Hey ladies!

Nowadays one of the easiest ways to plan an event is by starting off with a WhatsApp group. Most of the time these groups consists of about 5 – 20 ladies all with different personalities and opinions. This can sometimes be overwhelming!

Theres nothing worse than planning a shower with a group of girls you have nothing in common with. Its always a weird situation when your thrown into a group and are forced to talk to random women. However, if you want to throw one of your close friends an awesome shower you will find yourself in this position at some point.

I myself have been in many of these groups and seen many arguments that could have easily been resolved spiral out of control. Two of my good friends still do not talk like each other until this day because one felt like the other was trying to be a control freak. While my other friend felt she was just being organized.

Theres always that one person that thinks they are the closest to the celebrant. There is always the girl that doesn’t even want to help plan but is just there to save face. There is always that one person that feels they are an event coordinator so its their way or the highway. Theres always the girl that reads all the messages but never says anything. Theres always the girl that waits until the last minute to say she can’t contribute financially. And there is always the girl that thinks the day will not hold unless she is there!

Thinking about one of my own events and how things could have gone differently  I have put together five rules that I think everyone should abide by to avoid miscommunication and issues!

1. Respect everyones opinion 

Even if you think someone suggests something that is completely ridiculous just try and be courteous in explaining while it will not work. No need to be rude! Keep it cute and keep it classy!

2. Stay on topic!

If the group is meant to be about Sade’s baby shower there is no need for you to randomly text about your husband/boyfriend getting on your nerves that day. Stay on topic we are not here for that!

3. Do not message at odd hours of the day

Even if you thought about the best idea for Bisi’s Bridal shower nobody wants to hear about it at 4:00 AM.  Save it for a better time. The rule of thumb for social calls and texts is usually 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM. For a large group it isn’t polite to message before or after those hours.

4. NEVER post and explicit content

This has actually happened to me in one of my groups and it was very embarrassing for the bride. One of her friends actually posted a meme she thought would be funny. But it actually had a picture of a jumbo sized penis in it. Understandably many of the people in the group found it very offensive, including myself!

5. When planing a budget stay on the modest side

$100 to you might feel like $1000 to someone else. People are not always honest about their financial situations. In my opinion most of the events that I have planned have had a budget under $2000 split among 5 – 20 girls. Try to avoid putting any necessary financial burdens on people! Remember they might still have their own bills to pay. And depending on the event the may have to  purchase a gift, buy aso ebi, fly somewhere for the bachelorette party etc etc.

If all else fails remember the 5 W’s Who, What, Where, When, and Why! Thats all thats really required to at least get the main aspects of the event together. The other detials are just that details! When it comes to an event simple, clean, classy, and cute are always what I look for. Think of a cute theme, stick to your budget, and keep it moving!

I hope this helps. If you have some other rules please feel free to comment!

xoxo

Mrs. Ofoegbu