. This is where the woman's dowry will be paid, and both families and communities get to witness the union. It's a part of my culture that no one can escape before talking about white weddings or court weddings.
Little me and my husband on my traditional marriage day🤦
It's been almost 9 years, and this memory just added smiles to my face this morning.
So in summary, I had a beautiful wedding experience, and every action we took prior to my wedding day was an agreement with my husband and me—not a big wedding, not a round table wedding, just simple and moderate. All in all, we should remember that a wedding is just an event, while marriage is a journey. Life after marriage is very sensitive and important; however, you have the right to decide what you want your wedding day to look like.
Thank you for your nice visit 🤗
