Wedding ETC, Author at Wedding ETC

In Advice

Delicious DIY drink ideas to serve your guests

November 2, 2020 No Comments

Planning your wedding to the last detail can greatly help to cut down costs. Importantly, not everything needs to be outsourced, You can easily serve up some delicious DIY drinks to your guests, adding an extra interactive element to your big day.

Not only will it save you costs, but this will also create a fun vibe and you won’t have people complaining that eadrink menu did not have their favourite drink. Here are 5 DIY drinks your guest can make for themselves.

Cool lemonade

For the non-drinkers and possibly children (if you will have them at your wedding) a cold lemonade is always a winner, it is very easy to make and you can easily be creative when making it. Another plus about this drink is that you don’t need a lot of ingredients. All you need are some lemons, water, and sugar/syrup.

Cut the lemons in half and then juice them. Pour water and stir in sugar. Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved and the liquid looks clear again. Combine sugar solution with lemon juice. When ready to serve, add water to taste.

Mimosa

This lovely two ingredients cocktail is a favorite amongst champagne lovers. It is easy to make. All you need is some chapmpagne and orange juice.

Ensure both ingredients are well chilled, then mix into the glass. Serve cold. To get the best taste, stir and not shake. For the ambiance you can add cherries, grenadine, strawberries

Gin bar

For gin lovers, Here’s an easy option that only requires one main ingredient and that is gin. Have mint, rosemary, and basil ready, slice up limes, lemons, and grapefruit to let guests add a refreshing twist to the classic. Look at how you can set up a gin bar.

Mojito

This is a sweet cocktail that is also very easy to make. It has versatility because you can have it as a non-alchoholic beverage but you can also add your rum. You will need white rum, lime juice, sugar, mint leaves and soda water.

Whiskey cocktails

For guests who like hard liquor, this is the perfect thing for them. If you are tired of drinking it in shots, you can make cocktails out of them. You can have whiskey with apple tiser or red bull. The options are endless.

Pictures: Unsplash

In Celebs

Mampintsha and Babes Wodumo are engaged

November 2, 2020 No Comments

Controversial duo Mampintsha and Babes Wodumo got engaged last week Thursday during a live interview on Gagasi FM’s drive show.

They took too social media to let their fans in on their joy. In a video, Mampintsha can be heard saying in isiZulu, “I would like to say please make me man amongst man, we have been together for a very long time now.”

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A post shared by Mandla Maphumulo (@mampintsha_shimora) on Oct 29, 2020 at 10:36am PDT

The couple has a history of a violent past. There were allegations of Mampintsha physically abusing Babes, which was later shown in a video recording.

Despite this, the couple are still together and appear happy. As Babes said on her Instagram “Within a blink of an eye and now I’m left speechless, the journey wasn’t easy, but we stuck together through thick and thin”.

Pictures: Instagram

In Emotional

Taiwanese same-sex couples tie the knot at military base for the first time

October 30, 2020 No Comments

Taiwan has set the precedent for Asia to grow the gay rights movement. The city became the first place in the region to allow same-sex marriage in May 2019 after a political fight.

Since the Taiwanese government made same-sex marriages legal, over 4000 couples have registered their marriages. Among them were two Taiwanese female soldiers and their civilian same-sex partners, who joined close to 200 couples who walked in the army base in northern Taoyuan county before exchanging vows at an outdoor ceremony.

This is a first for the island’s armed forces, which regularly hosts mass weddings for staff.

During their big day, Lieutenant Chen Ying-hsuan addressed the masses and said that was another big step forward for the military.

“I hope more same-sex couples can bravely stand out. The military is open and we are all equal in front of love,” she told reporters.

“Our love is no different than any heterosexual couple,” added her partner, Li Li-chen. “We are here today in the hope that more same-sex couples will join the next (mass wedding).”

Major Wang Yiand her partner Yumi Meng waved rainbow flags as they posed for photos with family in front of an armoured vehicle. The military same-sex wedding gained traction on social media when were posted on the army’s Facebook page earlier this week.

A lot of people were happy about this and sent positive congratulatory messages.

The island will hold its annual gay pride march on Saturday, with large crowds expected in one of the few places that have managed to successfully defeat the coronavirus pandemic.

Picture/s: Facebook / Taiwan Army

In Advice

How to pick your wedding date

October 29, 2020 No Comments

After getting engaged, you already know that the next step is getting married and that includes the wedding and its planning. Your date can be chosen based on a number of things like a season, a location, family members, or a special date. However, if you have always dreamt of a specific destination or venue, then your wedding date might depend on the availability of the place.

Specific special dates

Many wedding dates are related to a special day, like each other’s birthday, the day that you met, your favourite restaurant, or the day you got engaged. When you want a specific date, start planning as soon as possible and call venues and vendors you want to hire. Most wedding venues can be booked a year in advance. You will have peace of mind knowing that you have secured the venue but you need to have a plan B just in case something unforeseen happens.

Choose the season

Start by thinking about your favourite times of the year. Is there is a month or season that you would like to get married in? It is also very important to understand that the time of the year can affect your venue, wedding colours, and theme. Consider the weather, holidays, and commitments you have each month before you choose to host the wedding then.

Indoors or outdoors

When you are going to choose to have a wedding outdoors it is important to consider the season because as a person, you don’t know what the weather will look like. For the bride, think about the type of gown that would be comfortable for the venue, a short-sleeved gown will probably not work for a beach wedding in winter. Research the weather conditions in the location you are planning on getting married in and ask your wedding planner.

Think budget

There are months that are cheaper than others, people buy winter clothes in summer and vice versa. If you are working with a budget then this might be the idea you take and run with. April, September, and December are some of the most popular marriage months, so prices are inevitably higher. You will most like to pay high prices for everything, from venues to decor. Pick an off-peak month, where you’re more likely to get discounted prices and a better selection of venues.

Picture: Unsplash

In News

Woman married 10 times but wont give up on love

October 29, 2020 No Comments

An American woman named Cassey joined Dr Phil on his talk show to talk about her determination to find “the one”, even after being married a whopping 10 times already. She went to the show to seek advice on what she could be doing wrong for her relationships to not be working out.

Her longest marriage was eight years and her shortest one was six months before they divorced. Her second marriage lasted for a period of seven years, and they share a son. They were engaged for two and a half years but the cracks appeared after they got married. Casey believes that her husband stopped loving her as he had stopped saying it.

According to Cassey, she is usually the one to end the marriage by saying she cannot take it anymore. She has cheated in a relationship, but only after her partner cheated first, she claims.

This woman is so determined to find Mr Right that she says she doesn’t care how many husbands it takes. The 56-year-old successful businesswoman is currently married but the marriage is almost over. Cassey says that this has gotten to the point where she is either going to laugh or cry about it and sometimes she does both.

Cassey said she’s likely to call it quits with her current husband, who she claims labelled her a “control freak.” Even if the marriage ends, she is still determined to find her true love and settle down.

Watch the interview here:

Picture: Screenshot from video

In Advice

What not to do on your wedding day

October 28, 2020 No Comments

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. Your wedding day is not the time to try new things, make new plans and additions or risky activities that may lead to any sort of disaster and drama, you are most likely to be already stressed. Do not do anything that will aggravate that feeling.

Facial beauty treatment

You want to look radiant on your big day but you don’t want to do it on the day you are supposed to get married. You might not know the reactions you will get from the treatment. Rather book the treatment a few days before the wedding to avoid funny things.

The lingerie

You’re most likely going to need to use the bathroom regularly on the wedding day, especially with all the drinks at the reception and it’s going to be hard enough to use the bathroom with your couture gown; don’t add extra difficulties by wearing complex lingerie that takes four assistants and science to remove.

Avoid over drinking

After months of stress and planning, you want to thank yourself by downing all the goodness of that champagne but… You probably shouldn’t. You do not want to be remembered as the bride that danced on top of tables on her wedding day. A few glasses of bubbly is fine, you can go ham on your honeymoon rather.

Being anti-social

Do not have your phone in your hand unless it is for emergencies ( something your maid honour should take care of) but take a break from social media for the day. The people you want to share that moment with are already seeing it live with you, your followers can wait 24 hours. Leave the photos and moments to the photographers.

Your wedding shoes

It is best to wear your shoes prior to the wedding, walk around the house with them so that you can be comfortable wearing them on the day. You do not want to look like a drunk bride trying to find balance. Also, if they are not comfortable then you still have time to return them and pick a more comfortable pair.

Packing in a rush

You should have a todo list and it should include your honeymoon and the dates. If you are leaving right after the ceremony then do not pack on the day of the wedding because you are most likely to forget a lot of things, your passports being the biggest possibility. Take your time with packing.

Packing

Wake up and eat, the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is most important today. Weddings are generally stressful and skipping meals may be dangerous. You need all the energy you can get on the day.

Being a control freak

It is natural that you want to take care of everything on that day but just for the day, relax. You need to leave everything to everyone else to others and just enjoy your day. Try to go with the flow and delegate as much as possible, what will work out will and what doesn’t won’t, you did your best.

Picture: Unsplash

In Celebs

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are engaged

October 28, 2020 No Comments

The famous couple who met on the set of The Voice in April 2014 is engaged. Blake Shelton popped the question to girlfriend Gwen Stefani and she said yes.

The couple posted on Instagram a picture that shows Gwen wearing the ring. Blake proposed on October 27.

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@blakeshelton yes please! ??? gx

A post shared by Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) on Oct 27, 2020 at 10:09am PDT

Gwen was married for 13 years and Blake for four when they filed for divorce from their partners. They have not met then and only got romantically involved after.

In November 2014, Gwen posted a picture of them together, writing “him” and a heart emoji. Fans started suspecting romance between the two.

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?him @blakeshelton @nbcthevoice gx

A post shared by Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) on Nov 25, 2014 at 5:37pm PST

In 2016 Blake said at an interview with Rolling Stone: “If you had told me that that’s who I’m gonna end up with, I would have thought you were crazy. But she became my closest ally”. This is the same year they made their official debut as a couple at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party.

With their blooming romance, the pair gave us blended family goals captured on a day out in 2019. Fans cannot wait for the wedding of the two judges.

Picture: Instagram

In Weddings

India records the highest number of reception cancellations

October 27, 2020 No Comments

With lockdown, there has been a cancelation of many events, including weddings and their receptions. This was because of the regulations and the number of people allowed in one space. These were put in place to prevent a further spread of COVID-19.

In the midst of all that, people have been creating new ways to get married, such as holding virtual and drive-by weddings.

Some, however, have been canceling altogether. India was found to have the most reception cancelations in the world with 23% of couples only going ahead with the formal ceremony.

Indian weddings are known for their big beautiful celebrations with masses of guests.

When compiling the report, The Knot Worldwide found that three of four respondents in India said they would go ahead with the wedding ceremonies on dates planned before COVID-19 but they will not do the big, traditional celebrations they normally have in Indian weddings.

In addition, 23% of couples said they are not going ahead with a wedding reception while 48% are planning one but with health and safety measures. The report said a vast majority of couples (80%) said they would encourage social distancing, and invite-only immediate family and close friends.

The couples going ahead with their celebrations have to abide by the rules and make sure that their guests get checked, and the venues will have to be sanitised and they should ensure that everyone has a mask on at all times.

The data was compiled from a report among 9,767 couples who originally had weddings planned between October 2020 and February 2021. Another study by Knot Worldwide COVID-19 revealed that 96% of couples are not planning to cancel their weddings at this time. Instead, they are either keeping a close eye on recommendations from the CDC or postponing their dates.

To summarize the findings, 96% of couples are not canceling their weddings but postponing them until it is safe to do so, on that number, 65% of them are having a wedding ceremony but will have a wedding reception later.

Photo: Unsplash

In Advice

Supporting your partner’s pronouns during wedding planning

October 26, 2020 No Comments

There are many couples whose identities are outside of the heteronormative spectrum. They are always the minority and have to constantly fight for their place in society.

They normally use different pronouns and chances are that people will get them wrong, which can be frustrating for them. If your partner exists outside of this box, there are things you can do to make life easier when planning your wedding.

What are pronouns?

Some non-binary/genderqueer people prefer to use gender-neutral pronouns. Usage of the singular ‘they’, ‘their’, and ‘them’ is the most common.

These are words that refer to an individual in place of their name. They describe different gender identities other than just male or female.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1C4GYeH6EB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Don’t give in to traditional gender roles

The idea that women can only have female friends and men can only have male friends should not exist in your plan for the wedding.

Instead of traditions like the “Best Man Speech,” use gender-free labels like “Friends and Family Speeches.”

Everyone should have the same tasks unless it’s beyond their physical strength, do not give men certain tasks because of their gender and the belief that they are stronger.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B464Mr5Ap8X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Specify in your wedding registry

Monitory donations are a great alternative to avoid receiving gender-specific gifts. You can even ask for donations to your favourite charity, preferably one fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights to help give back on your big day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlTNn5IFOni/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Include correct pronouns on your invitation card and wedding day

Your guest list might include people they haven’t met before. To help initiate that conversation, use clear preferred pronouns. Use wedding planning tools as a way to introduce your guests to your partner’s pronouns, and ask for your guests’ pronouns when they RSVP.

If a person uses the incorrect pronouns when referring to your partner, address it respectfully.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzJ-8_xHPb1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Hire LGBTQIA + accomodating vendors

Not only are you supporting the larger LGBTQIA+ community, but it will also make things easy to work with people that understand you. Your partner will be more relaxed and that will result in them feeling included and validated.

The work will be less because most of their tools will not need to be altered or change to suit your needs, as they are already set up like that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5izb0rllzR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Pictures: Unsplash

In Emotional

Minister breaks out into song mid wedding ceremony

October 26, 2020 No Comments

Wedding ceremonies have always kind of followed the same script, where the couple exchanges vow, put rings on each other’s finger, say ‘I do’ and then seal it with a kiss. It is seen as unconventional to do anything else.

That seemingly did not apply to the minister who was officiating Olivia and Fred Mancuso’s wedding ceremony. He did something that took them by surprise.

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A post shared by Olivia ✨ (@_olivia_mancuso_) on Jul 1, 2020 at 6:38pm PDT

In a video uploaded a video on TikTok celebrating their one year anniversary, the pair showed what happened when they said their wedding vows. Just before being announced as husband and wife, the minister veered off script and broke out into song.

The song was a short verse that had hallelujah five times before anyone could make sense of it, she announced that they may kiss. It was a shocking but most memorable moment from their day.

@_olivia_mancuso_In honor of it almost being our one year wedding anniversary, I give you my most popular video ##Boo ##BBMAs ##FootlongShuffle ##hellofall ##yikes ♬ original sound – _olivia_mancuso_

Speaking to Today, Olivia said: “It was pure shock. We didn’t put any sort of singing in our meticulously planned script so it caught us off guard.

“We did not talk to her about it afterward. We really just wanted to start celebrating with our friends and family.

She added: “Though we were a little upset, it was a small snafu in an otherwise perfect day.”

Pictures: Unsplash