My big, fat Nigerian wedding: Inside Lagos's bridal boom

18.05.12

Osunkoya should know. With his wedding gowns highly sought-after by Nigerian brides, he attends about 15 of his clients' weddings in Nigeria each year, and his London-based label, Kosibah , is at the heart of that country's booming wedding industry. Last month, it was one of 129 businesses exhibiting at Lagos' Wed Expo exhibition , which drew 10,000 attendees over two days.

"I would say weddings are one of the fastest growing industries in Nigeria right now," said the event's organizer, Akin Eso. "A lot of people term it that they're 'going into events' -- but the money is really in the wedding industry."

The publisher of Wed magazine, a wedding-focused title that launched in Nigeria last year, Eso said the typical Nigerian wedding has evolved in recent years into a high-concept "production."

Up close with Rwanda's endangered mountain gorillas

Source: CNN

Miss Conduct Can I wear white to a wedding?

18.05.12

I like your attitude: drama-free, upbeat, willing to examine the possibility of being wrong. You sound like a keeper to me. Was your girlfriend similarly objective and good-natured in her criticism?

If the comedy club was, er, sketchy, then you definitely should have waited for your girlfriend, or any friend, to rejoin you rather than leave her to walk back alone. And it’s a pleasant courtesy in any case to wait for the person with whom you are freshening up, though it isn’t mandatory.

Apparently, though, it is with your girlfriend, and that is whom you need to pay attention to. You’re treating her like you treat your friends, which is a good starting place. (Some people treat their romantic partners much worse than their friends.) But every significant other wants to be treated differently, better than a friend. We want to be looked after, catered to. Cherished a bit, as long as it’s in a way that doesn’t make either of us feel silly or put upon.

Source: Boston Globe

Tell us a story, score a wedding dress deal

18.05.12

The average wedding dress costs between $900 and $1,280, according to WeddingStats.org . For many brides, that makes the gown second only to the reception/catering in terms of wedding day expenses.

So we want to help you out.

To celebrate the Vow Wedding Show, taking place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at the Holiday Inn on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, we are giving away $250 toward the purchase of a wedding gown. The contest is open to all brides-to-be and the winner gets to choose any bridal salon in the Capital Region.

Sounds good, right? Now here's how you can participate (make sure you use the below as a checklist, because all guidelines need to be followed in order to qualify):

In 200 words or fewer, tell us about the relationship with your maid-of-honor and/or how you chose her for this role.

All entries must be submitted to me via email to kbarlette@timesunion.com .

Make sure "Vow contest" is in the subject of the email.

The deadline is Monday, May 14, at 5.p.m.

Source: Albany Times Union