Pre Wedding, Wedding and Post Wedding PART I (Long Post Alert!)

I dont know who informed blogger that i understand Dutch or whatever language it decided to translate my account to. Very silly, God pass dem sha!



PRE WEDDING

I thought I was going to be one of those brides who will take everything very easy and have no gitters or anything. I found out I was kidding.

The first issue was the bridesmaids horror: I had one of the girls who live in the UK and who is also a wedding planner choose the dress, buy them and send them so everyone can do the fitting. I wanted a simple dress that wont reveal boobs or be too short or have spaghetti strap cos my church is very conservative and has warned us that they will simply stop them at the door if their dresses turn out funny. I also wanted a shade of wine or maroon or something and I wanted the dress to be 10k tops.

She had a problem with EVERYTHING i wanted. I felt the only issue was getting a nice dress of 10k might be hard but not impossible. I think the first mistake was letting someone on the train choose the style cos she will inevitably choose something she likes and would look good on her without too much thots for the other girls. She suggested mono strap or tube.

Anyway, we agreed on one eventually. I sent the sizes of the girls and insisted that we make them a size bigger cos of where she was ordering from (Some American shop that has the factory in Hong Kong or somewhere). She did not agree, she said exact sizes. Long story short, I had to substitute 3 girls cos the dresses came in absolutely short and too small! Except for hers and a few other girls of course. She kept wondering why I didnt put girls who could afford any amount that could afford to pay more. I refused cos while I could, I wanted people who meant something to me on the train, not just a gathering of fine girls.

I refused to get angry sha cos she is a family friend and she will be coming all the way from UK. So I chuked it under bad biz and moved on. I made sure I didnt quarrel with anyone.

I didnt really like my make up too, I felt it could be better. Heck, the one I had for my intro was nicer. But thats a lesson for me and other brides to be, dont make choices for sentimental reasons, go with your gut feeling. I was not ugly o, but I knew it could be better.

We knew it was going to be a large wedding so I distanced myself from catering and halls etc I just told the decorators (who did very good jobs) what we wanted and the rest was left for both parents. It was largely their show anyway, lol.

My aso ebi was not dramatic at all. It was 6k (After plenty debates etc) and I got 60 friends and cousins to pick. I made sure I did not order more in spite of last minute pressures from some friends.

God has blessed me with wonderful friends and cousins who were there for me in all the ways that count and matter.

WEDDING

As with most Yorubas, the wedding was a 2 day affair: Engagement on Friday and Church on Saturday. Lots of activities.

On Friday morning, my make up artist who is also a friend did a special bath for me, something from the Hausa culture where they scrub u with palm oil and plenty other stuff. She first did the sugar scrub. Impatient me found it tiring sha.

While we were doing that, there were some traditional troupes from my mum's and grandmum's hometowns who were singing and dancing. My MIL and some women also came to pay courtesy call to my parents before the main event. I saw the video later, it was nice. But Yoruba can like plenty wahala sha! lol.

So we started dressing up quite early cos the engagement was to start by 2pm. I was ready by 12.45 or so. I hate rushing or going anywhere late and I didnt want anyone to say something ran late cos I wasnt ready on time.

We had a photo shoot around 1pm. The photographer insisted that its better we get some nice shots cos the lighting in the hall plus sweating wont let us get good shots. It turned out to be a very great idea. We went to a small water side where we both had some lovely shots.

The main event was sooooo long! I was tired and angry and just wanted to get it over and done with. I wasnt called to enter the hall until around 5 or some minutes to 6pm. I wanted to remove my nicely done gele and stretch my legs but instead i was hooked for hours. Thanks to my dad and his choice of "Alaga Iduro". Thats the spokeswoman engaged by the bride's family during engagement. The woman was booooooring and annoying and I have no idea why it took so long. I tried to smile and co-operate sha.

My MIL likes effizy o! All the things they brought for the engagement were all packaged differently. For instance, instead of having the young wives in the family carry in the tubers of yam in pieces, they put it all in one big basket that was built on a trolley. All the baskets were painted in gold and tied in blue ribbons.

Of cos of all the things they brought, the bride is mandated to pick just the bible. I wanted to pick something else o! lol.
I also could not dance well cos I was tired and angry and the band's equipment blew up or something so my entrance was not so grand. Hmmm. devil is a liar!

Meanwhile, Bubbly was such good sport all thu, in spite of the delay. He normally would be pissed and will just go quiet on everyone. But the guy was so sweet. And he danced!!!

One of my friends said Ömotee, dont bother competing with Bubbly on the dance floor o, the guy has displayed stuff that you cant compete with. She was not wrong. Bubbly's dance was serious!
Its a family thing I guess.

We left the venue around 8pm, tired but happy sha.

I got home, showered and packed my load in preparation for my husband's house tomorrow, lol.

\I locked my door and ignored all those visitors who felt they had the obligation to greet me and tried to sleep. I had the best CBM ever, she was so so wonderful!

Woke up early saturday morning. I was so calm but could not eat. Didnt want anything to upset my tummy or let my tummy bulge out, lol.

We got to church for 9.30 and the wedding was to start by 10am. Bubbly and his crew were already there. We were joined exactly 10.43am. I know cos immediately we were pronounced, Bubbly checked the time. The Pastor noted it and thot it was nice and told the whole congregation.

The message was brief and interesting too. The last thing the man said and I am sure to always remember was that"You both can fail at any other thing, but you must not fail to getting your spouse to heaven". Apt, touching.

Reception was another drama! They got some security guys to ward off independent photographers and some other nuisance from getting into the hall. U know those women who must attach some feather stuff to your chest ba? Ehen, those people.

Instead, the guys were bouncing everyone from entering the hall! They bounced my younger brother, my dad's uncle, Bubbly's uncle, etc At some point my MIL who went to the gallery in the hall was prevented from going back to her seat in the main hall. She simply yanked the guy off her way. Imagine what he said "We have our instructions". Most people gladly didnt take offense sha, they prolly knew those guys like to do over instruction. But it was very very annoying. You invite people for your wedding and they are prevented from entering, isnt that crap?? If they did that to me at someone's wedding, I'd feel bad, imagine.

Other than that, all went well, at least as much as we could see. We could not eat! I had just a few small chops before we entered the hall and some grapes. I lost my appetite. By the next day, I wanted all the food I missed out.

We did our first dance and we chose Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adam's "The Prayer". Bubbly heard it and fell in love with it. It was the best romantic 5 minutes or so of my life. Of course a few people were interested, some were busy with food or souvenirs etc Some where waiting for the proper dance.

At the end of the reception, Bubbly got most people crying with his vote of thanks. He chose to do it while prostrating! As in, he made all his speech save for the first 1 minute or so prostrating. Everyone cried except my mum. My mum had her water works on thursday morning while she was praying for me. My dad's tears were expected, he cries at other peoples weddings anyway, lol. I just saw everyone with tears in the hall and he got a standing ovation after wards. I cried just shortly after when I saw all my friends and families all in attendance. It was moving. I thot i was not going to cry at all.

In all, I give all thanks to God cos it all went well. Nothing evil happened to no one and it turned out t0 be the best days of my life. All my friends who made efforts to be there, like Luscious Ron, I was so so happy.

More gists on the post wedding gist.

Great Friday!

PS

Of cos the pictures were meant to be somewhere in between but trust blogger.