Baileys Nigeria & BellaNaija Weddings’ second WONDERLAND bridal event brought together 30 lucky brides-to-be from all over the country. There were unforgettable bonds made and many Baileys moments to remember – the 2016 edition of #BBNWonderland was truly a dream come true!
Inspired by the friendships formed with the #BBNWonderland brides in 2015, Wonder-land 2016 was as much about friendship as it was about love.
Cheers! Don’t Mind if I Baileys!
#MyBSquad was about celebrating the women who are pivotal in making dreams come true. For the brides, this means their sister-friends and BFFs who encourage us, who are pivotal to on the path to forever.
Over 1,000 entries came in from accomplished and amazing Nigerian women. Stories of love, laughter and now happily ever after, shaken and stirred with humour and unforget-table tales of going the extra mile for true friends – BellaNaija Weddings and Baileys is so happy to be part of these brides’ journeys.
The WONDERLAND journey for the chosen brides started with a luxe 3-in-1 invitation box including a tiara, miniature Baileys bottle and acrylic invite fromParchment by Dami, with the top cover saying “Your Fairytale Begins…”
The brides-to-be out from out of Lagos were flown in for all-expense paid weekend, picked up by an Uber and checked into the luxurious Intercontinental Hotel to begin their journey into Wonderland.
Awaiting them, was an invite to attend a surprise slumber party hosted by Baileys and anchored by editor-in-chief of Genevieve Magazine, Betty Irabor, who gave them pre-cious advice, as an entrepreneur and married mother of 2 for over 30 years.
There were also games and lots of fun Baileys moments.
Later on, we were also joined by Kehinde Daniel of Kots Catering, entrepreneur and married for almost 25 years.
The Brides with Betty Irabor and the BBN Team! Guinness Nigeria Portfolio Director Spirits & RTD - Adenike Adebola, Baileys Nigeria Brand Manager – Ufuoma Udjoh, Bel-laNaija Founder CEO – Uche Pedro & BellaNaija Weddings Editor – Ink EzeWonder-land day was here!
The ladies were treated to a movie star-like morning with makeup and hair byBM|Pro, photoshoots by top photographers TCD Weddings, Atunbi, Tamo Images, media inter-views (EbonyLife, SoundCity, Spice TV, 53 Extra, Lanre Esho Films) and a soon-to-be released music video by WHPH Media.
The ethereal Wonderland space decorated by The Wedding Guru and planned by Coker Creative at The Civic Centre was white and gold for the main event and black and gold for the after party, with a grand cake by Cakes by Tosan.
Feast your eyes on the spectacular decor!
There was also a Baileys bottle and sequin wall to welcome the brides and give them many photo ops.
Welcome Baileys Cocktails!
Tuke Morgan and her band Entertaining Guests during Cocktail Hour
Ufuoma & Veri
Ann Maingi, Aurora Monyei,Adenike Adebola, Bodam Tai-wo,Ufuoma Udjoh
The event was anchored by ace comedian Basketmouth who kept the crowd rolling with his humour.
In the Independence Day spirit, the games included reciting the national pledge and singing the anthem. Imitating artistes from music videos, musical chairs and more were played while brides sipped on Baileys.
Ebun won a box of goodies for her moves!
The fab gifts for the games were special #BNbling nail lacquer sets by Nigerian brand Amali Cosmetics, a Mr & Mrs set from The Gift Source, 20 spa boxes from The Gift Ha-ven, glamorous headpieces, clutch, necklace sets Le Reve Pieces, a box of treats from The Lekki Gift Company and travel-size Baileys bottles.
Courtesy Baileys and BellaNaija Weddings, celebrity couple married for over 20 years, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and her husband, accomplished pilot Captain Matthew Ekeinde, spoke about ways to keep the excitement alive during marriage!
The Celeb Couple and the BBN Team! Guinness Nigeria Portfolio director – Spirits & RTD – Adenike Adebola, Capt. Matthew Ekeinde, BellaNaija Weddings Editor – Ink Eze, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Baileys Brand Manager – Ufuoma Udjoh, BellaNaija Founder CEO – Uche Pedro
Celebrity newlyweds Noble Igwe and Toolz also spoke on how to plan a wedding with the current economic situation, dealing with too many guests, having a large family and the demands that come with it, and more.
Next up was the keynote speech from beauty entrepreneur, and makeup artist extraor-dinaire with over a decade of experience, Banke Meshida-Lawal of BM|Pro about hair and beauty for a bride’s big day. She shared words of inspiration and advice from her wealth of experience.
Baileys Nigeria brand manager Ufuoma Udjoh gave a Baileys toast, and thanked every-one for coming.
At this point, a live scene of WONDERLAND 2016 was unveiled by Pencils n Brushes.
Baileys and BellaNaija Weddings kept their promise of making the dreams of nine brides-to-be with grand prizes, won by raffle draw!
● a Baileys deluxe bar complete with products from Guinness Nigeria for any wed-ding event
● a luxury 7-day honeymoon from South Africa Tourism (SAT)
● a wedding ring set worth up to N850,000 from Rings & Bands NG
● a wedding dress by Love, Tims
● a wedding photography and cinematography package from Klala Photography & Films
● a wedding cake worth up to N500,000 from Cakes by Tosan
● a traditional jewelry set from Lush Jewels
● two bridal fabrics from B & E Fabrics
See the excitement on the brides’ faces, going home with these grand prizes!
Yay! The Honeymoon Prize from Baileys Nigeria & BellaNaija Weddings in conjunction with South Africa Tourism
OMG! I can’t believe I won a Baileys Bar!
Wedding Day Coverage from Klala Photography & Films
Traditional Beaded Set for Bride and Groom from Lush Jewels
Wedding Dress from Love, Tims
Two Brides won Luxury Fabric from B & E Fabrics
Wedding Ring Set from Rings & Bands NG!
With the Cakes by Tosan Wedding Cake Winner
Every bride also took home a gold gift box filled bridal essentials and treats, as well as a Lancome gift bag with cosmetics that are every girl’s dream - mascara, lipstick, perfume and more.
The gift box had a robe, mug from The Gift Source, wedding mix from Wonderland DJ Obi & The Wedding Guru, nail polish from Amali Cosmetics, a small box of treats from Andies Can-dies, earrings from Le Reve Pieces, The Essential Bridal Handbook from Funke Bucknor-Obruthe of Zapphaire Events, a 20cl bottle of Baileys, Baileys chin chin from Cupcake Couture and a gift from Swish Ideas.
The party then kicked off in full swing as Flavour hit the stage to serenade the brides and usher in the after party.
The brides-to-be partied together like they had known each other for years.
It was clear that amidst all the festivities and glamour, Baileys is a brand that celebrates women, creates true friendships and makes dreams come true.
#BBNWonderland proved to be a dream come true.
