Wedding | Joana & Jonathan

31 minutes ago
4 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met at our friend’s engagement party.

Jonny was on the beach in Norfork celebrating a friend’s birthday but eventually decided to make the 3-hour journey to landlocked Birmingham. He met me for the first time – that’s where it began.

Jonny is British (with some Scottish heritage) and Jo is British Nigerian, therefore our wedding was always going to be a colourful blend of cultures.

We both work in some version of finance. I definitely poured my creativity into the wedding whilst Jonny brought structure. Everything was in my head (and across various notes on my iPhone) until 4 weeks to the wedding when Jonny pulled it all together.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

I had so many ideas.

It was perfect – a City of London wedding – at a venue which was traditional but recently renovated. It expressed exactly what I wanted.

How many guests did you have?

70 in the day (English wedding) and 160 in the evening (Nigerian traditional).

Tell us about your outfits.

I tried on my first wedding dress at Browns Brides on 14 April 2023 and didn’t make a decision on a dress until 18 June 2025 – this is telling of the process.

For the Nigerian traditional wear, we travelled to Abuja, Nigeria, in 2025 to chose the material, then the women’s outfits were made based on the styles we provided.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

I wanted to make sure the Nigerian traditional wedding was equally as special as the English wedding.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

I wanted to showcase the Nigerian culture – living in Britian everyone would have been to an English wedding but how many have been to a Nupe wedding.

Any tips for couples getting married?

For us it would be – understand what it is you value in your wedding and prioritise that.

Have a clear vision – I didn’t (and still don’t) work with vision boards or Pinterest etc. Everything’s in my head (and lots of Instagram saves).

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

I was lucky to work with people who were calm, intuitive, and genuinely aligned with how I wanted the day to feel – nothing overworked, nothing performative. And could manage everything on short notice.

Dylan Kakoulli, my florist, had done the flowers for my sister’s very intimate town hall wedding earlier in the year, and after seeing that, I chose her for mine. She took my vision and executed it beautifully, even on relatively short notice. She does everything on her own, and delivered something thoughtful, personal, and cool. The flowers ended up being one of the most talked-about parts of the day.

I’d been in touch with Yannishevents, my on-the-day coordinator, for over a year. I was very busy and indecisive throughout planning, and she handled that with total patience and ease. She also introduced me to Mels Meals Catering & Events, who provided the Nigerian food – another element people are still talking about. On the day itself, Yinka quietly pulled everything together (even though I didn’t help by running late), which allowed us (mainly me) to let go and actually enjoy the day. She also managed to turn the unplanned chaos into something intentional.

Liz Davies, my hairstylist who I’d know for some time, delivered the style I chose flawlessly, despite only deciding on it just a week before the wedding. She delivered something effortless and modern that really suited me, and having that level of trust made the morning feel relaxed.

And finally, Faith, my sister, who did my makeup for the day (with a different artist for the evening). I’d originally planned for her to not do my makeup at all so she could relax, but I knew she’d be incredible — and she completely exceeded that. The makeup felt entirely like me, just elevated. She instinctively understood what I wanted, and the result was perfect. I’m still trying to convince her to do this professionally.

Photographer: Maike Schwarz @weddingsbymaike | Planning: Bride | Day-Of Coordinator: Yannish

& Eventsents @melsmealss | Cake: Ruby C Payne @rubymakes | Stationery: Canva @canva | DJ: DJ Mri

@djmri | MC: I Am Andy Sarfo @iamandysarfo | Ceremony Dress: Pronovias | Ceremony Suit: Kilt | Veil:

Mango | Earrings, Necklace & Bracelet: borrowed from Bride’s mum (day) | Earrings & Necklace: Abuja market (Nigerian traditional) | Gele (Nigerian Head Tie): Sugar Akinsoyinu @mobilegelebeauty | Wedding Party Attire: Jummai Kolo @tsadojummai