From knowing of each other for years to a surprise proposal at a birthday party, step inside Elizabeth Falola and her husband’s intimate two-part Nigerian wedding in South East London.
The Story So Far
I knew of my husband for years through one of his sisters, but we only properly met and started talking in 2023. Then, on Christmas Day 2024, the conversation went on a little longer than it needed to, and here we are.
The engagement story is my favourite to tell. I was secretly planning a surprise for his thirtieth birthday with his family and closest friends. At the same time, he was planning to propose that same evening, thinking it was just a quiet dinner for two – exactly the no-audience proposal I’d always wanted. It sounds mad, but just before we left for his birthday dinner, I asked him to practise proposing to me because we looked so good. That’s when he knew I had no clue, because I would never say that if I did. The only reason I was so genuinely surprised is that I was completely focused on his birthday. If it had been any other date, I’d have known he was proposing.
The ring itself is a pear-shaped diamond surrounded by a halo and set in platinum – almond-shaped overall, and so sparkly, which is exactly my style.
Venue
For the traditional wedding, we hired Hobart Hall and had it decorated to fit the day. The night before, we had a games night at a mansion with just the bridal party.
For the white wedding, we married at our church, which is honestly such a beautiful space. Our reception was at Papi’s Grill in Dartford, our favourite Nigerian restaurant and somewhere we go all the time. Because it was an intimate wedding of fifty guests, we hired a decorator to transform the restaurant into a proper wedding venue for the night, and it was one of the best decisions we made. It’s also right by Danson Park, such a beautiful spot, so we took all our wedding photos there before heading to the restaurant. We’re both big on food and drink, and for us, good music and good food are what make a party – which is exactly what we wanted. We didn’t have any other events before or after either wedding.
Fashion
My wedding dress was custom-made by Perfect Occasions. After trying on countless silhouettes, we landed on an A-line with a basque waist – the one that made me light up every time. My stylist designed it from scratch with couture-inspired bodice details, and at the final fitting we added a lace choker we’d spotted in the bridal shop, the finishing touch that pulled the whole look together.
For the traditional wedding, my aso oke outfit was by Lara Evelyn, designed around thunder-and-lightning detailing to reflect strength, balanced with deep blue undertones and Chantilly lace for softness. My second look, an Oleku-style outfit by Abeni Vogue, was inspired by the vintage looks our mothers and grandmothers wore, in damask fabric and dry lace, with a dramatic lace cape added since I was the bride.
My husband used the same designer, Johnnie Fits, for all his outfits – both traditional looks and his white wedding suit.
Jewellery
I sourced all my jewellery locally, from Lagos market. There were no named brands involved; I just tapped into the local community of makers and sellers there, and the quality was still excellent.
Bridal Party
I didn’t have ushers, flower girls or page boys, just bridesmaids. They wore custom dresses made to their measurements by Ella Couture, a Nigerian brand, and they looked beautiful. For their gifts, I put together boxes that included a Nao vest top from Kai, a Nigerian-owned brand; a Rituals pillow and body mist; a bracelet from Lily and Roo London; a hairbrush and hair oil from Cantu Beauty; plus a body mist from Superdrug.
Transportation
We had friends with the fanciest cars pick us up.
Tablescape
We kept this quite minimal. After watching a video about how wedding favours are one of the biggest wastes of money – they usually just end up in people’s boots – and realising I still had favours from other weddings sitting in mine, we decided to skip them entirely. Instead, we had candles, which felt like a lovely understated touch, and glasses engraved with our wedding date and our initials for guests to take home.
Food & Drinks
My absolute favourite was the fish – the whole fish – since it’s the restaurant’s speciality, and they kept the same standard for our wedding. For starters we had asun (peppered goat meat), prawns, suya wings, tozo suya and spring rolls. Mains included lamb chops with rice, Femi’s fish with yam or plantain, and BBQ or suya chicken with rice. For dessert: sticky toffee pudding, apple crumble and chocolate brownie. To drink, we had Chapman (a Nigerian cocktail made with Fanta, Sprite and grenadine), piña colada, mojitos, water and soft drinks. People had so much food that they ended up taking some home, which honestly is my love language.
Entertainment
We played music all night, mainly Afrobeats and old-school Nigerian songs. Our first dance was to ‘Kunra’, a song my husband wrote for me about our love and companionship, which he sang live on our wedding day. We even shot a cheeky music video for it, with me starring, which is now on YouTube.
Beauty Regime & Wellness
I’m obsessed with skincare, so in the run-up to the wedding I had microneedling and a HydraFacial, all documented on my Instagram. For my hair, I started having trims and treatments every four weeks beforehand, since I wanted to wear my natural hair on the day. My makeup artist has done my makeup for years, so we didn’t even need a trial – I trust her completely.
Favourite Wedding Gifts
I had a wedding gift list, and a few favourites really stand out. We were given a box of L’Occitane treats, which my friends knew I’d love since I’m obsessed with the brand. I also received some beautiful lingerie that I haven’t worn yet but still treasure. The gift that means the most, though, is a painting of a pregnant woman, which we’re putting up in the house. As a midwife who loves all things pregnancy, that one felt like it was made for me.
Honeymoon
We’re going to Thailand in January for three weeks, island-hopping.
Advice
First, please yourselves, as someone is always going to have an opinion anyway. Second, pick your bridal party for their skills as much as the friendship; you’ll need it. Third, never take the first price a vendor gives you – always negotiate. You’d be surprised how much lower you can get it.
With thanks:
Bride: @mamadinya
Groom: @mo_shoba
Venue: @papisgrillresturant
Styling & Creative Direction: @theweddingconsultantng
Photography: @derustudios
Videography: @gtrulyweddings
Content Creator: @shotbystunners
Tableware: @rayandroses
Wedding website: @withjoy
Photographer: @derustudios
Videographer: @gtrulyweddings
Wedding rings: @blueangeljewellers
Makeup: @breelliant_
Hair: @novatressuk
Bridesmaid gifts: @kaicollective @rituals @superdrugpr @lilyandroo
Stylist: @theweddingconsultantng
Wedding Planner: @vkweddings_
Wedding Dress & Veil: @perfectoccassionsbridal
Aso Oke Outfit: @lara.evelyn.designs
Reception Outfit: @abeni_vogue
Reception Jewellery: @theweddingconsultantng
Outfits: @johnniefits
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