How Many Guests Would You Invite For Your Wedding? Nigerians Speak

If you are looking for people who have passion for throwing elaborate, stylish and sophisticated weddings, you’re most likely to find them in Nigeria.

The reason being that most times, Nigerians struggle to handle the number of guests at their weddings, which makes it difficult for them to control their guest list.

It is common to hear that a couple has confirmed a guest list of 250 persons for their wedding, but end up feeding about 1000 guests.

Due to these, experienced wedding planners often prepare for what is described as “maximum possible number” to give room for wedding crashers who would often struggle gift items, food and drinks with official guests.

THE WHISTLER went to town to sample opinions of singles and married people on the number of guest they are likely to invite to their wedding ceremony and why.

Miss. Faith Joel, a banker said she would only invite 100 people to her wedding as she is not a fan of crowd.

“What am I using crowd for. I just need few witnesses.

“After church service, everyone eats and goes home. In the evening, friends come around casually dressed to a place like crush to just chill, eat fish and drink with the couple.

A married journalist in Abuja said “We invited 500 guests and this was because I needed to accommodate my parent’s friends.

According to her, this did not change a thing as the guests present still outnumbered her budget.

“Nonetheless after my wedding planner set my wedding hall for 500 people we still had to install two canopies outside to occupy the extras person which is a norm in Nigeria as a friend will invite a friend. So in all, I guess we hosted close to a thousand guest.

“But left for me, I would have only invited 300.”

An agro farmer said he would want to host a wedding that the entire guests are fully satisfied in terms of refreshment and comfort. So for him “150-200” guest budget is just ok.

An NYSC member serving in Abuja said depending on his financial state, he would invite between 100 and 200 guests.

According to him this is so because “I want the guest to witness an integral part of my life, where I want to settle down in a comfortable way.”

A  Nigerian wedding planner, ‘unique events by shollah’, who spoke to our correspondent, said any wedding more than 250-300 people is already crowded, even though some couples will have their preferences.

She further said her reason for choosing 250-300 as an ideal number of wedding guests was because; “the couple are able to see more guests as well as the guest having a one on one opportunity with the couple.

secondly she said most venues that can take more than 300 peple are usually not as nice and calls for more unnecessary decoration which will add up to the cost of the wedding.

She further said that both lavish and moderate weddings are okay depending on the couple’s preference, adding that she would prefer to have a “budgeted lavished wedding than a moderate wedding and invite 600 people.”