When The Wedding Party became one of Nollywood’s biggest hits in 2016, a sequel was almost inevitable. A year later, The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai arrived in cinemas for the Christmas season. This time the story followed Nonso, the best man from the first film, and Deirdre, a bridesmaid from a British family. Their romance, and the clash between their families, took the comedy from Lagos to Dubai.
The first film and the sequel
The Wedding Party, directed by Kemi Adetiba and released in 2016, became a box office record-breaker in Nigeria, telling the story of a chaotic society wedding. The Wedding Party 2 was produced by EbonyLife Films and its partners and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan. Nonso, played by Enyinna Nwigwe, falls for Deirdre, played by Daniella Down. Their relationship leads to a proposal and a wedding planned between very different families.
Many cast members from the first film returned, including Banky W and Adesua Etomi as the couple from the original, and Sola Sobowale and Richard Mofe-Damijo as the parents.
Dubai, box office and legacy
Parts of the film were shot in Dubai, giving it a glamorous, international feel. Much of the comedy comes from the meeting of a Nigerian family with Deirdre’s British relatives. The sequel was a major commercial success in Nigerian cinemas, though many viewers still preferred the original. Banky W and Adesua Etomi, who played the couple in the films, married in real life in 2017.
Critics praised the production but felt the story was less fresh than the first film. Both films later reached audiences on Netflix. The two films remain among the most popular Nollywood comedies of the 2010s.
Destination weddings and the parents
The film reflected a growing trend among wealthy Nigerians of holding weddings or wedding-related events abroad, in places such as Dubai. Sola Sobowale and Richard Mofe-Damijo, as the bride’s and groom’s parents from the first film, again provide many of the biggest laughs. Their bickering became a favourite part of both films for audiences. Like the first film, the sequel is full of music and dancing, with popular Nigerian songs playing at the parties and wedding scenes.
The first Wedding Party film was set at one Lagos reception. Its sequel needed a flight to Dubai to keep the same family fighting.
