Weddings by Nona: Making The ENTRANCE

Hello Pipo….how have you all been? Well, I have been fine n well and to say the truth last week was the ‘bestest’ of my best weeks so far, for no particular reason I was just full and satisfied with myself don’t ask me why cos I cannot explain..lol.

Well, today I like to talk about something that I know a lot of people fancy during wedding reception and that is ‘making the entrance’ I particularly look forward to this part and I will tell you why:

First, for someone like me that gets to weddings only when the reception is about to start this is the first opportunity for me to access the bride’s gown, hair, shoes, jewelries and the groom’s ensemble( I call it an ensemble because some guys are really breaking the rules and going wild with their wedding day outfit)

Second, it affords me an opportunity to see how well they both can dance.

Third , it just starts up the whole process of the reception which is fun, fun and more fun to me…..lol.

But the part I really do not enjoy is the whole of the bride and groom’s village members + great grandfather+ father’s uncle’s brother’s son+ great aunty dancing in with the couple…..haba it is not a dance celebrating the passage of one form of life to another form (i.e A dance signifying change from Human form to spirit form lol, but it is a wedding entrance!) So I ask, what is the need for this entire crowd? Are we adding our naija flavor to this (The ‘I should not be left out syndrome’)? Who says that the dance in must be done in that particular manner (Everyone dances in and parts at a particular point to make space for couple)?

I could go on with my questions but I would like to actually explain why this particular manner of dancing in irks me.

1. Guests at the reception do not get to see the couple while they dance in because the human body is not transparent. How can you be standing in front of people because you are dancing in the couple and expect the people you are blocking to catch a glimpse?

2. The so called ‘dance troupe’ restricts the movement of the couple, sometimes feet are stepped on, unintentional shoves ,kicks and blows are hurled at people(Thanks to some people Micheal Jackson moves….lol)

3. Then because of the people density the couple starts sweating and get tired.

4. The dance may become longer than expected then guests lose the spark.

At a wedding some weeks ago, I gave the couple a 110% rating for their entrance. It was themed “The run away bride”

This was how it happened

The bride with gown in hand ran into the reception hall and sat on the hall’s platform. Tell you what, almost every one’s mouth was agape because they did not know what was happening and did not know what was next(Suspence..Me like!).

Next the music started off and the groom started walking into the hall to meet the bride, while he was walking he was stylishly dancing and explaining to the bride using the lyrics of the song that she belongs to him(Unique… Me like!).

For a while the bride was 'forming' but 'las las'(at last) she agreed and he took her up.

Then they started dancing .

Then few ladies came in made a circle round the couple,dancing and cheering them on.

That was a unique piece for me I was assigned other parts of the wedding but the bride and groom arranged this on their own. Sincerely I was tripping and as a planner I know the level of courage it took them to stage that performance.

All I am just trying to say is that there are no clear cut rules about wedding entrance,it is all about YOU, your individuality ,your style and uniqueness which at WEDDINGS BY NONA we help couples bring to the fore.

Yes,originality is what we preach here at WEDDINGS BY NONA.

Lets make it an exclamation and not an explanation!