Aso-ebi announcement messages: colours, prices and deadlines
The short answer. An aso-ebi message needs the colours, what is on offer (fabric, gele, cap), the price, how to pay, the order deadline and who to contact. Send it four to six months before the day, well before the invitations, because the fabric has to be bought and sewn. Then put the colours on the invitation so everyone else knows too.
What the message needs
- The colours. Name them, and attach a photo of the fabric.
- What's on offer. Fabric only, or fabric with a gele for the women or a cap (fila) for the men, or a ready-sewn outfit.
- The price for each option.
- How to pay, and who the money goes to.
- The deadline for orders, and when it will be ready to collect or post.
- Who to ask. One name, usually not the bride's.
Give the job to a friend or cousin and put their name on the message. Brides who handle aso-ebi themselves often end up chasing orders and payments right up to the day.
When to send it
| How long before the day | What goes out |
|---|---|
| 4 to 6 months | The aso-ebi announcement |
| About 3 months | The order deadline |
| 8 to 12 weeks | The invitations, with the colours on them |
| 6 to 8 weeks | Fabric collected or posted, time to sew |
Aso-ebi announcement messages you can copy
Hi Kemi! The aso-ebi for Tobi and Chidinma's traditional wedding is ready. Colours: emerald and gold. Fabric £60, fabric and gele £85. Please order with Funmi by 28 March. Photo attached!
Good afternoon Auntie. The families have chosen emerald and gold for the traditional wedding. If you would like the aso-ebi, Funmi is taking orders until 28 March. With love.
Hi ladies! Our aso-ebi colours are rose gold and ivory. Lace £70, gele £25, both £90. Pay Funmi Adeyemi and send her your name and what you've ordered. Orders close 28 March.
Hi gents! Our fabric is emerald for agbada or buba and sokoto, with a gold fila. Fabric and fila £80, or the fila alone £20. Orders to Kunle by 28 March.
Hi Kemi! The colours for the church wedding are blush and champagne. No aso-ebi to buy, just wear your own outfit in the colours. See you there!
Reminders and deadlines
Hi Kemi! Last call for aso-ebi: orders close this Sunday, 28 March. Message Funmi if you'd like one.
Hi Kemi! Your aso-ebi is ready. Collect it from Funmi any evening this week, or reply with an address and she'll post it.
Hi Kemi! Just a reminder that the aso-ebi is still to pay for. Could you send it to Funmi by Friday? Thank you!
Hi Kemi! Gentle reminder to get your aso-ebi to your tailor soon, so it is sewn and fitted in good time for the day!
Putting the colours on the invitation
Not every guest buys aso-ebi, but every guest should know the colours. Put them in the event's dress code, and they appear on the invitation and the wedding website.
Dress code: traditional attire in emerald and gold.
If the colours or the deadline change after the invitations have gone out, post an update on Our Guest List. It appears at the top of every guest's invitation and on your website, and you can send it to each household one tap at a time.
Questions people ask
- What is aso-ebi?
- Aso-ebi is matching fabric that family and friends buy and have sewn to wear at a Nigerian celebration, usually in the colours the couple or family have chosen. It shows who is close to the celebrants, and it makes the photographs.
- Do guests have to buy aso-ebi?
- No. It is an invitation to join in, not a ticket. Guests who don't buy it are welcome to wear their own outfit in the colours.
- How early should aso-ebi details go out?
- Four to six months before the day, with orders closing about three months before, so there is time to collect the fabric and have it sewn.
Last updated 30 October 2026