DVenue by Cedarwood Marquee | Vendor Spotlight

Welcome back to our Vendor Spotlight series where I introduce to you to some of my absolute favourite vendors in the wedding industry - talented professionals and super nice people who can help you create the wedding of your dreams. Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to one of my favourite venues in Lagos - Dvenue by Cedarwood based in Oniru, Lagos.

Finding the right venue for your wedding is one of the most important decisions you will have to make during your wedding planning. Not only does it determine your date and which vendors will be available to you but it also sets the vibe for your wedding, which can be the difference between your guests having an amazing time (aka "your wedding was LIT!!!!") or spending all the time on their iPhones wondering when they can head out to the next party. Marquee event centres remain a firm favourite because they offer a blank slate allowing you to shape the wedding of your dreams down to the last detail, which is one of the reasons I love Dvenue by Cedarwood. I had the pleasure of working with them multiple times last year and I found it refreshing how the space was completely transformed with each event.

Anyway, enough from me, lets hear from the brains and talent behind Dvenue by Cedarwood, CEO, Diekolola....enjoy! 🙂

Tell us about yourself and your company.

My name is Diekolola Osa Avielele, I am a lawyer with my LLB and BL from University of Ilorin and the Nigeria Law School Abuja and an LLM from Howard University of Law. I worked with Globacom Nigeria and Conoil Producing as an In-house Attorney before I started Cedarwood Events in 2008.

What drew you into the wedding industry?

I wanted to start a business that I had interest and passion for but didn't have the capital to start as big as I would have loved so I started with Chiavari Chairs rental. I disliked the use of satin fabrics used to cover chairs and realized that what could be obtained outside Nigeria and added elegance to weddings and banquet events was still missing here at home and I knew Nigerians would definitely appreciate it.

Cedarwood and Chiavari Nigeria are the pioneers of the Chiavari Chairs in Nigeria, they brought in gold and we had silver to start with in 2008/2009. I sought the opinion of reputable planners and decorators then such as SimplyRenee about importing Chiavari Chairs and there was a positive response. We now have different chair options available and so many companies renting lovely chairs.

I then brought in a Marquee/ Tent after a couple of months but had no location to set it up permanently. So I started using it for mobile events that allowed us to set it up for clients at any location of their choice. The first permanent Event Centre opened up in Abuja in 2014.

What is your favourite thing about working weddings?

My favorite thing about weddings is the love and happiness you see in the couple and their parents. Every bride looks happy on their day and the joy makes them look beautiful. Such pure moments, you don't often get to see except on such a day.

What differentiates you from other event centres in your field?

At Dvenue by Cedarwood, we have set up the most comfortable event centre for our Clients and their guests. A very cold, clean and well fragranced hall with comfortable changing rooms and five star restrooms. Parties often go on for hours until the DJ stops because the hall is nice and chilled. We also have CCTV Cameras to monitor events which serves to provide extra security as we have over 10, 20, sometimes 40 vendors with several workers that can't necessarily be checked.

We also have a beautiful beach front that is available for ceremonies and parties which makes the environment serene and luxurious. We always ensure our hall is clean and well maintained.

Any trends you see becoming popular in 2017?

The 2017 wedding trends will be outdoor weddings (Wani says "yayyyyyyy!") and we have a lovely beach front available for that, also greenery and a lot of vintage details and rustic concept. A continuation of branded weddings, the use of metals especially rose gold and for colours blush pink rose, coral and peach.

From a vendor's perspective, what is the one best piece of advice you can offer to engaged couples

My advice to prospective brides is to please have a planner for coordination on the wedding day and trust us to know that our job as your "Venue" is to make your day as perfect as possible for you and your guests and so requesting last minute changes causes chaos and unprecedented issues.

Anything else we should know about you?

Dvenue by Cedarwood has a rental parent company called Cedarwood that rents out Mobile Marquees, Ghost chairs, Napoleon chairs, Banquet tables and other rental options. Dvenue by Cedarwood also has an Abuja event centre located in Adetokunbo Ademola way,Wuse II and ranks as one of the best event centres in Abuja.

Where can brides enquire about booking your space?

Phone no.s: 08099911105, 08099911106, 08095100008, 08095100002
Instagram: @dvenuebycedarwoodevents
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cedarwoodabuja
Website: www.dvenue.com.ng
Email: info@dvenue.com.ng