Behind the scenes at Nigerian royal wedding

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- It has been a year of royal weddings. First there was Prince William and Kate, then Monaco's Prince Albert and Charlene -- and Nigeria has just had a royal wedding of its own.

When Nigerian bond trader Olawunmi Taiwo married Yoruba prince Taiwo Olashore in Lagos last month, CNN got a behind-the-scenes view of a royal wedding, Nigerian style.

The pair tied the knot over two days of ceremonies. First a traditional engagement party was held, followed by what's called the "white wedding," when the bride wears the white wedding dress.

More than 1,000 people attended the wedding, including a number of esteemed guests of the bride's father, a Yoruba king.

"In Yoruba culture ... when you marry someone, you don't just marry the person but you marry the family," said bride Taiwo.

"You can't get engaged without the father's permission, do the introduction, follow the steps. It's very important because both families literally become one," she added.

The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, and for them, it's the bride's family that organizes the ceremony.

To help out, Taiwo hired a wedding planner who's been behind some of the country's biggest parties.

"You have to make sure the bride is happy, make sure the groom's family is happy, the groom is happy, bride's family is happy -- so I love weddings because it teaches me how to be diplomatic," said Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, wedding planner and managing-director of Zapphaire Events.

Taiwo bought her wedding dress in Dubai and selected the cloth for the engagement dress locally in Lagos.

Called the "Aso Ebi," which translates as "uniform," this cloth is sent to more than 600 guests to have tailored for their own dresses for the wedding. The chosen colors also set the scene for the design of the entire ceremony.

During the traditional engagement ceremony the groom's family presents a gold proposal letter to the bride's father for his daughter's hand in marriage.

The veiled bride then makes her entrance, escorted by family, friends and drummers. As she dances through the crowd in her high heels, the bride is showered with money.

The women in the wedding party, including the bride, wear dramatic head wraps known as "geles" -- a particular fashion in West Africa.

"I think the gele adds the extra. It's like the icing on the cake for getting dressed for a traditional wedding," explained Banke Meshida-Lawal from BM Pro, the company hired for Taiwo's hair and make-up.

After the engagement ceremony is held, it's on to the wedding day. It was held as a Muslim ceremony after Taiwo's father's beliefs.

But despite all the traditions and ceremonies, the groom says marriages in Nigeria have changed.

"In the past men were educated but women were not. But right now we're all given the same opportunities," said Olashore. "My parents were educated so they gave me the same opportunities, and the same for my wife. She's a banker, so she also goes to work."

But as a wife she'll also have a new role.

"In Yoruba you are supposed to be the helpmate for your husband, so the way they say it, the husband is the head and you are the neck," Olawunmi said. "You actually turn the head where it's going to go."

Once the rings have been exchanged, the party begins. Bride and groom dance down the aisle, ushering in an evening of food, drink and dancing.

For father of the bride Jide Taiwo, it's a proud day. "Like any other parent anywhere in the world you feel delighted, you feel grateful to God for everything," he said.