Kirsten Jacobs, Author at Wedding ETC

In Advice

How to prepare for your make up trial

December 10, 2020 No Comments

Trial and error is the key to success and, in this case, a guarantee you’ll look and feel your best on your big day.

If you plan on hiring a make up artist to do up your face, it is imperative that you do your research. It’s not as simple as booking and enjoying the experience. Here are a few things you need to do to prepare for your make up trial.

1. BOOK NOW!

To avoid disappointment, book your dream make-up artist and hairstylist as soon as you know the date of your wedding. This is especially important if your wedding is taking place in the summer months or another busy time of the year.

Ideally, you should go for a trial one to three months before the big day, depending on how soon you finalise your dress and veil, as these will determine the look and feel of your make-up and hair. If you don’t like the look, this gives you enough time to tweak it before your wedding.

2. GET INSPIRED

Spend some time browsing through Pinterest, Instagram and Wedding ETC (of course) to find references for hairstyles and make-up looks you adore and would like to recreate. Bring these with you to your trial and discuss them with the professional. Photos of your dress and veil will also come in handy.

While having an idea of what you like is important, keep an open mind to your expert’s suggestions too, as they may see your face and hair in a way you haven’t before. When in doubt, go for a more polished version of your signature look instead of trying something completely out of your comfort zone.

3. PUT IN THE GROUNDWORK

Prepare for the trial the same way you would for your big day: This means applying self-tan to your face, neck, chest and arms if you’ll be wearing it; having your eyebrows shaped by a professional, and removing any unwanted facial hair beforehand.

The same goes for your hair: Make sure it’s freshly washed, cut and coloured the way you want it to look on your wedding day. Cut the neckline of a cheap white T-shirt to match your wedding gown and wear it on the day of the trial for a more realistic representation of the look.

4. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF

Having a large, loud gaggle of girls with you at your trial is a big no-no – they’ll only end up confusing you. If you don’t want to go alone, ask a close friend or family member whose opinion you trust – not your overbearing mother. At the end of the day, your happiness comes first and you need to love how you look on your wedding day, so speak up if you have any concerns.

5. DISCUSS THE DETAILS

The trial is the perfect time to find out everything you need to know for a well-run wedding. Ask the stylist to go through their game plan for the day, including what time they need to start and how many assistants they’ll be bringing and if they will be styling the rest of your bridal party. Ensure you’re aware of all the costs to avoid nasty surprises. Take note of any products you need to buy for touch-ups on the day. You’ll definitely want to have the same shade of lipstick in your clutch.

6. PLAN A TEST RUN

Once the trial is complete, it’s time for some fun. Grab your girlfriends and take them out for a night on the town. Eat, drink and dance to see how well your make-up and ’do last. Comfort is imperative on your wedding day, so it’s a good idea to wear the look for a while to see how it feels.

Take note of anything you aren’t satisfied with and report back to your expert. Ask a friend to take a few pictures of you, both in natural light and with a flash, from different angles to see how your look will appear in photographs.

Picture: Pexels

In Advice

Non-traditional bridal shower ideas for a memorable day

December 10, 2020 No Comments

Traditional bridal shower games can be quite overdone. We’ve put together our top 4 bridal shower ideas that will be super helpful for the bride-to-be and also something that she can cherish for a lifetime.

1. DATE-NIGHT JAR

Get a friend to hand out a strip of paper to each guest when they arrive. Ask each guest to write about the best date night they’ve ever had, or a date night idea on the paper. Each guest can drop their idea into a large mason jar and the married couple can pick one out whenever they want to plan a special evening.

2. RECIPE BOX

When you’re sending out the bridal shower invites, attach a blank card to it, for guests to write their favourite family recipe. To avoid duplicate recipes, give each guest a category (snacks, appetizers, mains and desserts). Each guest will bring their recipe card to the shower to compile them all in a cute box. Present it to the bride as a gift.

3. ADVICE/FAVOURITE MOMENT BOOK

Moms and grans will really appreciate this one. Get a scrapbook and ask all of the married women in the family to fill one page of the book with their best marriage advice for the bride; their favourite memory with the bride and groom and their wishes for the bridal couple. Don’t forget to reach out to the groom’s family as well!

4. ANNIVERSARY BOX

You’ll need envelopes and blank cards for this one. Number an envelope for each guest attending the shower. Each guest’s number will represent an anniversary. Ask them to write a happy anniversary note on their card for the bride and groom. Pop them all in a box and let the bride know that they can only open each envelope when they reach the anniversary number on the envelopes!

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In Wedding Gowns

Bride tries to sell ‘haunted’ vintage wedding dress

December 10, 2020 No Comments

An unidentified woman in the US is working hard to sell a vintage wedding dress she found in an abandoned old gold rush town while hiking.

Since returning home with the dress, she claims strange things have been happening to her. The bride is now trying to sell her dress on Facebook Market place for $600 (about R8 900).

In the Facebook advert for her dress, the bride explains that the minute she returned home with the dress, everything changed.

“While my fiancé and I were hiking through a small town between Fairfax and Carbanado, Washington, we came across an old gold rush town that was completely abandoned,” she wrote. “Needless to say our curiosity got the best of us and we started to explore the ruins of this ghost town. In one of the rundown remnants of a small cottage we shimmied up into, I came across this dress.

“It was so gorgeous, I froze at the sight of it. And if I’m being completely honest, it scared the crap out of me all at the same time, but something about its ethereal beauty just begged me to bring it home with me.”

“First small things like a sock, and my closet door being open in the morning when I specifically remember closing it before bed. Then my cat’s food tray would get thrown at such velocity it would knock things off of the shelf hung on the wall it strikes. This happened relentlessly.”

Doors would slam, lights would turn on and off, and the couple heard footsteps all over their apartment. If that wasn’t bad enough, their home also began to smell.

“And then came the smell of rotten eggs and fire that would fill our bedroom. Night after night. Then flies started to pile up against my back windows and swarm around my front door.”

Life began to calm down after the woman gave the dress to her future mother-in-law for cleaning and tailoring.

“During the two months that she had the dress it was complete peace, no more tension in the room, no more arguing between me and my partner, no more objects moving or footsteps and my cat was back to her affectionate playful self,” she said.

“She never got it dry-cleaned and begged me not to get married in this dress because of the energy surrounding it and I hadn’t even told her about what was going on at home because up until that point, I hadn’t even connected the two.”

The bride is now keen to find a new owner for the cursed dress. However, her Facebook post did not get the reaction she was expecting. Many accused her of stealing the dress, and said she deserved to be haunted for taking something that did not belong to her.

Others said instead of selling and making a profit off of it, she should return the dress wear she found it to hopefully break the curse.

Picture: Unsplash

In Celebs

Connie and Shona Ferguson celebrate 19th wedding anniversary

December 9, 2020 No Comments

Power-couple Connie and Shona Ferguson recently celebrated a whopping 19 years of marriage. The actors, who run production company Ferguson Films together, have had a beautiful romance over the nearly two decades of their relationship and are always keen to share it with their fans.

Naturally, the social media-loving couple took to Instagram to express their love for one another on their special day.

“I have no idea what you were saying here, but the fact that 19 years later you still manage to make me laugh is everything I’ve prayed for and more! Happy Anniversary my skeem!????? I love you more each day, and thank God for you!” Connie wrote on Instagram.

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“We are 19. Happy anniversary my love. This life journey is super easy with you by my side. There is nothing we can’t take on together. I love you melaiti,” Shona wrote.

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Shona, real name Aaron, met Connie at her Johannesburg home in 2001. At the time, she was already a household name thanks to her iconic role as Karabo Moroka in Generations. Shona was there to drop off mutual friends meeting Connie’s sister Lorato. As he sipped on a glass of water, Connie came out out of her room to greet him and their love story began.

It was a whirlwind romance for the pair. After only two months of dating, they tied the knot in a traditional wedding. Their white wedding was held soon after and appeared on the December 2001 cover of Drum.

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In 2011, the pair renewed their vows in a lavish ceremony in front of 70 guests at top Johannesburg wedding destination Avianto.

For the big day, Connie wore an ivory sheath gown designed by Biji, who also designed her first wedding dress back in 2001. The gown’s corset-style top featured Swarovski crystals, pearls, silver beads and lace.

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Throughout their marriage, the pair have built an empire that has brought much luxury to their lives. Aside from their production company, Connie also owns a beauty line called Koni Multinational Brands. She is also among the highest-paid actors in the country.

Picture: Instagram / Connie Ferguson

In Advice

Saint Lucia named the world’s leading honeymoon destination

December 8, 2020 No Comments

Saint Lucia has been named as the top honeymoon destination for the 12th time by the World Travel Awards. This is also the third consecutive win for the island nation.

It beat out other loved destinations like Jamaica, the Maldives, Mauritius, Paris, Miami Beach, Oman, Maui in Hawaii and Cartegena de Indias in Colombia.

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While virtually accepting the award, Minister Honourable Dominic Fedee said: “Saint Lucia’s internationally acclaimed status is what we strive for daily in our strategic marketing and promotion efforts.

“The destination undoubtedly boasts of true passion in all key niches and amongst its hidden gems. It is indeed an honour for Saint Lucia to be named once again as the World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination, a sincere reflection of our culture and the people who propel the industry.”

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It seems this destination is quite popular. In addition to its winning category, Saint Lucia was also nominated as the World’s Leading Island Destination, World’s Leading Wedding Destination and World’s Most Romantic Destination 2020.

Saint Lucia is a sovereign island country in the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is especially popular for its lush rainforests, towering mountains, secluded coves and vibrant local communities. It is an adventure-lovers dream destination.

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In Advice

Should you sleep with your engagement ring on?

December 7, 2020 No Comments

If you’re newly engaged, you may be so in love with your ring that you never want to take it off. While fully understandable, an engagement ring is not a typical piece of jewellery.

While an engagement ring is designed to be durable, certain activities can cause it to lose its lustre over time. There are obvious moments in time you shouldn’t wear your engagement ring, like while exercising or doing the dishes or any other type of cleaning that involves detergents. But what about when you rest your head at night?

Sleeping is the least active thing you could do, and for some wearing an engagement ring while closing their eyes won’t cause too much of an issue. Experts are divided on whether it helps or harms.

Some experts argue that an engagement ring is a fine piece of jewellery, and should thus be treated as such and not be worn during activities that could affect it. Others, however, believe sleeping in your engagement ring is a smart way to ensure you don’t lose your jewellery because where else would it be but your finger?

However, there is an argument to be made for rough sleepers. Beyond it being precious, your ring can easily get caught in things like your hair or on your sheets if you’re a particularly wild sleeper. This can create friction and may cause the stone to loosen in the setting. If your stone is lower on the Mohs scale of hardness and thus more fragile, sleeping in it could make it more prone to damage.

The best thing to do is to have a dedicated place on your nightstand where you leave your jewellery. Before you go to bed, just pop the ring off and it will be safe for the night. This will also guarantee that you won’t lose or misplace your jewellery.

Picture: Pexels

In Advice

Walking the bride down the aisle: Its origins and how it’s changed

December 7, 2020 No Comments

For centuries, it has been an enduring wedding tradition that a father walks his daughter down the aisle on her big day. As the first moment guests (and the bride’s partner) sees the bride, this is a pretty big deal.

While usually a sweet and sentimental moment, it comes from less than heartwarming origins. According to wedding historian Susan Waggoner, this tradition comes from the days when arranged marriage was a normal custom in society.

Speaking to Brides, she explains: “this custom stems from the days of arranged marriages when a father’s looming presence was a good way to prevent the groom from backing out.”

In many societies, a bride was considered a form of financial liability who could be transferred from her father’s household to her eventual husband’s home.

With marriage being more of an economic choice than a romantic one, some grooms got spooked at the thought of getting hitched. This is where dads came in. Fathers would act as a physical reminder (and threat) of the deal, making grooms more likely to go through with the wedding.

Over the years, as with virtually every other wedding tradition, the origins of this custom has become sanitised and romanticised. Today, its a special moment for brides to walk arm in arm with their father on such a special occasion.

As the times have changed, however, so has the tradition. Some brides don’t have fathers and have alternative family members walk them down the aisle. Some share strained relationships with their dads, and choose to not partake in this tradition at all. In the case of some same-sex couples, it might be a groom walking down the aisle instead of a bride.

The beauty of weddings nowadays is that couples have choices. Some traditions, while sentimental for some, are outdated or hurtful to others. There is no one way to get married. Traditions are not required, and rules don’t always have to be followed.

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In Accessories

Which veil length is right for you?

December 7, 2020 No Comments

Veils are not made equal. From fabric and length to fullness and style, every aspect of your wedding veil can make or break your bridal look.

With thousands of veils to choose from, it can easily feel like an overwhelming task. However, there are ways to refine your search. These are the key veil lengths and the looks they suit best:

The birdcage:

For a vintage flair, opt for the birdcage veil. This short veil often features stiff netting or mesh that covers just the forehead and top half of the face. They are usually fastened to pillbox hats or headbands.

This veil looks best for brides wanting a more vintage, throwback look. It pairs especially well with tea-length dresses.

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Fingertip length veil:

For a more classic look, the fingertip length veil is perfect. This mid-length veil stops below the waist and is flattering on every body shape. Not too long and not too short, this veil can be dressed up or down depending on how fancy you want your look to be.

This is truly the jack of all veils. It flatters a range of hairstyles and dresses, so you have endless options with this look. If your dress is quite embellished and dramatic, it may be best to pair it down with a more simple veil. However, a more simple silhouette can be given added drama with a full veil.

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Ballet length veil:

One of the most popular veil looks is the ballet length. Also known as the waltz veil, it falls below your hips, anywhere between your knees and ankles.

This look is extra feminine and romantic, and works especially well on petite brides as it won’t drown her out with fabric and make her appear smaller.

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Chapel length veil:

Most brides traditionally opt for the chapel length veil, which drapes all the way to the floor and spreads out a few inches behind their wedding dress.

This style is more formal and traditional, making it perfect for brides wanting a classic look.

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Cathedral length veil:

This style is essentially the extended chapel veil. It’s usually about 30-60cm longer than a wedding dress, and often requires assistance when laying it out neatly behind you.

Brides wanting a bit more drama but not too much fuss will love this look. It complements ballgowns especially well, adding a special fairytale spin.

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The Royal veil:

It’s clear to see how this veil got its name. Channel the drama of Princess Diana with a bold wedding veil that extends not only centimetres but meters behind your dress. Of course, you’ll need some assistants on hand to make sure it looks perfectly sleek and straight, and that no one trips on it.

Naturally, this veil is perfectly designed to complement a dramatic ballgown.

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Picture: Pexels

In News

Seven care home residents die after staff members attend wedding

December 7, 2020 No Comments

A 300-person wedding in Washington State has been linked to dozens of coronavirus cases and the deaths of seven care home residents in the area, none of whom attended the wedding.

A reported seven care home residents, aged between 70 and 90, have died after staff members at the facility attended the November 7 wedding.

At the time the wedding was held, indoor ceremonies in Washington State were limited to 50 people.

In an announcement, the Grant County Health District explained that residents were staying at three care homes in Grant County, Washington, and all seven had underlying health conditions. There were also three other deaths not associated with the Long Term Care Facilities

“Our investigations have determined that there were long term care staff who tested positive for COVID-19 who attended the large wedding in Ritzville, WA reported on November 16. Because staff in these facilities care for entire units, direct contact with associated patients is not known. Our most vulnerable community members — elderly, immunocompromised, and those with chronic conditions — are especially at risk of complications due to a COVID-19 infection and we must continue to take measures to protect them from this disease.

“The best way to do that is by staying home as much as possible. Your choice to gather with those outside your household could lead to additional cases of COVID-19 and even death. Please protect those you love by staying home,” they concluded.

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In Celebs

You are the music in me: Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s love story

December 4, 2020 No Comments

In a story that is wildly millennial, Hollywood “it”-couple Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra began their love story thanks to a Twitter DM.

Since then, they’ve had a whirlwind romance that saw them date, get engaged and marry in quick succession. This beautiful couple have been married for two years, but have been giving us couple goals for even longer. Here’s how they stole each other’s hearts.

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Back in 2016, the Jonas brother slid into actress Priyanka Chopra’s Twitter DM’s with a casual, “I’m hearing from a few mutual friends that we should meet,” the singer told Vogue.

Not one to mince words, Chopra responded with, “My team can read this. Why don’t you just text me.”

For about a year, the pair shared friendly yet flirtatious conversations over text. They finally met in person at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar party in February. Jonas was so bowled over by Priyanka’s look that he went down on one knee and loudly proclaimed, “You’re real. Where have you been all my life?”

The pair continued to hang out, and even attended the Met Gala together later that year, both wearing Ralph Lauren. At the time, however, Chopra claimed they were just friends and had attended together because they were wearing the same designer.

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Nearly a year after that fateful DM, the pair went on their first official date in May 2018. They went to see Beauty and the Beast at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a fast romance for the pair from this moment. In June, Chopra was Jonas’s plus-one to his cousin’s wedding, and the couple went Instagram official on June 22.

Before the dust settled on their relationship announcement, the pair were back with even bigger news: In July, they got engaged. Jonas had proposed the day after Chopra’s 36th birthday while on holiday in Crete.

The pair announced their engagement in August while on a trip in Mumbai, in which their families met for the first time.

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Chopra’s engagement ring was designed by Tiffany’s, a childhood dream of hers. Going along with the theme, she hosted her bridal shower at the iconic Tiffany’s Blue Box Café in New York. She wore a strapless white Marchesa gown and A-list stars like Lupita Nyong’o and Kelly Ripa were on hand to celebrate with her.

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The pair’s elaborate wedding weekend kicked off on December 1, 2018. Their nuptials were done in spectacular fashion with a three-day wedding blending Hindu and Christian traditions.

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They said ‘I do’ at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Kevin and Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner, 30 Rock actor Jack McBrayer and Elizabeth Chambers Hammer were just a few of the notable guests at this lavish wedding.

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Every member of the bridal party stunned in Ralph Lauren, with Chopra stealing the spotlight in a Ralph Lauren-designed dress that was hand-embroidered and hand-beaded with more than two million mother-of-pearl sequins. It was her veil, however, that truly stole the show. A 22-metre veil, that is! Chopra’s veil required assistance from five people to bring to the altar where Nick Jonas was awaiting her.

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