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Category Archives: Wedding Ceremony

Lydia & John #TheSoneyes

Three words I would use to describe John & Lydia’s wedding day and the planning process “Pure love & Enjoyment”.  That’s right I have used enjoyment for the first time ever in a blog post! The Soneye’s, honestly I wasn’t too sure where to start with the blog but I guess the beginning is good enough. I met Lydia in 2013, I was planning her big sister (Yvonne’s) wedding (19.10.2013) and Lydia was a bridesmaid. 

5 years later my phone rings and it’s Lydia (I still had her number saved in my phone), Yvonne had dropped me a message to say Lydia would call. Lydia was excited and told me the good news she’s engaged and wants to get married in 2020. After a few wedding meetings, that soon changed and they wanted to get married in November 2019. See for yourself the pure love & enjoyment I referred to at the beginning of this blog, also hear directly from our bride why it’s a good idea to reply to Facebook DM’s and how our groom John proposed.

How we met…

In true millennial style, John and I actually met over Facebook. I was struggling to complete my A-Level History homework, looking for any distraction and little did I know that John was planning to captivate my whole evening.  I had a notification come through about a new message in my Facebook inbox and John had simply wrote “you’re blessed”.

I was so confused at this approach, definitely a new technique but I responded “who’s this” and cut a long story short, 8 years down the line and we haven’t gone a day without speaking to each other.

I may have got a D in that coursework (thanks to John) but I gained a soulmate and lifelong best friend.

Ladies – respond to your DMs, there’s a treasure among the madness.

How John proposed…

We were off to Marrakech for my birthday for a few days and I had a full itinerary of things to do. John usually lets me organise things but he assured me that he had arranged our plans for Sunday which was strange but I thought it was a birthday activity.

I woke up on Sunday and noticed John was nowhere to be seen and going into the bathroom I saw a note – I had no idea that this was the start of the journey into a new chapter of our relationship.

There were 6 notes at different points of that day that led us up to the big question.

Morning Note 1: John told me to get ready and have breakfast as he had booked me in for a traditional hammam massage.

Note 2:  As I was leaving the spa, the receptionist gave me another note that asked me to meet John in our room. The room was beautifully decorated with cake for my birthday

*Afternoon* Note 3: This note interrupted my nap as hotel staff knocked on my door to deliver another note and champagne which asked me to be ready for 7 pm.

*Evening* Note 4: Now John had been disappearing throughout the day but in preparation for note 4, he told me he was off to pay the spa. I thought this was strange but I left it and soon after he left, there was a knock on the door from another member of staff at the hotel with a note saying I should meet my “Prince Charming” outside

Note 5: In the ride to the restaurant I was convinced that there would be one final note as 4 was a random number to leave things. John remained poker-faced. We got to this romantic restaurant and whilst John was very strangely not eating, it didn’t stop him from hinting that the proposal would likely come next year (now 2019). I believed him and had no feeling at all that a proposal was coming. When John gave me what I thought would be the last note, it simply said “I love you forever” and I was relieved that there would be no more surprises.

Note 6: I was wrong. John excused himself to go to the bathroom and soon after the restaurant manager came to me with the 6th note. I was confused. The note told me that John had one final surprise and I should come and meet him upstairs. I walked hesitantly up a candlelit staircase and the rest is a tear-filled blur.

After 8 long years, John asked me to be his wife and my heart was, is and always will be full.

To all the amazing vendors that made Lydia & John’s wedding and unforgettable experience, we thank you & acknowledge you.

Wedding Planner: Mati Gono Events

Videography: Sam on films 

Photography: Enitan photography

Decor: Luxe Event Decor 

Hair: Herdefinition

Makeup: Queen Hadassah

DJ: Sean

Dance floor: Platinum Ace & production

MC: Don’t Jealous Me

Cake: Rohima cakes

Desert table: Isha Wedding Cakes

Wedding Dress: Yinka Alli

Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Second outfit Stylist: The wardrobe manager

Fabric: @glitzallurefabrics

Outfit: @marveeofficial

Shoes: Steve Madden

Grooms Suit: Made western bespoke

Photobooth: Blithe photo booth

Cocktails: Stirrers and Shakers

Security: Close protection security  

Catering: Nimz Kitchen 

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A Timeless Classic: Stephanie & Richard wedding

When Stephanie first contacted me she had a vague idea of what she wanted however Stephanie & Richard both knew exactly where the ceremony and wedding reception would take place. At our first meeting the idea’s and possibilities were flowing and Stephanie knew she was in good hands, the planning process was eventful… (The venue booked cancelled 2 weeks before the wedding) but read on to hear Stephanie’s perceptive & take on all the happenings, their Love story and see images from Stephanie & Richards Nigeria White wedding in London which took place at The Chapel of St Peter and St Paul at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich followed by their reception at The Park Lane Hotel, Sheraton.

How Stephanie & Richard met: We both met in January 2010 during my trip to Lagos from London at a party/event where we were both invited by a mutual friend. I attended with two friends (one of them was our mutual friend) and Richard came over to say ‘hi’ to our mutual friend, before he introduced himself to me and my other friend. He then left and joined his friends on the other side of the room, and throughout the night we made small eye contact from time to time until Richard came back and made conversation with me and my friends. Somehow, the conversation ended  up with just the two of us and at that  point my girls were ready to leave. Before I left, Richard asked for my number (though I refused to give it to him). I replied by asking him for his Facebook name/details (of which he was reluctant as he preferred to contact me over the phone, however he eventually reluctantly agreed to hand it over) and I promised to contact him before I  was due to fly back to London (in a few days). Unfortunately, as I was so busy visiting family, I didn’t contact Richard and we never got to see again during that trip. However I did contact him via Facebook and we began chatting and became friends instantly…I eventually gave  him my number. Over the next couple of years our friendship grew into a relationship…and as they say, the rest is history.

How Richard proposed: I always travel to Lagos during Christmas holidays, however during December 2014 (few days before new year’s) Richard suggested that we go for a meal, I was tired and suggested that we just chill indoors. However Richard got phone call from his friend inviting us to a pre-new year’s party. Though I was not up for it, Richard managed to persuade (as he does) me to go. The party ended early (pretty much as we got there) So Richards spontaneously decided that we should go for a meal. We ended up going to a nice restaurant, and during our meal, Richard proposed and asked me to marry him.

Why Mati Gono events: After attending a friend’s wedding six months before I got engaged, I was impressed with the way that the wedding was coordinated ( I must say it was probably the best organised Nigerian wedding that I had attended). I called the bride for tips on how to ensure that my wedding will run as smoothly as possible and she encouraged me to give Mati (Just as Planned now Mati Gono Events) a call and she will take care of the rest. The most useful piece of advice/guidance from Mati Gono events was to plan well ahead and prioritising on key vendors and booking them first. When you are planning a wedding that is a year away, you feel that you have all the time in the world to plan, and oit can be overwhelming in terms of key vendors to book and when they need to be booked. However, after receiving guidance on key vendors to be booked with a tiomeline of when they should be booked…this was extremely helpful.

How would you describe your wedding day: One word…MAGICAL! I had just done my traditional wedding in Nigeria and planned to finalise with Mati and her team on the last few details and  preparations for the white wedding in London. Despite being informed by our original reception venue (two weeks before the wedding and whilst still in Nigeria) that there was a flooding at the venue, I immediately panicked (as every bride would), however Mati was already on the case and took control of everything. She found another venue within less than a week and before I flew back from Lagos to London, the new venue was even more beautiful than the original chosen venue. Mati and team turned everything around by contacting vendors, guests etc of the changes. I must admit I was anxious that we had forgotten something, or that the last few preparations had not been done, however Mati and her team went abpove and beyond to ensure that our day was more than special and it truly was.

Do you think a planner what needed for your big day & would you recommend Mati Gono Events: Yes! We will and have done so. Every couple due to get married should consider getting hiring Just as Planned to ensure everything regarding their wedding is catered for and also it is very helpful to gain advice/guidance from those who are experienced in that field, to coordinate the day itself to ensure that the day is organised runs smoothly.

Photographer: Zuberi Weddings

Wedding Planner: Mati Gono Events

Mc: Simply Andy

Decorator/Rental: Designer chair covers to go

Hair stylist: Rachel Arike 

Florist: Chelles Flowers

Makeup Artist: OTS Beauty Bridesmaids: Jennifer Olaleye

 DJ Unbeetable

Videographer: Samon Films

Cake: Vanilla Orchid Bakery

Grooms Suit: SuitSupply London

Brides dress: Yemi Kosibah

All photos from official wedding photographer, opening paragraph by Mati Gono and Words from the bride Stephanie. x

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Lucy & Hughes – Le Meridian Piccadilly

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When you get a call from the groom then you know it’s serious. I remember speaking with Hughes and him being very clear about not having a clue where to start but there were three things he had clear 1. The venue must be in London 2. Lucy the bride must have her dream wedding 3. It would be in May
I invited the couple in for a meeting hoping to get more clarity on what they want. I left the meeting with two more things 1. A budget 2.Colours
We got straight to looking for a suitable venue and designing the wedding day. From site visits, the pre wed shoot, booking cake & food tasters to organising the church we covered every aspect of the wedding.

The couple had a lovely ceremony at St Paul Knightsbridge, all the pictures in this blog were taken by Bandele Zuberi. We enlisted ADot the comedian to host the wedding. The décor was put together by the Just as planned team & flowers by Blooming events who we worked closely with to deliver on the design we had put together for the couple. Their lovely cake was made by Safiya’s cakes and sound, dance floor & lighting by VNV live. So much detail went into Lucy & Hughes special day as they wanted their guests to feel special & celebrate with them. Take a look at how their day came together…

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Words from the bride & groom:  “The day was absolutely magical. The planning was carefully crafted long in advance and a clear timeline was put in place with every meeting we had with the team. Every meeting was progressive and we could see our day taking shape. On the day itself, there was much discipline from the team, with their attention to detail and awareness of timing. It was simply second to none for sheer organisation.
​From the church ceremony to the drinks reception to the final moments of the evening, we couldn’t have wished for more. The beautiful colours of the day, the flowers, the amazing way the reception hall was decorated, absolutely everything was planned to perfection.”

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Tobi & Emmanuel – Boreham House Essex

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Tobi & Emmanual’s dream wedding was exactly what they wanted, surrounded by their loving friends & family at the beautiful Boreham House set in the countryside, known for its amazing grounds and history. This venue added to the couple’s wedding day as they utilised the space and scenery of the grounds to capture some amazing pictures taken by the talented Jide Alakija (Alakija Studios). “Boreham is such a functional venue you have the scenery as well as that marquee outdoor feel which is perfect for a summer wedding. They had an emotional ceremony surrounded by their family & friends. Followed by a champagne reception before guests were ushered into the lovely reception space. They had around 320 guests who were just as glamorous as they were; all the guests came out dressed to impress and to celebrate the new Mr & Mrs in town. Wedding guests included: Wale Gates & his wife, the bride & grooms bridal party was amazing and set the pace when the time came to party and they partied hard Just as Planned! Read more on their love story & see their awesome photos below.

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Brides Story…
Love at first sight was most definitely not the case for Emmanuel & I, well actually I believe that my fine face was too much for him so it must have been love at first sight for him!
Brunel University; the land of love! Preparing university choices in my first and second year of A levels, I just forever kept dreaming of Aston University, I was so adamant that I was going there. I went to visit the campus twice just to start mentally preparing myself for my new home. Brunel University was my second choice and although I was not interested I thought, at the very last minute that I would go and visit the campus..I fell in love instantly!
Emmanuel was popular and quite frankly I wasn’t interested initially; especially when i found out that he was a PK (pastors kid), I just thought..”gosh, he’s one of them!”…Don’t mind me, as if I’m not a PK myself! I think when I started to ‘like’/ take greater interest in Emmanuel was as we spoke more and I found out more of who he was. I had spoken to many guys in my time; some genuinely lovely, some…well lets leave that to God, but there was something different about Emmanuel; he had vision, passion, such a humble character…and he played the drums!!!
From our first date in Creams in Ealing, to memories that I would treasure for the rest of my life, leading up to our wedding day and a lifetime of so many more memories that I can’t even begin to imagine!

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Grooms story…
It all started in September 2011. I was really excited about my 2nd year of uni and the opportunity to meet the new Freshers. That faithful Sunday that the freshers moved onto campus was the day me and my guys from the ACS were going around promoting all the ACS events for freshers week. I can remember walking to campus in my shiny blue Nike slippers and after aa few minutes on campus we spot a group of girls standing together. PERFECT. We weren’t trying to ‘move’ to the girls but it was an easy opportunity to promote the events. Little did we know it wasn’t the best idea. those girls were sooooo STOOSH (unapproachable).  It’s either they wanted to fight you, they thought you were ugly or they just weren’t interested. To be honest i thought all three, really knocked my confidence!! Ha!
So now we started talking to the ladies and i spotted one ‘lighty’ the back. I know I looked fresh and to be honest she did also! AND THAT!! was the moment that I knew we had a connection!
Jokes aside. As much as girls like mystery, guys do to. I’m not sure if Tobi was convinced about me in the first few weeks. I mean she knew I was a Pastor’s kid too but because of my popularity on campus I think she thought I was a bit suspect. After a while me and my boys used to chill with her and her circle of friends. This got us in trouble because the female friends in our year started getting jealous. I mean it wasn’t easy being the coolest guys on campus (too much stress!!). We (circle of friends) all started getting closer and now people were now making jokes about people liking each other (TOO AWKWARD). Now people were pairing Tobi and I together and the funniest thing is, we weren’t really talking much. I was the uncle of my group and she was the aunty of hers.And obviously aunty’s marry uncle’s.
I cant remember how exactly we started talking more but we did and got a lot more closer. I didn’t know she had developed feelings for me until one faithful day. After some time towards the end on the academic year things changed and we started working things out and talking more like we did in the beginning.
I remember how we prayed together and that was important for both of us as we always said God was going to be the centre of our relationship.

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Wedding Planner: Just As Planned (Mati Gono)
Photographer: Jide Alakija
White wedding Venue: Boreham House
Decorator: Posh n Sparkle & Just As Planned
Florist: Your London Florist   
Mc: Abidemi Alaran
Wedding dress: Wedding Atelier
Bridesmaids Dresses: Veronica’s Closet (insta- @_veronicascloset)
Grooms suit: McJonathan 
Groomsmen suits- Debenhams 
Hair stylist: Funlola Tijani
Makeup Artist: Dolly Okusanya (Dee Beaute by Dolly)
DJ: DJ Yung Milli
Live Band: Segun Ologo
Videographer: Alex Eyre
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Fola & Akin – Intercontinental Park Lane

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I remember very vividly getting a call from Fola regarding her wedding, she knew exactly what she wanted and wanted us to assist her in making her dream wedding a reality. Take a look at Fola & Akin lush wedding at the prestigious Intercontinental Park Lane. This Nigerian couple wedded in true style from their grand ceremony to their breath taking first dance.  Our Brides makeup was done by her close friend & MUA the talented beauty-boudoir who also appears on the bridal party and Hair was done by AVOS hair. Our stylish groom dressed in his Kimono Kollection three-piece suit.

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Every detail of Fola & Akin’s wedding was beautifully executed through our trusted vendors, from the décor planning meetings with Dream Occasions & Kudos entertainment to the couples monogram, stationary, personalised wedding number plate & sliver mirror dance floor centrepiece. International photographer Jide Alakija of Alakija Studios took all the photos from this blog. Their wedding cake was made by TY couture who used the lace design from the brides wedding dress to create this 5 tier master piece, we loved working with a few of our fellow munaluchi members on this wedding.

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The Just As Planned Wedding team where able to put together a show stopping reception, we flew in one of Nigeria’s most entertaining wedding MC’s Grand Komanda, who kept the crowd laughing & well informed and DJ Mri had the guests not wanting to leave the dance floor.

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We hosted Fola & Akin’s Wedding guests who travelling into London from far and wide just for the wonderful occasion, the bride & groom celebrated with they’re friends and family in true style. It was a pleasure coordinating this lovely couples special day & we wish them a happy married life. To see more from #Folakin16  take a look at trailer our awesome videographer SamonFilms put together or visit our Instagram page.

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Diana & Comp – The Old Hall Ely Cambridgeshire

​I love it when a bride knows just what she wants & also comes to you as a planner knowing that all she wants is a Mati Gono Events wedding. Diana came to us 365 days before her wedding with a beautiful vision of what she wanted but it was the how she wasn’t sure of.  Here’s a look at Diana & Comp’s beautiful wedding, this lovely Zimbabwean couple got married at The Old Hall Ely in Cambridge.

 

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Our bride got her wedding dress from a nearby bridal boutique in Cambridge called ‘The Tailor’s Cat’. Diana had her hair done by Charis Hair along with all of the bridesmaids. Jennifer Olaleye ensured our bride & her bridesmaids looked stunning and picture perfect.
​This Zimbabwean wedding was so much fun with the best bridal party ever! They didn’t just perform one set of steps however they performed 3 times along with the bride & groom. It was truly amazing the amount of work they had put in. Their wedding MC Marshal & DJ were great, keeping everyone on their feet and well entertained. We wish Diana & Comp a happy married life.

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Naomi & Bernard – Hylands House Essex

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​We had the pleasure of co-ordinating this lovely countryside wedding at one of our favourite venues in Essex Hylands House. The beautiful Hylands House estate was the perfect setting for our couple Naomi & Bernard, they had their ceremony on site in the grand house following by a drinks reception.
Naomi looked lovely in her wedding dress, her makeup was done by OTS beauty & hair by Deborahlola.
Naomi, knew what she wanted when it came to décor, her colours were blush pink, peach, ivory & black. The décor was done by the talented VictorRose and the cake by Safiyacakes.
This wedding saw the coming together of two cultures, the groom Ghanian & the bride Nigerian. The day was hosted by Adot comedian and DJ Vibez kept everyone on their feet. Our caters on the day were Favour catering who did an amazing job with the Nigerian food that was served. Team Just As Planned loved coordinating this stylish wedding as its what we do best. All the photos for this post are by Luke Woodford.
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Tobi & Seye – London Hilton Park Lane

So happy to share this lovely wedding with you all, whilst in Nigeria working on another event, I received an email enquiry from the lovely Tobi about coordinating her London wedding which was just 6 months from the date she contacted me. With just two days left of my Lagos visit, I made sure I met with Tobi and Seye as they were living right there in Lagos. It was a natural connection and we hit it off straight away.
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Sarah & Kwaku

At Just As Planned, we have had the privilege to join a very special couple as they embarked on their journey to their wedding day.  Sarah and Kwaku are a couple we hold dear to our hearts. We have been there since Sarah said ‘yes,’ all the way until the last wedding guests left the dance floor.

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Asif & Faiza – ASIAN WEDDING at Boreham House

Asif and Faiza’s Asian Wedding at Boreham House, Essex, was an amazing day filled with love, laughter and their closest family and dearest friends.
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