Never pay a Nigerian wedding vendor more than 50% upfront, never transfer to a personal account when a business account exists, and never book anyone who won't put the date, the deliverables, the total, and the refund terms in writing. A bank transfer in Nigeria has no chargeback. Once the money leaves, your only routes back are the vendor's goodwill, the FCCPC, LASCOPA or a Magistrates' Court. That asymmetry is the whole reason this article exists.
Most couples get burned not by outright fraudsters but by vagueness. The decorator who "included" chairs, the photographer who delivered 40 photos when you assumed 400, the caterer whose price quietly moved after the deposit. Almost all of it is preventable with about twenty minutes and a WhatsApp message you keep.
Between 25% and 50% at booking is the Nigerian standard, with the balance due one to two weeks before the event or on the day. Anyone demanding 70–100% upfront is either badly cash-flow managed or not planning to show up. Both should worry you equally.
| Vendor | Typical deposit | Balance due | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue / event centre | 50% | 2–4 weeks before | Caution fee, diesel, clean-up billed separately |
| Caterer | 50% | 1 week before | Final headcount deadline and price-per-head lock |
| Decorator | 50% | On setup day | "From" pricing and swapped-out flowers |
| Photographer / videographer | 30–50% | On delivery | Number of edited images and delivery deadline |
| MC / DJ / live band | 30–50% | On the day | Overtime rate after the agreed hours |
| [Alaga](/blog/alaga-ijoko-alaga-iduro-cost-2026) | 50% | On the day | Whether the drummer is included |
The balance timing is the part couples negotiate least and should negotiate most. Holding 50% until the service is actually delivered is the strongest protection you have, and reputable vendors expect it. If someone insists on being fully paid a month out, ask what happens to your money if they close, fall ill, or double-book. Their answer tells you everything.
Price-lock matters too. With inflation running above 30%, caterers repricing between deposit and delivery has become common. Write the words "this price is fixed for the agreed date and headcount" into the message and get a yes.
Nine things: the exact date and arrival time, the venue address, an itemised list of what's included, what's explicitly excluded, the total price, the payment schedule, the cancellation and refund terms, who personally performs the service, and what happens if they can't.
It does not need to be a legal contract on letterhead. A WhatsApp message the vendor confirms in writing is evidence, and Nigerian courts accept it. What matters is that it's specific and that you keep it.
Copy this and fill it in:
Number 8 catches people constantly with photographers and MCs. You book a studio because of one person's eye, and a junior second-shooter turns up. Name them.
Verify three things: that the business exists outside Instagram, that a past client you found yourself will vouch for them, and that the account you're paying into is a business account in the same name. A vendor with 90,000 followers, no address, and a personal account for payments is the classic Nigerian wedding-vendor fraud profile.
The checks, in order of how much they're worth:
If it goes wrong anyway, you have real options and most couples don't know it. Complaints to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission are free, filed at fccpc.gov.ng or at its Lagos office on Oremeta Street, Opebi. In Lagos State, LASCOPA handles consumer complaints and recovered over ₦260 million for consumers in its 2026 enforcement drive. You must file within six months of the cause of action. For larger sums, a claim at the Magistrates' Court alongside the regulatory complaint tends to concentrate minds.
My blunt view: the single highest-return twenty minutes in wedding planning is writing down what "included" means and getting a "yes, correct" back. It is unromantic and it has saved more Nigerian weddings than any amount of decor.
Vendors aren't the enemy here. The overwhelming majority of Nigerian wedding suppliers are small business owners doing careful work on thin margins in a brutal economy.
But your wedding happens once, on a fixed date, with money you can't get back. So put it in writing, hold the balance, and check the account name. That's it. That's the whole defence.
Your experience matters here: have you been let down by a vendor, or had one go far beyond what you paid for? Name the behaviour, not the business, and help someone else book better.
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Related reading: Questions to ask before hiring an event planner · Common mistakes hiring event vendors · Wedding planner fees 2026