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    Moshe Ndiki and Phelo Bala share behind-the-scenes at secret wedding
    In Celebs

    Moshe Ndiki and Phelo Bala share behind-the-scenes look at secret wedding

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    South African celebrity couple Moshe Ndiki and Phelo Bala shocked fans when they recently announced they secretly tied the knot a year ago. The pair have just shared another never-before-seen look into their special day.

    Ndiki and Bala said ‘I do’ on October 31, 2019, in a secret ceremony.  In an Instagram post, Moshe shared their anniversary news and a collage of images from their time together, captioning the post: “Happy 1 year Wedding anniversary to us♥️ “What God Has Put Together Let No Man Put Asunder” Matthew 19:6Happy One year wedding anniversary my love, always has been you, always will be you.”

    In another video recently shared, Ndiki posted a clip from their actual wedding day. Surrounded by family and friends, the pair lovingly say their vows to one another.

    “I promise to love you in this life and the next (lifetime),” Ndiki says in the clip.

    “The kind of love I have for you is the Godly love…it’s unwavering…baby I love you…I really love you,” Bala expresses. “I love you today, I love you tomorrow and we’re still going to go through things and I will still love you then.

     

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    I still get those butterflies , crazy after all this time…

    A post shared by Moshe Nkumanda-Ndiki (@moshendiki) on

    The secretive couple have been together on and off since 2010 and got engaged in September 2019 when Bala went down on one knee. Two months later, unknown to the general public, they tied the knot.

    Since then, they have had a whirlwind few months. In June, reports emerged that Ndiki had allegedly assaulted Bala with a candle stand, leading Bala to obtain an interim court order against Ndiki.

    In a statement, Ndiki denied the rumours and later filed a counter case, claiming that Bala had been abusive towards him on numerous occasions.

    Picture: Instagram / Phelo Bala

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    In Accessories

    Hijabi brides making major fashion statements

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    When crafting a wedding look, many brides keep their culture close to their heart. For Muslim women who choose to wear a hijab in everyday life, it seems natural to wear one on their big day too.

    A hijab is a headscarf worn by Muslim women. It covers the hair, neck and upper chest in accordance with Islamic tradition. Wearing a hijab is not compulsory, which is why it is a choice for women to wear one from puberty onwards.

    Those who do choose to wear one do so stylishly. Many work it into their personal style, and your wedding look should be no different. Customise your bridal look by using the detail on your dress to adorn your hijab. From lace to beads and pearls to tulle, anything goes.

    Here are some wonderful hijabi brides to inspire you:

     

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    A post shared by TURBAN – HIJAB EXPERT ?? (@turban.makeup.familly) on

     

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    In Wedding Gowns

    Celestial-inspired wedding dress wins big at the Etsies

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    Etsy has announced the winners of its second Etsy Design Awards, and a wedding dress has made it on their list of favourites.

    The Etsies is a global design competition in which people from around the world can submit their creations for categories from home and art to fashion, kids and pets.

    Winners of the Etsies are chosen with the help of two star judges. This year, actress Drew Barrymore and NBC’s Making It judge and Etsy Trend Expert, Dayna Isom Johnson were part of the panel.

    The competition has 12 categories, including a wedding category. This year, Lithuania-based designer Inge Stalyte took home top honours for her celestial-inspired wedding dress.

    The tulle gown is adorned with silver and gold stars, and features a cascading cape.

     

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    A post shared by Inge (@allthingsdulcinea) on

     

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    A post shared by Inge (@allthingsdulcinea) on

    “Inge Stalyte’s intricate, celestial bridal gown is full of sparkling silver and gold sequin stars, carefully sewn into satin and tulle. Her collection of free-spirited, bespoke bridal pieces are completely made-to-measure, with a focus on comfort and inclusive sizing,” Etsy explains.

    Picture: Instagram / Etsy

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    In Advice

    Traditional leather gift ideas for your third anniversary

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    Three years of marriage is no small feat. While the honeymoon period is over and you’ve likely settled into wedded bliss, it is still important to honour every moment.

    Every year is a special year for a married couple, as it marks another 365 days of their union. However, each anniversary has its own special meaning, according to tradition.

    The third wedding anniversary is symbolised by leather, meant to represent strength and security. At this stage in your relationship, you’ve developed habits and patterns that have solidified, and you’ve faced ups and downs. Like leather, your love is durable and resilient.

    Of course, it does not have to be real leather. You can easily opt for vegan leather alternatives to stay on tradition while not compromising your principles.

    Here are some leather-related gift ideas to honour the day:

    – A handbag

    – A monogrammed wallet

    – An office chair

    – Boots

    – Driving gloves

    – Camera strap

    – A leather-bound notebook

    – Matching bracelets

    Picture: Pexels

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    In Advice

    Tropical-inspired wedding cakes to complete the island vibe

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    Got a special island wedding planned? Or even if you can’t have the destination wedding of your dreams, you can bring the island vibes to your special day with some tropical-inspired touches.  

    Bring your wedding cake to life with some fun and fancy tropical extras. A tropical theme is all about bright, fun colours, from vivid greens to sharp yellow, any bold hue will work. Of course, you’ll need to incorporate flowers of some kind. If you’re hosting a destination wedding, use a popular local flower. Otherwise, palm leaves will work perfectly.

    If you’re not into the botanical look, you could also use items like coconuts or pineapples to complete the feel.

    Here are some stunning cakes to inspire you:

     

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    Indian couple under fire for intimate wedding shoot
    In News

    Indian couple under fire for intimate wedding shoot

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    A young Indian couple has received mounting backlash after posting an intimate post-wedding photoshoot that has since gone viral on social media.

    Couple Lekshmi and Hrushi Karthik tied the knot in September, and wanted a memorable photoshoot to make up for their downscaled wedding ceremony in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    In the images, they can be seen laughing, hugging and chasing after each other in a tea plantation, while covered in white silk comforters borrowed from their hotel room. Hrushi’s photographer friend Akhil Karthikeyan was enlisted to be behind the camera, reports the BBC.

     

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    A post shared by Hrushi Karthik (@painmaker143) on

    “It was great fun. We laughed through it. We were really excited about it. It was a part of our honeymoon, we were just married and we felt free,” Hrushi told the BBC.

    Just a few days later, Akhil uploaded the images onto Facebook and was shocked at the amount of hate the images received. Most of the abuse was directed at Lekshmi.

    “We received two days of relentless hate,” Lekshmi explained. “People said we were showing nudity, they asked if we were wearing clothes underneath, they said we were doing it for attention and seeking publicity.”

    “It was really awful for me. They were harassing me much more than him. They were telling me to act in porn films, I was body shamed,” she says. “The trolls included a lot of women too. They found my earlier photos where I was wearing no makeup and began comparing, saying look how ugly she looks in these photos.”

    However, there were those publicly supporting the couple. Many advised them to ignore the haters.

    Unfortunately, their family was not in full support of the images. Many asked them to remove the images and even removed the couples from family WhatsApp groups for refusing. The pair told the BBC they refuse to take the images down, as that would mean they are giving in to their bullies.

    “If we do, they will take it as admission of our guilt, that we did something wrong,” says Lekshmi. “But we didn’t do anything wrong.”

    Picture: Unsplash

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    A heavenly finish: The halo engagement ring setting
    In Advice

    A heavenly finish: The halo engagement ring setting

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    With its angelic look, it’s easy to see why the halo setting is one of the most sought-after engagement ring styles. Classic yet glamorous, it flatters anyone who wears it.

    Halo engagement rings are versatile and easily customisable, perfect for the bride who wants to add a personal touch to their jewelry.

     

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    The halo setting features a central diamond encircled by smaller, typically pavé or micro pavé set accent diamonds. With all the smaller diamonds, it adds a stunning flashing look that draws attention to the centre diamond.

    The setting can be the same shape as the centre stone or a different one entirely like a cushion cut halo around a round diamond. However, symmetry is often the best option.

    Halo settings can easily be personalised with different diamond shapes, metals, and setting styles for the accent diamonds.

     

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    An advantage of this setting is that it makes the centre diamond appear larger. It’s dazzling setting also helps enhance the appearance of a slightly flawed centre diamond.

    The halo also helps hide the prongs that hold the centre stone in place, which is a plus for those that don’t like the look of prongs.

    Another benefit is that the smaller pavé diamonds are often less expensive than purchasing one diamond of the same weight.

     

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    On the other hand, however, wedding bands only work with some halo setting engagement rings so you will have to plan ahead. You would ideally need to have your wedding band made to fit around or under the engagement ring, otherwise, you run the risk of them rubbing against one another and wearing away over time.

     

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    In Advice

    Move over gowns, mini wedding dresses are the hot new trend

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    The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the wedding world upside down. From the guestlist to the fashion, it seems like everything has changed in 2020.

    Many modern couples are hosting micro weddings in 2020, and hope to have bigger affairs later on when it is safe to do so. Smaller-scale celebrations call for less dramatic gowns.

    We’ve seen quite a few pandemic brides opting aginst the traditional ballgown-length look in favour of a minidress or jumpsuit. Oscar de la Renta even showcased a bridal minidress in his 2021 bridal collection, meaning this look is right on trend.

    Just because you’re wearing a minidress, does not mean it has to be simple. Go big with statement shoulders and dramatic detailing, or incorporate fun fabrics to add edge to your look.

    Here are a few dresses to inspire you:

     

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    50 of the best wedding entrance songs to get the party started
    In Advice

    50 of the best wedding entrance songs to get the party started

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    Making your first entrance as a married couple at your wedding reception is a big deal, and you need the perfect soundtrack to back it up.

    The song you choose to punctuate your steps will set the tone for the rest of the evening. What kind of story do you want to tell? It’s important to pick something that is true to you and your partner. The best thing to do is to match the song to your personality.

    Whether you make your debut as a married couple to an upbeat song or a tear-jerker, there is no right or wrong answer. There is a wealth of options to choose from, here are a few of the top tracks people have been loving.

    1. Linger – The Cranberries
    2. Best Part – Daniel Caesar
    3. Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding
    4. You Make My Dreams Come True – Hall and Oates
    5. Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe – Barry White
    6. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
    7. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) -Whitney Houston
    8. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gay and Tammi Terrell
    9. All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
    10. Best Day of My Life – American Authors
    11. Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
    12. Raise Your Glass – P!nk
    13. What I Like About You – The Romantics
    14. Riptide – Vance Joy
    15. On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
    16. Lucky – Chelsea Cutler
    17. Cheerleader – Omi
    18. Crazy in Love – Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z
    19. Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
    20. Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
    21. This Is What You Came For – Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna
    22. How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
    23. Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
    24. We Belong – Pat Benatar
    25. Waiting For A Girl Like You – Foreigner
    26. I.F.L.Y – Bazzi
    27. You’re The One That I Want – The Grease soundtrack
    28. Beyond – Leon Bridges
    29. Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
    30. I Wanna Have Your Babies – Natasha Bedingfield
    31. Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey
    32. Stuck With You – Ariana Grande feat. Justin Bieber
    33. Dangerously In Love – Destiny’s Child
    34. We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
    35. Marry You – Bruno Mars
    36. My Girl – The Temptations
    37. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer
    38. It’s Tricky – Run DMC
    39. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
    40. What I Like About You – The Romantics
    41. Let’s Hear It for the Boy – Deniece Williams
    42. T.N.T. – AC/DC
    43. You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
    44. Dear Future Husband -Meghan Trainor
    45. Get Your Number – Mariah Carey
    46. Stuck On You – Lionel Richie
    47. Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
    48. This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
    49. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder
    50. Crazy in Love – Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z

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    In Celebs

    Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost marry in low-key ceremony

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    Scarlett Johansson is a married woman! The Academy Award-nominated actress has tied the knot with Saturday Night Live (SNL) writer and comedian Colin Jost in a low-key ceremony.

    Their big news was announced by Meals on Wheels, a US-based charity for elderly people.

    “We’re thrilled to break the news that Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were married over the weekend in an intimate ceremony with their immediate family and loved ones, following COVID-19 safety precautions as directed by the CDC,” Meals on Wheels wrote on Instagram

    “Their wedding wish is to help make a difference for vulnerable older adults during this difficult time by supporting @mealsonwheelsamerica. Please consider donating to celebrate the happy couple by clicking the link in our bio.”

     

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    Johansson and Jost met when the actress made a guest appearance on an SNL season finale, and soon began dating in 2017. In 2019, the highly private couple announced their engagement.

    This is the third marriage for Johansson. She was previously married to actor Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011, and journalist Romain Dauriac from 2014 to 2017, with whom she shares a child. It is the first marriage for Jost.

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