Congratulations! You’ve just gotten engaged!!!

But hey, while you go around “singing and making merry like Christmas-“ about your f-i-a-n-c-e, the ring, and his proposal, remember there’s a lot of planning and HUNTING to be done!

 Sounding a bit harsh? Well… all I want for you is a fairy-tale wedding.

 So? Every bride should have her wedding V menu…Hold on! I don’t mean the one placed on tables at restaurants o! Am talking about the Venue menu here!

You see Lagos doesn’t sleep- from our Friday night hangouts to the famous “Aso” Saturday owambe’s, choosing the right venue and choosing it quick is very necessary and yes it ‘s urgent too!

 Your venue is like your oyster- you can play with it, think with it, and create an idea within it…  you can do all sorts of things in it.

 Imagine, all the childhood fantasies you had about your wedding day. Imagine that it comes crashing down all because careful considerations’ regarding choice of your venue wasn’t made!

 I’ll be stoned dead by my sisters if that happens to me!

 You don’t want to turn into a bride to the Zilla on your wedding day because your church ceremony could not fit all your guests or it’s taking you a lengthy hour and 30 minutes to get to your wedding reception!

 And you know Lagos Traffic?

 If I am your guest and your church ceremony is too cramped, say you couldn’t get a bigger outstation for your field of guests and as such we are arranged not by choice but by necessity like sardines…

 Here’s the kind of conversations I’ll be having- in my head of course!

 “On top one wedding sha? See how everywhere is packed, no seats and with my heels again? All for Tina’s wedding. (Assuming the bride’s name is Tina) If I hear that I attend any thing Tina does in Lagos again!” let…

 Yes I know back in my mother’s days- weddings took place in the brides’ father’s compound and there was no need for a venue as such but hey! Time changes yesterday.

 Now venues have gone global…and you are left with so many choices that your head starts spinning!

 And in this our Lagos… you’ll be spoilt for choice in deciding which venue to use and so would many other brides who are on the hunt!

So from Expo center to Havillah and a whole range of outdoor choices the sooner your venue hunt becomes your wedding menu the more likely to get the best choice.

 By attending weddings and being an event planner, I have on several rather unfortunate occasions come face to face with some Major wedding disasters all because someone did not get the V menu right!

This cracks me up but in a bad way.

I imagine paying so much to order a meal and after tasting, now, just a fork of it, I feel it would have been best if I fell off my chair or smashed a glass! That’s how bad choosing the wrong venue can affect your wedding day making it not so memorable.

 Since I don’t want this ever to happen to you; here are 7-baby bulletproof points to getting your V menu right;

• Discuss with your spouse on the kind of wedding you would love to have. Hear what your partner has to say and be ready to compromise! It’s 2 people getting married to become one!
• Your wedding reception venue should be within 25-30 minutes from where the church ceremony is taking place. So deciding earlier what kind of ceremony you would have helps to highlight what areas your wedding venue should be… and remember Lagos traffic spears nobody
• Once you have decided on your venue, ensure you know the rules and regulations that apply in the venue and also their flexibility regarding vendors.
• Start working on the budget with your spouse once the venue is sorted.
• Don’t forget about your guests- if it’s an out of town wedding ensure you provide a travel guide suggesting hotels close to your wedding venue
• Have a clear cut idea of the number of guest you would love to have at your wedding before you start thinking of a venue.
• At the initial stages say 12 months to your wedding be flexible about your wedding dates so that you can have a variety of choices. But if your date is set in stone ensure you check availability at your desired venue.
• Seek expert advice, it’s not a DIY situation, it’s your wedding day! A wedding planner will guide you in choosing your wedding venue as they have experienced weddings countless of times and would know what suits your number, budget, location and YOU!

Cheers,

Oaken Events

So… I was thinking about this really colorful Disney inspired birthday party we had for MK the most beautiful little princess ever!

It’s really amazing seeing kids recognize adults in Disney costumes… I remember hearing choruses from the kids when they spotted  a familiar character. Varying “ look, it’s! Tinkerbelle, she has wings! Then there was the constant chorusing of “Snow white  can you take us to the bathroom?”, and the inevitable Alice where is your rabbit? But this sounded more like  “Alice where’s your ‘Wabbit” lols!

Planning a themed birthday party for a child is inspiring and tasking too! From the sketches, fixing different patterns and color hues to the funny yet spectacular selection of characters and costumes especially when it’s the adults getting all dressed up for the party!

lovely!

 And the balloons with all the single pictures of the princesses in their toddler  tables… I still giggle at the thought of the toddlers been fed in their tiny little chairs,  like a true Disney party! really cute!

Aren’t we forgetting something: “zee cakes”.

We had the Minnie mouse inspired cake, in the form of a “topsy turvy” hat and our priceless castle and princess cake make by the one and only Cakes by Tosan!

                        

 

 Remember the Prince Ali Ali Ali of blah blah, sound track? The musical tune is hard to forget!

The kids still had a feel of the Arabian Night with Jasmine and Alaadin inspired characters acting the role as the kids strolled into the tent like booth for a taste of every thing  fantasy!

On a lighter note, Snow-white seems to be enjoying the royal knights guardianship!.

Like in all Disney endings; there’s fun, color, sparkle and love and A Happy Ending!

Cheers!

There’s a face to everything spectacular as a taste to everything delicious…

Cakes have been a tradition nurtured through time…a craft many have come to revere, use and present as a gift on birthdays, love days and for some all days…

As Valentine draws near, we are expectant, filled with joy and the happiness that this day brings- the gift of sharing with love.

This Valentine… as our guest feature also, Cakes by Tosan will be taking you on his discovery through cake making and the special packages he has for this Season of love…

Cakes by Tosan is a foremost cake maker, sugar craft and confectioneries company in Nigeria. Their cakes are considered masterpieces because they perfectly combine excellent taste with spectacular looks, and have over the years utilized an exclusive blend of impeccable creativity and excellence to consistently deliver value to customers.

See our brief interview with “the purpose fulfilled Tosan”:

Where and how did you gain your experience?  At a very early stage in my life, I discovered an innate ability to be creative. So after I left Ibadan, I was left with two choices, First, was to tow the path of survival and join the “career rat race”, The second was to harness my God given ability and become “the purpose fulfilled Tosan”, Following this decision, I moved to the UK in the mid 90’s to hone my skills, while in the UK I attended courses and worked for some of the biggest cake shops for over four (4) years.

 For how long have you been decorating cakes? About 30 years put together.

 What got you interested in Cake decorating?

I got an early exposure to the art from my late mum, who used to make cakes, as the last of her five boys; I used to help when baking. Sometime in 1983 she passed on and coincidentally that was the year my eldest brother was getting married. I decided to take my chance with his wedding cake and it turned to be a good attempt.

What has made Cakes by Tosan one of the most sort after cake confectioners in the Nigerian market?

The God Factor, Unwavering commitment to excellence, Continuous learning and PASSION for what we do

 When you are decorating cakes, how does it make you feel?

The genius meets the giant in me and creates a deep sense of fulfillment.  

 Lastly can you tell me about your valentine package, and what they all signify (with relevance to valentine’s day) as cake is one of the most delivered presents during this period:

We have designed our valentine cakes to help our clients express the message of the season in a simple, concise and classy manner. Our valentine cakes come in a variety of flavors to suit individual’s preference/taste. Similarly we are offering a 10% discount on select cake sizes  

To book; reference Oaken Events through Email: mercyagba@yahoo.com or

Mobile: 08034636663.

Thank you for reading be social this season and share this season!!!

It’s valentine again! It’s the season were the heart finds its comforter, where trust is revived by genuine expressions of love among lovers, friends and families.

It’s a season of loving and giving, of trusting and embracing the good things that love brings forth.

What have you in mind as a surprise for that special someone? The tradition though has no particular set of gifts as the main contents of your parcel…

In the spirit of this season, which is just four days away, Oaken events more than anything, wishes that you offer the right gifts to your loved one(s).

Imagine the craftiest fruits as present! And did you know that Strawberry is the fruit of love?

In other to ease your decisions as the much awaited day approaches, our featured guest for today Stephanie Olopade, “The Fruit Designer” is just all you need to realize that dream of a memorable Valentine, she is here to guide you through your preparations of love for February 14.

Stephanie Olopade, the Artistic Director of Concepteur de Fruitée is a multitalented lady with interest in fashion, Arts, Interior decoration and Food.  Her passion for all things creative and beautiful gave birth to Concepteur de Fruitée, where her creative mind does the most amazing things with fresh fruits.

See our brief interview with The Lady and her amazing craft…

• Please tell me how you developed the name “concepteur de fruitee”? Concepteur-de-fruitee is a French word and it means “The Concept of Fruits”

• Where and how did you gain your experience? I am self-taught and the passion for all things beautiful and unique fueled it.

• Where does your inspiration / love for fruits come from? For me, fruits are the representation of the beauty and ingenuity of God…what is not to love? The colors, the shapes, the taste, the health benefits, the list is endless.

• For how long have you been doing this? For about a year now.

• How do I explain what you do to people who are new to your craft? Just call me “The Fruit designer”

• From your website and at various high class events your services are always sort after, what would you say is your secret? To be honest, it’s the favour of God.

• Which fruit would you describe as all-purpose? Watermelon is the most versatile fruit for my business.  It’s got the largest surface to carve on and allows for the use of 3 different colors, the green, the white and the reddish colors. Then it works well in juices, smoothies, and platters.

• What two fruits do you suggest lovers have on Valentines Day? The Strawberry is the fruit of love no doubt about that. The heart shape and the red color definitely place it above every other fruit. The other fruit is the cherry, which is also very lovely. Apparently both fruits go very well with champagne.

• Since your fruitee concept is unique how do you propose to catch lovers this valentine’s season to patronize your services? Firstly this medium is fantastic and highly appreciated. We are also using other means like the bb multibroadcast, word of mouth, Facebook, Twitter and our website.

• Lastly can you tell me about your valentine package, and what they all signify (with relevance to valentine’s day) and how Concepteur de Fruitee can make Valentines Day more Exotic? We have very interesting and unique offers for Valentine’s. We have the heart shaped strawberry basket called “My Red Valentine” then there is the ‘multi-chocoberry” which is a bouquet of Chocolate coated strawberry, We also have the Box of Chocomix which is Strawberry coated in different colours of chocolate and covered in different toppings, (coconut, sprinklers and almonds) then we have the “Pineapple daisy bouquet” which has all the fruits made into flowers and lastly we have “glow in the dark sex dices”. All these fruit packages come with a balloon, a teddy bear, carved scented soap in a heart shaped case and a helium inflated heart shaped balloon. Everything is in keeping with the season of Love.

 To book; reference Oaken Events through Email: info@concepteur-de-fruitee.com and Mobile: 08029999947.

Photo credit for thumbnail: www.flickr.com/photos/tomoh

Thank you for taking time out to read this. Have a Fruitee Valentine!!!

Exquisite designs always has the exciting rippling effect on couples.

We are indeed grateful that our Community Social Responsibility projects are effective and recognised.