“We wanted the joy from the love we’ve found to touch as many people as possible!
-Maryam (The Bride)
With micro-weddings having graduated from necessity to the new norm, couples like Maryam and Ridwan wanted to celebrate their multi-event Nigerian wedding with many of their friends and family who they have missed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Naturally, after talking to so many of their friends and family the idea of a multi-day event became the clear favorite since this would be the first big function that many attended since 2020. Ten events on three continents had the pair relying on a team of wedding coordinators who worked with the couple for 20 hours each week to create not just a dream wedding but a real-life fantasy.
The opulent nuptials took place with sumptuous decor created by BTG Event Decor. The couple who had multiple stylish looks for each event relied on their designers to come up with bespoke outfits that would give them red carpet worthy entrances to each one of their events. With guests flying to the U.S, Italy and Nigeria, every aspect of their Nigerian wedding was covered by event designer Zapphaire Events.
Treat yourself to their dazzling wedding photos below!
- Couple: Maryam & Ridwan
- Locations: Lake Cuomo Italy | Chicago, USA| Lagos, Nigeria
- Wedding Dates: 2022|Chicago (March)|Lagos (July)|Lake Como (October)
How we met…
Ridwan: I first met Maryam at a Thanksgiving day party in 2013. At the time, I didn’t think very much of her until my mom “casually” brought her up in conversation as a prospect. But I didn’t want to be introduced like that. I wanted it to be a mutual organic attraction. It wasn’t until 2016, while attending her family’s yearly Eid festivities, that I managed to see her again. She immediately caught my attention.
Maryam: We met about nine years ago at a mutual family friend’s Thanksgiving dinner. He had tried many times before to capture my interest but I think I just wasn’t ready then. He had reached out to me last year at his sister’s wedding as to whether I was involved which I was. When that person and I broke things off, I took some time to really evaluate what I was looking for or wanted and being a lot more open to the options I had around me. He came across my timeline one day and from there it was God and faith that led us to where we are today.
Our proposal story…
Planning this proposal was very stressful because of the type of inquisitive person that Maryam is. So first thing first was getting her ring. I knew that her mom and her maid of honor, Halle, were the only two people who knew the type of ring that she wanted. I thought it would be a great moment for her mom and I to share.
A family affair…
Then it came to plan the actual “event.” Knowing how family-oriented Maryam is, it was only appropriate that they be there to be a part of this journey with her. We planned to do it at their family house in Chicago. Her friend Esther from University, who also lived in Chicago, had recently celebrated her birthday and we decided to use that as a way to lure her to Chicago and also as a way to keep her out of the house while we planned and prepared the house.
I thought for a moment that this may not work because we normally share our location with each other and I wouldn’t have a way to explain why I was in Chicago and not in North Carolina. I was due for a phone upgrade and decided to use the flaws of technology to cover this grand scheme.
The surprise of a lifetime…
When Maryam’s friends brought her to the house, her father put the icing on the cake. He pretended to be very upset about her mom placing things where it shouldn’t be and that Maryam should go downstairs to fix it. The high reverence she has for her dad sent her into a mini panic mode and then as she came downstairs and saw me it was like she had put two and two together. She immediately started crying as she saw her whole tribe who had came together for this moment of our lives.
Wedding style…
Ridwan: Although I have my own style or things that I prefer to wear, this is an area that Maryam tends to shine in. She is great at coordinating pieces in a way that executes the vision and so she handled that aspect of the wedding planning for both of us.
Maryam: Because I am a hijabi who has an appreciation for fashion, I felt like a lot of my vision did not have much of a precedent to draw reference from. I hired a bridal stylist to help me with communicating my wishes between the fabric vendors and the designers. She really helped to narrow everything down. I must say that as this was a very important component to me, the details had constant consultations that certainly had its stressful moments. But the execution came together like puzzle pieces not just for the looks for my husband and I, but also the details for our immediate family members and for our asoebi.
Celebrating our culture…
Maryam: I really appreciated that my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was able to sing our sweetheart song. These women represent a part of my American culture that is very dear to me. Although this was the traditional wedding, it was great that I was able to bring a piece of that culture into who I am in an assimilation that represented another tribe that supports me in such an important step in my life.
Ridwan: We had many cultural aspects that we included into our wedding from the food, to the music to the dancing. But I would say that the one that I most appreciated being incorporated was when our ancestral eulogies were being recited. It is so deeply intertwined with such archaic Yoruba that I could only listen in awe and veneration for the roots and lineage that we come from.
Our memories…
Ridwan: My best memory from this nuptial experience thus far would be from our Nikkai. As she came down the staircase accompanied by her dad, it really hit me that I was about to marry this amazing woman. That she and I would not just be husband and wife but partners in this life in all things. I think that the magnitude of that movement and evolution of my life really hit me and before you know it something wet was on my face. Seems like it was coming out from my eyes or something. Some called it tears but I call it the water to the seed that we were about to sow together.
Maryam: My favorite moment from the wedding would have to be entering the traditional venue. It was such a humbling experience. The atmosphere felt so surreal and solemn. It was like the chanters and the drummers were speaking to a part of me that just calmed my spirit like “tutu omi” on a hot day. As the precession followed me into the venue, the sounds just drowned out everything else but Ridwan awaiting me at the end of the hall. My personal last bus stop.
Take it from us…
Maryam: My advice to engaged couples that are planning their wedding is to start early. You need to also identify the details that you think are the most important to you in your wedding because everything that you want may not happen exactly the way that you want it. So for the things that you deem the most important, finding a planner whose capacity aligns with your vision will certainly make the entire process easier.
Ridwan: Take it easy, things will come up. Don’t over stress about every possible thing that goes wrong.
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Vendors:
- Photography: Emmanuella Photos Gallery | Bedge Pictures |Wale Visuals
- Videographer: Ladi Milan
- Venue: Balmoral Federal Palace
- Event Design: Zapphaire Events
- Wedding Decor: BTG Event Decor
- Wedding Outfits: Dova Bridals| Mazelle Bridal
- Wedding Styling: Lavish Bride
- Makeup: Bimpe Onakoya
- Invitations: The Wedding Store
OMG! They look so cute together. It’s great to see a happy ending to their love story.