Glam and elegance: Dream Weddings From The Standpoint Of Event Organizers
"I flew IT decor and decor experts from the United States of America to Ghana to come and set up the decor for my wedding. All of this cost me no less than GHc500,000. No one has ever tried that kind of decor ever in Ghana", Mr Henry Fitz, the groom of popular #HenDee19 recounted.
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see YEN.com.gh News on your News Feed!
#HenDee19, till date, holds the title as one of the most expensive weddings to have taken place in Ghana and it is not even an understatement. I was there to witness it and as a vendor on the day, I carried out my duties to perfection and had so much fun as well because I was the bride's friend," CEO of Reggies Makeovers said in an exclusive interview.
"Weekends are for weddings" is a normal saying among guests who attend weddings looking their best just to go and have all the fun and bask in the glamour of dream weddings that have a mix of everything.
Ghanaians are obsessed with weddings owing to the fact that on Saturday social media is awash with pictures from weddings from vendors, guests and the married couple.
Many wedding ceremonies flow so seamlessly that it becomes completely impossible for 'wedding critics' - those who attend weddings to look out for bloopers and fails - to get nothing to talk about.
Source: Instagram
Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with all major Ghana news
Most of the credit for dream weddings normally go to those who worked hard to ensure that they 'understood the assignment' and play their roles to perfection.
Some of the weddings that have gone viral in Ghana have often been used as the 'measuring rod' for dream weddings.
Notable among them is #HenDee19, #Kency2020, #Ciri2020, #RoyalAffair and #BarimaFataDwomoh2021.
These weddings trended on social media for days with all the highlights being captured by bloggers and major websites in Ghana.
From the massive show of wealth to the plush cars used in convoys, the glitz the glamour and the star-studded guest lists the weddings made it up to settle on the category of the 'holy grails' of Ghanaian dream weddings.
YEN.com.gh went around with the goal of finding out what goes into dream weddings and how vendors and event planners ensure that they meet the 'dream' expectation of their clients.
What Is A Dream Wedding?
"To me, a dream wedding is having all my fantasies when it comes to decor, food, dj, music and surprise performances from the artistes I adore, would fo it for me", Jane Antoson, a bride-to-be who was seeking the services of a wedding planner said.
For some strange reason, weddings are looked at from the eyes of the bride-to-be and what would make her happy on the day that has come to be known as the 'happiest day in the life of a woman'.
As a result, most of the planning is done by the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be often has no choice but to go with the suggestion being made by his wife-to-be.
From getting the best gown from the best gownmakers in town to soliciting the services of popular caterers and decor specialists, the bride-to-be would often take months to carefully sift through the bunch of vendors on social media and from recommendations to arrive at a conclusion.
For the purposes of this writeup, we would break down the various players in a wedding and look at what they bring to the table to make a wedding as memorable as possible.
The Role Of A Wedding Planner
"Many people are oblivious of the fact that they need to have a wedding planner when the mere thought of getting married comes to mind. More often than not, clients have perfect picture ideas for their weddings but the decision to pull it off without a wedding planner often throws all their plans off making their weddings look clumsy", CEO of Butterfly Fields Ghana, a wedding and event planner said.
According to Akpene, a wedding planner serves as the 'engine room' for a successful dream wedding therefore, they cannot be left out of the planning.
She added that many to-be-couples have so much on their minds that they need the services of a wedding planner to take off the pressure.
"Wedding planners are mostly creatives who bring the fantasies of would-be-couples to life. From getting the best venue to creating dreamy entrance of the bride, it is our job to ensure everything is on point", Akpene stressed.
It is the duty of the planner to put together all the vendors of a wedding according to the couples' specifications and also coordinate on the day of the wedding to ensure nothing goes amiss.
"Planners also make sure that all vendors arrive on time and also carry out their jobs to the best of their abilities," the CEO of Butter Fields Ghana noted.
Wedding planners charge between GHC2,000 and GHC30,000 depending on the role they play in the run-up to the wedding.
The Role Of Wedding Decorators
"Wedding decors are one of the most important aspects of any wedding no matter how small. I normally work with the budget of my client to give them their money's worth", the manager of Clique Events, Ashley Quainoo noted.
"Decor is very expensive nowadays but we do our best to make couples happy whenever they come to us for our services. We have a huge portfolio which we make readily available to our clients so they can choose from a wide range of ideas. This would give us a clear picture of what to do on the big day," Lilian, the CEO of Liliz Events said.
Mr Henry Fitz, the groom in #HenDee19, the most-talked-about wedding staged in 2019, indicated that he wanted to have a memorable wedding therefore, he invested heavily in all aspects - including the decor.
"I flew IT decor and decor experts from the United States of America to Ghana to come and set up the decor for my wedding. All of this cost me no less than GHc500,000. No one has ever tried that kind of decor ever in Ghana", Mr Henry Fitz, the groom of popular HenDee19 recounted.
"The number of guests I was expecting for the wedding could not fit into the hall so I had to improvise and create a dome to accommodate all my guests. The dome together with the decor cost me about GHC600,000," Mr Henry Fitz added.
Wedding decorators ensure that the would-be-couple and their guests would scream in awe when they walk into the church or reception area. They employ the services of florists, carpenters, and interior decorators to bring life to any wedding.
Wedding decorators often charge between GHC3,500 to GHC500,000.
The Role Of Caterers
"I always tell my clients that no matter how beautiful your decor is, your guests would soon forget about it but they would never forget the quality and taste of your food and drinks," Chief Executive Officer of TheCalabar Local Drinks and Cocktails told YEN.com.gh
Caterers play a pivotal role to ensure that a would-be couple's dream of having a dream wedding is brought to life.
From serving exotic starters in fancy packages to having a 5-star chef preparing the best of meals, some couples would go through anything to ensure they serve their guests the best of food.
Nowadays, many food and drink vendors have 'upped' their games and have added even choreography to their service. Some of these catering services charge cut-throat prices yet would-be-couples decide to go with them just to create a lasting impression in the eyes of many.
Caterers charge between GHC5,000 and GHC50,000 for a wedding.
The Role of MCs
"A wedding MC is the life of the party at the reception. The MC is that tiny thread that hangs in the balance between a fun-packed reception and a boring one", MC Nana Day told YEN.com.gh.
As an emcee, you need to read the atmosphere and know how to steer the ceremony so as not to get guests bored and every event comes with the kind of outfit or even activities that can be done on the day," Nana Day added.
For MC KM, he cares a lot about his brand and factored into the pricing whenever would-be-couples contact him for gigs.
"I am very particular about what I wear to a wedding if I have to emcee. I make sure not to repeat outfits therefore if you want me to show up at your wedding, you must be ready to take care of my wardrobe.
MC's ensure that the wedding reception is seamless and follow the programme lineup according to what has been bargained for by the client.
Some of them add to the fun with their makeshift games and activities that liven up the mood of any reception and will get guests pulling out their phones to capture the moment.
MC's charge between GHC1,000 to GHC10,000.
The Role Of Celebrities (Surprise acts)
"I flew Brymo all the way from Nigeria to perform at our wedding in Royal Senchi. My wife loves his music so I had to pull this off to make her happy. I also invited 3 other artistes from Ghana to surprise my wife," Mr Henry Fitz told YEN.com.gh
Many dream weddings often have an element of surprise where an artiste makes an unannounced appearance to perform one or two songs just to entertain guests.
Some of these artistes charge no less that GHC10,000 just to show up and work up the guests for a few minutes.
No matter the kind of wedding you want to have, always bear in mind that a wedding lasts just a number of days but the real test lies in the marriage.
Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in
Source: YEN.com.gh
