Wedding ETC, Author at Wedding ETC

In Celebs

Famous exes who have remained friends

June 2, 2020 No Comments

Remaining friends with an ex is never easy. We imagine it’s much more difficult if the split is highly publicised, like those of celebrities. Since these break ups often cause rumours, gossip and tabloid headlines for days, all the talk can lead to the eventual cutting of ties.

While this may be the case for many, some celebrity splits are quite amicable. Some remain close as they have kids together, while others simply are better as friends than they are as a couple. Whatever the reason, some celebrities have kept close to their exes after they’ve ended their relationship.

Here are some famous exes who have remained friends:

– Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz

Since their divorce in 1993, the pair have remained close since they have a daughter together (Zoë Kravitz). What makes this post-divorce bond even more special, however, is that Bonet’s current husband, Aquaman actor Jason Momoa is friends with Kravitz too. According to MSN, Kravitz and Momoa share matching rings, which were bought by Momoa in 2018.

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– Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin

Paltrow and Martin split in 2014 (which they called a “concious uncoupling”). They are still tight due to the two children they share together. Paltrow is now married to Brad Falchuk, and Martin was invited (along with their kids) to accompany them on their honeymoon. Talk about staying close!

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– Mindy Kaling and B.J Novak

This pair are thick as thieves! While they played an on-screen couple in the popular TV show The Office, they also had an on-again-off-again romance in reality. After that ended, they remained so close that Kaling gave Novak the honour of being godfather to her daughter who was born in 2019. She told Good Housekeeping that Novak is a “member of the family”.

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– Demi Moore and Bruce Willis

This couple were divorced in 2000. Since they share three daughters, they remained close and have clearly made an effort to remain amicable for the sake of their children. Rumer Willis, their daughter, said they she never had split up holidays or birthdays, according to In Style. “They always made an effort to do all of the family events still together and made such an effort to still have our family be as one unit,” she said.

On top of that, they also seem to have a very friendly relationship, and Moore was one of the roasters at Willis’ Comedy Central Roast.

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– Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder

The Vampire Diaries co-stars dated for about three years, and broke up in 2013. Thereafter, Somerhalder married actress Nikki Reed with whom he shares a child. Dobrev has maintained a friendship with both Somerhalder and Reed.

Dobrev said that there is nothing weird about their friendship, E! reported. “Why can’t everyone be friends? I think that they have a beautiful baby, and they are happy and so am I, and what’s bad about that? I don’t see any problem with that,” she said.

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– Chris Pratt and Anna Farris

After being married for 9 years, the pair got divorced in 2018. Since they share a child together, they have found a way to remain friends. “Divorce sucks, but at the end of the day, we’ve got a great kid who’s got two parents who love him very much,” said Pratt to Entertainment Weekly in 2018.

“We’re finding a way to navigate this while still remaining friends and still being kind to one another,” he said.

Since then, Pratt has remarried, and he and Farris have solidified their post-divorce friendship. When he proposed to his now wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, Farris expressed her excitement on her podcast, reported Insider.

“Chris texted me this morning and he was like, you know, ‘I proposed to Katherine last night,'” she said. “I was like ‘Ah! That’s amazing.’ And I texted him back: ‘Just want to remind you, I’m an ordained minister.”

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Image: Instagram / Gwyneth Paltrow

In News

Couple marry during online Final Fantasy game

June 2, 2020 No Comments

In China, large gatherings including weddings remain suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some couples are no longer willing to wait for the resumption of normal activities to follow through with their nuptials. One Chinese netizen couple, decided to get married in an online game called Final Fantasy.

The couple, who go by web names Jigen and Nora, planned their wedding for May 17. It should have been at a hotel in Shanghai. However, due to the COVID-19 complications, they decided that they would cancel the ceremony.

While their original plans were forced to be called off, they quickly decided on a new plan. They would get married on an online game called Final Fantasy.

“The idea of having a wedding as an online game was not sudden. We are crazy about games and many close friends also play games together, so after thinking for a while, we decided to celebrate our wedding online,” Jigen told Global Times.

On May 17, the online wedding commenced. They invited over 30 of their friends to attend and the entire thing was livestreamed using a Chinese broadcasting platform for those who were not account holders in the game.

Those attending the wedding were required to arrive at the cathedral in a timely manner. To ensure this happened, the couple assisted their guests in beating online enemies and took them to the cathedral in the game. Jigen joked that the real meaning of friendship is when people “risk their lives” to attend your wedding.

Once everyone had virtually arrived and the special moment came, the couple exchanged rings in front of their computers and played the ceremony out in the game.

“After spending two weeks preparing the wedding in the game, including buying costumes for game characters, my wife and I wore our pajamas sitting in front of two computers in the study, and she did not even have any makeup on during the whole ceremony,” Jigen told the Global Times.

The pair have no intentions of having a “real” wedding in the future. Jigen told Global Times that a wedding simply symbolises a new beginning, and to him the Final Fantasy wedding did just that.

Picture: Screenshot from wedding video

In Weddings

The history of the ring bearer

June 1, 2020 No Comments

The ring bearer is possibly one of the most adorable wedding traditions in existence. A young boy in a fitted suit carries the wedding rings down the aisle and hands them to the couple getting married at the altar.

Since these precious rings are not to be lost, the ring bearer often carries symbolic rings rather than the real wedding bands. This is common practice in today’s rendition of the ring bearers duties as they are often little boys under the age of 10.

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While it is a much-loved tradition at weddings, the history of this practice is quite difficult to pinpoint. There are a few different theories about where this tradition comes from.

Most commonly, people believe that the practice has its roots in ancient Egypt where valuable jewels were carried on ornamental pillows during wedding ceremonies. According to Black n Bianco, it was adults who carried the rings down the aisle, rather than little children.

Others believe that the ring bearer stems from the Medieval times. During this period, Northern Europeans would present a ring to a bride on the tip of a sword, according to Saphire Events Group. A page boy would carry the bride’s train down the aisle, while holding a Bible. From here, the tradition developed.

Since pillows were reportedly a symbol of wealth at the time, some families replaced the sword with a pillow and the page boy was given the responsibility of carrying it down the aisle.

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In the Victorian Era, the tradition became even more popular. Little boys in possession of the ring would wear suits with velvet jackets, short trousers and round linen collars, according to Black n Bianco.

Today, the tiny “ring security guards” often sport suits which are similar to that of the groomsmen. Many couples have even enlisted the help of their pets for ring bearing purposes.

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Feature image: Unsplash

In Celebs

Cindy Crawford and husband celebrate 22nd wedding anniversary

June 1, 2020 No Comments

American model and actress Cindy Crawford celebrated her 22nd wedding anniversary with husband, businessman and former model, Rande Gerber on Saturday, May 30. To celebrate the special occasion, their daughter, Kaia, gifted them with a homemade cake.

As many do, Crawford took to Instagram to mark the momentous occasion. Alongside a throwback photo showing the pair feeding each other cake at their 1998 wedding, she wrote a sweet message.

“Happy anniversary @randegerber! 22 years ago we went to the Bahamas with a group of family and friends to celebrate saying “I do!” I love you and the life we have together. Thanks for doing this thing called life with me—couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone else. Here’s to many more!,” she said.

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Gerber posted his own celebratory message on Instagram too. Accompanied by another throwback photo, Gerber wrote “22 years ago I convinced @cindycrawford to fly away with me and I haven’t let go since. Happy Anniversary ?❤️”.

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As an anniversary gift Gerber gave Crawford a beautiful bouquet of flowers, which she posted to her Instagram story.

To top it all off, the couple’s 18-year-old daughter, Kaia Gerber, prepared a special cake for her parents’ anniversary. She decorated the cake with Crawford and Gerber’s original wedding cake toppers. How thoughtful!

The pair have been self-isolating in their Los Angeles home, where they spent their anniversary. However, it seems it was a special day nonetheless!

Image: Instagram / Rande Gerber

In uncategorized

The ancient beginnings of the bridal bouquet

May 28, 2020 No Comments

When you really think about it, the idea of walking down the aisle carrying a bunch of flowers seems a bit odd. Perhaps for decorative purposes it works, but one could argue its a bit random and inconvenient, and serves to block the full view of the main attraction – the wedding gown – as well.

Yet, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bride without a bouquet, or at least some form of it. Many consider it to be an essential part of the bride’s look.

While we can all agree that the bouquet does add a touch of natural beauty which is unmatched, this is not the reason brides carry bunches of blossoms. Like most other wedding traditions, the practice is rooted in reasoning from centuries passed.

In Ancient Rome, brides would carry flowers as they were believed to signify new beginnings, fidelity and hope of fertility, according to Modern Wedding. Bouquets, however, were not always made up of flowers.

Herbs took preference for brides in the Middle Ages. Dill and garlic were most commonly used as they were said to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, according to Readers Digest. Reportedly, the dill would make a second appearance on the wedding day – during the feast – to prepare the newlyweds for the consumation of their marriage since it is considered an aphrodisiac.

Later on, during the Victorian Era, the act of giving and receiving flowers came to be known as an expression of love. As they were then linked to love and romance, they increasingly became incorportated into weddings.

Since then, it seems the practice has stuck and is not going anywhere either. Flowers are incorporated into weddings through bouquets, table decorations, and much more.

There is a popular myth that has been reported by many publications, including Bustle, which that claims another reason for the bouquet in the 15th century was to mask the smell of the bride.

This claim is based on the fact that, in those times, people only had one bath per year. Huffington Post reported that June was the most popualr month for weddings and most women took their annual bath in May.

According to Snopes, an online fact checking resouce, this is not true. Brides have never carried a bouquet to mask their smell.

“Although the modern practice of full-immersion bathing was a long way off in the 1500s (among other reasons because filling a vessel large enough to hold a person with heated water was rather impractical given the effort required to collect fresh water and fuel for heating it), people did still “bathe” in the sense of attempting to clean themselves as best they could with the resources at hand,” explains Snopes.

“Although today’s brides carry flowers simply because it is now the custom to do so, at one time bridal bouquets were symbols of sexuality and fertility. Covering up anyone’s bad smell played no part in why this custom came into being.”

Image: Unsplash

In Celebs

Sean Paul and wife celebrate 8th wedding anniversary

May 28, 2020 No Comments

Dancehall musician Sean Paul and his wife Jodi “Jinx” Stewart Henriques celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary yesterday, May 27.

The pair, like many others, couldn’t do much to mark the occassion on account of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Stewart made sure to honour the day with a funny photo on Instagram.

The photo shows the couple on their wedding day, with Paul glancing lovingly at his new wife as she strikes a silly pose. “It was at this very moment that he realized he should have run!!! Thanks for sticking it out with me @duttypaul. I promise to always keep things exciting!!! Happy Anniversary Married 8 years, Engaged 1 1/2 years, Dating 8 years,” she wrote.

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According to Stewarts caption, the pair have been together for 17 and a half years now.

They made it official on May 26, 2012 at Boon Hall Oasis in Stony Jill – Kingston, Jamaica, according to Dancehall Mag.

It has been reported that the ceremony was extremely low-key and private. Sources said that staff, wedding vendors, and guests were required to sign contracts declaring that they would not leak any information about the event. Dancehall Mag reported that guests were only given information about the wedding location mere hours before the ceremony.

Paul and Stewart now have two children together, and they couldn’t be happier!

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Image: Instagram / jodijinx

In Planning

How to plan the perfect picnic wedding

May 27, 2020 No Comments

Weddings don’t necessarily have to be in fancy hotels or expensive halls. They can be beach-side, river-side, or anywhere you’d like. Similarly, the reception doesn’t have to be super formal. It could be more relaxed too. A picnic wedding is a great option for those looking for something more simple.

Since this type of reception is not the most common, you may feel a bit lost when it comes to planning. You need not worry! It’s more simple than you think, as long as you know where to start.

If you’re considering a picnic wedding, here’s how to go about the planning:

– Size and Location

Consider where you’d like to host your picnic wedding. Is it in a park, river-side, by the beach or on the lawn in your garden?

If you have a large amount of guests, you’ll have to think about the size of the space and whether everyone will be comfortably accommodated. For example, a backyard picnic will not work out well if you’re having 150 guests.

Another important factor is whether you’re allowed to have events in your desired location. Often, you may need a permit to host an event in a location such as a public park. Before you start making big plans and spending any money, get in contact with a municipal official to find out how you should go about hosting the event.

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– Decor

Since you’re likely to be outdoors for the picnic, decor needs to be done cleverly.

Ensure that you’re using decorations that are not harmful to the environment, and which are easily disposable to prevent littering.

You’ll also want to make contact with vendors who provide items such as cutlery and crockery, so that they can advise you on the most appropriate items to use at your reception. The last thing you want is broken plates and inconveniently sized items which make eating outdoors difficult. They’ll also be able to advise you on transportation of these items, since you won’t be in a hall or similar venue, the logistics may be slightly more complicated. Be prepared for that.

Additionally, a picnic often means you’ll be sitting on the ground or much lower down than you would at a normal table. Find ways to make seating picnic appropriate but still comfortable for guests. Perhaps low tables with comfy pillows for sitting on is a good place to start.

Finally, take the surroundings into account. You could save big on items such as flowers and table decorations if you make proper use of the area you’re surrounded by.

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– Food

Ensure that you choose picnic-appropriate food. You wouldn’t want it to be too difficult for your guests to indulge in the treats you provide for them. Finger foods are a good start, but a caterer will be able to advise you on meal options that are best suited for the type of event you’re having.

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– Weather

A picnic in the rain is not the most pleasant experience. A picnic wedding is best in the summer time. However, if you’re getting married in the autumn months try to find a way to cover your guests, for example by creating a tented area in your chosen location.

It may be cute to supply blankets for later in the day when it starts to get a bit chilly, and it will show that you considered your guests while planning the wedding.

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Image: Pexels

In Weddings

Strangers catch bouquet and garter, marry years later

May 27, 2020 No Comments

Most couples meet each other by chance. A lucky encounter that leads to a forever relationship, like sitting next to each other in a university lecture theatre, through a friend, or at work. Some, however, have meet-cutes that are worthy of fairytale status.

Falling in love with a total stranger as you lock eyes across the room is a thing of dreams for many. US YouTuber Malibu Darby and her now husband Aramis Phillips had just that.

The pair were strangers when they attended the same wedding ceremony in 2015, and had never crossed paths before. Neither of them expected that this would be the day they met the love of their life. Of course, they attended the wedding with the intention of enjoying the festivities, celebrating the newly-weds and nothing more.

As luck would have it, both Darby and Phillips were keen to participate in the activities of the day. When the garter toss and bouquet throwing time came around, they both stood up to try their hand at catching the items.

We all know that tradition says if you catch these items, you’re the next in line to get married. Little did these strangers know…

Both Darby caught the bouquet and Phillips caught the garter, and that was it. A few months later they started dating and after three years Phillips popped the question.

5 years ago today some stranger caught the garter and I caught the bouquet. Now he’s my husbanddddd. 5/23/2015 pic.twitter.com/GlL1h9EJX5

— Youtube: MalibuDarby (@MalibuDarby) May 23, 2020

Chatting to Briefly, Darby said that they had a low-key engagement. Her now husband surprised her at work and asked her for her hand in marriage. According to her, the fact that it was at work made it all the more surprising.

“If it happened in a public place like a restaurant or park then I would have known he wanted to ask me to marry him,” she said in an old YouTube video.

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The loved-up couple married on September 21, 2019 and had a blissful honeymoon in Jamiaca thereafter.

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Talk about a fairytale!

Image: Twitter / Youtube: MalibuDarby

In Fashion

A guide to Hindu bridal attire: Solah Shringar

May 26, 2020 No Comments

Bridal fashion is much more than a white wedding dress for many. Cultures and religions across the world have quite varying ideas of what brides should be dressed in, and about what it means to look “bridal”.

Hindu bridal attire is one category of wedding fashion which is particularly interesting. Included in this, is the Solah Shringar – 16 ornaments which are mandatory for the bride to wear. Each item is significant for a different reason:

1. Bindi

A bride is adorned with a bindi which sits between her eyebrows. A round bindi is a symbol of married life. It also has religious implications.

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2. Sindoor

This is a red coloured powder which completes the look of a bride and is applied to the parting of the hair. The colour symbolises marriage and the well-being of the groom.

The groom uses his thumb to apply the powder to his wife’s hair parting towards the end of the ceremony.

According to tradition, the wife should reapply this every morning for the rest of her married life.

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3. Maang Tikka

The maang tikka is an ornament which is said to highlight the charm of a bride. Commonly made using gold and gems, it is worn on the head – on the central hair parting – and extends to the forehead. The item hangs over the “anja chakra”, which is the home of the body’s mind and intellect.

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4. Kajal

Also known as Kohl, thid is applied on the edges of eyelids and is similar to eyeliner.

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5. Nath

An accessory worn on the nose, the nath is another symbol of marriage. In some regions, this item is meant only for married women, who should wear it daily.

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6. Haar

This necklace symbolises prosperity. At times, women replace a heavy piece of jewellery with a gift from her husband to be. This is called a Mangalsutra.

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7. Karn Phool

These earrings are mandatory for the bride. They are often quite large and heavy and thus are supported using the brides hair.

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8. Mendhi

Women apply mendhi or henna to their hands. The designs are symbolic of celebrations, and the colour (maroon) is believed to be auspicious and to signify a variety of things from the love between the pair getting married to wealth and fertility.

Some say that the darker the mendhi the stronger the love is from the groom to the bride.

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9. Choodiyan

Bangles are also compulsory for the bride. They symbolise prosperity and a long life for the groom. Designs vary between communities, however they are most commonly red and made using gold, glass, or metal.

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10. Baajuband

Worn on the upper arm, the armlet is made using gold or silver and may be decorated with pearls or gems. This item is believed to fight away evil spirits.

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11. Aarsi and Haathphool

The aarsi is a thumb ring which has a mirror set on it. This allows the bride to get a glimpse of her soon-to-be husband, since tradition states that the bride should not see her groom before and for a large part of the ceremony.

Haathphool is a set of 8 rings which are worn on both hands.

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12. Keshapasharachana

A hair accessory, consisting of gold ornaments and flowers, which is commonly used to decorate a braid or bun.

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13. Kamarband

This item is a gold waistband which is used to highlight the shape of the brides silhouette and to assist with keeping the dress or sari in place.

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14. Payal

Said to signify the Goddess Lakshmi, these anklets look beautiful and create a melodious sound. It is commonly a chain tied around the ankle which has little bells attached to it.

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15. Itar

While not a physical item, the perfume complements the Solah Shringar.

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16. Shaadi ka Joda

The bridal dress is commonly a bright colour such as red, maroon, green, or gold and is embroidered from head to toe. The dress itself can be a sari, a lehnga, or salwaar kameez, depending on the region of India where the bride’s family is from.

Lehnga:

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Sari:

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Salwaar Kameez:

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Image: Pexels

In News

Couple forced to postpone wedding after getting date tattoo

May 26, 2020 No Comments

COVID-19 related wedding postponements have struck again as a Belfast couple have been forced to change their date. For this couple, however, the cancellation was more serious since they’d already tattooed their wedding date on their arms.

Francis Donald popped the big question to Fionnuala Kearney in December 2017. Immediately the pair began preparations for the big day.

With their planning, they decided on the wedding date to be October 16, 2020. To commemorate this decision, they had the special date tattooed on their arms in Roman numerals while on holiday in Turkey last year.

“We were in Turkey and had checked out of our hotel at 9am, but had to wait until the evening for our flight home – so we decided to go on a bar crawl. We strolled past a tattoo salon and we were tipsy, so thought it was a great idea to get matching tattoos,” explained the bride-to-be.

Unfortunately for the couple, the coronavirus pandemic took over and their wedding venue, Hugh McCanns hotel in Newcastle, informed them that they would have to postpone their wedding until 2021.

“When I was told we would have to postpone the wedding I was devastated, of course – but we only realised afterwards about our tattoos. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry!” said Kearney to SNWS.

Of course, having to postpone your wedding is bad enough. However, since they already had the date tattooed on their arms, the couple were devastated.

They have now moved their wedding date to April 2021 and are considering how they can ensure the tatoos remain meaningful.

It seems they are lighthearted about their misfortune, as Kearney posted to her Facebook, “Would only be us to get our wedding date tattooed for it to be postponed ?”

Image: Facebook / Francy Donald