Chidiebele Obika | I-Witness News
A few days ago, a popular social media influencer and UK based entrepreneur, Lady Divine Chiamaka Ifeonyemetalu Gwen was joined traditionally to her heartthrob, Mr ThankGod in her Abagana community, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state. The marriage was consummated with a Christian wedding mass celebrated at the Catholic Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha. Subsequently, the wedding reception was held at Dolly Hills Hotel, 3-3 near Onitsha.
Folks who know her very well can attest to the fact that Gwen aside ensuring class in whatever she does, has a way of introducing new ideas in all her activities.
She is the key driver of the famous Onitsha social media hangout. Through the hangout foundation, Gwen upped the ante with the introduction of features like annual visits to hospitals where they paid hospital bills of patients, gave out tubers of yam, fowls, other edibles to widows, less privileged and others. That was a departure from the norm of social media hangouts but it was a good innovation too.
The reception which was held at Onitsha introduced new ideas in the area of comprehensive guests’ entertainment, cultural display and tradition exchange.
Security personnel and event planners were on hand to carefully scrutinize every guest through crosschecking of names from three key lists: 1: Friends of the Bride 2: Friends of the Groom 3: Very Important Persons (VIPs). Once the guests name was checked, a certain marked table with well numbered seats would be shown to the guest by ushers.
There at the hall, so many items were served. Things like bottled water, mixed fruit salad, cocktail, fresh palm wine served in a calabash (Agbugba or Obah) and an assortment of other delicacies carefully prepared by known kitchens and cuisines. Then, there were wines, whisky, beer and other beverages. The hosts treated us to a lavish reception.
Yan baba of Yan Kontent Factory, Awka anchored the wedding and introduced a side attraction to the occasion by calling out six girls/ladies and requested them to move into the audience and pick whomever they liked. Randomly, Yan Baba threw questions at each and every one of them. Those that failed the questions were asked to return to their seats while those that got the answers correctly stayed. The game was fun and winners were given monies donated by Harrison Gwamnishu and Osigwe.
The Gwens’ wedding was an intentional fusion of different cultures depicted through the attire decked by the hosts; male and female asoebis. While some male asoebis were adorned in the beautiful south-south attire with black cowboy hats to match; some wore western suits and others Igbo traditional regalia. The dress sense was ravish.
Of note was a clear injection of a ‘pause’ into the programme of events while the reception was still ongoing. The ‘pause’ afforded the couple the opportunity to change attire. In a creative and smart move, the mc converted the ‘pause’ into a game instead. Clearly, the game electrified the hall and kept the participants cracking their brains for answers and the guests captivated and blushing while it lasted.
On their second entrance into the hall, the celebrants were preceeded by a suave Igbo atiliogwu native dancers that led the way to the stage. They performed their art to the admiration of everyone. The recently introduced and now trending gorilla entertainment masquerade was equally ushered into the hall.
The mixture of performances by the atiliogwu troupe, the gorilla masquerade and ladies/men bearing white-smoke-gushing igbo traditional earthen pots in a ‘dorime’ style summed up the reception as a potpourri of class, innovation and comprehensive entertainment which left guests awed, stunned and jaw-dropped.
Not forgetting the classic disc joker, DJ Synergy whose professional performance was topnotch. The musical beats selection, trasitions and fades were flawless. The finesse was seamless.
Guests were thoroughly entertained with new wedding reception infusions that saw lucky quasi ‘couples’ went home with huge sums of money as gifts.
Dear Gwen and husband, your home is blessed.
Congratulations.
See comment section for links to short video clips
Chidiebele Obika is the Director of I-Witness Multimedia Ltd and writes from Awka
