OffAir Podcast
OffAir Podcast
The Lagos Asoebi Pandemic Ft. Bisola Borha | OffAir Show S9 EP7
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This week, we’re joined by top event planner in Nigeria, Bisola Borha as we break down the real cost of Nigerian weddings - from ₦50M budgets to ₦900M experiences. We talk food, asoebi, family pressure, and why Lagos events keep getting more extravagant.
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00:00 Introduction
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This is a question for um off air gang. So if you buy Ashur B, like really expensive Ashab for a wedding, let's say what 250, 300. Okay, let's say 250, 30 uh 300,000. And um you find out that the couple um splits before a year, are you entitled to a refund? Hi guys, welcome to a brand spanking new episode of Off Air with Bimmy. And I'm Tools. Hola. All right, so for today's episode, uh, actually, before Bemmie tells us about today's episode, I need to give a big shout out to our good friends at Play Toh. Right now, my stomach is grumbling, it's going, but they're gonna sort us out as soon as I finish this episode. So if, like me, you're very indecisive and you're not quite sure what to have and you're like, oh, maybe I want this, maybe I want that. You know what, order everything. Order everything. If you want to have a day of big backness and you only pay one delivery charge, head over to orderplato.com. That is P-L-A-T-O.com.
SPEAKER_00Very, very simple. Now, for those of you who are watching us, like, please, subscribe, subscribe, please, send this episode to someone to your group chat, comment. Thank you so much as you do so. May the Lord bless you. Now, we have a lot to talk about. We have a guest who is going to break down uh the events industry in Nigeria. She has planned some of the most luxurious, most talked-about birthdays, events, burials, whatever. And she's very much known for her um, should I say, like her experiences. She loves to give you an experience, so it's not just come, sit, eat, music, this and that. There's always something. Either your kick is coming from the sky or it's coming from underground, or the or the couple appears somehow. That is her thing, and we're gonna be talking to her very shortly. Our guest today is one of the top event planners in Nigeria. In fact, one of the best event planners in Nigeria. She planned my wedding. Please put your hands together for Bisola, Bora, Aribe.
SPEAKER_01Woohoo! Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. And you also did the off air launch event back in what year was that? Where, and you didn't know this, uh, but we didn't even know. We later found out that Toby Bakre met his wife at that event.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01So you saw like a matchmaker. Matchmaker. Good, good, good, good. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome. Okay, look very well. Thank you, very colourful. I know, I know. All right, so let us get into this. Um, obviously, we're gonna be talking about events in uh predominantly Lagos, because if there's if there's one thing that people talk about, it is events in Lagos, particularly weddings. It feels like things have gone, as my mom loves to say, nuclear. Nuclear right now. So, first off, if I wanted to get married, say at the end of this year, and I wanted like a decent wedding, about two to three hundred guests. You know, food okay, no artist performance, because I thought it was beautiful, just a good DJ, small chops, you know, just just the the basics, the basics. What what kind of budget am I looking at?
SPEAKER_00I'll say if you really want quality um vendors that won't mess up your day, I'll say from 80 million naira upwards. If they're 18 or 80, 80, like 80 wow upwards, yeah. Like if you want like for two to three hundred people. Because it's sometimes it's not all about the number of your guests, sometimes it might be the quality of decor. So there are some decorators that charge 80 million on the dots for decor. And it doesn't have anything to do with this. Um, sometimes it might be the quality of food. Some people want different courses, seven courses, five courses. So um it depends on the how much um detail, the type of experience you want in included um in your events. I mean, yeah, people spend, yeah, has a lot of budgets.
SPEAKER_01This ATM is like the higher side, right? Or are you saying from ATM?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, if you're if you're taking out experiences, because I mean, I when I say experiences, I mean a lot of people want more than just people come, DJ, band, cut your case. I am the experience. You are the experience. They don't want any performance, they don't want any dance troupe, DJ, everybody eats one course. So one one garden wedding, maybe it's your house, your garden. Because sometimes venues alone can be like 10 million. And I'm talking about like the okay. Let me let me let me break it down right now. Let me break it down.
SPEAKER_01So I'm um two to three hundred people. I'm giving them one portion of small chops, and in terms of food, there's jollof rice, there's swallow. Fried rice, swallow. Okay, there's swallow. Okay, joloff rice, fried rice, uh, with more and more. That's all I want to do. No orienta, no, no Chinese. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00No sugar plates. 50M. 50 million. Yeah. That's a lot. That's a lot. This is the clothing side. This isn't necessarily some people spend, some people spend 50 million on their clothes. This is like looks.
SPEAKER_01I'm getting flashbacks. I'm getting flashbacks because at my wedding, like, I didn't know. Obviously, after a while, I just gave up. And because I was trying to plan, I was trying to stay on top of it, but there were so many people involved. And after a while, I was just like, you know what, it's out of my hands. But I remember this is my trad. I remember walking around and there was so much food. And I was walking, like, maybe I went to change and I was coming back, and I would see somebody that hadn't like finished eating their food. In my mind, I was like, Do you want to take that to go? Should we get should I bring nylon? Should I bring it? Because no, because it's expensive. Like one of the things I remember, they were like, Oh, this is this and this per person. And I'm like, What? The Ketras charge per plate.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And as at 2018, good Ketras were charging between 6 to 10k per plate. Yeah. So now 2026. Some of them charge about 13k per plates. If you and I'm talking about Nigerians, most Nigerians will not just take one plate of food. They will literally they'll tell you they do not eat because they've been there. Your party maybe since 1 p.m. And now it's like 5 p.m. How can a person save money on this? Can we do short weddings? So let's say, let me give an example now. Let's say Paul. Paul and Angela, let me explain. Paul and Angela want to get married. Yes. And they've done cuts, they've gone to Ikoi to do cut wedding. Yeah, okay. Very simple. Then trad, they did it in Angela's daddy's palo. So it's just real, like core family. So what is remaining is let's say they're Christians, church and reception. And they have 200 people. They've pruned and pruned and pruned down the guest list to the bare minimum. And they say we want to save money. So let's say church is 10 a.m. They finish church by 12, use one hour to take pictures or to get to the venue. So reception starts like 1, 2, 1, 1:32. We want this thing to be done by 6 o'clock because we want to save money. Can you do it? It's possible. Yeah, it's possible.
SPEAKER_01I've been to a wedding that ended at 5 o'clock. I think I was lost. In that case, I think at the wedding, just pack the food and the people that came to wedding. So they're doing that. Yeah, yeah. And then just have like a very, very intimate reception. Um, in terms of the people that are, you know, saying they're trying to eat more than once, I think there's a reason why, you know, I got married when I got married, because I feel like if I was gonna get married now, I would be so strict. They would mark your thumb. They would mark your thumb after you've collected food and you can't come again as in permanent marker, not the one you can go and wash off. If I have to, we'll check your mouth to see if there are any remnants of food. But I've I feel that um when I go to weddings, I I'm mortified at how much um at the wastage of food. There seems to be like you just see plates that have just barely been touched and everything. And I'm just like, especially that so before.
SPEAKER_00No, no, no, no. It's not, it's not. I think that a lot of Nigerian events, not just weddings, or there's burials, there's birthdays, encourage gluteny in a way. Let me give you an example. So you you are first of all getting seated and they bring you small chops. It's nice. Always. Okay, sometimes I'm just saying. Then they come and then they bring you cocktails and then they carry their baskets around. Do you want mott? Do you want gics? Then they come again and they say, What would you like to eat on the menu? You know, you pick your main course, whether it's rice, whether it's swallow, whether it's this one. Then they will come again and then they'll say, We have Amala. Some people will eat that too. Then they will come again and they'll say, We have fish and chips. Yeah, grills. They will eat that too. We have grills. Then they'll come again and they will bring, like before desert, they'll bring some other things and some. I've seen weddings where they get they had everything, including tea. But guess what?
SPEAKER_01Must you eat everything? But guess what? Just before we started filming, you're talking about a wedding that it was it looked beautiful, but they didn't have food. I think one of the biggest taboos um if you uh for a Nigerian event is for somebody to go there and be like, ah, oh, it's a four longer.
SPEAKER_00People actually even mark up these things, they will ask you, oh, when are we getting this next? When are we? So people already pretty much know that if I'm having my event, I need to have you know the starters, the main, the grills, then like you said, maybe even multiple grill options.
SPEAKER_01And then you now have you need to have like another menu for the after party. Exactly. That's like a separate that's like a separate.
SPEAKER_00So by the time you add all those things, it's you know, it's a lot of money. It's a lot of money. On just food alone. That's just food when I'm talking about MC, DJ, bands. My own thing is this my own definition of a good event is your food is on point, the music is on point because the music can ruin everything. Music is on point, and everybody's having a good time. At the same time, yes, and there should be lots of food, but at the same time, does it mean you as a person should eat all the food? Yeah, but we we as eat everything that passes once to make sure that all these different varieties are available. And then you don't even know which guests want to eat what. Let me claim available. I understand. Let me explain something to you. I'm not saying don't have food at your wedding. What I'm saying is also because they are bringing all the food does not mean as a guest you need to eat everything, is my point. Give you an example. Um, I left my wedding at 4 a.m. because I was tired. It was everything was happening that same day. As we were leaving, hot food was still coming out. But it doesn't mean you should eat everything, is my point. There was a lot of food. But I'm just saying, like as a guest, you doesn't you don't have to eat eight things in one wedding.
SPEAKER_01If if I if I have caterers and they have this food, I would rather they bring them back to my guests than for them to take it back home. No, no, not take it back.
SPEAKER_00But I'm just saying that part of it is like Nigerians also eat too much.
SPEAKER_01Like, like for I I feel I feel that if you have made allocation for a certain amount of food, I would hate. That was one of the things and I just talked about, I would hate for the food that I have paid for to waste. Because it's not like the K3s are gonna say, okay, we we said you you said you wanted 150 plates, oh, we only did 100. This is the money back for 50. No, the 150 plates you paid for, that is what is going to be, you know, you're gonna be charged for whether people eat it, whether they don't eat it, whether they want more, that is it. So eat because I was looking at people like, are you gonna eat that? You're not gonna finish that. Why?
SPEAKER_00You know why they were not finishing their food? Because they're eaten so many other things. Eat more. They were leaving half half plates.
SPEAKER_01Loosen your corset, eat more. Don't waste my goddamn money.
SPEAKER_00I'll tell you for a fact that because there's so much demand on all these varieties of food, so people have gone for other events, other weddings, you've seen their friends' children, you're having it at their wedding, and they're like, Oh no, I want this, I want that. Even sometimes when the planner is trying to tell them that okay, you may not necessarily need some things because their friend has had it at their event and there's low-key some kind of healthy competition, they want to top it and they will even be telling you, Oh no, no, no, I want this, I want that. Oh no, let's add it. I saw this thing here, I saw something interesting, let's do this. And you know, depend also, you know, obviously, if you're going to be hiring an event planner, clearly you already have some type of money to make sure that you know you're hiring someone that's on understands your brief, the type of standards you are looking for. So you hear clients demanding for so many, so many um high.
SPEAKER_01But that's to be honest, I feel like that is a big problem in Nigeria, the topping it ism. Everybody wants to just my my my oh, I went to this event, they had this, they had that. You know what? They had cars. I want rocket ships in mine. I want to do this, I want to do that. Um, but let me ask you this, right? So when it comes to the things that people are very particular about, um, you know, when when they ask you to, you know, come and plan their event, is it the decor? Is it the food? Is it the entertainment? What is it that people want to are ready to pay the most on?
SPEAKER_00People are ready to break the bank for decor these days and food. And oh okay, more of decor. Let me let me so obviously everybody feels like that is what like you know introduces the event, like that's that's what sets the tone of the event. So um they pay attention to that decor because they want the aesthetics, everything to just look out of this world. In most of them, what they always ask for. I want something out of this world, I want something that you know speaks who's this class from you know when people come in and all that. And then food next. But even with food, you you will find some people trying to use some family and friends to cover up for these areas over like they want their decor to be amazing. We're not we're not even trying to shortchange. I mean, one or two people may not mind, like you have people that would have gone to get pictures from someone's wedding and come and say, Please can I get this exact um decor? But they want to use someone else that is probably not as you know skilled. Yes, but people don't try don't joke around with their decor, basically. It's usually like top of the range, like, oh, I definitely want my decor to look amazing, and then food, obviously, because nobody wants any embarrassment. And that's why getting back to what you were saying, most people really ask for these different items. In fact, I've had I have an event that we're doing. Seven courses. I mean, you don't have to eat everything, but it's available. You're not going to come at the end of the day to say, I did not eat. Rather, you say, In fact, I don't like to the events we do, we like it when the client the guests are saying, Ah, you people, you're tired people too much. That's when you know you worked. I'm not gonna lie. Because you don't want to be hearing the opposite, yes, or someone coming, one uncle or one aunt to say, Imagine I did not eat, I did not do the thing. It's those ones that say they did not eat when you watch the 15 times. Yes, and they're every time they'll say, Oh, when is the grill coming? When is this when is the dessert? Um, you've not finished your mean food yet.
SPEAKER_01Are you asking for I I like to plan? So it depends on what I'm at this is me talking as a guest, so it depends on what I'm wearing. If I see like a if if I know there's Amala, I'm good Patty Amala, I won't eat anything else. I'll even, you know, chill on the small chops. However, I will say this for people that are doing events, and please, this is this is honest feedback. I think it is so so important to make sure that your small chops is hot. There's nothing as disappointing. I'm I'm a small they could use small chops to kidnap me. Like literally, if they had like a, you know, I like puff, oh, they could use it to kidnap me. So it is very disappointing when you're there, and I'm still in my phase. I'm about to leave my face of my my phase of um corsetted dresses. Um, but I'm there and I'm like, okay, you know what? Today, I think the space that we have, I think we can do maybe some small chops and maybe small, you know, passiamala. And then I'm excited because obviously I didn't eat at home because I needed to get into this dress, and I'm excited, and they bring the plate of small chops, and I'm like, oh, glory. And it's not even like warm, it's just cold. And then the chicken is, and let the chicken be nice and succulent. Not the chicken that looks like it's suffered. I would like nice juicy chicken, and then you know, maybe samosa, spring rolls, nice spring rolls.
SPEAKER_00I just remembered something. I remember imagine pain, expensive. You know, when somebody has come to say, Oh, they're doing a wedding and the ashwabi is expensive, yeah. You are grumbling under your breath, but so that it won't be like you're not supportive. You buy the ashwabi, you get to the wedding, service is nonsense, food is nonsense. I went to this one wedding, even the pan wine had my gott inside. Oh my god. The small trucks was three, three puff puff, one sample. Wow, she counted. No chicken. I was no, no, I was counting. No, I waited.
unknownNo chicken.
SPEAKER_00There was no chicken. Oh, oh no, like it was, it was it was not nice at all.
SPEAKER_01Like, I was just like, and you were very adamant about this ashwabi, and I look at now because there's some weddings I've been to that I've been like, like you said, I'm like, don't I will say to them, do not come to this table anymore. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll be exactly anymore. They're bringing this. Oh my, do you want um there's grill, there's there's yama fish.
SPEAKER_00There's remember that one wedding where they even brought tea. I said, come, and it wasn't just it's not and there's something, it's not it's not a normal tea bag tea. Arabian tea, oh is this one tea? Is that one tea? I was just like, please, it's okay. I wanted to boss. See, this is why. First of all, I'm I'm beyond those corset dresses because you cannot wear them again. Iran Buba supremacy, please. I will wear Iran Buba for the last few Ashwebis I've done in the last two years is Iran Buba. I will wear Iram Buba and be comfortable and I can dance and I can move. Not the one where you're like this, yeah. Yeah, back to what you were saying about you know, expensive Ashabi, and at the end of the day, there's no food. I always there's something I always tell my clients don't joke around with that food. Going back to what you were saying about you know, you can't you need to just make sure that it matches what you have put out there, yes, because because your trendy crazy is expensive. Because I mean, I know I know someone that was selling the ashabi for four thousand dollars. What's the ash? If I'm if I pay four thousand dollars, yes. So obviously, that when you're buying that type of Ashby B you's calculated.
SPEAKER_01Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Let me just calculate that. Wait, wait, wait, wait. If I continue talking as I calculate this, what's the what's the rate now?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, let's say 1.41, but the 2.8, 2.5, 5.6 million. Obviously, we knew that of that year.
SPEAKER_01If it's one four, that's like almost six million. That's um 5.6 million. But I said, although it's a four point something. If I'm paying that much, I don't think I will ever, if I'm paying that much, I will be sitting with a couple. I will be there, I will sit there.
SPEAKER_00So apparently is a thing in their clique, and they always do that. So all of them, and obviously they're coming correct because he knew how much he has sold his asheb. Obviously, he was on us. Ah, we need to make sure this. Oh no, as this is how I want my waiters to be everything has to look at point. Every ah, no, they had every single thing. That event was one of one of the events.
SPEAKER_01No, but what were the souvenirs? That's what I want to know. If I'm gonna pay that much, I'll sit with a couple. I'll, or you you create like my own table on the stage. Your high table. And yes, yes, I will be part of the high table, and then I will get like a souvenir, which should be um some kind of very expensive electronic at the very least.
SPEAKER_00They had um travel bags, they had perfumes, they had one or two things, but the event was very, very elevated. It wasn't one of those ones whereby it was random. People really came and had an experience. What is your biggest pet peeve? Um, and this is us as guests, um, and you can speak also as a planner. What's your biggest pet peeve um at events? For me, you know, those people that roam about the hall with money. Yeah, I don't like it. You can go and change your money outside, but we'll give them a corner. But that they are holding notes and they are roaming about, it's just I'm like, where is your security? I like that you're saying that. Um, I mean, there are some events that that's actually their that's the vibe they want. The Owan Be ones, the Eurobar, Lagos Island people. That's when they in fact they will even tell you, please bring them in. How can you tell them to go out? How are these people going to spray us?
SPEAKER_01And they like changing money and the people that I reckon you I reckon you make more money.
SPEAKER_00Yes, because today.
SPEAKER_01Are you having a party to have a party?
SPEAKER_00Are you having a party so people have to spray you above for different reasons all in the above? Yeah, even behind scenes, we're talking about you know, people even using their weddings for content eventually. People have spent so much money that some people we actually cook their money back on the day. Yes, I think even that's some couples that they make their money back, and that's why some people are very particular about setting bands, and that's why they that's why they end up also inviting random characters to their events because you know that those ones will spread them and it will trend. See, I don't need to do the content. You know what? I don't need content will trend because of those things.
SPEAKER_01There's something, there's something very important that you said people do events for different reasons, um, and also, like in my experience, there was what I wanted, and then there you couldn't tell my mom nothing. She had like a her own, like, this is what I want. And after a while, like we, I was like, no, we're not gonna do this. After a while, I was just like, whatever. But I was I remember during my triad, it was like, go and dance, go and dance. What about Sony's playing? Sonny's playing. I had Sonny, um, um King Sonny idea, go and dance, that's what they'll spray you money. And I'm just like, and I remember my my feet. My feet were were like I felt like my feet were bleeding. So big shout out to one of my chief um bridesways, Orica. She had to like get under my dress to take off my shoes and like you know, um put slippers on me. And we're there just dancing, dancing, looking at the morning, like, I see it no feasible. No, no, no, keep that. Oh, yeah. You know, this and that. And then, and then, um, so my wedding, I it was, it was, it was crazy. It was crazy because I had like about 3,000 people at my wedding, number one. And my parents as well. I mean, you know, God, God rest my dad. So he was, my parents were like the main people that just they're wedding. They just it they it was just crazy. When we said we're getting married and you know, the dates had been given and everything. I asked my dad, okay, so what are your plans? What do you want? You know what? I don't know. I'm just gonna do maybe I'll invite maybe three Obas, three or four Obs. No, that's just go bed, go bed, I said, okay, all right, so you have to make arrangements because um traditionally Obas are not allowed to eat in front of people. So we're like, okay, fine, we'll just maybe we'll just, you know, do it, you know, somewhere. And at this point, my dad was thinking, uh, we're gonna do it at the palace. And I was like, oh, I don't, I want, you know, somewhere else. So there was already that. You know, then um about two weeks before the wedding, my dad would have been chill. He's like, what are the plans? What are the plans going on? And I was just like, yo, dude, you said you had like we we we've made arrangements for like three or buts he's like, no, 30 obas are coming. I said, what? So you know what we had to do? We had to get another canopy. Oh my gosh. Another canopy. And then, oh my gosh, like if I I've I I think I've told the story, but there was there, this was one of the first outings, um not the first, but one of the first outings for the um new Oniovi fair. He came with 30 people. Oh wow. He came with like 30 people. So I'm just like, yeah, and then um, so my bridesmaids' table was just there. Obviously, they were like helping me doing stuff and everything, and I just saw from the corner. So they had like a rope around it. They were like, this is for the bridesmaids and everything. I saw somebody like that was part of his crew just remove the rope. Yo, yo, yo, yeah. And I'm just, you know, me. I was about to be like, no, that's why they were like, shh, you're the bride. No, but where are my bridesmaids gonna sit? So after a while, I just I just sort of gave up. So it was it was it it was absolute chaos. So, how do you deal with stuff like that? With family, like, do you have, I'm sure you've experienced bridezillas, but do you have motherzillas, mother of the bridezillas? Yes, father of the bridezillas. How do you deal with that? What's let me give you two two questions. How do you deal with it and what's the worst situation you've experienced?
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay. So, how do I deal with it? I'll say that um nowadays I just make sure that I am seen and heard by all stakeholders. So, you know how back then it was always yes, you know how back then it was always just the couple that will come and tell you this is what I want. You've been taking notes as if you know they're the ones sponsoring their events. Then later on, you now find out that there's literally like obviously the parents that are doing a lot, they have their own expectations that are separate from what the couple wants, and there's one uncle that's probably dropped maybe 50 million naira somewhere, and that one is saying that he wants his tables, he wants this. So, literally, you need to ask the right questions. How many people are going to come on that day and feel like this party belongs to them outside of you? You know, and then obviously, for for brides and grooms that have high expectations, I'll tell you just pick a day. One day has to be for everybody to just pretty much enjoy themselves and then let's meet these people and ask them what their expectations are and prepare for it. So, for example, if the planner had probably had a one-on-one or continuously disturbing daddy, daddy. Um, you say, Okay, I'll be ready next week. I'll be ready. The day he now tells you that he's finally bringing his 30 Obbas, it's now easy for you to now plan in advance for those 30 Obbas and the people that are going to come with them because 30 Obbas will come with 10 other people. It doesn't mean 30 people. So, yes, it doesn't mean 30 people. So that's that's like that's 300, I'd be rough rough calculation. So you have to pretty much just make sure that you have their area codoned off, ready, nobody is going there. And even when they do come and tell you on that day that they have more, you need to have some backup tables that are ready. Yes. When someone here that we're having um dignitaries and we're having obas. In fact, that's one of the first when I when I get booked and I know the clients I'm working with, I'm already prepared mentally that the numbers they are giving me, I promise you, it is not the right thing. It's just the imagination. You understand? And that's why when it comes to all the food, I'm always really particular about let's have more than enough. Because I'm preparing myself for rainy days when I when you tell me that we're gonna have 500 guests and 1,000 people are in that hall. So the backup tables are and the backup channel and you understand, and then obviously these areas for these dignities for them to feel like they're the cool kids. So even though you have your bridal party, because you know how the mistakes we used to make in the past is that the bridal party are all positioned in their best areas in front, and then you think that everybody else will now um be out at the back. And then are you joking? They want to have their own palace too. So you create that palace for them and let them feel cool too, so that they're not iron where the bridal party, you know, are sitting. So I think that kind of corrects you. You have to just have emotional intelligence when it comes to that track when you know the type of event that you're doing.
SPEAKER_01So let me ask you this. So, okay, we said we're keeping this event for 300 people. So I want to have an event for 300 people. How um much, how many plates of food do I actually need?
SPEAKER_00Ah, you need to time. So I always say I calculate times two, I calculate times two, and then I just have all those my backup grilles, I just all those other smaller things that had because the thing about it, these smaller things will actually help you because if someone comes to your event and you just bring chicken and chips, they'll tell you that they did not eat at your event. I'm actually someone said, Yes, what they'll tell you that I didn't eat jollof fries. I didn't eat ah, well, if you passe you, they had the chicken and chips, so they probably even took the had had dessert because of the time they came in. So most people are really expectant of having like the whole full course. No matter what time they spend.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes, and that's why I'm gonna eat at your house or go to go to an eatery before you go to see events.
SPEAKER_00The thing is that the standard, so it depends on the type of client you're dealing with. If you're if it's like a small little, like okay, you can just tell them I'm sorry, food has finished. But there's some events that you can never say, you can't even say, you know, it's even a taboo in my own event to say food has finished. We have to look for that food. That's why my backup is always a win knife. There's any client that knows me, I'm always very big on backup food. That food that is coming in, piping hot later in the evening, it always saves a lot as well. Those ones, those ones are good.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so you said you you said like for um stuff like rice and everything, you do times two, but as a whole, yes, if you count the if you count like the grills, the different things, how many people no no no.
SPEAKER_00So the mains are definitely I always cut times times two. Yes, I always try to make sure that I have the time.
SPEAKER_01For this, for this for this event with 300 people, that's times two. So you're you're basically cating for 600 people. Yes. Then for the grills, how many, what what kind of quantity are you looking at?
SPEAKER_00Those those ones can just be like one off. So, for example, back then they'll tell you that everybody will not eat small chops. Is they lie? Are you going to pass something stable and say, Oh, sorry, you you cannot eat? Because back then we used to say, Okay, we grills, don't you don't have to do for everybody. But no, when you're especially when you're having intimate events, you have to actually make sure that every single person has that thing. Unless you offend people, you're not going to be passing. So basically, what I'm saying is that if you're doing you have 300 guests, you have to have 300 grills. So essentially, food-wise now, because and another thing I want to say, sorry, is most people don't leave early. You know how you were saying people leave, people are not eager to leave your events early.
SPEAKER_01Especially if there's food and drinking.
SPEAKER_00And if you see the beautiful, vibrant, and then they're now obviously people look at events as opportunities to network, especially depending on the type of event. Well, they are using it to catch up with their content to eat. Now you see content creators actually coming to the event to do their content. I was gonna ask that. I'm sorry, before you talk about that. Then um, oh my god. There's so much to talk about.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so it's like so are you I'm trying to I'm trying to get the exact numbers. So for this event of 300 people, from what you said now, you're catering for 1,200 people.
SPEAKER_00You you have to have enough.
SPEAKER_01I'll see you've got 600 for the food, 600 for like the jolo fries, all of that, then the then the grills, that's another 300. Yes, then the small chops, that's another 300. The small chops are another thing. So essentially, essentially, in terms of actual plates, that's like 1200, no? Yeah, more than that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but can you also have other have other things? In some weddings, they also do uh Gary. So that's where the budget comes comes in. Yeah, so you know how you were screaming when I said 80. If you're now one of those people that 30 million is my own budget, you can limit it to just small things, small chops, main food, desserts. We'll just let the people know that if you're coming and they're asking, oh, when are they bringing the girls? You know, people have expectations, right? If there's that society big auntie that is part of your family, she's coming and she's like, Oh, I'm so sorry, this is what we have. Do you understand what I mean? And then you know that you're managing the expectations. So, in the last few years, the economy has been getting tougher and tougher. How has this affected events? Have you seen people having less events or reduced um budgets or borrowing money? Borrowing money. What do you think people are doing? I won't really know if they were borrowing money. Are the events less lavish or are they more even getting more and more lavish? The people that come to me actually want more lavish. Okay. It's actually quite um so money ain't a thing. Like, like, I mean, we all love those very good clients that want you know quality and everything. However, people are asking, their demands are actually people want more personalized things, more custom-made things. I don't want my I want something that has not been done before. I don't want to copy this other person's event. I want mine to be better. So you hear things like that. But it might be obviously those people coming to me, you know. I mean, I'm I'm I I need I I know that for a fact that we've also, especially after COVID, we did start having more outdoor experiences and people actually saying, okay, you know, one of my events will be smaller because they do know that parents will hijack one. So let me have the other one smaller. So, yes, the demand for smaller, intimate events has actually, you know, skyrocketed, but the quality experience too. Yeah, I keep telling people, it's not about that. Some people spend even way more with those smaller events that someone that had 1,000 capacity is just particularly about just people eating and just having like I'm not having too much things, it's just going to be straight to the point.
SPEAKER_01What you know, what's the strangest request that you've received for an event? Like the strangest thing somebody has asked you to provide.
SPEAKER_00Oh, my days of doing like grand experiences, which okay, well, I'm going to resume again. But yes, our people ridiculous things, they want their cake to come from under the ground, they want to come from the top of the roof. I remember when. Bisola, that's what you like. I love you. I love you, but now it's like everywhere. So you have to keep on trying to think about oh my god, what next? What next? What next? I think I will. And I think that's like the big challenge. Like, you just have to just stay relevant and keep on like topping it. So what next after you are brought a couple down from the roof? Bisola likes like that. Oh, your cake is coming from the sky. She has experiences. But yeah, experiences are really a thing now. And then when you hear all those things, it actually gets me. I when I'm excited about your brief, I will go over and beyond. Have you ever had something go wrong? Like the cake is supposed to come from the case. And the cake fell or the couple fell. No, no, no, no, no, no. I've not had I've had I've had behind the scenes us going crazy because but we always would always find a solution. Okay. Client might not have known. So, for example, there was an event we had in Akura, and the generator could not power the device that we're going to use to bring the cake up. Okay. And it was getting close to that time when, in fact, it had even packed up. It wasn't even a case of that. And we're in Akura, I'm like, oh my God, like what was so obviously, thankfully, the person I brought, obviously from Lagos, who was helping me do the thing, was able to get a rented generator. But what we had to do then was to move the time of cutting of the cake. So later on, thankfully, the client did not really notice. I mean, they had sent a message that was like the program. It's as if the program is changing a bit, but because it was a lot of dancing, announcement, and we took advantage of it. And thank God we had an MC that had sense. Um, that one is very important because there are some MC that were announced. We're sorry, the event planners have not been able to, you know. Ah, yeah, yeah, there are some MC that don't have sense. But this one, he was he he we we told him, he was like, Okay, no problem, we should just let him know immediately we we have a solution or because obviously this cake was underneath, it wasn't a thing that we could go and carry it up. Anyway, thankfully, we're able to rent a generator just for the purpose of bringing it to the cake at all. A quick one that was just the body, we had to move the the timing later on to towards the end of the fact from couples say that some once they contact some event planners, they kind of force them to work with their vendors, this list of vendors, and they say if you're not working with this list of vendors, I'm sorry I cannot do your event. Is this does this happen? Some people do that because of convenience, they've been burnt in the back in the past, they've had situations whereby um because they were trying to be nice and accommodate different people, people have come and actually destroyed almost destroyed their reputation. Because obviously, if your event goes back, everybody just blames the event, everybody. Even I'm not going to lie to me, even if myself, even sometimes when clients tell me they have their vendors, I'm always very skeptical. Because I'm like, is this person recommending this vendor because she's her friend? They're not done their due diligence. Yes, exactly. It's always sometimes it's always about that. And I'm like, hmm, how am I going to just trust? Because people just blame the event planner. They will just say, is the event planner? Why didn't you advise your client? Why didn't you tell them this?
SPEAKER_01So to be honest, yeah, you see a TikTok story about you. Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Don't use so uh and they just don't understand that sometimes it's beyond what we have control of, and yeah, because I'm I'm not a decorator, I'm not going to go and the decorator meant like you're not. I'm just gonna drip this up. So it's always like um, sometimes for peace of mind, you just want to use your own vendors. However, I've learned to balance it. I used to do that before because I just wanted peace of mind. I felt like I had an 18. Once I have a job, I already know the people that will do what. And they would guess what? And they rely on it. They would do it beyond expectations because they know you keep coming back. So it's like almost like a don't do, your event is made. So when you now scatter that puzzle for me, it's like, oh, but you know what? I learned that to grow in the industry, you actually need to do that. Because if you're comfortable in your zone, you you don't even know what you're missing out. There are some people that might even be better at these people. So sometimes I do the mix and match thing whereby, okay, this event, okay, maybe I can try someone else. I can do this. I weigh the I weigh the risk. Have you ever had a client asks you for the some stuff that you're just like, no, this cannot happen. Like they've maybe had some wild requests, and you're just like, no, we cannot do that. Yeah, I've learned to say no. I've learned not to be a yes, ma planner. You know, you are there to manage and advise your client not to just be like, oh, yes, do this. Like sometimes when they're asking you for something that it's would hurt their event, you just try and make them see reason why they shouldn't be doing that. Wild animals. I've been a I've seen no not horse, I've seen a wedding where they brought a lion. It was a few years ago. It was just Nigeria. It was a Nigeria. A lion.
SPEAKER_01There was a lion in the water. Is it like a cooked one or a live lion? No, a live one. It was a live one.
SPEAKER_00It was no, this was years. This was long. Why, but why would why would you do that? Like because the kind of kinds that come to me, please. Can you not do that? No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01Now it would just be like that event that the lion walk and it's no no no no, what's it doing? Please there's no need to have a there's no need to do that. I've I've I have a question. Um, so we talked about food for a while. What has been um the largest amount that you've spent you've spent on decor?
SPEAKER_00Deco.
SPEAKER_01Oh, now like the largest budget you've been given to spend on decor.
SPEAKER_00100 million. People spend 100 million on decor. Just decor. What about events? From 900 million naira. I literally, my biggest budget last year was a wedding, 900 million naira. And that was just the ones I caught like the ones I took care of. Not too much. So you didn't even have the whole thing. Yes. So there were some things they took care of. So imagine if they added that to ours, then you can imagine. Well, yeah, people have the money to spend, and this is obviously no not trying to make people that have smaller budgets feel. I mean, you can have your 5 million naira wedding, 10 million, 15 million naira wedding, but just know you.
SPEAKER_01Are you about to say, but don't call me? Yay.
SPEAKER_00But just manage your expectations and don't go crazy. That's all I would say. Like manage your expectations. If you know you don't have that amount to just go crazy, like just um manage your expectations in different areas, like, yeah, that's all I would say.
SPEAKER_01I've got I've got two questions. What is that one thing that people are wasting their money on at events? And what's that one thing that they should actually, you know, spend money on? I I have I have like a an idea. I feel that wedding cakes are they're ridiculously expensive. I don't know what happened to my wedding cake. I know that we cut the cake, and I don't know. And when you're planning, you're looking at no, I want this cake with a tower and this and but after the cake, after the you cut the cake, I don't even like I don't even see people eating the cake. So I always afterwards I was like, you know what we should have done? We should have literally just gotten like a styrofoam cake and had like a half one of the layers, like literally half of the half of one layer should have just been where we cut and eat. Because nobody, nobody cares about the cake. Nobody's like, ah, I went to wedding, they didn't even give me wedding cake. Nobody cares about it. Am I wrong? Um, I mean, I love my own cake. I love seeing it, but it could have been a couple of things.
SPEAKER_00But it could be pretty, but not like something that's pretty six layers of. Yes, yes, I I I I agree. For my traditional wedding, I didn't have a cake. I didn't think I needed a cake. I don't know. So I kind of know how you mentioned it. I don't know what happened to my trad cake. Yeah, I got a cake, but I can't remember. We do have clients these days, I'll tell you, you know what, I don't really need a cake for my traditional wedding. I don't need well for the white wedding, obviously, just something pretty to look at and all that.
SPEAKER_01That was literally just for it's just for pictures. So, do you have anything else that you think people are wasting their money on?
SPEAKER_00Say that yes, wasting money on so many expensive outfits that they will never wear. Like a bridal room. And insisting that it has to be a particular designer. I'm not going to lie to you. I was burnt. I mean an event planner, but I was burnt from on my wedding when I was insisting on working on a particular designer, and she was not cheap. And at the end of the day, I should not give you this stance. What your planner is. And you can imagine everybody's looking at what Bisola is going to be. What it was your wedding. And I'm like, what is this? And you know, what did she have to say? I mean, I don't want to go back there, but my point is that sometimes you don't you don't even need to spend that much on those clothes, and you can there are so many people that can make those clothes to look amazing. I'm talking about people spending, I mean, again, I don't want to look as if I'm putting out scary figures out there, but there are people that charge you know 15 million and a bowl for outfits. Yes, they do, and at the end of the day, the service is so shitty, and you're like, what's going on? Excuse my French. Oh, you're not there, like I've got to. Yeah, so it's like I think like if I could take back, if I could go back, that's where I would have kind of like reduced my budget to spend somewhere else because there was a lot of money spent there, and to be honest, the people that didn't even charge as much gave me better service.
SPEAKER_01And what do you think people should actually spend their money on? What should you actually say?
SPEAKER_00I would definitely say the uh the look and feel of your day, decor, decor is very important. Your food, your drinks, your security, the people in charge of the entertainment, your MC, you your your okay, even if you don't have a band, when I used to go DC weddings, they didn't used to want to pay the MC back to the city. And now people have said, Yeah, that's one. I was gonna say, but also money on security because what happens is when your security is not tied, random people enter your wedding, and you can tell when some people were not part of the yes, people go the extra amount now. Everybody wants their event very like you know, people only the people are invited, you know. So we have these vendors that just for the event management aspect of you know, um scanning your QR codes before you come, so all that would have already been done behind the scenes, and so we don't we have less of people that are coming that are just showing up because they feel like oh they hear that is an event happening. It's there's more um focus on that area.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so what do you think are the biggest mistakes that people make when putting together um not you but your clients, the biggest mistake that people make in general when um planning events?
SPEAKER_00I think they don't do their I feel like every couple should at least have their own one or two um findings, findings anime before reaching out because what kind of findings? I'll talk about like general cost of things. So they're always shocked when you mention the cost. Yes, like just general cost, so you can just do plus and minus so that when you're hearing some figures, you're not looking like they're looking at you like a thief. And yeah, and then you can now make up your mind, okay, maybe I don't need it because you don't really need every all those things. Do you have half of the time some clients come to you and say, I want this wedding to trend? Ah, yes, so all the time they want it to trend, and you know, they are not even ready to do the things that will make it like I mean, they just want to do it.
SPEAKER_01Why do you want your event to trend?
SPEAKER_00That's what I'm saying. Like it's it's almost kind of I always kind of side eye you when you're trying to use your wedding as a springboard to have an influencer career. Or like have like a content creator. And so what they do is they want to they do everything in their power to make sure that that event trends so that they're now they've now all kind of become like a public figure-ish type situ uh person or whatever. So what so what do you say to people like that? I want my event to trend, I want it to be on every blog. I want it to be like I remember I know of someone who got married, and I swear they said that he kept telling his friends and grooms, hashtag and tag Bella Niger, tag Bella Niger, tag Bella Niger. He kept he said it over 20 times, and they were like, Calm down now. Yeah, why did you if that chuku just bought blog uh posts because you kept the person like tagged Bella Niger and all the wedding blogs for their life? Like to be honest, I actually don't have a problem with someone saying they want to train because that's also their opportunity to shine, you know. Um, all you superstars already, you know, you train regularly.
SPEAKER_01The next person, the next train that she's gonna be like, we should bring a lion. No, no, no, no, that's a lion.
SPEAKER_00But yes, I feel like um it's the opportunity to just a lot of people have spent a lot of money on their day. They feel like they have to reap from it either by either on the day where they're getting a lot of money, or in real life, you know, where they can even, you know, um use that opportunity to to jumpstart their career and whatever it is that they're doing, and through that um the hype they got from their wedding. And that's why they really want to go over and beyond, just so it's perfect. But the due diligence I'm talking about is also this. So you want your wedding to trend. You have to start doing the things that will make your wedding trend. Are you ready? Because that's in the lifestyle, the lifestyle cost. Now you know something, something you're bringing, uh you're bringing Temi or Tedola's wedding and saying you want the exact thing, but do you know what it means to have the thing? So you have champagne taste, but beer budget. So, I mean, I don't even have a problem with you doing that, but because there are a lot of very good creatives, but be realistic. Like, don't don't try and you're bringing that standard. Do you know what it is to create that type of standard? Or because obviously they are not probably they just they're just going with the flow and spending whatever they're doing. Be ready to at least hear some figures and don't make it look as if the person is making like I feel like people that over over over um undercharge and tell you, oh no, I want it to be low. Meanwhile, have you seen what you're asking for? You want something different, you want something that will stand out. You are comparing with standard of what has been done. The people that did it, they were paid multiples or millions of dollars. You know, there was one time they flew in a Lebanese decorator to Nigeria, yes, and they paid that. I don't even want to, I don't want this this program to be filled with figures I will scare people, but they were they spent a lot of money on that event. So you're saying you want that exact event and you're expecting that the fees will be should we even be scared if I tell you that that money that no, you can you can you can collect five million for that depot.
SPEAKER_01We've even scared we even had somebody tell us that they flew in the cake on a chip.
SPEAKER_00I have a client that's flying in her band. The people, the her the people that are going to be performing. I mean, people have the money. If you have the money, no problem, do your thing. You know, I don't even question things like that. I I love a good pastor.
SPEAKER_01There was there was a wedding that I went to um what's it about two years ago, and I it was, I mean, it was. I went there and I was like, wow. And we were just asking, and we found out that the decor was the decor was 500 million. That was wild.
SPEAKER_00So people are spending that money, but people are also spending less. And still getting, I mean, good, a good deal, but don't manage your expectations. Don't go and say, why is it not exactly like this other person? Meanwhile, that person spent 500.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so let's let's talk about it now. I say now I want to do, I want to get married, I want to do like an intimate thing, 50 to 100 people. Okay, you can still do that, and you don't have to break the bank for that. So, how do you how do you how would you create a unique event for um like somebody? Because I've been seeing it on Instagram where people just have like you know, little cute events, and they look like they had so much fun. So, how do you create something by inviting the right set of people, also, you know? So, what would you what would you what would you like a like a nice garden event now?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so if you have a nice garden event, you know, just uh just you can even rent some of the things that you use. You don't need to hire a decorator because most decorators, some people for them to even leave their like to do your event alone, they're already calling a figure that might make you shake a little bit. So if why not just do the rental thing whereby you can rent certain things, so that would definitely bring it down. Or I mean maybe get an upcoming person that's pretty decent, um, that can do something for you. So, yeah, you can have you can you once I feel like once the aesthetics is beautiful, you have you know, of your um the vibe and energy and everything, a good DJ is always a good idea, you know. One maybe one entertainment, and when I say entertainment, I mean like you know, outside of the MC, maybe just something that can get people dancing. And there was an event we did where they just got a choreographer that was teaching people how to dance on the dance floor, and that was really nice. So people are being very creative, you don't have to break the bank, honestly, and you'll have a great time. Drinks have it, but drinks are expensive. So, what so some people don't to care too much about the quality, you know. I have clients that are very particular. Oh, is it 18 years? Is it this? Is it that? Some people are not particular about that. As long as 11 o'clock, a good way, a good way to know save money is don't serve alcohol. What how will people have fun? But there's some people that they're like no alcohol. Christian parties, yeah, they're very Christian, and they're like no wedding that I told you that I that I attended that ended by five. There was no alcohol. Christian parties we came out of a wedding. We came out of a wedding night, it was still light outside. I was quite. So, what stood out about our event? Was it the the music? No alcohol, it was just nice to know alcohol. It was just the music was good, right? I can't even remember. All I remember is no cause. I'm not gonna lie, the type of people you invite to your event alone that can also help you. That's why sometimes I don't I don't blame certain people for picking and choosing who to come. Because some people they just come with their bad blood and they're just angry all over the place. And they're spoiling all your pictures. When you just bring all the people that just I think you can just always have latters in the room.
SPEAKER_01If you're going to have an event and there's no alcohol, it should clearly be stated on the invitation. Yeah. Because I get offended when I get to the city. I get offended when I get to when I go to an event and they're like, Oh, you want a mock tail? I'm like, why? I'm not pregnant. Give me something strong. I'm like, give me something that you know. I came to I like like I should not say drinker, oh, but that one drink gets me in the right, you know. I'm fine. I'm not the kind of person that will have like 10 drinks or everything. But give me like that one nice cocktail. I'm merry, I'm calm, I'm nice. I go to the bathroom, I make friends, but let it be alcohol is important, but not too much.
SPEAKER_00Not the most important, you know, but not too much as well.
SPEAKER_01Not too much. So I yeah, those things are important. Okay, so let's do a quick fire round. Get ready. We're gonna ask you these questions. Oh god. Okay, so oh my god. I still feel like we're gonna give you a challenge. We're gonna give you like your um, we're gonna find people. Actually, maybe we should give it to like our um off-air gang. Somebody that wants to plan an intimate event. We're gonna give her like five them. And you're going to do an event for like about 30, 40 minutes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, please. She's like, no, yes.
SPEAKER_01Small budget or big budget. What would you rather? Small budget or big budget.
SPEAKER_00Big budget. Luxury wedding or luxury birthday. What kind of events do you even prefer? I love both of them, but yes. Um, weddings are very emotional. Ah, let me say weddings, just so that's a good idea. Love my girl, weddings. Okay. I love my Lagos party. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but yeah, destination is good too, but man. Lagos parties. As a guest who has attended. A good one. A good one. A good Lagos party. For you to have a good destination party. Let me tell you how good Lagos parties are trending. I do have some people that reach out to me from time to time to say, please, can I just come and do content about Nigerian like events? Like the hype is so much. They're not Nigerian, but they're not Nigerians, they just want to come, and I'm like, oh my god, I don't do that. Because obviously, that would be like Lagos parties. Weddings are on some people's bucket list.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Because of how they they even do it as events. Yeah, they do it as events outside the country. They do like themed Lagos parties. So, I mean, are you joking? Uh-uh. Bridezilla or corporate clients? Corporate clients. All right. Okay.
SPEAKER_01One word that describes your brain.
SPEAKER_00Sorry, to also add to that, please. It's very important that to love and understand the type of planner you're you're hiring so that you can trust her and just be not be a Brazilla. Because I feel like all these Bridezilla, it comes from hurt of their transpiring aggression of maybe other things that have happened in all the wrong things that have happened in other people's events. They now put it on your head and it's like, don't you know who I am? You booked me and you're giving me all these. Some are just horrible people. I mean, oh please, I don't want to. Oh God, please. I don't, I definitely don't want a Bridezilla.
SPEAKER_01If you if you were if you are in a situation where somebody said, Okay, I have 1.5 billion for this wedding, and then you've heard that the person is a complete witch of a bridezilla. Like horrible. Like maybe, maybe like a fellow event planner that you worked with was like, she's so horrible. She made me cry. She complained about everything. Then afterwards, she was, it was such a horrible experience. But they've given you this crazy budget. Would you would you do the event?
SPEAKER_00Peace of mind over anything. That's 1.5. He will come and haunt you. I'm telling you, I'll get other ones. I'll rather do my other 500s and all that. It'll make up in the end. This is true. Don't go before you have to spend the money on therapy. She might even call you, she can call you out maybe because just something went wrong, and she's like, then that money you think that you you've spent na na na na na na na peace of mind over over money.
SPEAKER_01So the last question for the uh quick fire round one word that describes your brand.
SPEAKER_00Hmm, fiery. What she said, fiery. Okay, I'll say exciting.
SPEAKER_01Um words, exciting, exciting, exciting. Okay, yes, fantastic. Um, how can people reach out to you?
SPEAKER_00Oh, Bistella Trend D B on Instagram, even though I need to do more. But yes, um, yeah, Bistella Trendy on Instagram, trendy B events. Um, yeah, that's all, pretty much.
SPEAKER_01And last, last question. If you're planning um a say a December wedding, um, when should you actually begin planning?
SPEAKER_00Start in January, baby, if you can. You know, it will also help you cut a lot of costs because you'll be starting early, negotiating early, you know, instead of starting later on when everybody has doubled their prices. So start early. The earlier the better.
SPEAKER_01Okay, yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much for stopping by. This has been interesting. This just makes me realize that if I was getting married now, I'll just do like a nice garden. That's a nice garden. Just go to costs. No job.
SPEAKER_00Just manage your expectations, just have something decent. There's the love at home. It's too much, and then expensive.
SPEAKER_01And then the crazy thing is, um, especially especially for my child, it was it's just like a blur in my mind. I just remember I didn't even, so many people were like, I was parents. My mom had a blast. But your white wedding was in Dubai. That was that one. I was so when I eventually like let go and just said, Okay, my mom can do whatever. I feel like my mom even had another SOB as well because I was like, my mind, I thought I was smart. I was like, I'm gonna control the crowd. I'm going to have a particular amount of Sho B. I'm gonna have a particular amount of invites so I can control things. My mom's like, okay, okay, next thing there was a like, like I even think they went to the market to find something similar. They did that. So for the whites, I was like, I want it to be more intimate. I found out that um some rats till today. My mom is so upset with me that I did this. There was one um auntie that I didn't I wasn't very familiar with, so it was supposed to be like just you know, not everybody. So that's how she just told my mom she's coming, and literally it was per plate, and it was the way I wasn't cheap. So you know what I did? I called and I'm like, I'm so sorry, Auntie. I don't think we can accommodate you, blah blah blah blah blah. So I just told her that she can't come.
SPEAKER_00Is she is she still is she's talking to you now? They're not close. So it was alright.
SPEAKER_01It was alright. Everybody else coming out like it's per plate, so everybody would be fine. Nobody look if it was that, if you were that important, isn't it? Let me not talk.
SPEAKER_00Trust. I all I all I'll say is I know that um for some people, it's people look at their weddings as oh, this once in a lifetime type situation. There's still life after the wedding. Yes, just think about this for sure. Yes, for sure.
SPEAKER_01Because there's there's there's nothing quite like what's crazy is you spend that much on a wedding and it's like, oh my gosh, it's fantastic. It's this first of all, some of my outfits, I don't even know where they are today. Um, but then after the wedding, then you're like, oh, it's time to get a house.
SPEAKER_00And then you realize that all of that money has a as half down or something or on a house or a property or something.
SPEAKER_01So just think think wisely. I love I love that people are doing, are really thinking about like you know, intimate events where you have like a premium experience as well. Yes. I think that's that's definitely where I would go if I was gonna get married.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I like the idea of a premium um um an intimate event because you're inviting the people that matter to you the most. Even some of those people, when marriage starts, it's not like they're going to be there to help or assist you when you have anything. Like some of them, you don't even see them on. But at least the people that matter, they've been the part of your life. Because trust me, if you're just bringing randoms, those people, they'll just come gossip about the wedding, do this. So truly, me, I'm team intimate wedding any day, time, any day, anytime. You know, but I still enjoyed my own wedding. My wedding was a very happy five-day affair. It was a lot of and I'm actually, I don't actually maybe maybe I would have taken out the cocktail event, maybe I would have just done trad and just the white. I didn't really need to have all those plenty, plenty other ones. But it's not a startup because this is your this is your field. So you had to also show yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01So I'm gonna uh so I'm gonna end this with a question for not for you. This is you can answer actually. It's a question for um of air gang. So if you buy Ash or B, like really expensive Ashobi for a wedding, let's say what 250,000, 300. And number 100 key. Okay, let's say 200 250, 3,000, uh 300,000. And um you find out that the couple um splits before a year, are you entitled to a refund?
SPEAKER_00What's a journal now? It has that's ended.
SPEAKER_01What if what if they lasted like six months? Oh one yeah, look, I would jokingly be like, Are you guys gonna refund us? Maybe I'll make that joke. Anyways, let us know what you think about that. Thank you so much, Bisela, for stopping by. Best of luck with everything. I know I'm gonna see a lion and a whole zoo. I want to be a host very soon, and we'll be watching because there'll be somebody filming. Yes, we'll be watching. Yes, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00I appreciate it. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02Yay, okay, guys.
SPEAKER_01It is now time for Money Zone. This is brought to you by our good friends at Money Point. I've got a question for you. Should couples mix business and love?
SPEAKER_00It depends, ooh. It depends. Can you do can you do run a business with your husband?
SPEAKER_01Yes, but he has to look after the money.
SPEAKER_00Okay, why you spend it all? Yes.
SPEAKER_01So he's he's very, he's very budget, you know. I I will have like a rough idea of the budgets, but then it might sort of change. But he's just like the numbers, the numbers, the numbers. Yeah. Anyways, so our good friends at um Money Points have basically given us some advice. So if, like me, you kind of think it could work, but I think we'd need to think about it carefully. This is what they said. Mixing business and relationships can be rewarding. Note that word rewarding. Can be. But also complicated. Many couples start ventures together with shared passion, but without clear financial structures. Like I said, things can quickly become messy.
SPEAKER_00I think number one thing that causes, not that I think actually, according to research and also a lot of divorce lawyers, is not one of the number one things that cause breakups in marriage is not even infidelity, but it's actually money. So it can make things get really, really, you know, testy very, very quickly. So you need to be careful about that. And um, look, it's not easy to be in a relationship, whether you're married or whatever it is, but to now add the tension of money in on top, it can be very, very tricky. So there are questions around ownership, accountability, profit sharing, and things like that. And with Money Points, couples running businesses together can maintain transparency through a dedicated account because every transaction is uh recorded, the rules are clear, and financial uh conversations are based on facts and not assumptions. So this helps protect the relationship and the business. So make sure you download the Money Point app today.
SPEAKER_01Yes, lots of information on the Money Point app. Again, if you are a business owner or if you are just an individual, there's information on how to get loans. Um, if you're starting a business, there's information on how to run your business very, very well. Just to make sure you know exactly what's coming in and exactly what is profit. Not every single thing that is coming in is profit. So once again, make sure you download the Money Point app. Um get yourself a Money Point card if you haven't. If you have a business and you want to see when your money is coming in and you want to know exactly when it's coming in, uh, you can get like a money point um account for your business as well. All right.
SPEAKER_00On that note, want to say shout out to our guests for stopping by. It was really, really exciting to see. I know this is a topic that we we speak about from time to time on this show because look, there's many trends, there's so many things happening, and we just need to know what's going on. So if you have an event coming up, a special occasion, you can definitely reach out to her and she'll make sure that your event is on point. Just make sure you carry your money.
SPEAKER_01Yes, carry your money and and have an idea of what things cost. Uh, so final question, final, final, final question. I feel like I've said that a few times today. Um, think about the best event that you went to. What made it fantastic?
SPEAKER_00It was someone's wedding in Dubai. Everything was white from head to like everything, even the carpet was white. It wasn't that kind of carpet that you step in and it swallows your face. You sink into. See, and they had um fresh flowers, it was beautiful. Almost like, wow, if this looks like this, how does heaven look? It was so really, really nice. And almost everybody had someone taking care of them. So as soon as you drop your cup, would you like something? Which so at some point there was no menu. It was name what you want, and we'll get it to you. I will never it was at Palazzo Vasace Versace. I'll never forget in Dubai. I was just like, Oh my, I don't want to live this way, you know. Like I was at some point, I started calling out things. Uh I'll be like, Do you have me the head of a ram? They'll be like, Coming right up, ma'am. And could you do you have come with me? Give me a bullfrogment. That was the best event I'd ever been to. I would never forget that event. And it was planned by Funke Bockner. Oh, of course, of course, of course, of course.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, I'll never forget. I think one of the I have like a few, but for me, it's honestly, if um I'm with the right people, I think that's very, very important. If they're the right people, if the music is good, food is good, drinks are there, yeah. I can actually, you know, and then my outfit is comfortable. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so thank you once again for watching. If you haven't done so, make sure you like and subscribe. Make sure you do that. And also follow us on Instagram if you haven't done so. And we'll catch you next time. Have a fantastic weekend. Bye bye.