guides

notes from the front of house.

honest, useful writing for event planners. the guest lists, the gatecrashers, the money, and how working planners are handling all three.

october 12, 2026

Yoruba engagement list (eru iyawo): the items most families ask for, and how to plan around it

The items on most published Yoruba engagement lists, the named cash gifts (owo), the alaga's role, and how planners organise eru iyawo for the day.

october 12, 2026

Wedding reception program in Nigeria: the order of events, with timings

The order of a Nigerian wedding reception, from guest arrival to the closing prayer, with a timed sample program for a 2pm start and who owns each item.

october 12, 2026

Wedding planning checklist for Nigeria: introduction, traditional and white wedding, month by month

A Nigerian wedding checklist that runs the introduction, traditional and white wedding side by side, month by month, with the guest list on its own track.

october 12, 2026

Wedding budget template for Nigeria, in naira: every line, by event, with deposits and who pays

A Nigerian wedding budget template for Google Sheets: every line for the introduction, traditional and white wedding, with deposits, balances and who pays.

october 12, 2026

What to write on a traditional marriage invitation card, with Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa samples

What to write on a Nigerian traditional marriage invitation card, in order, with copy-ready samples for a Yoruba engagement, an igba nkwu and a Daurin Aure.

october 12, 2026

How to get paid with Paystack as an event planner: fees, payment pages, invoices and settlement

Paystack for Nigerian planners: 1.5% + ₦100 capped at ₦2,000, Payment Pages, Invoices, next-day settlement and starting as an unregistered business.

october 12, 2026

Naming ceremony invitation messages for Nigerian families, with samples

How to word a Nigerian naming ceremony invitation, what to keep back, and copy-ready messages for Christian, Muslim, Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa families.

october 12, 2026

How to start an event planning business in Nigeria: registration, pricing, tools and your first clients

Start an event planning business in Nigeria: pick a niche, register with CAC (₦21,000 for a business name), set up payments, price in lines, win clients.

october 12, 2026

Wedding souvenirs in Nigeria: how many to order, who gets one, and how to stop double collection

Work out how many wedding souvenirs to order from your confirmed guests, who gets one, and where to hand them out so nobody collects twice.

october 12, 2026

How many ushers do you need for a Nigerian wedding? Count the jobs, not the guests

One usher per 50 guests is a church rule. A Nigerian reception needs a gate, seating, high table and gifts team. How to count them, for 500 guests.

october 12, 2026

Funeral programme template: order of service and brochure contents for a Nigerian burial

A copy-ready funeral programme for a Nigerian burial: service of songs, funeral service order, interment and reception, brochure contents and print counts.

october 12, 2026

Event proposal template for planners: what to put in it, and a copy-ready version in naira

A free event proposal template in naira: the brief, scope, guest-side lines, team, price in lines, deposit, balance date and the guest-count clause.

october 12, 2026

Event planning courses in Nigeria: what they teach and what they cost in 2026

Nine event planning courses open to Nigerians, from free online courses to ₦300,000 programmes in Lagos, with prices read from each provider's page.

october 12, 2026

Burial invitation card wording: what to write, with samples for Nigerian families

What to write on a burial invitation card in Nigeria, with samples for a Christian burial, a younger death and a fidau prayer, plus WhatsApp versions.

october 12, 2026

Bulk WhatsApp messages for events: broadcast, groups, Business broadcasts and bulk senders compared

Every way to message hundreds of guests on WhatsApp with WhatsApp's own limits: broadcast lists, groups, Business broadcasts, the API and bulk senders.

september 18, 2026

How Much Do Event Planners Charge in Nigeria? Fees, Pricing Models and How to Set Yours

Published 2026 figures put event planner fees in Nigeria between ₦150,000 and ₦2,000,000, charged as a flat fee or 10 to 25% of the budget. What moves the number, and how to price your own jobs.

september 3, 2026

What to Write on a Wedding Invitation: Five Messages That Get Replies

Five wedding invitation messages you can copy: traditional, white wedding, both events, a reminder, and the change-of-venue message. What each one needs, what to leave out, and how to get guests to actually reply.

september 3, 2026

Wedding Access Cards: What Printing Costs in Lagos, and What a QR Pass Changes

Printed wedding access cards cost between ₦20,000 and ₦90,000 per 100 in Lagos, and the card cannot tell who is holding it. What planners pay, what a QR access pass does differently, and what to charge your client.

september 3, 2026

How to Send Wedding Invitations on WhatsApp Without Getting Your Number Blocked

Broadcast lists stop at 256 people and only reach guests who saved your number. How planners send hundreds of wedding invitations on WhatsApp safely, what to write, and how to collect the replies.

august 18, 2026

The Guest List That Would Not Stop Growing

Your client said 300 guests. The venue seats 300. The list says 380 and it is still growing. How planners use allowances and a live capacity view to make overflow a decision instead of a disaster.

august 16, 2026

Mo Gbo Mo Ya: A Field Guide to Stopping Gatecrashers

Gatecrashing is so normal in Nigeria it has its own name. Here is how event planners are replacing paper lists and printed access cards with QR passes that actually keep the uninvited out.

august 13, 2026

Rice and Stew Very Plenty: Planning Around the Nigerian RSVP

RSVP means please reply, from the French. The old joke says it means Rice and Stew Very Plenty. Guests who said yes vanish, guests who said nothing arrive hungry. How planners use live guest lists and automations to plan around it.

august 10, 2026

Get Paid Like a Professional, Not Like a Cousin

Deposits that never complete, balances promised at the venue, receipts inflated after the fact. How event planners are using proper invoices in naira to protect their money.

august 7, 2026

Automate the 11pm Admin: Rules That Run Your Event While You Sleep

Send e-access when a guest says yes. Create the guest list when the client pays. Event planners are writing plain-language rules that handle the routine work automatically.

august 4, 2026

Everybody Helps, Nobody Wanders: Running an Event Team With Boundaries

Ushers, door staff, junior planners, and a client who wants to see everything. How event planners use per-person permissions to delegate work without losing control.