Real Royal Weddings: Nigerian Destination Wedding

Hey Royal Followers,

We are so excited to share with you all a story of true love from inception. We were introduced to this lovely bride through our travel agent affiliate (Dynamite Travel-Terika). Once we met (virtually), we feel in love with her instantly. She knew exactly what she wanted and was one of the most organized and detail oriented people we have ever met.

Now, lets set the stage by providing some background information. The groom is Nigerian. The bride is American however she loves & completely embraces the Nigerian culture with open arms. She really did her research and wanted to incorporate elements of the culture in her wedding weekend. The challenge was that this was no ordinary wedding. This was a destination wedding where we were all driving/flying in from all parts of the country to sail to Cozumel, Mexico for her big day. Immediately upon boarding, we finally got to meet our beautiful bride and groom. Their smiles radiated with pure love and joy. The first night was spent for rehearsal and prepping favor bags for the traditional engagement ceremony to take place the following day.

Whats a "traditional engagement" ceremony you might ask? This is customary to the Nigerian culture to occur shortly before the wedding. This gathering focuses on the families, the union of two becoming one, and formally giving their approval/acceptance/blessing of this union. Sounds like a lot of pressure, right? :)

There is no right or wrong way to host this type of event. Our couple decided to provide a little taste of African and incorporate the tasting of the elements for all guests to partake. The script was well written (by our bride, of course) which made for good laughs, a good summary of the Nigerian culture, and smooth transitions. Here's a few images captured from the Traditional engagement ceremony.

The Wedding Ceremony & Reception

Here's a slideshow of the Traditional Engagement Ceremony put together by 

our beautiful bride- Enjoy!

We truly loved working with this bride. Sometimes along this process, you run into some special individuals who you connect with from the start and build lasting friendships with. This is one of them. We wish you nothing but marital bliss and happiness as you continue your journey as husband and wife! Best wishes Mr & Mrs Akiode #HappilyEverAkiode

-xoxo

Vendors:

Wedding Planner & Event Coordination-
Royal Events & Services
Travel Agent- Dynamite Travel

Venue- Carnival Cruise Victory

MUA & Gele- Shades by Shayo