Wedding ETC, Author at Wedding ETC

In Celebs

Nick and Vanessa Lachey celebrate 9th anniversary

July 16, 2020 No Comments

Nick and Vanessa Lachey celebrated their ninth year of marriage on July 15. To commemorate the event the pair each posted loving messages to one another on Instagram.

The former member of popular boyband 98 Degrees posted a sweet photo of the pair on a beach at dusk. Embracing each other (and the island vibes), they seem to be living in a romantic movie.

“Nine years and counting!! I feel incredibly lucky to have found my soulmate and ultimate partner in life and love,” he said in his caption.

“V, you mean everything to me. No matter what we face, we face it together. Whatever blessing we enjoy, we enjoy it together. With our love and commitment to each other, I know there is nothing we can’t get through…..together. I love you V with all that I am. I always will! Happy Anniversary.”

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Vanessa, a filipino-American television personality, beauty queen, fashion model, television host and actress, had a similar idea. She shared a throwback photo from their 2011 wedding, which was seemingly captured while the coupled danced.

“14 years ago today, you said “I Love You”. 9 years ago today, we said “I Do”. Today, I say “Thank You”. Thank You for this Beautiful Life & Marriage. Thank You for the unconditional Love you give to me and our 3 crazy kids. Thank You for the hard work you put into Us and yourself daily. Thank YOU for keeping all your vows we shared on this day nine years ago. Thank you for it ALL. Happy Anniversary, My Love! I Love You!!! ❤️,” she wrote.

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Nick first met Vanessa when he went on TRL, a show hosted by Vanessa, with his then-wife Jessica Simpson. In 2005, Simpson and Lachey’s relationship began to fracture, and in 2006 he started a relationship with Vanessa. The new couple faced scrutiny due to Nick and Simpson’s story.

They first made their relationship official in the public eye when they kissed during MTV’s New Year’s Eve broadcast.

Around June 2009, the pair split up, but it didn’t last long and by August of the same year the were back together.

In November 2010, Nick proposed with a $125,000 Asscher cut diamond ring, at the Montage hotel in Orange County. The next year, the married on Richard Branson’s 74-acre private island in the British Virgin Islands.

The couple now share three children, Camden John Lachey, 7, Brooklyn Elisabeth, 5, and Phoenix Robert, 3, and are as happy as ever.

Image: Instagram / Nick Lachey

In Celebs

Peace, Love and Happiness: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s wedding

July 16, 2020 No Comments

The story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono has captured the attention of many over time. Their relationship was hotly debated since they began their courtship while The Beatles star was still wed to another woman. Nevertheless, their marriage is an enduring image of 20th-century popular culture. We take a look back at their nuptials.

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Most Beatles fans know a bit about the story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s wedding. After all, Lennon sang of it in his song “The Ballad of John and Yoko”, which he recorded with fellow Beatle, Paul McCartney, on April 14, 1969.

The lyrics go like this:

“Finally made the plane into Paris
Honeymooning down by the Seine
Peter Brown called to say
You can make it OK
You can get married in Gibraltar near Spain”

Ono met Lennon in November 1966, as she prepared to open her art exhibit called Unfinished Paintings and Objects, which was held at the Indica Gallery, in the basement of the Indica Bookshop in London. According to Lennon, they fell in love on that day.

After their initial meeting, they kept in touch for months, and eventually became an inseparable couple and a force to be reckoned with. However, when Lennon and Ono began their courtship, the singer was still married to his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. Cynthia filed for divorce in August 1968, and by March 20, 1969 Lennon would be remarried to Ono.

Initially, the pair wanted to marry in the most romantic way they could think of – on a train to Paris.

“We wanted to get married on a cross-channel ferry. That was the romantic part,” Lennon said in The Beatles’ Anthology documentary. “We went to Southampton and then we couldn’t get on because she wasn’t English, and she couldn’t get the day visa to go across. They said, ‘Anyway, you can’t get married. The captain’s not allowed to do it any more.'”

After that plan failed, they tried many others, and eventually settled on Gibraltar, a location suggested by their friend Peter Brown.

“We chose Gibraltar because it is quiet, British and friendly. We tried everywhere else first. I set out to get married on the car ferry and we would have arrived in France married, but they wouldn’t do it. We were no more successful with cruise ships. We tried embassies, but three weeks’ residence in Germany or two weeks’ in France were required,” Lennon once explained.

The pair chartered a plane to Gibraltar and married on March 20, 1969 (about a week after bandmate Paul McCartney wedded Linda Eastman), in a 10-minute ceremony at the British Consulate Office.

The bride wore a white, tiered miniskirt and top, small floppy hat, knee-high socks, plimsolls, and round, black sunglasses, and the groom donned a white high-neck top, a blazer, and jacket.

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After the wedding, came the honeymoon, which has gone down in history as one of the most famous honeymoons of all time.

For their honeymoon, the pair planned a “bed-in” for peace for the week of March 25 – 31, at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. The event was covered by a variety of international media outlets.

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“We decided that if we were going to do anything like get married that we would dedicate it to peace,” Lennon told Rolling Stone in 1971. “And during that period, because we are what we are, it evolved that somehow we ended up being responsible to produce peace.”

“I was very aware that we were ruining each other’s careers and I was hated and John was hated because of me. We did everything together and we did everything publicly together. The Bed-In was our work for peace but we weren’t liked for it,” Ono shared with The Telegraph.

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Seven months after their wedding, the pair released their album titled “Wedding Album”, and it was quite odd. The first side, called “John and Yoko” features a 22-minute long recording in which they pair say each others names, against the backtrack of a beating heart. They purr, wail, and coo, saying each others names in silly ways.

Image: Instagram / riley_and_john

In Advice

How to host a drive-by wedding

July 15, 2020 No Comments

The regulations for social gatherings still in place, not much can be done about the hope of a traditional wedding. However, many have taken to new, creative ways of hosting weddings, as their nuptials are too important to put off any longer.

Some opt for virtual ceremonies, while others go for a courthouse wedding with no guests other than the court officials. These are options to consider.

Another option is a drive-by wedding. Your loved ones can attend your wedding from the safety of their cars, ensuring that all safety precautions are met while still giving you the feeling of their presence at your special celebration.

If this sounds good to you, then you’re probably keen to get started on the planning. Here’s how to host a drive-by wedding:

Location:

When choosing the location of the drive-by, ensure that it is a wide-open, public space. This will mean that everyone driving by will be able to clearly see you. You could even do it in your front yard, if you have space and don’t have walls.

Set up a spot to show yourselves off, for example you can decorate fancy chairs as thrones for you to sit on as your parade drives by.

Invitations:

Send out invitation (digital of course) as early as possible. It’s a bit difficult for people to get around under lockdown restrictions so ensure that you give your guests enough time to plan.

Logistics:

It may be difficult to co-ordinate a lot of people in this way, but you have to try! Included in the invitation, set a meeting spot such as a parking lot for your guests to gather at.

Assign a close relative or friend the role of head driver. This ensures that there is somebody leading the cars to your location, and allows for some sort of order for the drive-by.

Also, include times for when they should meet up, and when they should begin driving to arrive on time.

Stations for gifts and treats:

Since it’s not a full-blown wedding, you shouldn’t cater as though it is. If you really want to provide treats, get cupcakes and seal them in individual boxes, and set them up on a table close to where you will be. As your guests drive by, they can pick up a cupcake! Be sure to have a bottle of sanitizer on the table!

You can also set up a station for your guests to drop their wedding gifts if you’d like.

More than one way to do it:

For a drive-by wedding, there are two ways you can do it. However, the second option is riskier.

The first is as described above. All your guests simply drive passed you in a sort of parade fashion, to get a glimpse of you and your partner as newly weds. They have a few minutes to stop and get a treat, drop off a gift, and say some kind words. You could have this drive-by immediately after you’ve said your vows in a church or at the courthouse, or you could do it on a different day to avoid rushing.

The second option is to have a sort of drive-in, like a movie screening would be set up. All your guests sit in their cars and watch you say your vows, at an outside location. Only you, your partner, and the marriage officer would be outside, standing together. All other arrangements would stay the same. This may be a bit risky as it can still be considered as a gathering.

Image: Unsplash

In News

Russian influencer marries stepson after divorcing his father

July 15, 2020 No Comments

If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that anything can happen, no matter how out of the ordinary it may seem. A 35-year-old Russian influencer has proven just that after she married her ex-husband’s 20-year-old son.

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Instagram influencer Marina Balmasheva announced her plans to marry Vladimir ‘Voya’ Shavyrin, the son of her ex-husband Alexey Shavyrin (40), earlier this year.

Balmasheva, who is from the western Russian region of Krasnodar Krai, resided with Alexey Shavyrin for more than a decade before they decided to go their separate ways. Their relationship ended in divorce.

Since she was with Alexey for so long, Balmasheva had a hand in raising her stepson Vladimir, and was in his life for around 13 years. Despite this, they have fallen in love.

Last week, the influencer shared a video on Instagram showing their low-key nuptials.

Translated from Russian, her caption says that the couple accepts well wishes and congratulations. She explained that they drove to the registry together, and she hadn’t even brushed her hair for the occasion. However, they ensured the wedding rings were in the car.

“There was a good mood and a little embarrassment,” she added.

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The couple’s relationship has caused an uproar, as they are also expecting a child together. They announced the pregnancy in June, and on July 11 said that the baby looks like a boy in the ultrasound.

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Many claim their relationship is immoral. The Mirror UK reported that it was a massive scandal in their homeland, and that ex-husband Alexey had caught wind of their affair while he was still married to Balmasheva.

There was uproar when Balmasheva posted a comparison photo, showing her standing next to a 7-year-old Voya next to another picture of the pair cuddled up as a couple.

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Balmasheva has gained thousands of followers after going public with her relationship with Voya. The pair remain adamant that the public are behind their relationship.

Image: Instagram / @marina_balmasheva

In Advice

Celebrity wedding mishaps over the years

July 14, 2020 No Comments

Even those who seem most perfect are still able to make mistakes. Similarly, while celebrity weddings always seem to go off without a hitch, there are often unexpected disasters and surprises.

Celebrities are not immune to mishaps. Bad weather doesn’t avoid the rich and famous, and neither does nerves.

If you’re wondering how this could be possible, we promise it is. We have proof. Here are some celebrity wedding disasters, to show you that these things happen!

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson

At their 2014 wedding, nerves ran high. Simpson was so overwhelmed with the nerves, that she said the wrong name during their wedding ceremony! Instead of pledging her everlasting love to love to her husband, she said her own name. The singer merely brushed it off, laughed at her mistake, and began again.

Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie

Have you ever had the stress-induced dream where your teeth fall out? Well, Hilary Duff experienced something similar just hours before her 2010 wedding to Mike Comrie.

On the morning of the wedding, Duff ate a bagel. A normal thing to do. The next thing she knew, her tooth fell out!

“I started laughing at myself and then I really burst into tears,” Duff said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. As luck would have it, Duff’s wedding planner managed to get an emergency appointment with a dentist.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

The Gossip Girl actress experienced something no bride ever wants to, at her 2012 wedding to Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds. Lively’s gown caught on fire!

Speaking to Vogue, Lively said, “Florence Welch was singing at the reception, and they brought out these sparklers, and I’m watching her sing, I look down and my wedding dress has a big burn mark from one of the sparklers. Right on the front! And it was just so heartbreaking to me.”

According to Martha Stewart Weddings, Reynolds made the unfortunate turn of events into something sweet for Lively, when he said “Isn’t that beautiful? You’ll always remember that moment with Florence singing and the sparklers. You have that forever, right there, preserved.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.

At their 2002 wedding in Mexico, the popular 90s couple were hit with a real disaster. A hurricane (Hurricane Hernan) forced the couple to rethink their outdoor wedding, and as their guests left Mexico after the wedding, an earthquake hit too!

The talent manager who represented the pair at the time told People that it’s a great way to start their lives together. “All of those bigger-than-life natural events can only bode well for the marriage,” he said.

Nicky Hilton and James Rothschild

Another mishap where the wedding gown is the casualty. At their 2015 wedding, the train of Hilton’s wedding gown got stuck under the wheels of a car.

Image: Unsplash

In Celebs

Shaggy and wife celebrate 6th anniversary

July 14, 2020 No Comments

Reggae musician Shaggy and his wife, Rebecca Packer Burrell, celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on Sunday, July 12. To commemorate the occasion, the singer shared a loving message on Instagram.

Alongside a photo of himself and his wife with their children, all dressed in white, Shaggy wrote: “Happy Anniversary to my wife and best friend’ love of my life, partner in crime and all-around great gal’ @rebeccapackerburrell … what a ride!!! Hold on cus it gets better!”

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The pair got to know each other toward the end of the 1990s, after Rebecca, an art director, worked on a few of Shaggy’s music videos. They have been a couple since the early 2000s. They spent 16 years together, before getting married in 2014.

Not much is known about their wedding, as they kept it tightly under wraps. However, it is reported that they married under almond trees at Goldeneye in Oracabessa, Jamaica, on July 12, 2014.

Over the years, Shaggy has said many sweet things about his wife.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Shaggy described their relationship. “We have had our fair share of arguments, but I think the best way to put it is that we are two stones, and the edges are rough, and they beat on each other until eventually, they are smooth. That’s the best way I can say it. She constantly impresses me as we go along, and that keeps my interest there. And our love is the basic thing that keeps us together” he said.

The couple share three daughters together, and the singer also has two sons from a previous relationship.

Image: Instagram / direalshaggy

In News

‘The Princess and the Frog’ proposal goes viral

July 14, 2020 No Comments

Everyone deserves a fairytale happy ending. A bride-to-be in Boise, Idaho, had the surprise of her life when she was given just that. She even had a story written about the turn of events.

Denise Amouzougan dresses up as Princess Tiana, the main character from fairytale The Princess and The Frog, as a role she plays for her party company. On July 9, she was working at a birthday party.

As she read a book to the children, she found a hand-written letter. “Every princess needs a prince – will you be mine forever?” it read.

She turns around to find her love, Blaze Montgomery, behind her, dressed up as Prince Charming. He got down on one knee and asked her for her hand in marriage. Montgomery had even perfectly timed the proposal to line up with the water fountain in the background, which comes on every hour.

As Michael Buble played in the background, she said yes!

All of their family and friends were present to watch the fairytale unfold.

Amouzougan’s friend Celine Daily captured it all on camera and even wrote a little story to go with it, and she shared it all on Facebook. The pair share a close friendship, as can be seen from Amouzougan’s comment on her friends post.

“Omg!???CONGRATULATIONS SIS. WE DID IT!! WERE ENGAGED AND I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER FOR US. Your the absolute best adventure buddy. So glad I have an amazing friend like you to share all this with. I LOVE YOU DEARLY!!!????,: said Amouzougan.

See it happen, and read the story below:

Image: Unsplash

In Celebs

Survivor couples: Castaways who found love in the jungle

July 13, 2020 No Comments

Survivor is a game of trickery, deception, and lies. As their slogan says, competitors have to “outwit, outlast, outplay” each other. Participants join the competition in the hopes of becoming the sole survivor and winning a million dollars, but some have come out of the game having won love.

Castaways, as the game calls its participants, are sent to an island to partake in various challenges while they fend for themselves in the wild. Each episode, a player gets voted off the island by other tribe members.

One might think this is not a situation that is friendly to a blooming love since everybody is fighting to be the last one standing through manipulating and outwitting their competitors. However, love has blossomed several times on the popular show.

Here are some of the couples who fell in love in the jungle:

Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich

Probably the most well-known survivor couple, Rob Mariano (better known as Boston Rob) and Amber Brkich met in 2003 on Survivor: All-Stars. Their love was apparent on the show, and only a year later, in 2004, they got engaged. In 2005 the pair married and have been together ever since. They now have 4 daughters together. Their love for each other, and for Survivor, was so strong that they both returned for another season of Survivor (season 40).

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Rachel Foulger and Tyson Apostol

The pair met on Survivor: Blood vs. Water, which Apostol actually won, meaning he outwitted and outlasted his future wife. The couple tied the knot in 2015 and now have two daughters together.

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Erik Huffman and Jaime Dugan-Huffman

These two competed on Survivor: China. They met on the show in 2007, and two years later were married. They now share a son together.

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Joe Anglim and Sierra Dawn Thomas

Meeting in 2014 on Survivor: Worlds Apart, it wasn’t love at first sight for this couple. It was only a few years later that they started dating, and announced their engagement on April 9, 2019. They tied the knot in the same year.

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Whitney Duncan and Keith Tollefson

It was an instant love connection for Whitney and Keith, who met on Survivor: South Pacific in 2011. After their Survivor adventure, the pair took on The Amazing Race, another reality game show, and tied the knot in 2014.

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Image: Instagram / Rob Mariano

In News

25 test COVID-19 positive in KwaZulu-Natal after attending wedding

July 13, 2020 No Comments

While many lockdown regulations were eased as we entered Level 3, there are many things that are still not allowed. Despite this, citizens seem to be losing patience and are breaking rules to participate in social gatherings, including weddings.

According to a report, 25 guests who attended a wedding in KwaZulu-Natal last weekend have now tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement on Sunday [July 12], The Premier of KwaZulu Natal, Sihle Zikalala, said: “Over the last seven days, we have noted with concern the number of infections that have been reported after people have attended gatherings such as ceremonies and funerals. In most of these engagements, measures like social distancing and wearing of masks have been disregarded.”

“In the past week, we have been made aware that a sizeable group was reported to have attended a wedding last weekend. In the end, a number of people from the wedding fell sick, and 25 from the group who attended a wedding tested positive. Today, some of them are occupying COVID – 19 beds in the health care facilities.” he added.

According to the government’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster most gatherings are still not allowed under lockdown level 3.

“All gatherings are prohibited except for a gathering at faith-based institution, which is limited to 50 persons or less, depending on the size of the place of worship: provided that all health protocols and social distancing measures are being adhered to as provided for in directions that have been issued by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs,” they said in a statement.

This may have led to some confusion as a wedding may take place in a religious institution, and thus may technically be performed. However, some have completely disregarded the regulations and have celebrated weddings fully, with no thought towards safety precautions.

The premier reminded citizens that the virus spreads faster than gatherings. “No one is immune or can be a ‘starring’ or the invincible main actor, on COVID-19 as there is no cure,” he said.

He urged everyone to stick to the regulations, because staying safe now will result in a safer, and healthier future. “By being safe today, we can be safe and together tomorrow. Ubumnandi, or fun, never ends. It has always been there. It will be there in future, when COVID – 19 is no longer a problem. But, if we disregard precautions we may compromise our lives and those we love,” he said.

KwaZulu-Natal recorded 23 751 infections, 280 deaths and 6,021 recoveries on Saturday. The numbers are increasing rapidly by the day, and regulations must be adhered to for the safety of everyone.

Feature image: Unsplash

In Weddings

Silly wedding mishaps caught on camera

July 10, 2020 No Comments

We all want our weddings to be a perfect occasion, however, we can’t control everything. At times, silly things happen and the best we can do is laugh it off.

Considering that weddings are one of the most celebrated occasions, the likelihood of mishaps becomes all too possible. Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to catch it on camera.

When something goes wrong on a wedding day, we shouldn’t let it get to us, those are the moments that make memories. After all, it’s the imperfections that make things unique.

If you’ve experienced a wedding mistake, you may be embarrassed about it. Just know, that it’s quite common. Here are some silly wedding mishaps to get you chuckling:

This groom had breakfast on his mind, and his bride couldn’t contain her laughter.

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Oh no! The Cake!

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Handing over wedding rings shouldn’t have been this tough

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When your guests go overboard with the sendoff

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Perhaps they should have practiced this

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Giraffe wants in on the wedding photoshoot fun

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Some guests just can’t contain their excitement

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We get it, wedding days are tiring

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Wedding dress sabotages bride

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Shocked faces after newlyweds are attacked by their decor

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You can’t have a wedding on the beach without getting your feet wet

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Page boy just doesn’t like his partner, opts for another one

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When the pool is just too inviting

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This guy has some dangerous dance moves

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What’s a wedding without a good photobomb?

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Image: Unsplash