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    Since you’ve been given the honour of speaking at a loved ones wedding, you probably don’t want to dissapoint them. However, as much as a wedding toast is privilage it can also be a daunting challenge.

    “There are so many things that could go wrong,” is likely along the lines of what you’re thinking. It seems that wedding toasts commonly take one of two paths. On the one hand they are either extremely memorable and everyone is in tears (of laughter or emotion), or on the other they are disastrous, inappropriate and downright cringe-worthy.

    Of course, you’ll be trying your hardest to be the former, rather than the latter. To ensure you’re giving the best toast possible, here are some tips:

    – Open with how you know the newly weds 

    It will give context to your speech for those who are not aware of who you are, and is generally considered to be more a police gesture.

    – Address both partners

    Just because only one of them have been through thick and thin with you, doesn’t mean you get to completely ignore the other! They are sharing this special day and you have been asked to share it with them. It would be rude to make it about only one of them.

    – Be sure to add personal touches 

    Weddings are very personal occasions. The couple and the audience will love hearing your anecdotes and emotions and they will repond better than if you used a generic speech that could have been taken staight of of the internet.

    – Things you shouldn’t include

    There are some serious no-go’s when it comes to wedding toasts. These are: crude language, inappropriate or explicit stories, and anything about the exes of those getting married. No matter what. Do not include these in your speech.

    – Be aware of time 

    We all know that nobody really wants to listen to a long, dragged out speech at a wedding. People will get bored. Be sure to stick to a reaonable time frame, maybe 3 to 6 minutes long. Don’t make it too short either though, it will seem as though you were uninterested and didn’t take the job seriously!

    – No inside jokes 

    Most of the audience wouldn’t understand the joke, and the reaction will not be what you want it to be… I can assure you. Don’t add it, it’s not worth it.

    Image: Unsplash

    Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriquez, who previously said they were planning out various versions of their wedding, have decided to indefinitely postpone their big day.

    The pair, who got engaged last year in March, are one of many couples who have had their wedding plans fail as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They had apparently planned “the wedding of their dreams”, but of course, to ensure that people stay safe and follow social distancing rules, they have no choice but to relook their plans.

    An insider told E! News that the wedding will not go on as planned. “They have been struggling for weeks over this decision, but with no return to normalcy in the near future, the couple felt postponing the wedding was the safest and smartest choice,” they said.

    According to this insider, all guests have been notified that the wedding will no longer be taking place in late summer, as they expected.

    The source also said that JLo and ARod had planned to say their “I-do’s” in Italy, and are hoping that they can eventually follow through with their dream wedding. They are already thinking of new dates, however, they do not see the nuptials taking place any time in the near future.

    Image: Instagram / Jennifer Lopez

    Olympic diver Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black celebrated their third wedding anniversary yesterday, May 6. The 25-year old double world champion said that he could not believe they had been married for that long.

    Taking to Instagram, Daley posted a picture of him and his husband on their wedding day. In the caption he doted over his husband and said “I love our little family.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_1ys59ny-T/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Black had the same idea, also celebrating their love with an Instagram post. “Happy Anniversary! Three years later, three years stronger. ?,” he said in his caption.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_118KsnacH/

    The pair started their relationship in 2013, when Daley announced that he was dating Black in a YouTube video. Two years later, Daley popped the question! After another two years, they had a lavish wedding attended by 120 guests.

    The couple have also had a baby boy via surrogate. It appears the loved-up pair are only going from strength to strength!

    Image: Instagram / Dustin Lance Black

    Amy Adams and her husband Darren Le Gallo celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on Saturday, May 2.  The six-time Oscar nominee took to Instagram to gush about her love.

    Sharing a sweet family picture, Adams wrote: “So happy to be celebrating our 5 year anniversary @darrenlegallo you are my soft place. Love you. Love our family.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_toScsHdRW/

    She also added the hashtag, #happytobestuckwith you. This means that the happy couple are spending their anniversary self-isolating, like many others – including Prince William and Kate Middleton – have done.

    Of course, Le Gallo shared his sentiments of love and affection too. He posted a black and white image of Adams in her wedding dress. “It’s been 5yrs today that I’ve been blessed to be married to my best friend,” he said.

    “It’s crazy how fast time goes by-almost 18yrs since we started dating. I respect, and adore the incredible human being that you are♥️,” he added.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sSZzppDPs/

    Image: Instagram / Amy Adams

    As kids, we all watched movies and dreamed that our lives would turn out just like those happy endings. For those who were born to be hopeless romantics, you probably also aspire to ensure that your wedding would be like the ones you saw in the cinemas!

    Big screen nuptials are often the way we define what a “fairytale wedding” looks like. From dramatic decor and perfect locations, to heartfelt speeches and outpourings of love and devotion, silver screen weddings are enough to make your heart skip a beat.

    Perhaps you want to base your wedding on your favourite cinema wedding memory, or maybe you simply want to feel warm and fuzzy inside. Or you’re just looking for some Netflix inspiration! Here are six of our favourite big screen weddings to entertain you

    Love Actually 

    As the bride and groom make their way down the aisle as newly-weds, a choir can be heard singing “Love, Love, Love”. The chorus echoes through the halls and musicians are revealed on the pews, behind some curtains. The event was a surprise for the couple from the best man, who is the best friend of the groom and happens to be in love with the bride too.

    27 Dresses

    Jane finally gets to be a bride after playing the role of bridesmaid 27 times! Once she breaks out of her shell, and finds her husband in the process she ends up with a colourful wedding (with 27 bridesmaids). What more can you ask for!?

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B7yEobTJOu0/

    Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones 

    For some, bigger is better and for others the opposite is true. Anakin Skywalker was one of the latter. On top of the fact that we had Jedi training amongst other things. He and his better half kept it simple, getting married overlooking the coast. How romantic, right?

    Padme Amidala’s dress has to receive an honourable mention here too. The detail is exquisite.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_xdFE0HHig/

    Twilight: Breaking Dawn 

    Lavish, bohemian, and picturesque. A forest wedding, followed by a massive reception at an outdoor venue. Natural decor with flowers overflowing at the ceremony and reception. This is truly the wedding of dreams.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B4KBk_7nKgU/

    Runaway Bride 

    The scene moves from  Julia Roberts and Richard Gere slow dancing on a balcony over looking the city, to their nuptials in an open field surrounded by their loved ones. Thereafter, the newlyweds ride off on some horses. I mean, can anybody say fairytale?

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VauX-H-Go/

    The Sound of Music 

    When a song used in a movie wedding influences brides for decades to come, you know for sure the film was something special. Julie Andrews is magical in the wedding scene, which is what made it so amazing.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_rtWgOHIay/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_yPvu9nbak/

    Image: Screenshot from Love Actually wedding scene

     

    Once again humans are showing that during times of difficulty, we can come together even in the smallest of ways. Those who have missed their wedding dates as a result of the pandemic are being creative with their backup celebrations, and this wedding DJ wanted to play his part.

    Chris Bouchard, a Maine-based wedding DJ, has come up with another solution to make isolation weddings more meaningful. He has decided he will stream “Virtual Wedding Mixes” every Friday at 8pm. Couples can have their first dance, or have a dance party with their guests attending via Zoom, to the music solution that Bouchard is providing.

    The Virtual Wedding Mixes will be streamed on Facebook, Twitch, Youtube, and other streaming services.

    In a Facebook post, Bouchard expressed his sympathy for those who have had to cancel their wedding ceremonies. “This breaks our hearts,” he said.

    “We want to provide couples from all over to join us live, every Friday, at 8pm to enjoy live wedding mixes. Dance the night away, make live requests, maybe enjoy a slow dance [or two] to some of the songs you would have had at your wedding reception in 2020,” he continued.

    Bouchard noted that while – of course – nothing can replace the wedding reception, he and his team would like to provide listeners with some joy and to help them to forget about the negative impacts of coronavirus, even just for a moment.

    “Every Friday night starting May 8, 2020 we will be celebrating with all of the couples that are still getting married and want to celebrate – or the couples that are putting everything off for another year and want to have a good time, too,” he said.

    For professionals such as Bouchard, this time is exceptionally tough as they are losing their main, if not only, source of income. Bouchard told News Centre Maine that if things are slow to open and get pushed to August or September he could easily lose all of his income for this year.

    Looking at it from this perspective, Bouchards gesture is even more meaningful.

    Image: Unsplash

    If you’re the type of girl who can’t decide if you look better with your hair up or down, then this trend is perfect for you. Meeting in the middle between an up-do and loose locks, the style is quite diverse so there is something for everyone!

    A half-up, half-down hairdo can be sophisticated, bohemian and more. So whether your wedding is formal or casual, your hair will fit in perfectly.

    What makes this style even better, is that it has stood the test of time. For years brides have been rocking this look, as it can be recreated in many different ways.

    Here are some variations to help you gather inspiration or to assist in finding the one that fits perfectly with your dress and decor:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv8l6mLhx2u/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B3M73sggs0e/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B6UxdiXDK3A/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9mhmHoHnA1/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B2zGXw5hqAN/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_lQBLHJpHc/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B8NbtC4lg5E/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B7YcOlHAVcL/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5pm91LBEwA/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B2q2PKohCet/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BjXDdUwhvbz/

    Feature image: Intsagram / Unsplash

    Weddings are changing more and more as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing. Couples are finding ways to ensure their nuptials continue. Livestreaming is a great option for couples want their guests to attend, but what about couples who still want a bridal party?

    This couple from Cincinnati, Ohio, came up with the perfect solution. Autumn Wood and Christian Miller used their dogs as bridesmaids.

    “Our dogs Sasha and Oreo were my stand in bridesmaids and although they were very good and didn’t bark at all, they totally stole the show!” said Wood to MetroUK.

    Credit: MetroUK (Autumn Wood/SWNS)

    Taking place in their back yard, the couple’s wedding incorporated everything coronavirus-wedding related. Their isolation wedding was officiated by Miller’s brother who happened to be isolating with them at their home.

    A Facebook livestream kept their family and friends close while the pair tied the knot in their wedding attire and facemasks. of course, Corona beer also made an appearance on the special day.

    The couple said they just couldn’t wait until the end of lockdown, so decided that this course of action would be best. While they intended to marry in May, their new date moved forward to April.

    “It was perfect – it wasn’t what I planned and it didn’t go the way I had been planning for months but I wouldn’t trade it,” said Wood.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_OT4sxhB0t/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_PyofMhihw/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_OcC2QDdRg/

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Image: Credit: MetroUK (Autumn Wood/SWNS)

    For the couples having a tough time being separated for such a long period, we understand your pain! Being away from your significant other is never easy, and now you have no choice about the matter.

    This may leave you feeling down and out, as the distances puts strain on your relationship. Maybe you’re fighting more, or maybe you’re just dying to be by each other’s sides. Whatever the reason, you’re probably looking for some solutions by now! Especially since we’re unsure of how long the stages of lockdown will last, and in which stage we will be able to visit people socially.

    To help you ease the longing for each other, there are some apps and devices that you could download or buy (respectively), to help your relationship during lockdown.

    Here are some of our favourites, to ensure you’re feeling the love no matter the distance:

    Apps: 

    Loklok 

    For those couples who enjoy leaving little notes for each other, this ones for you. Essentially, the app gives you access to each other’s lockscreens, but not in a creepy way!

    It allows you to upload photos, do doodles or write cute messages on your partner’s lockscreen. When they look at their phone, they’ll see the sweet message you’ve left for them. The app is only available for android users.

    Rave

    Just because you’re separated in distance, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a movie together. Rave allows couples to stream videos together, and gives you a chat bar underneath the video for your running commentary.

    You can use it to watch Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo and more. If you’re wanting to watch something you own a copy of, upload the video to Dropbox or Google Drive and you’ll be able to watch it together!

    Available for iOS and Android.

    Lovedays

    Using this app, you can see countdowns to all important events in your relationship such as your anniversary, upcoming vacation, or the next time you’ll see each other.

    Available on iTunes and Google Play.

    NUJJ 

    A simple app, but probably the most adorable. All you do is shake your phone when you’re missing your love, and they will receive a little vibration on their end. Cute! Right?

    Tech:

    Friendship lamps

    Similar to the NUJJ app, but with a more visual expression of emotion, a friendship lamp will let you know your partner is missing you. When one of you touches the lamp, the other’s lamp lights up. It will melt your heart to know that you’re being thought of.

    Purchase here for R3 109.

    Pillow Talk 

    If you don’t like sleeping alone, then this device has got you covered. Pillow Talk is a wristband you wear when you sleep, it recognizes your heartbeat and sends it to your partner in real time.

    You download the app, slip the band around your wrist, and put the speaker under your pillow, and there you go! It’s like you can hear them sleeping next to you.

    Purchase here for R3 512, 96

    Image: Unsplash

    Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrated their 9th wedding anniversary yesterday, April 29. The pair commemorated this special day in quarantine at their Anmer Hall Home with their family, due to restrictions in place on account of COVID-19.

    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thanked people for their kindness and well-wishes on their anniversary via Instagram. The post was a throwback to their wedding ceremony on April 29, 2011. In the photo we see the newlyweds in the doorway of Westminster Abbey, after they had just exchanged their vows.

    “Nine years ago today – thank you for all your lovely messages on The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding anniversary!” read the caption.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_jrQkllbKE/

    Of course, more congratulatory messages came pouring in underneath the post, with a comment from Princess Eugenie making an appearance too.

    People reported that the royal couple spent the day video-calling their family and having quality time with their children.

    In celebration of their anniversary, The Royal Family Channel on YouTube also posted a video.

    Watch it here:

    Image: Instagram