Weddings in Nigeria is an expensive venture not only for the Bride and Groom but also for invited guests. This is quite common in a country like Nigeria with diverse cultures and a predominance of family and friends in our everyday communal life. So just as the organisers of weddings seek ways to mitigate cost,invitees also have to do the same. Here is a list of ways, one can reduce wedding cost.
Travel In Groups
Transportation cost is one of the most expensive aspect of attending weddings. You can attend Intra State Weddings by joining friends and family in one car rather than commuting in different cars. And when the wedding is inter-state, you can come together as a group to charter a Bus or buy air fares which more often than not will attract discounts.
Share Hotel Cost
Just as traveling can be expensive it also gets worse by the need to pay for hotel cost. An effective way of mitigating this is to share hotel cost amongst invited guest. Usually the Wedding Host would secure discounts at hotels close to the wedding locations for the invited guests. You can leverage on this discounts and get yourself a cheap hotel deal. Sharing rooms can also help reduce cost particularly as we only get to spend not more than two nights on the average
Make Donations In Groups
A lot of us are very much aware of the term “Community of Friends”. They are very effective as a channel to donate money for a wedding, party, burial or indeed anything worth celebrating. Because of the large pool of people who may be coming together to contribute, donating through such channels can provide significant contribution for the Celebrants whist not putting so much financial pressure on the individual contributors.
Decline an Invite
You really do not need to attend every wedding you are invited to or even every aspect of a wedding. Wedding ceremonies typically involve, Bridal Showers or Bachelors Eve, Traditional Ceremonies, and Wedding Receptions. Each can sometimes require its own level of contribution. So, if you think you can’t make either simply decline to attend rather than keep mute and attend. It’s more honourable
Make a gift yourself
A lot of us are very artistic and creative and can actually make gifts that people would cherish. If you are talented enough why not consider creating a gift yourself. It could be a painting of the couple or a sewing a dress. Whatever it is, it should wouldn’t cost you much in cash.
Give out one of your assets as gifts
We surely all receive gifts that we do not immediately need or ever need. Some of these gifts just remain in our store for years protected by the wrappers that they come in. Why not unwrap these gifts and give them out as a gift to our friends. That can also save you some money
Avoid Buying “Asoebi”
Asoebi is one of the most typical cost you invitees always have to incur during weddings. Their pricing are not determined by the market but by the perception of the organisers. So, if you think the cost of Asoebi is too much for you, simply decline one. I believe your presence at the wedding is equally important to the couple.
Arrive Early and/or leave late
Since time is money, arriving early at weddings help you settle in better and enjoy every moment. By getting to wedding receptions early, you get to get a nice sit, eat well and also drink as well. By leaving late, you are sure not to miss out on the souvenirs which in some weddings can be very useful items.
Avoid Receptions
You can also reduce cost of attending weddings by avoiding receptions entirely. Since Church services are typically short, attending them even affords you the opportunity of having a photo op with the couple which by the way is a confirmation of your attendance. Once you leave the Church wedding, you can then attend to your daily business activities. That is basically killing two birds with a stone.
