The Vendor We Almost Said Yes To

Hey guys! Welcome to my first ever blog! Ahhhhhh!

I am so excited. This is something I’ve wanted to do for so long, but I just never felt the urge to actually start. To be fair, I did start a blog page on IG like six years ago, but I stopped midway and never looked back. Then three years later, Ade Events was created.

So I guess this is the right time to introduce “In Between Events.” This is where I’ll be sharing my thoughts, my think pieces, and the things I talk to my friends about on a daily basis.

Now, the first topic I’ve been itching to talk about is this Emagine by Bukola situation.

The funny thing is, my bride and I were this close to using her two years ago. Emagine was a renowned tailor in Nigeria, known for chic bridal tailoring and stunning styles for brides all over the world. Recently, though, a few brides have been shedding light on their horrendous experiences and her attitude toward them.

When I saw everything unfolding, I immediately shared it with one of my favorite clients, and we both praised God that we did not move forward after our consultation call.

Because that call? Weird.

For context, I’m based in New Jersey, but I am Nigerian to the core. Being overseas and working with a tailor back home, I was very intentional. During the consultation, I asked everyone on the call to turn their cameras on.

First of all… why were there six people on a consultation call, and not one person had their camera on?

Eventually, they all did, except Bukola. I had to ask her again to please turn hers on. Sis was in her car. Driving. During the call.

Immediately, I was like… yeah, no.

The crazy part is my bride and I were so excited to work with her. We had texted for days, sharing styles and colors and inspiration. We were ready.

Then after the consultation, her team sent over an invoice for $9,000.

Yes. Nine thousand American dollars.

Mind you, her starting fee at the time was in the one-to-two-thousand range. So I followed up and asked how we went from 2.5 million naira per dress to 7.5 million naira. The response? Fabric quality, beading, upgrades… blah blah blah.

I politely said thank you for your time.

And honestly? I’m just grateful we didn’t move forward.

Because if we had gone through that as her client, by the time we were done with my bride’s dress, her business name might have changed to “Emagine by Addy.” She would have met her match.

But let’s talk about something bigger.

One thing about a lot of businesses in Nigeria and yes, I’m saying it,  some vendors have a habit of making you feel like they’re doing you a favor. That mindset is exactly why some of them have the audacity to act the way they do.

As a business owner, I am kind… until I’m not. And I am very strict when it comes to fairness and professionalism.

I won’t lie,  I appreciate that light is being shed on business owners who are unprofessional and lack systems. For a long time, popularity allowed some people to get away with things. But I’m glad that’s changing.

I really hope brides and grooms stop blindly following trends and start focusing on what actually matters when choosing a wedding vendor:

Professionalism.
Response time.
Structure.
Class.
And character.

Word of mouth matters. Reach out. Ask questions. Do your research.

Because interestingly enough, the only people who seemed to have glowing reviews were celebrities… and I mean, why wouldn’t they?

Anywhooo, that’s all I’ve got for today.

I can’t wait to talk more soon.

Byeeee!