Tobi Yusuf: Driving Expertise in Event Planning

Her father wanted her to become a medical doctor, but she ended up working in a pharmaceutical company. Today, Mrs. Tobi Yusuf is renowned in the weddings and events industry in the United Kingdom, having planned and coordinated high-profile events for famed personalities like Nollywood star, Rita Dominic, and of course, the English rapper and singer, Stefflon Don.

Vanessa Obioha captures her unexpected voyage into the world of weddings and events.

It was her laughter that first greeted me—warm, gleeful, and full of life. Even over the call, it conveyed her vibrant personality often carrying a playful, mischievous undertone, as though she were about to share a prank. But that was just Tobi Yusuf: joyful and lively, a quality likely influenced by her position as the youngest in her family.

A UK-based events and wedding planner, Yusuf coordinated the famous Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic’s wedding in London in 2022. Originally from Ilesha, Osun State, she moved to the UK at 16, where she pursued her college and university education, eventually studying Biomedical Science. Currently working in the pharmaceutical field, Yusuf’s name is now synonymous with high-profile events and weddings. She is the founder of Riah Events and Weddings, London.

Her foray into events and wedding planning was not driven by a childhood dream or even a lifelong ambition. Her father had hoped she would become a doctor, but after realising she couldn’t stand the smell of hospitals, she abandoned that pursuit.

The flair for wedding planning, she disclosed, started after she planned her wedding.

“My sister was going to get married, and I got so excited, I started looking into colour schemes and bridals; I think that was when it hit me that I love planning weddings,” she recalled. “Even for a friend’s 25th birthday, I found myself browsing for venues and decor. It’s always been in me to be at the forefront of things like this.”

Still, her journey into professional event planning began later, after she had her first daughter and was on maternity leave.

“I was on maternity leave. Not that I was bored but I’m that kind of person who likes to solve other people’s problems,” she laughed. “Maybe I do it too much.”

Inspired by a sermon on becoming an employer, she began researching areas where she had expertise, asking herself introspective questions about her true potential and how she could make the most impact.

“What is my passion? What can I do with it? What can I do with my personality?”

These questions led her to event and wedding planning. She took courses, trained under a Nigerian wedding planner, and studied marketing with a British event planner.

“I was very particular in making sure that I know my craft very well before I go into it.”

At first, she identified only as a wedding planner but after the English rapper and Burna Boy’s former girlfriend Stefflon Don reached out to her to plan her birthday party as a wedding in 2022, Yusuf began to identify as an event and wedding planner.

Recalling her first contact with Don, Yusuf said she got a message from her team on Instagram.

“I remembered vividly it was in November, my birthday. I posted a reel of myself and 30 minutes later, I got a call from her PA that they had just seen my post and that she was going to call me in a few minutes when she was with Stefflon.”

It took a while before it dawned on her that this was for real. But what was more daunting was understanding her concept of having a birthday party that looked like a wedding.

“When she first told me, I was wondering how I could plan a birthday party like a wedding. But when she started talking about what she had seen on my Instagram page and how she would want something similar, it made sense. She said she loved my page.”

Don wanted her flowers to be white and gold, and a seven-tier cake.

“For a birthday party, you’re thinking about discos and big productions, right? You are not thinking about a seven-tier cake or lots of flowers.”

Yusuf and her team at Riah Events pulled it off spectacularly, and last December, she organised the Afro Royal Party 2.0 for the rapper, which was the talk of the town for days.

The wedding planner has since gone on to organise other memorable events such as bridal showers, wedding proposal parties, graduation parties, and traditional weddings to mention a few. But weddings remain her true passion.

“I have always loved attending weddings and celebrations. Just being a part of any celebration gives me joy.”

Therefore, when Nollywood actress Dominic decided to have her white wedding in England in 2022, Yusuf was called to coordinate the event. She explained the difference between coordinating and planning weddings.

“The wedding was planned by Rita’s sister, I coordinated it,” she began. “Planning a wedding involves everything from budgeting to finding venues, selecting vendors, and managing logistics. But as a coordinator, my role is to ensure that all the plans come together seamlessly on the day.”

For Yusuf, weddings are special because they signify the union of two people.

“I just love it when people connect.”

This passion for connection led to the creation of Love Connect. What started as just a gathering of friends over dinner on Valentine’s Day to discuss their relationships two years ago has now become a community for couples and singles to (re)connect, share experiences and glean insights.

“It was during St Valentine’s Day and I really wanted to do something special,” she recalled. “So I thought of having a private chef for me and my husband. But then I thought, ‘What if we have two of our friends and their spouses join us, and then we could talk about issues in our marriages and, you know, try to find out how to deal with them?’ My husband and I are very open so I knew he would not kick against the idea. And he didn’t.”

At the end of the day, more than two couples attended that dinner. She, as the planner, ensured that it was an unforgettable experience, coming up with creative ideas that would allow the couples to open up and reconnect with their partners. The outcome was a success. It became a therapeutic session for many of her guests.

“We had two or more gatherings and the conversations got deeper. The gathering became a safe place for them to open up to their partners.”

She officially launched the first edition this year, extending the invitation beyond her friends. Through Love Connect, Yusuf has helped couples work on their relationships; from helping them with their communication skills to addressing other marital issues.

Communication, according to her, remains a recurring issue in relationships.

“We have to learn how to communicate with our partner. Ladies have to let their men know that this is exactly what they need from them and the men also need to understand them. It all boils down to having a clear communication and understanding between each other.”

“We are not therapists,” she clarified. “There are just times we need a space to open up and that’s what Love Connect has become. It is not a formal gathering; it’s just like a networking event where they can come in, have fun and talk.”

Beyond planning events, Yusuf said she is all about creating moments that people will cherish.

“I remember before my daughter turned one and I travelled with her, people said that she would be unable to remember the trip. But for me, it was not about wanting her to remember; it was the moment. I won’t forget it, because I’m living in the moment. So beyond planning events, I want to create unforgettable moments, and as I’m creating them, I want to build a brand that is beyond planning events, I want to build relationships. I want the heart of my business to be committed to building relationships and make my clients my family,” she concluded.