Essential workers, including nurses, across the world have been separated from their loved ones for months, on account of COVID-19. Many are living away from their partners and children as they reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to the ones they care for the most.
Alyssa Kayhill and Linh Trinh are one such couple. Kayhill was a nurse in the cardiology unit of a New York hospital, Brooklyn Hospital Centre. When the pandemic hit, Kayhill was was transferred to care for COVID-19 patients, and Trinh moved out of the apartment that the couple shared.
As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. During the time they were apart, Kayhill decided it was time to make it official.
She immediately started planning an epic proposal, which fell in Pride Month and on Kayhill’s birthday. Kayhill’s sister, Kristie Loscalzo, suggested that she get on one knee during the nightly applause for essential workers.
“The 7 p.m. cheer has always been very uplifting to me, so it was wonderful to combine that with the proposal,” said Kayhill to the New York Post.
On June 8, Loscalzo helped Trinh move back into her apartment with Kayhill, as it was deemed safe to do so. She staged it as a surprise for Kayhill. Little did Trinh know, she was the one who would receive the surprise of a lifetime.
As she walked up to Kayhill to gift her with some flowers, people applauded and Kayhill got down on one knee.
“I had zero idea this was going to happen,” Trinh said. “And even though I am a shy person who hates being the center of attention, it was really beautiful.”
Of course, she said yes! The couple are now back in the same apartment and planning to start wedding preparations as soon as it’s safe to have big celebrations again.
Jordanian royals Queen Rania and King Abdullah II celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, June 10. The Queen paid tribute to her husband in a touching post on Instagram.
A candid photo of the couple holding hands and walking side-by-side showed the comfort and love between the two. The image was accompanied by a sweet caption declaring her love and appreciation for the King.
“How could you not fall in love with the smile over and over again for 27 years! So lucky and grateful to have you by my side, happy anniversary,” said the Queen.
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Queen Rania and Kind Abdullah II (or Prince of Jordon, Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein as he was then known) met in August 1992, at a dinner party.
In his book, Our Last Chance, Kind Abdullah II detailed the night they met. “When my eyes fell on her, I said to myself: What a beautiful lady!”
At first the Queen was weary of the man pursuing her. However, she finally accepted his invite to have dinner in November, 1992, after he tirelessly made an effort to woe her by finding out her interests and her indulgences. He found out from a friend that she loves chocolate, and sent her a box of Belgian chocolate, which was the move that lead her to accept his first date request.
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“Things evolved and we began to talk more and go out together. On January 30, I invited Rania to dinner for my birthday, where my father sat next to her, and was amazed by her beauty and intelligence,” said Kind Abdullah in his book.
“I took Rania to one of the best places; a mountain at the outskirts of Amman: Tal Al-Rumman, When we got off the car, I told her ‘I see our relationship taking a serious turn, and our marriage is a good idea.’ I smiled, and she stayed silent. I took this silence as a yes. We visited her parents after two weeks.”
After his family met hers, their marriage was approved and they tied the knot on June 10, 1993.
They now share 4 children together, and 27 years later are still as happy as ever!
To some, wedding colours may seem like a trivial topic. However, it is actually a tremendously important part of the planning process and in fact not much can be decided on, in terms of decor, if you don’t know what your colour scheme is.
It’s not as easy as it sounds, though. While it should be based on your general preferred style and personal taste as a couple, you can’t simply throw together your favourite colour and your partners favourite colour and be done with it. That might lead you to a rather odd looking wedding! Don’t risk it.
Your bridal party’s attire, table settings, flowers, and other decorative details all have to be synced to the same colour scheme. It’s likely it’ll be tough to get this sorted out if you’ve chosen colours that don’t match or even worse, if you haven’t decided on wedding colours at all.
Despite all of this, you shouldn’t let it stress you out! Follow these simple steps and you’ll decide on your wedding colours in no time:
– Start simple
If there is one colour you’ve always wanted to feature in your wedding, start with that. By beginning with a base colour, the rest of your decisions will come much more easily. If you don’t have a base colour in mind just yet, that should be your first task. Look for inspiration where ever you can find it.
– Think theme
A dramatic theme calls for dramatic colours, while a more low-key theme, like a bohemian style for example, calls for toned-down colours. Consider what you’d like your wedding to look like in terms of theme, and base your colours on that.
– Season and style
We all know as seasons change, so do styles and colours. Some colours are best used in specific seasons. For example, coral works great in summer while silver stuns during the winter time. Thinking seasonally can easily lead you to your perfect wedding colours.
Additionally, you’ll want your colour scheme to work across all parts of your wedding. So you’ll have to think about whether your colours are seasonally appropriate for your bridal party’s outfits too!
– Venue
If you’ve already booked your venue, or have one in mind, consider what it looks like. Is it an outdoor venue with lots of greenery, or is it a warehouse with empty walls? These factors can inform your decisions on colour choices too. In fact, they can make or break your colour choices! For example, if your venue has walls decked out with wallpaper in intricate patters, it already gives a busy feel to the room. If you go with colours which are too bright, or decide to have too many different colours, it could start to look a bit messy.
– The colour wheel
Don’t forget about this useful tool for colour co-ordination. The basics of the colour wheel are that colours which are opposite to each other on the wheel go well together. If you’re having trouble deciding on a second colour, consult this trusted resource.
Even the best of us experience a bout of forgetfulness every now and then. However, when we forget an anniversary it may land us in the dog box. The day is, for obvious reasons, special to both partners and it stings just a bit when your significant others forget.
If you’re the one who’s forgotten, not to worry. While your partner may be a bit upset, you definitely can fix it with a few simple but thoughtful gestures.
Here’s what you have to do:
– A simple apology goes a long way
Saying sorry genuinely makes the world of difference. A simple apology, taking the time to acknowledge that your partner’s feelings are hurt, is always appreciated. Make sure you note how this may have hurt them, and ask what you can do to make it up to them.
– Explain, but don’t hide behind excuses
Explain to you partner what it is that led to your forgetting your anniversary. When you’re explaining, ensure that you note that you are not using these occurrances as an excuse. You shouldn’t try to play the victim or downplay its importance.
– Plan an intimate celebration
Once all is forgiven, you should make an effort to celebrate, whether its a belated celebration or not. Cook dinner and lay the table out with candles and flowers. Make it intimate and personal.
Others may want to make a day of it. Celebrate by spending quality time doing different things throughout the day. Perhaps you could recreate a few of your early dates in your relationship, or take a day trip to somewhere pretty. The world is your oyster.
– Do something sweet and unique
Do something quirky and cute, to make your partner laugh. Maybe you decide to make matching anniversary t-shirts, maybe you’ll decide to go big and get a tattoo of your anniversary date (although admittedly this has not turned out well for many people), or maybe you’ll make a funny anniversary video. Whatever you do, try to make it personal, adding details only you and your partner would understand.
– Remember it next time!
Do not forget it ever again! Set a calendar reminder, write it down, memorise it, do what needs to be done. When you remember it next year, all the effort will be worth it when you see the joy and love on your partners face.
The late, legendary rocker David Bowie would have celebrated his 28th wedding anniversary with now widow, Somalian-born supermodel and actress Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid on Saturday, June 6. To pay tribute on this special day, Iman shared a heartwarming video.
In a recent Instagram Live post, Iman shared a slideshow of images from their wedding day, with the caption “June 6th, Wedding Anniversary” accompanied by the hashtags #BowieForever and #EternalLove. As the photos switch from one to the next, Bowies song, Wild is the Wind, plays.
The photos show true love and romance between this iconic pair.
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It seems some of these images have never been seen before as Oscar James, Emmy Award-winning hair stylist commented, “Wow!! I’ve known you a very long time, and I’ve never seen some of these photos before. Thank you for sharing. ❤️”
Of course, comments sending love came pouring in from many people, including fellow supermodels Niomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford.
The iconic couple met at a dinner party in 1990, just after Iman had retired from her modelling career, according to E! News. Many have reported that Bowie, in that instant, knew he would love her forever. He once said that he was already naming the children they would have together on the night they met.
Iman, however, was not keen on being with a rockstar. She once said to The Gaurdian: “I did not want to get involved with a rock star. No way. It is not a sane thing to do.”
Thereafter, Bowie pursued her endlessly and he eventually changed her mind. “He wooed me,” she reminised.
In 1992, they said their “I-do’s” in a civil ceremony in Switzerland. They celebrated again with a bigger wedding in Florence. 8 years later, in 2000, they welcomed their daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones, into the world.
According to E! News, Bowie once said, “You would think that a rock star being married to a supermodel would be one of the greatest things in the world. It is.”
Adding a touch of childlike wonder to weddings for as long as we can remember, the flower girl is not only adorable but is a well-loved wedding tradition too. The meaning and origin of the practice, however, is far from romantic.
There are two main things this tradition is connected to. According to Readers Digest, it signifies the bride losing her innocence and is based around fertility (like many other wedding traditions are).
In ancient Rome, most marriages were arranged and their purpose was more to ensure that the family name gets passed along to children, rather than for love and happiness. In those times, Readers Digest reports, only young people would attend to the bride.
A young girl would walk down the aisle before the bride in order to toss wheats and herbs on the walkway. This was done in order to bless the couple with fertility and prosperity, and of course, to chase away those pesky evil spirits. In the Medieval times, the tradition was roughly the same, however little girls scattered garlic rather than wheats and herbs.
From here, the tradition of little girls walking down the aisle with a bouquet of flowers became what it is today.
Readers Digest also reports that another point of having a little girl walk down the aisle first was to represent the transformation – showing the bride going from being a child to an adult. This is also why flower girls are often dressed similar to the bride.
Brides reports similar origins, however, they attribute the beginning of this tradition to the Greeks, in addition to the Romans.
As the tradition evolved, in the Elizabethan era, the flower girl (and all other children in the bridal party) were included to represent the idealisation of childhood, according to Brides. People during that time saw kids as a representation of hope and innocence.
Further along in history, in the Victorian Era, flower girls began to look more similar to those of today. They carried baskets of blooms and wore a floral loop on their heads, which represented everlasting, or unending, love.
Today, we still include children in our wedding parties. However, it’s unlikely that many people practicing the tradition believe it will bring them fertility, nor do they prescribe to the idea that by getting married a bride is giving away her “innocence”. The practice, these days, commonly revolves around the cute factor and the idea of having little nieces and nephews being part of such a special day.
Bride-to-be’s have dozens of nightmares leading up to their wedding day, but your hair doesn’t have to be one of them! A bad hair day on your big day can be avoided by following these 5 easy steps.
Step 1: Plan Ahead
When booking your appointment with a hair salon, make sure to mention if the appointment is for a specific occasion, so that the hair salon can make sure they have adequate time for the perfect consultation. A perfect consultation will help your hairdresser select the best suitable hair colour and hairstyle for your big day. Your eye colour, skin tone, hair history, current hair condition and facial shape plays an important role in this decision.
Find a Wella Professionals hair salon near you HERE.
Step 2: Prepare your hair at home
Moisture and hair condition is critical! So you should invest in a professional home care treatment range, such as the Wella Professional Fusion Range, which is an instant and long-lasting hair care recovery regimen. It contains Silksteel Technology that provides 95% more resilience against breakage. Creating a soft as silk and strong as steel hair texture. Also, give your hair a break from heat styling for a while, before your appointment.
Dark to light – This can be a tricky process. It is important to be honest about your hair history with your hairdresser and make sure to have realistic expectations, because the end result might not be achieved at the first appointment.
Wella Professionals Color Renew is a zero-damage colour reducer that optimises and prepares your hair for a new colour, by removing the current colour from your hair, without affecting your natural hair colour. This service can be performed more than once on the same day, depending on the colour build up in the hair.
Wella Professionals WellaPlex is another great treatment option to use when going from dark to light. It works as a bond multiplier, which links the bonds inside the hair, reducing damage during the lightening process.
Image: Unsplash
Ask your hairdresser about Color Renew and WellaPlex, should you want to change your hair colour.
Light to Dark – This desired result is far more achievable with your first appointment. Wella Professionals KPME+ will provide you with even, pure colour results with natural depth and shine and it requires very little prep and salon time.
Image: Supplied
It is also important to invest in a good professional home care range to ensure your colour stays true to tone and does not go brassy. The Wella Professionals Brilliance Range is pH optimised, which means that the low pH formula helps to de-swell the cuticles after colouration, ensuring up to 7 weeks colour protection.
Shop the Wella Professionals Brilliance Range HERE.
Remember, having a visual reference with you is another great tool for the hairdresser to use, because everyone sees colour differently!
Step 4: Know your stylist
Certain colour changes, such as removal of unwanted tones, are more difficult and should be handled by a true colour expert. Stick to one hairdresser for the duration of your wedding journey and make sure you understand each other.
Image: Unsplash
Step 6: Book a post-colour appointment
Schedule another appointment 1 week after your colour change for a Wella Professionals Illumina Glossing Service. This will add an extra glow and shine to your locks, before you say ‘I DO’! This is a quick and super easy service to add shine and refresh colour all in one.
The time leading up to your big day can be very emotional and stressful. Be sure not to leave everything for the last minute.
Find a Wella Professionals hair salon near you HERE.
Across the US, protests against racial injustice and police brutality have been widespread after the unlawful killing of George Floyd. In most cases, protesters prefer not to stand out to ensure that they are no easily identifiable. One Philadelphia couple, however, made a statement by celebrating their wedding at the protests on Saturday, June 6.
Dr. Kerry Anne Perkins and Micheal Gordon got married at the Logen Hotel in Philadelphia. Immediately after, they made their way outside and were cheered on by thousands of protestors during a ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) rally.
According to E! News, this was not planned. The couple were taking some wedding shots outside the hotel when protestors passed by and they decided it was only right for them to join in.
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Rev. Roxy Birchfield, the wedding planner, told E! News that,”They were supposed to get married at Legacy Castle and it was postponed.” Since the postponement, the pair decided on a micro-wedding on the lawn of the Logen Hotel instead.
According to People, there was a special moment as they made their way out. The massive group of people made way for the couple as they walked to the middle of the street hand-in-hand and stopped for a kiss.
“It ended up being a very powerful moment,” Kerry-Anne told ABC News. “Not only are we feeling the movement of the people … but I’m meeting my husband, on our wedding day, as a strong black man and a good representative of who we are as people, what our men are like, what our culture is like. It was just a very, very empowering moment for us considering all of this is happening at one moment in one time.”
After the thrill of their celebrations this weekend, Perkins took to Instagram to talk about what happened.
“Never in our wildest dreams did we think our love story would capture the hearts of so many people. We are grateful to share our special day with such a pivotal moment in history, and we are honored to be a positive representation of Black Love and why Black Lives Matter,” she said alongside some digital drawings created by a variety of artists.
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Congrats to the happy couple!
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Image: Instagram / Screenshot from @luxorweddingfilms video
Winter is upon us and the cold has crept in to our lives, causing most of us to stay indoors. What better way to stay warm than with a good dose of love and happiness?
Many assume that winter weddings are not ideal. The rain may ruin your perfect pictures and make it inconvenient to travel to the venue and the cold may leave your guests feeling a bit fidgety. But there are ways around all of this!
Let’s not forget, according to folklore, rain on your wedding day is a sign of a good luck to come! Who wouldn’t want to ensure some of that on such a special day?
Apart from the good luck you’ll receive at your winter wedding, there are some other advantages of celebrating your nuptials in the frosty season. Here’s why you should consider it:
– Availability
Since its extremely common to want a summer or spring wedding, venues, vendors, and everything else you’ll need for your wedding will be much more readily available in winter. You’ll get to take your pick and have everything be absolutely perfect on your big day.
– Affordability
Similar to the point above, you’ll get better rates for almost everything since you’re getting married outside of peak wedding season. Rates drop as demand drops, so you won’t break the bank with your winter wedding.
– Guests who are not tired of weddings
If you’re getting married in peak wedding season, it is guaranteed that your guests have been to at least one or two other weddings around the same time as yours. While we all love a good wedding, attending many, one after the other, week after week, gets tiring (and a bit repetitive – or boring even).
A winter wedding almost ensures that this is not the case. Your guests are likely not invited to any other weddings at the time, which means they’ll celebrate yours with full force!
– Romance-filled photo shoot
Look, we’re not saying a sunny forest photo shoot isn’t romantic. However, a kiss in the rain makes for one of the most perfect photos for your wedding album. Don’t miss the opportunity!
– Fun with food
A winter menu is usually more diverse than a summer one. You don’t have to worry about spicy food that makes you uncomfortable in the heat, cold or creamy food that melts or gets soft in the heat, and the list goes on. You’ll have many more options for food in winter.
– Comfort is key
No sweating in your dress or suit and no worries about melting makeup. Do we really need to say any more?
Some might say that love is a revolutionary act. One North Carolina couple seem to believe so, as they made it official in the midst of the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests happening in the United States.
Across America, images of protestors fighting for their rights have been captured, some as they face terrible brutality as they make a statement for equality.
In between all of the anger, fear, and heartache shown at the protests, one photographer, Charles Crouch, caught a sweet, soft moment between a loving couple who were fighting for change side-by-side.
He posted his images on Instagram alongside the caption: “Went downtown to the protest against police brutality. I was blessed to capture this proposal in the midst of what would become chaos.”
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The man proposing, Xavier Young, spoke to E! News about this special moment. He told them that it had almost not happened as it was pictured.
According to Young, the pair were considering whether they should participate in the protest at all, since his now fiancée, Marjorie Alston, is pregnant and he had obligations elsewhere.
Despite these complications, the couple managed to make their way to the protest, before which Young packed a bag of essentials, including the ring!
They made their way to Raleigh, where the protests were taking place, and when the opportunity struck he requested that Alston and one of their friends stop on a sidewalk so he could have a sip of water.
The next thing Alston knew, Young was down on one knee. Luckily for them, a photographer was nearby!
Crouch told E! News that he had brought his camera along to document the protest for the company he works for. “I just happened to be standing right there when he went down on his knee. I began taking pictures,” he said.
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The loved-up pair hope to wed in 2021. Congrats to the happy couple!
