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Weddings

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Some brides dream of the day they get to wear a wedding dress. A long train sweeping the earth as you glide down the aisle. Or maybe indulging in metres of gorgeous silk, swaying as you move and enfolding you like a cloud as you sit down. Not all brides, though. Some want all the glamour without all the fuss. No tripping over the seams or restricting your movement as you rock it out on the dance floor. This new trendy jumpsuit is all the rage, but you’ll have to squint your eyes to see it.

Created by Spanish bridal label Pronovias, this full-length, long sleeve semi-nude suit has hand-sewn florals covering the basics. The design comprises more than 200 crystals embroidered into lace and chantilly, and it took more than 244 hours to complete.

 

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While it might sound daring to some, we’re all for the “you do you” mantra and whatever makes you feel good, will make you look good, too.

 

Picture: Facebook/Stellari

 

A British couple took their love for Monty Python to the next level when they centred their wedding theme around the popular surrealist comedy group.

Superfans John Wood and Gemma Harris from West Sussex wanted their wedding to honour the 50 year anniversary of Monty Python’s Flying Circus’s first broadcast. The extravaganza took two years to plan and cost over £15,000.

They invited their guests with this unique save-the-date video. In a Facebook post, Harris wrote, “As well as a Monty Python theme, we also had ‘The Wood Party’ as a consistent thread throughout the process which was based on a real Monty Python ‘Wood Party’ sketch and also the ‘Silly Elections.’ This was our Save The Date video.”

Their wedding, held on October 5, 2019, featured numerous references to the popular show. Harris walked down the aisle to the Python theme song and fart noises in lieu of the wedding march, and a hand of God pointed to the couple throughout the ceremony. They even recreated the ‘Buying a Bed’ sketch at their ceremony.

Facebook/Hyacinth Daniels

“There was a 9ft parrot, a handmade albatross, all sorts of things. We commissioned artists to make some of the props, but most things we did ourselves,” says Wood.

Facebook/Gemma Wood

“Instead of saying ‘I do’, I said ‘perhaps’, to which Gemma replied: ‘Oh, say you do!’ To which I replied: ‘Oh, all right then.’”

As a starter, they served guests salmon mousse, which Wood explains to BBC was “a reference to the salmon mousse which kills everybody at the end of ‘The Meaning of Life.'”

The main course featured spam in reference to another popular sketch. Instead of cutting the cake, they smashed it with a prosthetic foot.

Facebook/Gemma Wood

Carol Cleveland, an actress well known for her work with Monty Python, even made an appearance at the wedding.

Facebook/Gemma Wood

The British surrealist group entertained viewers with their Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV show from 1969 to 1974, as well as several movies. Members of the group included John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, and Michael Palin.

Monty Python is incredibly important to Wood, who was once married to a woman that did not like the show.

“The way I look at the world, everything reminds me of it,” he told The Guardian UK. “I wanted a woman who likes and understands Monty Python. It was the most important thing in my search for a new partner.”

He took his search very seriously, even setting up a Monty Python themed Facebook group called Pythonesque Dating to help Python-heads find love with each other. It was here that he met his future wife, Gemma Harris.

The couple became engaged in front of Monty Python stars Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam at a fundraising event in London.

Picture: Facebook/Gemma Wood

In all its glory and beauty, Hindu weddings are steeped in tradition which many people don’t necessarily understand. In all honesty, explaining this could take a while, so we’ve tried to simplify the details and just give you the basics to a traditional Hindu Wedding and what it entails:

 

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Sangeet

Directly translated, the word ‘Sangeet’ means music, which is rather fitting considering what the Sangeet is about. This event has both the families of the groom and bride come together and celebrate in the form of song and dance. Put simply, this is just one huge party generally celebrated a few days before the actual wedding ceremony takes place. Wedding guests and the bridal party are able to either perform choreographed dances or perform certain songs, if they’re brave enough. Nerves aside, with amazing food, plenty of family and great music, the Sangeet is definitely one of the nights most memorable from the entire wedding celebration.

 

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Mehndi Party

The mehndi party, generally done 2 to 3 days before the wedding, is celebrated by the bride’s family. At this stage of the celebrations, henna is applied to the bride’s hands and feet in a decorative pattern. Mind you, this does take some time, which can be anywhere from 2 – 6 hours depending on how intricate the patterns are. Brides would hire a mehndi artist who would also apply henna to her guests who wished to have their hands decorated for the wedding as well. Applying the initials of the groom somewhere on the bride’s hands is also a tradition that seems to have been passed down from generation to generation.

 

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Hurdee / Haldi Evening

A cleansing prayer done by both the bride and groom. Most of the time it is separated as the bride would do so in her house and the groom would do it at his. The actual ceremony consists of a hurdee or haldi paste applied to the exposed skin of the bride and groom; their hands, feet, face and neck. The haldi paste is made of turmeric, gram flour, curd, sandalwood and rose water and is said to give the couple their bridal glow. The haldi is done the night before the main wedding ceremony and in most cases, turns into another celebratory event. Not that we’re complaining!

 

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Wedding Ceremony

The actual wedding ceremony is a colourful affair with guests dressed up for the occasion as they witness the beautiful vows and prayers being performed. The actual wedding ceremony is made up of a few rituals all significant to the marriage union. One of the most significant factors is that the actual wedding date is chosen by a priest. Astrology plays a very important part and hence determines the best time and date for the couple to wed. Fire is another very significant part of a traditional wedding as it is always present during a rite of passage, such as births, deaths and marriages. Red powder known as ‘indoor’ is applied to the forehead and centre part of a woman’s head, symbolizing her status as a married woman to the world. This is also why most brides opt to wear red for their weddings.

 

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Reception

A reception will generally follow on from the wedding ceremony which is seen as the celebration of the wedding and partying through the night. There is not necessarily a ritual performed during the reception, just a chance for the couple to mingle with their guests, be congratulated on the wedding and dance the night away. Not a bad way to end off a 4-day wedding affair.

 

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Bidai

The last, and probably most tearful part of a wedding, the bidai, is where the bride bids farewell to her family. In previous times, once the bride marries her groom, she is officially leaving her family to join the family of the groom. This could be her first move out from home or moving to another place where she won’t see her family that often. This is a rather bittersweet moment and usually lots of tears are shed for loved ones.

Also to be noted, these are traditions passed down from generation to generation, so modern times have changed things slightly, although many of these are still followed today.

By Yashna Balwanth

Feature image: Unsplash

Every wedding needs a first-dance song. Music inspires and moves us every day, and your wedding should be no different.

Regardless of your wedding style, we’ve got some romantic melodies to get you in the mood for love. Here are 50 romantic first-dance songs, or just songs to add to your wedding playlist.

  • Your Song – Elton John
  • (Everything I Do) I Do For You – Bryan Adams
  • Best Part – Daniel Caesar

  • (They Long to be) Close to You – The Carpenters
  • Teen Heat – Kimbra
  • Dangerously in Love – Destiny’s Child
  • Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
  • You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
  • Come What May – Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge soundtrack)

  • Songbird – Eva Cassidy
  • Honey – Kehlani
  • Differences – Genuwine
  • Make You Feel My Love – Adele
  • How long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
  • While We’re Young – Jhené Aiko

  • You Give Me Something – James Morrison
  • You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
  • I.F.L.Y – Bazzi
  • When We Were Young – Adele
  • Love on Top – Beyoncé
  • You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oats
  • Be my Baby – The Ronettes
  • If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
  • Adorn – Miguel

  • Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison
  • Shut Up and Dance – Walk The Moon
  • Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
  • Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey
  • I’m Yours – Jason Mraz

  • When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
  • Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warner
  • Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
  • A Thousand Years – Christina Perry
  • Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
  • All of Me – John Legend
  • Love Someone – Lukas Graham
  • Always Remember Us This Way – Lady Gaga

  • Ho Hey – The Lumineers
  • All My Life – K-Ci & JoJo
  • Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
  • I Like Me Better – Lauv
  • Beyond – Leon Bridges

  • Waiting for a Girl Like You – Foreigner
  • We Belong – Pat Benatar
  • Sucker – The Jonas Brothers
  • Stuck On You – Lionel Richie
  • I Don’t Care – Ed Sheeran feat. Justin Bieber
  • Speechless – Dan + Shay
  • Better – Khalid

Image: Pixabay

Bridal beauty is undeniably one of the most important aspects of your wedding day, no matter who you are.

We recently had the pleasure of chatting to the National Make-up Artist for Bobbi Brown, Anna Weinbeck. She has been with the brand for over 9 years and shares her insights and tips into looking picture perfect on your wedding day.

Here’s what she had to say:

Q: What is your best advice for all brides?

A: Every bride deserves to look flawless on their big day, whether you’re getting a make-up artist or doing it yourself. Make sure you’re completely happy with your make-up, if you’re not, then change it. That’s why you need to do a trial first. Be comfortable in your own skin and be proud of who you are!

At Bobbi Brown, we offer free How To lessons, so you can learn anything you want to know, from finding your perfect foundation to getting the perfect lip shade for your skin type. Pop past a counter any time and just book and enjoy.

Q: What is a trial and why is it so important?

A: A trial is where you and your make-up artist will discuss the look you want on your wedding day and apply the make-up. This is important as you might want a certain look but as soon as you see how it looks on you, you aren’t as happy as you thought you’d be. It will also give you an idea of how long the make-up lasts. After the trial is your opportunity to change anything that needs to be changed. I always recommend to my brides that they take a look at their make-up in as many different lighting situations as possible, and also take as many photos with flash and without to see if the colour of the foundation blends in seamlessly with the rest of their body.

Q: How do I look after my skin before the wedding?

A: Taking care of your skin before your wedding is of utmost importance. You want to make sure that you have fresh, healthy, glowing skin on the day of your wedding. The best time to start changing your skin regime is 6 months before your big day, as this will allow you to see if you have any reactions to facials/peels or any new skincare products you want to try out. The last facial you can go for should be a week before your wedding, but that’s only if you’ve done it before and you know your skin won’t react or flare-up. Make sure that you use a lot of hydrating products; I love our Hydrating Skincare range as it just balances the water levels of your skin and it’s also anti-bacterial so it will prevent any spots from forming on the skin.

Q: What is the best foundation to use on your wedding day?

A: I always prefer to use a foundation that doesn’t have an SPF as this is usually the ingredient in foundations that causes flash back. Flashback is where your face looks a lot lighter in photographs. My go-to foundation for all brides is our Skin Foundation Stick as it suits all skin types and skin shades with no SPF and buildable coverage. I love to use it with our Vitamin Enriched Face Base as a primer as this creates a smooth canvas and the foundation applies seamlessly.

Q: What is the most popular look brides go for?

A: I found that the most requested looks for brides are a smokey eye, very glam or natural beauty. A smokey eye is a very dark and dramatic eye perfectly balanced with a soft nude lip and bronzer. At Bobbi Brown, we have a Smokey Eye Mascara and beautiful eye palettes to help create this look perfectly.

A very glam look is more of a winged out liner, bold lips and lots of highlighter. Luxe Lip is a great option here as the colour pigment is beautiful and lasts all day.

Natural beauty is just a better version of yourself; soft eye makeup, pretty pink blush and a soft lip.

Q: What are the most important products to have on your big day?

A: An amazing primer; this will set the tone for how the foundation applies and lasts during the day.

No Smudge Mascara; it won’t budge the whole day or night.

Luxe Matte Lip Color; in your perfect shade, this lipstick will stay on for hours

Q: Is there anything you should avoid on your wedding day?

A: Please do not go for any tints the day before, be it your hair, brows or lashes. If you need to fill in your brows, go for our Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil to fill in any gaps. If you do change your products or go for a facial a bit before your big day and you see your skin is reacting, apply some Skin Relief Remedy – it will immediately reduce redness and help calm the skin. Try to go for a facial wax a week before your wedding, if you go later and your skin is a bit red, apply a little bit of Instant Full Cover Concealer over your foundation to neutralise any discolouration.

Feature image: Supplied

On a couple’s wedding, they should be able to do what makes them happy. Even if the guests have to shut their eyes or bite their tongues. Call it weird or call it wonderful, these weddings certainly were unusual.
1: If you’ve got, flaunt it

Ellie Barton and Phil Hendicott decided to spend their wedding dressed to the nines. Or should we say undressed? The pair of exhibitionist Aussies exchanged vows in front of 250 guests wearing nothing more than their wedding rings – and a bouquet of strategically-placed roses. The bride, not sacrificing style for freedom, wore  a long white wedding veil. And the groom, well, a black top hat, but not where hats usually go.

2: Dive in head first

Some might think tying the knot will be enough of a rush on it’s own, but these adrenalin junkies tied it quite literally. Jeroen and Sandra Kippers of Brussels, Belgium, were lifted on a platform about 48m feet in the air for their wedding ceremony. They were joined by the officiant and about 20 guests. Another platform held the musicians. After the vows, they made it official by bungee-jumping over the side!

3: After death do us part

A heartbroken woman decided to “marry” her murdered fiancé in a hospital morgue. Kevin Lavelle, 29, was tragically murdered before his wedding could take place. Michelle Thomas organised a “wedding” in the morgue of Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital in England, where Kevin lay. In front of an open coffin, the priest blessed the wedding rings that Michelle had bought specially for the service. Now that’s commitment.

Vorply.com

4: You take my breath away

Underwater weddings seem to have become a trend and many couples are trading in the aisle for the seabed. If that’s still not adventurous enough for you, there are even shark diving packages that invite some predatory guests to the ceremony. You do have to be a certified scuba diver, obviously. Just don’t get thrown in the deep end!

Scuba-monkey.com

5: You sweep me off my feet

You won’t have to worry about your weight at this one. And if it feels like you’re floating, you probably are. Noah Fulmor and Erin Finnegan became the first couple to be wed in microgravity over the skies of south Florida. They said “I do” aboard G-Force One, a modified 727 similar to the Air Force’s “Vomit Comet” which can provide periods of weightlessness lasting several minutes via a parabolic flight path. It’s operated by Zero Gravity Corp., the first and only company cleared by the FAA to offer simulated-weightlessness flights to the general public.

Popsci.com

Featured Image: Popular Science

The wedding cake is the cherry on top of a beautiful day. Who doesn’t love to share a sweet treat with loved ones? Over the years, cake decorators have been wowing us with their incredible creations and taking the art of the wedding cake to new levels.

Unfortunately, however, we cannot all be cake extraordinaires. Sometimes, people get it wrong. Here are some of the most…unique wedding cake fails.

The Bubble Blunder

Cakewrecks.com

The Drip Disaster

Cakewrecks.com

The Tiffany’s Terror

Cakewrecks.com

The Gradient Gremlin

Cakewrecks.com

The Floral Fright

Cakewrecks.com

The Weedy Wonder

Cakewrecks.com

The Misspelt Malice

Cakewrecks.com

The Peacock Perplexity

Facebook/Via New Idea Food

The Layered Lump

Cakewrecks.com

Image: Unsplash

 

What started as a group of runners getting together after work is now a sought after addition to many a couple’s wedding photos. They call themselves the Wedding Hashers, and they love nothing more than to photobomb couples posing for their wedding photo’s beneath the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York during a run.

 

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The runners dress for the occasion too. These guys and girls got themselves special t-shirts that look like tuxedos.

“The views … make them ideal picture spots for people in general, but particularly for couples taking wedding photos. One day, we thought we’d ask a couple if they’d mind if we took a picture with them. They actually got a big kick out of it, as did we, and a new hobby was born,” one of the members of the running group told Tux-tees where they ordered their shirts.

 

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Sometimes, they even catch proposals at this scenic venue and join in on the special moments. “We post the photos on Facebook with a description of the couple, where they’re from (in addition to locals, we’ve taken photos with couples from Australia, China, etc.), and our best wishes for a happy and healthy life together,” he added.

Picture: Instagram/WeddingHashers

Yvonne Chaka Chaka and her husband, Dr Mhinga, recently celebrated 30 years of marriage, proving to us all that love is not dead.

The iconic South African singer took to Instagram to announce this momentous anniversary.

In a post, she writes, “God is amazing all the time. 30 years ago Dr Mhinga asked for my hand in marriage and I said Yes I DO [and] 30 years later [we’re] still together. Today is our 30th wedding anniversary. I can not stop thanking the Lord who brought us together, I was 24. Now I am 54 and we have been together for 30 years. Time flies, [on] 7th October 1989 we said Yes We Do…We Thank You Lord. We thank our families, our children and our friends. And [to] all those who have supported us and encouraged us, a big Thank you. Tiny.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Tp15mgaLf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Tuc0zAEBR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

30 years is no small feat. It is equal to 10 950 days, 262,800 hours, or 15,768,000 minutes. In the wedding world, 30 years of marriage is considered a Pearl Wedding.

Congratulations to this incredible pair!

Image: Instagram

As the backdrop to your wedding, your wedding arch quite literally frames your ceremony. Flowers, fabrics and unusual shapes bring your wedding arch a unique, personal touch guaranteed to wow your guests. Here are some ideas to elevate your wedding arch:

Flower power:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bse0c15lGEl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B3JtUbKAEXo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LCJCDAJeD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BzO2HOVpUcQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Boho bride:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgtQkpASOc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Quirky:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0YAA3Ij9kh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Lcob1JoWk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

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