Wedding Business 101: First Of All… Introduction

I can’t believe how long its taken for me to actually start this series… It’s been on my mind like … FOREVER!!!

But with how popular the @loveweddingsng_vendors page is on Instagram, I’m more convinced that this series will fill a gap in the wedding industry in Nigeria, Africa and the world. So today, I’d tell you why I wanted to start this series and what it’s all about…

As you probably already know, I’m passionate about the industry, which is why I created LoveweddingsNG… it’s not just a blog or a website. It’s a movement, a movement from mediocrity to professionalism both for couples and for vendors. Whether we accept it or not, the wedding industry (yes, I strongly believe this is an industry contrary to what a lot of people believe) plays a key part in a nation’s economy. If you don’t believe me, take a day off work and make a list of all the companies in Lagos that sell products or supply services to couples getting married. (You’re probably almost out of notebooks by now). Now, do a rough but realistic estimate of the number of employees each of these organizations have and the income they generate weekly… Convinced???

So back to my point, yes, this is an industry and just like doctors, fashion designers, engineers, etc., there is the need for standards to be set else it’ll end up with people who really have no idea what they’re doing. And we don’t want that now, do we?

I’ve found that a lot of wedding vendors do not get the respect they deserve from clients. When I hear someone say ‘Is she not just a hair stylist?‘, ‘Is he not just a photographer?‘, you should see my eyebrows… they literally go on FLEEEEEKKK, say what…? And then I reply ‘Are you not just a doctor?’… I don’t want to go on and on but you get my point… if someone decides to make a living off their talent (whatever it is), they need to be respected for that especially when you want to benefit from that TALENT, yes!!! They need to be respected in the way they are addressed, in the fees they charge and otherwise. Let me stop here because I’ve been called names before for standing up for my vendors so I rest my case. Sigh!!!

On the flip side, the industry is very much service – oriented and if I were to pay N1,000 into my account for every time I’ve witnessed a wedding vendor deliver awful service, I’d be counting my millions now. The way I’ve seen some vendors handle phone calls, enquiries, the fact that they have no price list and say ‘It Depends‘ when you ask for a price… There are also those who have no idea what their customer journey is or should be, those who sincerely believe they’re doing you a favor by being at your wedding even after you’ve paid them in full… I really could go on and on with my list… Yes, I have a list of almost every instance tucked away in my big notepad, this will come in handy actually for this series so I’m glad I’ve been keeping records now. 🙂 …

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A post shared by LoveweddingsNG Vendors (@loveweddingsng_vendors) on Feb 21, 2018 at 9:55am PST

It’s not all bad news though, I’ve also seen some fantastic wedding vendors and whenever I see them go above and beyond to ensure their client is happy, I say ‘Thank You‘ a million times. One vendor once told me, ‘Kai, Seyi you can say ‘thank you’ sha, ahan‘. Don’t blame me, I believe in appreciating good things whenever I see them. So this series will comprise of Do’s and Dont’s, case studies, lessons learnt, helpful tips, etc.

As some of you also know, I work in the digital marketing industry so this is my forte. I believe strongly that digital is here to stay… So brothers and sisters, if you’re not digitally savvy, now’s the time to take it seriously so there’ll also be hints and tips to help wedding vendors excel on the digital front. I’m talking social media, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Online advertising, content creation, etc.

Phewwwwwww… I didn’t realise this was going to be this long so I better stop now. I’m really excited about this series and cannot wait to share all the exciting stories (trust me some of them will make you LOL!!!) and lessons.

Come on this journey with me. There’s something for everyone… illustrators, photographers, wedding planners, decorators, makeup artists, florists, designers, caterers, bakers, MC’s, DJ’s, …

See you in the next post…

Seyi

Picture Credits: Siouxland Heritage Museums & CDC.gov

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