Nigerians love weddings.

It’s one thing that comes close to our love for party Jollof because heck, it’s at these weddings they serve us party jollof rice. So we wear our best clothes, make our hair well and essentially look good because if you don’t, the waiter will look at you and pass you when it’s time for food and small chops.
We go to weddings that we’re invited to, weddings that we’re not invited to, weddings we don’t know the couple, weddings we just gate crash. A lot. And we know how to turn up. The highlight of the wedding is the couple because it’s their day and they’ve gone through a lot (of financial deductions and planning wahala) to arrive on this big day. Before the big day, they take pre-wedding pictures which used to be strictly for souvenirs back then but has now become a prerequisite literally.
In the words of Soumen Nath who is a wedding photographer,

A Pre-Wedding shoot captures the love-chemistry of a couple before the actual wedding. After the wedding, familiarity grows and the Love chemistry changes its colours. Obviously, the couple grows more intimate. However, before the wedding, they share a different chemistry. Its more lovey-dovey and they feel and savor each other’s touch and glances more, almost like teenagers. They are raring to explore each other and are very enthusiastic. A Pre-Wedding shoot captures those special feelings and emotions, which will soon be replaced by deeper intimacy and greater acquaintance. Today, Pre Wedding Couple shoot has become almost a mandatory ritual for many couples. Couples scout for locations, and themes for their shoot and want to make it one of the most special events of their wedding. Some couples want to recreate the scene of their courtship days. So they take their photographer to their favourite places, places where they have been on dates with each other or proposed to each other. Some couples want to get their first love letter photographed and preserved for the rest of their life. Some couples simply leave it on the photographer to unleash his creativity and capture their love in a candid way. Pre-Wedding shoots are most often require the couple to pose and each shot has to be pre-conceived, planned, and staged.

That should explain the concept to you. We just love seeing the end product and the beautiful chemistry makes us want to fall in love. Okay, maybe get married for those of us in love.

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1. This one that gives a new definition to Falz’s Soldier

Soldier go, soldier come, soldier do wetin you want

2. To this mugshot ‘save the date’ picture

Everything about Lilian and Franklin is so cute.

3. And this one telling us she accepted his proposal in a very cute way

Aww

4. Because love is so beautiful and Patoranking may get royalties for you using lyrics to his song

Matching caps, dope!

5. This one that shows how amazing the city is

Why so cute Mosun and Ola?

6. Love in black and white at an art gallery

Wale and Kunbi look so good together.

7. Something just classy and simple about this one

We’ve been drinkin’, we’ve been drinkin’

8. And they lived happily ever after

Under the Lekki bridge of course

9. Playing dress-up has never looked this amazing

Comfort and Ambrose nailed it

10. Denim on denim doesn’t look this good on some people in real life

But they slayed. With matching timbs sef

11. Matching football jerseys are cute too

Even cuter when there’s a cheesy inscription behind

12. Private properties and others

Ladies, stop there because the man you’re looking at is already taken. So cute!

13. Action!

Lights, camera and roll it!

14. Even the Indians have nothing on us

Bollywood themed pre-wedding. Pretty sure there was some kind of dancing

15. Shit happens

This is so cute, we swear we’re not crying right now

16. Repping Fitfam

For the ones who met at the gyms and Truppr walks

17. Doing it for the culture

All we want to sing is Davido’s Aye right now

18. Look into my eyes

Because that’s all you have to see to know I love you

19. Let me be yours

Wrap me all up in your arms

20. They recreated Friends

And of course, they had a few friends

There are a lot of other amazing pre-wedding pictures out there. Which ones do you like?