Elizabeth & Alex’s Elegant Nigerian Wedding at Froyle Park

There are some weddings that stay with you long after the final song has played, and Elizabeth and Alex’s beautiful celebration at Froyle Park was definitely one of them.

Set in the Hampshire countryside, their wedding brought together an elegant outdoor ceremony, a beautiful neutral colour palette and a traditional Igbo celebration filled with family, culture, music and plenty of dancing.

As their wedding coordinator, my role was to bring all of those moving parts together and make sure Elizabeth and Alex could enjoy the day they had spent so much time planning.

An Elegant Outdoor Ceremony at Froyle Park

The day began early, with hair and makeup underway while the supplier team gradually arrived and began transforming the venue.

Elizabeth and Alex had chosen a soft nude and neutral colour palette for the wedding, with warm creams, beige, blush and brown tones running through their styling.

Guests arrived from midday before making their way to the outdoor ceremony space.

One of the loveliest details was the live music. Quattro Strings played as guests arrived and later serenaded Elizabeth down the aisle, creating such a beautiful atmosphere for the ceremony.

Once Elizabeth and Alex had said their vows, the newlyweds were greeted with a confetti moment before everyone moved into drinks, canapés and photographs.

It was the perfect start to the celebrations.

From the White Wedding to a Traditional Igbo Celebration

What made Elizabeth and Alex’s wedding particularly special was that the day wasn't centred around just one ceremony.

After their outdoor wedding, the couple and their wedding party changed into traditional Nigerian attire ready for the second part of the celebration.

And this was when the energy of the day completely changed.

The traditional Igbo wedding began with Alex and his groomsmen making their entrance, followed by Elizabeth's mother and her friends dancing into the reception.

Elizabeth then made her first entrance with her bridal party before the traditional breaking of the kola nut.

Her father invited members of both families to join him before blessing the kola nut in Igbo and blessing Elizabeth and Alex's marriage.

It was such a meaningful moment and a beautiful way of bringing both families together.

The Search for the Groom

One of my favourite parts of the traditional ceremony was Elizabeth's second entrance.

After another outfit change, she returned for The Search, a traditional part of the Igbo wedding ceremony.

Elizabeth's father gave her a cup of palm wine and asked her to find her husband amongst the guests.

With music playing, she made her way through the room searching for Alex before eventually finding him and offering him the palm wine.

Alex drank from the cup to accept the marriage, before the two of them returned to Elizabeth's parents together to receive their blessing.

The traditional celebration ended with Elizabeth being welcomed by Alex's family before the newlyweds finally took their seats as husband and wife.

Four Looks, One Wedding Day

Elizabeth definitely wasn't afraid of an outfit change!

Across the day, she moved between her white wedding dress, two traditional Nigerian looks and a final reception dress for the evening.

Coordinating a wedding with several outfit changes means the timeline has to allow enough breathing room for the couple to change without the guests ever feeling like they're waiting around.

Behind the scenes, we were constantly looking ahead to the next part of the day, making sure suppliers were ready, the MC and DJ knew what was coming next and guests were where they needed to be before Elizabeth and Alex made each entrance.

That preparation helped the day move naturally from one celebration into the next.

Then It Was Time to Party

Following the traditional ceremony came speeches and toasts from the people closest to Elizabeth and Alex.

The couple then changed back into their reception outfits before dinner, drinks and the evening celebrations began.

Their first dance brought together Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley and All of Me by John Legend, followed by a father-and-daughter dance.

Later came the cake cutting, photo booth, caricature artist, bouquet toss and, of course, plenty of dancing.

By this point, the carefully planned timeline had done its job.

It was simply time to enjoy the wedding.

Coordinating Elizabeth & Alex's Wedding

Weddings like Elizabeth and Alex's are exactly why wedding coordination can make such a difference.

There were multiple ceremonies, several outfit changes, an extensive wedding party and a brilliant team of suppliers, all with their own arrival times, setup requirements and responsibilities.

My job wasn't to change the wedding Elizabeth and Alex had planned. It was to understand their vision, take responsibility for the logistics on the day and make sure all those separate pieces came together.

From coordinating supplier arrivals in the morning and keeping the ceremony on schedule to working alongside the MC, DJ, caterers, photographers and décor team during the traditional celebration, there was always something happening behind the scenes.

The goal was for Elizabeth and Alex not to have to worry about any of it.

They could simply be the bride and groom.

And that's exactly how it should be.

Elizabeth & Alex's Wedding Suppliers

A wedding like this takes a team, and it was lovely working alongside so many brilliant suppliers:

Venue: Froyle Park Country Estate

Wedding Coordination: Koso Kreates

Photography & Videography: Little Forest Studio

Décor: Usman Red Velvet Décor

Catering: Wale Grills

Wedding Band: Quattro Strings

DJ: DJ Special D

MC: Mazi Onuwuka

Bridal Bouquet: Sonning Flowers

Wedding Cake: Banker 2 Baker

Hair: SDHairBridal

Makeup: Deji Racheal

Photo Booth: Effortless Events

Caricature Artist: Cool

Wedding Attire: Abiks Couturier

Photography by Little Forest Studio.

Planning a Nigerian Wedding or Multicultural Wedding?

If you're planning a wedding that brings together different cultures, traditions or multiple ceremonies, having someone there who understands the full running order can make a huge difference.

Your wedding shouldn't feel like a timetable you're constantly trying to keep up with.

At Koso Kreates, I offer wedding planning and on-the-day coordination to take care of the logistics, suppliers and timings behind the scenes, leaving you free to actually experience your wedding.

Planning your own wedding? Get in touch with Koso Kreates to find out more about wedding planning and on-the-day coordination.

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