London , England ( CNN ) -- Weddings in Nigeria are colorful , creative and extravagant productions , with guest lists of up to 2,000 people considered standard . `` In England , if you had 400 people at a wedding , that would be considered a huge number , '' bridalwear and couture designer Yemi Osunkoya said . `` In Nigeria , if you had 400 guests , people would say 'Oh , dear , ' `` he continues . `` The more ( people ) you have there , the more friends it seems you have . '' Osunkoya should know . With his wedding gowns highly sought-after by Nigerian brides , he attends about 15 of his clients ' weddings in Nigeria each year , and his London-based label , Kosibah , is at the heart of that country 's booming wedding industry . Last month , it was one of 129 businesses exhibiting at Lagos ' Wed Expo exhibition , which drew 10,000 attendees over two days . `` I would say weddings are one of the fastest growing industries in Nigeria right now , '' said the event 's organizer , Akin Eso . `` A lot of people term it that they 're 'going into events ' -- but the money is really in the wedding industry . '' The publisher of Wed magazine , a wedding-focused title that launched in Nigeria last year , Eso said the typical Nigerian wedding has evolved in recent years into a high-concept `` production . '' Up close with Rwanda 's endangered mountain gorillas . `` There 's always been this joy around weddings , but now there 's also this whole creativity : It 's more like a production , and nobody knows where it 's going to stop , '' he said . `` People just imagine it and make it happen . '' Themes such as a `` snow wedding '' would involve decorating the entire hall to match the concept , he said . `` Ten years back , you would normally do all the arrangements for the wedding yourself or with your friend , '' he said . `` Now , for every aspect of the wedding there 's a vendor that can help you . '' The trend has been driven by the many young Nigerians living overseas , who had introduced ambitious ideas for wedding themes , along with the concept of the wedding planner : a professional event organizer who could realize the happy couple 's vision for their big day , typically at their parents ' expense . Osunkoya said families typically put much effort and expense into the event , as a wedding was an important status symbol -- although `` not in a negative way . '' `` It 's showing how well you 've done , and for the bride and groom , this is their time , '' he said . `` Most times in Nigeria , the parents take care of the wedding -- and there are many weddings where it 's just a blank check , '' he said . `` It s a thing of joy to have your children married , so most of the time , the parents want to go all out . That 's where you see total creativity . '' UK-based makeup artist Lola Ibekwe caters specifically to Nigerian weddings and has been hired by brides who fly her , all expenses paid , to Nigeria for their weddings . She said , `` Nigerian brides really know what they want and demand the very best . Some of them have been influenced by the big weddings of Hollywood stars and do n't mind spending big to achieve the perfect look on their big day . Most of the brides I work with reserve a big part of their budget for makeup because the pictures will last a lifetime . '' Timbuktu 's treasure at risk from armed uprising . There are two parts to a Nigerian wedding , Osunkoya explained . The first ceremony was the `` traditional wedding , '' sometimes also referred to as the engagement . This was typically attended by fewer guests -- only family and close friends -- and may be held in area that one of the couple originally hailed from . The couple would wear traditional dress , with the bride usually wearing a traditional fabric gifted to her by her new parents-in-law , sometimes sewn into a modern Afrocentric design . The second , `` white wedding '' -- with a guest list at the reception potentially running into the thousands -- could follow days or even months later . For this , the bride would wear a white bridal gown and the bridal party formal attire . The most popular time of year for weddings was in December , when expatriate Nigerians return from abroad and can face a schedule of weddings seven days a week . Another distinctive feature of the Nigerian wedding was the wearing of `` aso-ebi . '' The phrase , which translates from the Yoruba language as `` clothes of the family , '' refers to the garments of matching fabric worn by the bride 's family and friends at the ceremony . `` You 've got 2,000 people there , so it 's a way of spotting people you 're meant to be with , '' said Osunkoya . Although , in recent years , it is not uncommon to see the entire party wearing the aso-ebi . While there are occasional grumbles that the trend for elaborate weddings had gone too far , nobody seems to mind on the day . `` Not everyone is equal or has access to the same amount of wealth , but everyone aspires to it , '' Osunkoya said .
Nigeria has a booming wedding industry . The trend is driven by the desire for extravagant themed weddings . Weddings in Nigeria are huge affairs , sometimes with 2,000 guests .