Buttercream, fondant, and frosting are great, but a naked wedding cake is just as good. As we all know, its what’s on the inside that counts.
The naked wedding cake trend grew in popularity around 2013. It’s rustic look, creating a refined and elegant vibe on confection tables around the world is what drew people to it.
Not only is it visually pleasing, the naked cake comes with other advantages too. Since they dry out quicker than cakes with frosting or fondant, they are often made as close to the time of the celebration as possible. This means you’ll have the freshest cake for your wedding. It also is often significantly cheaper, as intricate frosting details cost much more since they’re labour intensive.
For those who are less of a sweet-tooth type, the naked cake also provides the perfect balance between fillings and spongy cake.
Whether you’re looking for a twist on the common wedding cake, or you’re just not into the sweetness, the naked wedding cake is perfect for any wedding theme. Find your inspiration from these cakes that bare it all:
For the eco-friendly bride, sustainability is of extreme importance. However, wedding dresses, in their most traditional sense, are not very sustainable. They take a lot of resources to make, and you only end up wearing it once.
An up-cycled wedding dress is a perfect solution to all your eco-issues, in this regard. You can up-cycle an old dress into a new one for yourself, you could use pre-owned/used materials to make a new wedding dress, or you could up-cycle your wedding dress into new items. This way, nothing goes to waste and tons of resources are saved.
Here are some ways you could up-cycle your wedding dress:
– Up-cycling old dresses into a new one for yourself:
Many eco-friendly brides have opted for this. They use their mothers’ wedding gowns, or purchase vintage, second-hand dresses and turn them into a new and improved dress. Some turn them into chic two-pieces, like a skirt and top, and others opt to have the dress made into a suit.
Others still go for the dying option, turning an old school dress into something modern and contemporary. Whatever you decide, all you’ll need is a few alterations.
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– Upcycling other materials into a wedding dress:
If you have some material laying around, or some old sheets you don’t want to go to waste, why not use it to make your wedding dress? The right dressmaker is all you need.
Decide on your preferred style, keeping in mind the texture and type of material and whether it would be good for the style you want. No-fuss and nothing wasted. What more could you ask for?
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– Up-cycling your wedding dress into other garments or items:
A few snips here and there, and some store-bought dye, and your wedding dress could be transformed into an everyday clothing item. If you’d prefer not to make more clothes out of it, however, you could opt for some decorative pillows, a bag, or soft toys for your (future) kids. The options are endless.
The groom’s attire often seems much less important than the brides look for the day. However, the suit is an indispensable part of the wedding.
While we all know the suit is a key element, its history is much less documented than the wedding dress. However, there is a short story of where it all began.
According to the TM Lewin blog, back in the 1650s, men’s wedding attire was all about tight-fitting breeches and frock coats. This trend, however, quickly made its way out.
When King George IV married Princess Caroline of Brunswick in 1795, the trends of the time required that groom’s dress just as extravagantly as brides. He wore silks, velvet, and pearls to the wedding, and even sported some stockings. It was not uncommon for grooms to wear furs, silvers and golds, and even precious gems. Of course, not everybody could afford this, so those who couldn’t dressed very simply, wearing their everyday clothes. This continued until around the early 1800s.
Source: Pinterest
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married Queen Victoria in 1840. This moment marked a massive change in groom’s attire. The prince donned his Field Marshall’s uniform, and this is a tradition that persists until today in royal weddings. Prince Albert also wore a morning suit on the day. The suit takes inspiration for its cut and tails from the Field Marshal uniform, which meant more clean lines and precision.
Source: Pinterest
Morning suits then took off and became very popular. From 1850 onwards, the tailcoat was only worn on special occasions.
Source: Pinterest
In the 1920s the Stresemann style suit was created, and it became a popular alternative for grooms.
According to M. Muller & Sohn, it was around the 1930s when the tuxedo came onto the scene. The British creation was, at first, only worn by men who attended men’s clubs. This quickly grew in popularity and became the picture of presentability.
Source: Pinterest
From here, different shapes, cuts and colours were incorporated. In the 1940s grooms preferred wide-peaked lapels and in the 1960s bell-bottomed trousers were all the rage. The double-breasted suit became popular 20 years later, in the 80s.
Source: Pinterest
Today, the options are endless and the style of the suit depends, mostly, on the theme of the wedding.
A wedding photoshoot should be magical, as you capture yourselves looking your best, feeling your best, and deeply in love on your most special day. An unexpected dip in the ocean, however, may turn things upside down a bit.
A newly-wed couple took to Laguna’s Treasure Island Beach in California for their wedding photoshoot. Things were going well, until they were unexpectedly hit by a wave and pulled out into the water.
Luckily, an onlooker witnessed the entire incident from a lookout close to a hotel by the beach, and alerted authorities, who rushed out to help the couple. Several lifeguards made their way into the water, and rescued the bride and groom.
According to abc7, both the bride and groom had no serious injuries.
In a video captured by an onlooker, the couple can be seen going about their business until a wave hits them. Thereafter, the video cuts to the couple being rescued from the ocean.
Since the nationwide lockdown is not yet over, and many romantic spots remain unsafe to visit, your big proposal plans may feel ruined. However, they don’t have to be. Proposing at home can be just as amazing.
An at-home proposal comes with an added feeling of intimacy and closeness. You and your partner can cherish the beautiful moment, in each other’s company, without any external disturbances. It could be truly magical.
So whether you’re planning an at-home proposal due to the lockdown, or if you’re just home-bodies, you need not worry. It will still be the most special experience.
For those looking for ways to pop the big question at home, here are some ideas:
– Dream Holiday At Home
Since the shops are mostly open, you’ll be able to go out and get a few decorations. Think of a holiday you’ve always wanted to take with your partner, then recreate it at home. Maybe make a cardboard cutout of the Eiffel Tower or create mini hot air balloons like to reflect the ones that float around in Cappadocia.
Try to incorporate the theme into your food choices too. It’ll make the entire occasion feel extremely well planned out.
Once it’s all set up and you’re having a great time, find the perfect moment and pop the question!
– Memory Movie
Collect all your favourite photos, videos, Instagrams, and Facebook posts, and put them all together in a slideshow. Choose a romantic song to play in the background, and your movie is sorted!
Lay out some blankets, light a few candles, and take a stroll down memory lane together. Once you’re done reliving your love story thus far, you’ll be ready to begin the next chapter by asking your partner to marry you.
– Games Night
If you and your partner are the types of people who love a good games night (who isn’t, right?), then this is the perfect idea for you.
Suggest to your significant other that you’d like to have a two-person games night, and play games like trivia, Pictionary, or any other game where your partner would have to guess your actions, or drawings.
Once you’re both into the flow of the game, sneak in “will you marry me?” as one of the questions. It’ll be a pleasant and unexpected surprise.
– Breakfast in Bed
If you’d like to keep it simple, try this. While your partner is still asleep, get up and prepare the perfect breakfast. We’re talking eggs, toast, pancakes, strawberries, the works. Add the ring somewhere on the tray, and your plan is complete!
If you’re feeling confident, you could take a slightly different route. Before they wake up, slip the ring on their finger. Wake them up to the most perfect breakfast in bed, and calmly ask “what’s that on your finger?” as you point to the ring. Once they look at their hand, you can get down on one knee and take it from there.
– Special Scavenger Hunt
Leave the very first clue somewhere obvious, where your partner goes often, perhaps next to the kettle in the kitchen, or on their laptop keyboard. Say something like “go to the place where you told me not to leave a mess”, make it something silly and personal.
Each clue should draw your partner closer and closer to where you’ve hidden the ring. Once they find it, be behind them on one knee.
Weddings have largely been banned across the world in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, some countries have loosened restrictions and some citizens have not followed restrictions regarding weddings. In India, this has proven to be a mistake.
A wedding which took place in the Patna District of Bihar, a state in India, effectively started a COVID-19 chain, as 113 people tested positive and the groom passed away. It has been reported that this was the largest chain of infection in the state thus far.
The wedding took place on June 15. At the time, the 30-year-old groom had a high fever. Two days later, on June 17, he passed away and was cremated without receiving a COVID-19 test.
Subsequently, more than 360 people from surrounding towns were tested as part of contact-tracing efforts, and testers were still trying to get a hold of additional possible carriers of the virus, according to Health Department officials in the area. The bride, however, had not tested positive.
Some of the groom’s relatives were infected at the wedding, and fifteen of these guests are believed to have spread the virus to others who were not in attendance. According to the Indian Express, most of those who tested positive were asymptomatic and were admitted to isolation centres.
The entire region where the wedding took place (Paliganj sub-division of Patna) was then declared a containment zone and sealed. A special camp was also set up at the village from June 24 – 26 so that people could easily be tested. At the camp, 86 more people tested positive, according to Hindustan Times.
According to a relative of the groom, the wedding was not cancelled for fear of monetary loss, despite the fact that the grom knew he was not well. “Even though he was feeling unwell by June 14 and wanted the wedding deferred, family heads from both sides advised against it, citing huge financial losses if the arrangements had to be cancelled,” said the relative.
Apparently, nobody had considered that the man was a COVID-19 patient since rural areas had been mostly safe from the virus .” As rural areas are almost Covid-free, we were relaxed,” said the same relative.
NDTV reported that the restrictions in the state say that no more than 50 people are allowed to be in attendance of a wedding. At this particular wedding, there were approximately 350 guests. Thus, the district magistrate ordered an investigation into those attending the wedding in violation of COVID-19 restrictions.
Pop sensation Joe Jonas and Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner are celebrating the first anniversary of their church wedding in France. The pair have been quiet about their celebrations, but brother Nick Jonas and his wife Priyanka Chopra have sent them sweet congratulations.
On his Instagram story, Nick Jonas posted a photo of Joe and Sophie walking hand-in-hand down the aisle in France from their 2019 wedding. “Happy Anniversary Jophie. Love you guys!” wrote the younger Jonas brother.
The pair, by the time they had their church wedding, had already said their “I dos” in May 2019 at their impromptu Vegas wedding.
Chopra posted the same photo, with some added editing for decoration, and said “Happy 1 year anniversary. Love you both”.
Jonas and Turner met in 2016, but kept their courtship quiet for a long time. According to Insider, they began talking after Jonas sent Turner a message on Instagram.
“We had a lot of mutual friends and they’d been trying to introduce us for a long time,” Turner told Harper’s Bazaar UK during a March 2019 interview. “We were following each other on Instagram and he direct messaged me one fine day, out of the blue.” After a few weeks of back and forth texting, they met up in London, and by then they knew it was meant to be.
In 2019, they surprised everyone by making it official in a Las Vegas ceremony at the Little White Wedding Chapel after the Billboard Music Awards.
Within Kenya, there are a variety of different tribes (more than 40), and each tribe has its own traditions. Of course, this includes practices for weddings.
According to a blog called African Wedding Traditions, some of these practices have been let go of in modern times, and others are re-enacted to pay tribute to tradition. Each one has been passed down through Kenyan history.
Love Matters Africa reports that, in most cases, there will be two to three meetings between the families before the wedding – no matter which tribe they are from. The bride’s parents are visited by the groom and his father and uncles to show his interest in marriage with their daughter, then there are dowry negotiations, and finally, the dowry is paid and the wedding plans are finalized.
Often, the groom is not allowed to speak in any of these meetings, with most of the talking being done by his father and uncles. The bride-to-be is commonly not present until all of these meetings are complete.
Of course, there are variations among tribes with these meetings, however, most include it in some form or other.
Here are some other wedding traditions from various tribes:
Rendille Tribe
For men who are part of the Rendille tribe, a marriage proposal is more than just a simple question. He has to send beads to the woman he is interested in marrying, and if she accepts them they they will become engaged.
The woman’s parents must then show that they approve of the marriage. To do so, her mother places an ornament made of wood on top of the beads.
Just before the pair are set to marry, the woman must have her ears pierced, and must get various symbolic tattoos applied to her body. The man, on the other hand, must provide his wife-to-be’s family with camels.
Kikyuyu Tribe
A traditional Kikyuyu wedding is called the “ngarario”. On this day, the groom visits the bride’s family home with his parents and other members of his family. They are not allowed to enter the house at first.
The “kuhura hoti” takes place, in which women within the groom’s family sing outside the house and carry gifts. Women who are part of the bride’s family also sing inside the house.
Eventually, the front door is opened and they are let inside. Following this, another practice called “gucagura muka wake” is performed. The groom must find his bride in a group of women who are all dressed exactly the same. If he picks the wrong woman, he must pay a fine.
Samburu Tribe
At a wedding ceremony of a couple who form part of the Samburu Tribe, members of the tribe cross wooden sticks while the couple is being married. This is symbolic of the fact that the new marriage will have lasting roots, and will maintain the strength and natural life force of trees.
Masai Tribe
Brides who are part of the Masai tribe shave their heads in preparation for their nuptials. Thereafter, they apply lamb fat and oil to their scalps, according to Voltaire Diamonds.
After the marriage ceremony, the bride leaves with her spouse and it is said that she should not, under any circumstances, look back or she will turn to stone. Voltaire Diamonds also reports that members of the groom’s family insult the couple as they leave, in order to ward off evil spirits and misfortune.
Pokot Tribe
Grooms in the Pokot Tribe must pay a bride price. They must also provide their brides with a leather wedding band, which they place on her wrist at the wedding ceremony.
It would be easy to imagine that wedding dresses have been glamorous and varying shades of white since their inception. However, they have actually changed a lot over the years. From fabric and style to length and colour, not much about wedding dresses has stayed the same.
Not much is known, due to a lack of documentation, about weddings in ancient times. However, Love To Know reports that the ancient dress tradition differed according to culture. Brides in ancient Rome are said to have worn yellow veils to represent a torch and symbolise warmth. In ancient Athens, brides were likely to have worn long robes in shades of red or violet.
Brides of Ancient Roman. Source: Pinterest
From the 5th to the 15th centuries (or in the Medieval times), because weddings were more about politics than love, brides were required to dress in a manner that cast her family in a good light. Brides of high social standing would wear rich colours and expensive materials including fur, velvet, and silk. Often, they had gems sewn into their garments too.
During the Renaissance (from about the 14th to the 17th century), which overlaps with the Medieval times, layering was important. In addition, dresses were long, hanging from the neck to the feet, and may have included a train. Burgundy was a popular colour at the time, and dresses were often corseted or had skirts done in a bell shape.
Elle, however, reports that around the 17th century it was common for a bride to simply wear her best dress, no matter its colour.
Much later, in 1840, the white wedding dress became popular. This is credited to Queen Victoria, who wore an ivory silk gown to marry Prince Albert in that year. Soon after, the white wedding dress became majorly popular, with dressmakers also incorporating embroidered silk, lace, and floral detailing into wedding dresses. High necks, full skirts, and white gloves were popular for brides at the time.
Queen Victoria popularised the white wedding dress trend. Source: Pinterest
In the early 1900s, white remained the most popular colour, but some brides opted for azure, mauve, or pale think. According to Bridal Guide, a wedding dress at this time incorporated an S-shaped corset, to pull in the belly and push out the bosom. Dresses also came with frills on the bodice, and gigot sleeves.
Gigot sleeves and corset detail rose in popularity in the early 1900s. Source: Pinterest
Through the 1900s wedding dresses went through many transformations. In the 20s sleek, drop waist gowns were popular, and dresses became slightly shorter, according to Good Housekeeping. The 30s and 40s brought simpler outfits, as the wars led to financial struggles, many brides wore items they already owned.
Drop-waist wedding gowns were popular in the 20s. Suource: Pinterest
Elizabeth Taylor’s dress in her film Father of the Bride, which had a fitted bodice and a full skirt influenced trends of the 50s. Sweetheart necklines were also popular at the time. About 20 years later, in the 70s, the popular neckline moved to high collars. The 70s saw a lot of experimentation, as it to be expected of the time.
High collars were very trendy and still are. Source: Pinterest
In the 80’s there was no such thing as “less is more”, in fact, at the time brides believed “the bigger the better”. Puffy sleeves, long trains, and over the top headdresses were all the rage.
80s brides were all about over-the-top detail. Source: Pinterest
Vera Wang opened her bridal boutique in 1990, and 10 years later she was considered to be one of the top dress designers. Her speciality at the time was strapless and spaghetti straps.
Nowadays, brides can do whatever they like. Most still opt for white wedding dresses, but styles vary broadly.
The coronavirus and the resulting worldwide lockdowns it has caused has resulted in many a social media challenge gain traction. It seems brides, old and new, are not being left out of this trend, and a new challenge, called the Wedding Dress challenge, on TikTok has gone viral.
Some challenges involve some sort of prank, and others show users doing something silly, but the wedding dress challenge is nothing but pure, wholesome fun.
Former brides, be it a bride from last year or a bride from 20 years ago, are surprising their spouses by putting on their wedding dresses and capturing their reactions in a TikTok. The reactions are sweet and heartwarming, and just what we need to make the continuing lockdown seem not that bad.
Have a look at some of the renditions of the challenge here:
