Dr. Iggy

Money and Medicin: Wedding Budgets

Nigerian weddings can be incredibly expensive.

Venue, food, decor, live band, and a guest list that keeps growing.

By the time you add everything up, you’re often looking at six figures.

But just because you can afford something, should you?

As a new attending surgeon, I’m learning that money decisions aren’t always about math.

Some things have value beyond a spreadsheet: culture, family, community, and memories.

The goal isn’t just to build wealth. It’s to build a life worth living.

How much would you spend on your wedding?

Striving to encourage young Black boys to join the 2% of Black surgeons...so we don’t have to stay at 2%.

No one talks about how much a father shapes your future.

As Father’s Day gets closer, I’ve been thinking a lot about the man who helped shape mine.

Growing up, my dad worked multiple jobs while going through nursing school.

Meanwhile, my mom was working and helping raise six kids.

At the time, I didn’t fully understand what I was watching.

Now I do.

He wasn’t just building a career.

He was building a future.

A future where his children would have opportunities he never had.

A future where one of his sons would become the first surgeon in the family.

The older I get, the more I realize that so much of what people admire about me started with him.

The discipline.

The consistency.

The resilience.

The ability to keep showing up when things get hard.

Research consistently shows that children with actively involved fathers are more likely to graduate, develop confidence, and thrive academically and socially.

And honestly, that’s the kind of father I hope to become one day.

To the fathers who quietly sacrifice, provide, lead, and keep showing up…thank you.

Who raised you?

Thank you for helping me make Father’s Day a little more special for my dad. 💛

Nigerian weddings always remind me of the same thing:

Success means more when you have people to share it with.

Growing up Nigerian taught me discipline, hard work, faith, and family. The older I get, the more I realize the goal isn’t just to build a successful life. It’s to build a life worth sharing.

Shot on Sony Alpha.

A lot of people want to win in public.

Fewer people are willing to build in private.

The early mornings.

The sacrifices.

The missed celebrations.

The seasons where nobody is clapping for you.

But that’s usually where the foundation is built.

And eventually, if you stay consistent long enough, some of those private victories become public ones.

The goal was never attention.

The goal was always the life being built behind the scenes.

“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.” Psalm 128:2 ESV

Slept on an air mattress for 3 months before this. God is good. ❤️

Let me know if you need any details in the comments!