Nigerian Wedding Dress Codes, Event by Event

Nigerian wedding invitations tell you the date, the venue and maybe the colours. They never tell you the dress code.

Most of us have experienced it. We've got the white wedding figured out and guess the rest, which is how you end up overdressed at a registry and underdressed at the traditional in the same month. So, here's what every wedding guest should know, in the order things usually happen.

The introduction

This is the two families meeting properly. It's small, it's mostly relatives, and a lot of them are older. Think family gathering, not party.

Dress modestly. Shoulders covered, a longer hem, nothing too tight. The usual mistake is showing up in your wedding look, so save that. A nice day dress, dressed up a little, is perfect.

The court wedding

Court weddings are everywhere now and nobody tells you what to wear to one. It's a small room, it's over in an hour, and the couple is usually dressed simply.

So you should be too. The most common mistake is overdressing, and in a small room with everyone's phone out, you'll feel it. Go for clean lines and good fabric. Make sure it works for the lunch after, because there is always a lunch after.

The traditional

This is where the colour comes out. If you've been given aso ebi, wear it the way it's meant to be worn. If not, go rich. Deep colours, heavier fabric, a proper gele.

Don't treat it as the casual one because it isn't the white wedding. In plenty of families it matters more.

The white wedding

The bride is centre stage, so your job is to look great and stay out of her way.

Don't wear white, ivory or cream. That's the rule. People worry about black, but it's completely fine at a Nigerian white wedding.

Midi or maxi is the safe choice for a long day that starts in church. Jewel tones look beautiful in photos. And go for detail over volume, because a big dress in a church pew is a problem for you and for whoever is sitting next to you.

The reception

This is the party, and it's the most physical part of the day. You'll be dancing, spraying, sitting for ages and getting up again.

Wear something you can actually move in. The dress that looks amazing standing still and needs fixing every time you sit down will have you miserable by nine o'clock.

A few rules for all of them

No white, ivory or cream at any of the events, not only the white wedding.

Don't compete with the bride. You can look expensive without making the whole room look at you.

Take the heat seriously. A beautiful dress you're sweating through by noon stops being beautiful.

And expect bad photos. Someone will catch you mid-chew from a terrible angle and post it before the cake is cut. Wear something that looks good from the side as well.

You don't need a new dress for each one

Most of us attend several weddings a year, each with three or four events. Buying for every single one is how you end up with a wardrobe of dresses worn once.

Two or three good pieces will cover most of it. Change the shoes and the jewellery and nobody notices. That's how we design at AMARAÉ, for the court wedding on Thursday and the reception on Saturday.

Shop AMARAÉ for dresses that last the whole wedding day. Delivery across Nigeria and worldwide.

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