The ancient city of Ibadan was shut down for good on Saturday 13th November, 2021 as Ambassador Wale Ojo-Lanre, a top journalist and aide of Governor Kayode Fayemi gave out his daughter, Rita Toluwani’s hand in marriage to Oludayo Bamidele Olusoga.
The wedding ceremony brought together in matrimony the respected families of Ambassador Wale and Mrs. Mrs. Moyo Ojo-Lanre of Usi Ekiti and Late Pa Folorunsho and Mrs. Tunrayo Olusoga of Ijebu Igbo. You can imagine how enticing the wedding celebration would be when a core Ijebu man hooks up with an Ekiti lady.
Ambassador Ojo-Lanre before now was the Director-General, Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture. He is currently the Senior Special Assistant on Tourism Development to the Governor of Ekiti State. The wedding ceremony for his beloved daughter was one in town. The classy wedding ceremony was held at the popular Adeline Hall, inside the premises of Lead City University, Ibadan.
Citypeople reporter, Jamiu Abubakar brings you a comprehensive report about the highly eventful wedding ceremony.
THE LOVE STORY OF THE COUPLE
It was a true love story and something we can call a typical "FUNAAB connect" affair. The love story between Rita Toluwani fondly called Toleen and her guy, Oludayo Bamidele began in their undergraduate days at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
Oludayo who is currently a pastor at the Heirs Church in Abeokuta studied Food Science and Technology. The beautiful bride on the other hand is also a member of Heirs church. Also a graduate of FUNAAB, Toluwani was politically conscious and active in her university days. She rose to the exalted position of Speaker of the House in the institution’s student unionism. She is indeed an aluta woman.
The journey of their love story could be traced back to around 2013 to 2015. Pastor Dayo is a founding member of Heirs Community which later advanced to become Heirs church. He usually went out on evangelism on and off the campus. It was during the evangelism that he sighted Rita and won her into the church.
From there, she became more devoted to the service of God, after which they fell in love with each other and to God be the glory. It was indeed a FUNAAB Connect.
AT THE ENGAGEMENT
The engagement ceremony was timely and top notch. It created an avenue for both families (of the bride and the groom) to meet and get to know each other. The engagement was highly colourful as Ambassador Ojo-Lanre and his loving wife appeared elegantly and gave it their all. They welcome the families of the groom in style.
The engagement was filled with lots of remarkable moments, parts of which include the arrival of both couples’ parents, the groom and bride, not leaving out the segment where the marriage proposal and acceptance were read and exchanged.
HOLY MATRIMONY HELD BY HEIRS CHURCH
It was a moment of fulfillment for the new couple as they both took to the holy matrimony, which is the spiritual aspect of the wedding. The session was conducted by the clergy from Heirs Church, in Abeokuta, Ogun state. As expected, the groom was already seated at the commencement of the programme. The bride was later brought in by her father, Ambassador Ojo-Lanre. The beautiful bride and her father stormed the hall in style. Their glamorous arrival caught the attention and admiration of most of the entire people in the hall. They were all thrilled with how the bride stormed the hall.
Pastor Delu Adewale of the Heirs church gave an inspiring admonition to the couple and guests. He spoke on things that young couples must do to keep their marriages intact. The high point of the holy matrimony activities was when the couple were about to take their marital vow and exchange rings before they were pronounced to the world as husband and wife.
ABOUT THE RECEPTION PARTY
At 1.30pm on the day, all was set for the grand reception party to complement the glamorous and eventful wedding ceremony. Top dignitaries like Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former Governor of Ondo state and a few others were already seated catching fun in the hall. Meanwhile, one of Nigeria’s talented entertainers, Tayo Conga of Africa was already on stage thrilling the guests with his scintillating performance.
This caught the attention of the entire hall as he gave a highly energetic display complementing his eye-catching performance by beating the conga drum.
The reception hall was well decorated. It showed class, a true definition of the status of who Ambassador Wale is. The Bride’s parents and their family danced into the Hall after which the groom’s family’s arrival was announced.
Both moments were of great fun to guests. Fuji artist, David Ayinde and his band took the stage by storm. He sang to entertain and kept the hall lively throughout the day. He really entertained the dignitaries as some of them stepped out to dance and merry with the couple and their parents.
FIRST COUPLES’ DANCE
After the cutting of the cake at the reception party by the newly wedded, they took to the dance floor for the first couples’ dance. This was eye-catchy and filled with glamour as DJ Gbenguscrown supplied them with trendy music to spice them up. The fireworks displayed at their instance were superlative and nothing short of class.
FATHER AND DAUGHTER’S DANCE
Ambassador Wale Lanre-Ojo, the father of the bride, was full of life. Of course you would expect that. It is the day the Lord has made. His loving daughter was getting married. When the time for father and daughter’s dance was announced, he took to the dancing floor to really dig out the dance with her daughter. You would be amazed at the way he was putting in the right dance steps to complement the melodious songs played by David Ayinde, the artist of the day.
DR. OLUSEGUN MIMIKO's ADVICE TO THE COUPLE
The couple had the great and rare privilege as Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former governor of Ondo state, spoke to them. He gave them fatherly advice on marriage as he wished them a blissful dwelling.
ABOUT THE BRIDAL TRAIN
One of the most thrilling parts of the wedding reception was the arrival of the couples. It was an ecstatic moment which first saw the bridal train storming the hall. The ladies are pretty, gorgeously styled in their carefully chosen Aso-ebi for the moment. The Aso ebi was a combo of Blush-pink net lace fabrics and the “Gele” (Head gear) which was a two-toned Aso-Oke (baby pink and gold) to give it a blushy look. The Aso-ebi outfit was top notched. It was sourced by the young and enterprising Badmus Nafisat, CEO Trends by BB. The couples and the ladies of bridal’s train not leaving out men in suits stole the show with the trendy dance steps to the popular music doled-out by the disc jockey. It was indeed a scene to behold and a moment to share when the Ambassador couldn’t hold it anymore. He joined the bride's train where he danced and sprayed the couples with money on their way to the stage.
OONI, MIMIKO, GANI ADAMS, PRINCESS TOYIN KOLADE, AND OTHERS GRACED THE RECEPTION PARTY
The wedding party pulled a large number of top celebrities who took time out to grace the glamorous event. Notable among eminent personalities in the hall includes the immediate past governor of Ondo, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; Ooni of Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi who sent his Representatives in company of his royal staff of authority; Federal Lawmakers representing Oyo Central and Oyo North Senatorial Districts, Senator Teslim Folarin and Senator Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari respectively; Princess Roseline Ibitoye; the PDP chieftain, Diran Odeyemi; the generalissimo of Yoruba land, Are Gani Adams; Otunba Mayegun Okola of Ijesa; the erudite Professor Akin Alao; Aviation expert and popular politician,Otunba Demola Popoola; Iyalaje Oodua, Princess Toyin Kolade and many others.
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