GHC50,000 is not enough to organise a wedding, says Bryan Tachie-Menson
The event planner says different people and various couples differ in their views of what constitutes a good wedding
The Ghanaian wedding planner and team lead of the event planning firm WhiteChalk, Bryan Tachie-Menson, has said that what constitutes a dream wedding depends on a person’s preference.
In an interview with Naa Ashorkor for Asaase Radio’s Between Hours, the wedding planner said that where one person might want magical décor without much focus on food, another might decide on good food and top-of-the-range clothing for the day.
“The thing is … ‘obiara ne nea ɛyɛ ne fɛ’ – everyone has their preference. Someone might want to spend more on décor than the clothing. Someone might say … I want good food,. Someone might say, I want a magical décor … The décor can cost say, GHC200,000: just the décor, there’s no food, there’s no clothing and all that.
“So, normally, it depends on what the customer wants,” he said.
Couples not put off
Asked whether you can have a modern wedding on a budget of GHC50,000, Tachie-Menson said that that amount would be insufficient to cover all the expenses for a wedding today.
“No, it can’t [cover the cost of a wedding],” he said, adding, incredulously: “An entire wedding? No, it can’t, from everything – venue, food … No, no. GHC50,000? It won’t work.” He observed that a wedding gown alone can cost that amount.
Tachie-Menson also said that to be able to pull off a modern wedding, covering all expenses even on a budget of GHC100,000 would be a stretch. There is a lot to be considered, he said.
For instance, “How many people are we looking at? What kind of décor do you want? What kind of clothing do you want … what kind of food do you want?”
But the huge sums of money one has to cough up to achieve the wedding of one’s dreams notwithstanding, couples are not deterred.
Tachie-Menson noted that he is sometimes overbooked, to the point where he has to operate on a “first come, first served” basis.
About Tachie-Menson
Bryan Tachie-Menson is a trailblazer in the Ghanaian décor and event planning industry. His love for planning and organising led him to establish his own co-ordinating, decoration and event planning firm, WhiteChalk.
WhiteChalk is now a sought-after brand, acclaimed for creating memorable, luxury weddings in Ghana, Nigeria, Dubai and many other grand destinations. Since it was established about nine years ago, the firm has successfully co-ordinated over 1,000 weddings, every one of them fabulous.
In 2019 WhiteChalk was adjudged Best Co-ordinator of the Year by the event industry in Ghana for its immense contribution towards the growth of the event sector. It also received a nomination for Best Planner of the Year from the Events Vendors Association of Ghana that same year.
WhiteChalk was also named the Event Planner of the Year at the second edition of the Events Industry Conference (GEIC) Gala and Awards night in 2020.
As a way of giving back to society, Tachie-Menson and his team organise a free biannual plush wedding, called My Fairytale Wedding, for couples that might not be able to afford it otherwise. The venture is the first of its kind in Ghana.
Tachie-Menson has been featured in many industry publications, including Dream Magazine Africa. He leads his own production firm, Magic House, and lectures at Learn on the Job, a school he set up to train young people hoping to make a career in the events and entertainment industry. He also shares his expertise with colleagues and industry enthusiasts at various conferences.
Tachie-Menson is an old boy of Mfantsipim Senior High School in Cape Coast and a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon.
Listen to him here.
Nana Abena Boakye-Boateng
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