Kirsten Jacobs, Author at Wedding ETC

In Advice

Cute ways to serve ice cream at your wedding

October 13, 2020 No Comments

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. On a hot summer’s day, nothing is better than the refreshing coolness of an icy lolly.

With the hot season approaching, it’s best to plan ahead and think of creative ways to keep your guests cool during a summer wedding. Ice cream may seem casual, but it is also fun and nostalgic. A major trend for modern weddings is personalisation, so why not incorporate a childhood favourite into your big day?

Here are some ways to include ice cream into your wedding:

Escort cards:

Use the stick of the ice cream to display your guest’s name, and arrange them in groupings that match with your seating chart. Your guests can simply grab a lolly and head to their table!

Match the colour of the ice cream to your wedding day, and incorporate fruits that are popular in the season like strawberries and watermelon.

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Wedding favours:

Give your guests something to nibble on when they leave your wedding. Simply arrange ice cream lollies on a table, and your guests can help themselves.

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Ice cream carts:

Food trucks are super popular for weddings, so why not have a dessert truck? Load it up with a variety of ice cream flavours and toppings, like fruit, chocolates, nuts and sauces. Your guests can mix and match to create their own unique concoctions.

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Picture: Pexels

In Advice

How to create the perfect sanitising station for your big day

October 13, 2020 No Comments

Stop, drop and sanitise is the new motto of life in the time of coronavirus. While large events are discouraged, weddings are allowed to continue as long as everyone in attendance follows strict health and safety protocols.

Lathering up on hand sanitiser is not the most glamorous thing to do, but there are ways to make it a bit more fun and interesting for your guests. Instead of plonking some sanitiser on a table, consider setting up a dedicated sanitising station.

Sanitising stations are trending in the wedding world at the moment. Here are some tips to put your own together.

Placement:

Speak to your wedding venue to have your sanitizing stations set up at all entrances and exits. Remember to also consider spots your guests are likely to congregate at, like restrooms or the bar area. Assign someone the job of monitoring the stations and refilling them when the need arises.

Touchless sanitisers are best, to reduce the amount of contact your guests make with items. They are, however, the more expensive option. If you cannot afford that, simple pump bottles are perfect to get the job done. Make sure to have wipes on hand as well in this case, so guests can use them to wipe the pump bottle down before or after use.

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Punny:

Have a little fun with your station by creating a punny sign to stand alongside your sanitiser. Here are some ideas:

– Spread love, not germs

– Stop, drop and sanitise

– You can’t touch this (unless you’ve sanitised)

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Dress it up:

You don’t want a boring table that looks like it belongs in a hospital. Give it life by placing it on a fancy drinks cart, and dress it up with some flowers that match your wedding colours and aesthetic.

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Picture: Pexels

In Emotional

Bride saves father after he collapses at her wedding

October 13, 2020 No Comments

Your wedding day is meant to be a fun and stress-free day with your loved ones. Unfortunately, disaster struck for a UK bride when her father collapsed while dancing at her recent wedding. Luckily, she is a trained nurse and jumped in to save the day.

While dancing to Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, father John Douglas (65) “fell like a sack of potatoes” and stopped breathing, reports the New York Post.

Douglas has suffered from heart problems for years, and while he had taken the necessary medication on the day, his blood pressure dropped after he drank tequila during the wedding.

Bride Kim Leary (37) immediately sprung to action and resuscitated her father. Along with her husband, they spent the remainder of their wedding night at the hospital with her father.

“The paramedics said he was very lucky to survive. Thank God he didn’t die,” Leary told The Sun. “It would have turned the best day ever into the worst. I did joke I was glad he saved it for midnight and not when I was walking down the aisle,” she quipped.

Douglas spent five days in the hospital, and received a motorized scooter to help him move around more easily.

Picture: Pexels

In Celebs

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank celebrate two-year anniversary

October 13, 2020 No Comments

It’s been two years since Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksband said ‘I do’ at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

In honor of their special day, Princess Eugenie had a few sweet words for her husband.

“Been the best 2 years married to you and 10 years with you in total… happy memories always my dear Jack,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a slide show of pictures from the last two years.

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Even famed designer Zac Possen got into the celebratory spirit. In an Instagram post, he shared a never-before-seen image from the Royal wedding and thanked Eugenie for choosing him as the designer for her second wedding dress.

“Happiest 2nd Anniversary dear Princess Eugenie & Jack! It was so special creating this gown for this wonderful moment in your life, being with you and the family on the magnificent magical day, I will remember forever. Wishing you both continued love and happiness always with your new baby angel on the way”

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The pair tied the knot on October 12, 2018, with a lavish two-day celebration at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. The bride wore a custom gown designed by British duo Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, accessories by the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, on loan from her grandmother, the Queen. The royal opted for a dress with a low cut back to show off her scar from previous surgery for her scoliosis.

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She then stunned in her Zac Posen gown for the reception. The dress was inspired by the one worn by Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief.

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In September, the couple announced they are expecting their first child.

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Picture: Instagram / Princess Eugenie

In News

Bride corners fiancé at work and demands they get married

October 12, 2020 No Comments

Shoppers in Target got a lot more than they bargained for recently, when a bride stormed through the store and demanded her fiancé marry her immediately or else they were over.

In a video shared to TikTok, the bride, wearing her wedding dress and carrying a bouquet, can be seen roaming the aisles of a Las Vegas Target with a pastor and bridesmaid in tow.

She finally finds her fiancé, a Target employee who was stocking shelves, and demands he marry her on the spot.

The bride can be heard telling her fiancé, “You put this ring on my finger two years ago and it’s time to do it or get out.

“Yeah we’re getting married right now or I’m leaving, I’m out. I’m done, like if you don’t marry me this second. I brought a pastor, I brought Emily, she’s my bridesmaid.”

A crowd soon gathers around the group, with some cheering the bride on as she urges her groom-to-be to commit.

Since being shared to TikTok, the video has gone viral and was been watched over 5 million times.

Picture: Screenshot from video

In Advice

The stylish choice: Salt-and-pepper diamonds

October 12, 2020 No Comments

A classic white diamond is the traditional go-to for engagement rings, but in recent years, alternative colours have become all the rage. From pink to yellow, diamonds come in all hues.

Salt-and-pepper diamonds are trending as a unique alternative stone choice for an engagement ring. Here is everything you need to know.

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A salt-and-pepper diamond is a diamond with inclusions that appear black and white. This type of diamond can appear in a variety of shades, from light to dark grey. Some may have more inclusions than others, which will affect the colouring of the stone.

This diamond is the exact same as a normal diamond, just with a bit more character. As always, the 4 C’s apply when grading a diamond: cut, colour, clarity and carat. The 4 C’s will determine the final price your diamond will fetch.

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Eco-conscious shoppers will love this stone, as it takes fewer resources to mine than regular diamonds. They are also less expensive because they of their carbon inclusions, so they are the more budget-friendly option.

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Like any other diamond, it can be fashioned into any shape you want. Given its alternative nature, we suggest going with the aesthetic and opting for a unique setting like a bezel setting. Go for an unusual cut by shaping your diamond into a pentagon or a diamond-shaped diamond.

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Picture: Pinterest

In News

PE woman discovers she is married to man she never met

October 12, 2020 No Comments

A woman from Port Elizabeth is taking legal steps to become single again after discovering she has been married for 16 years to a man she has never met.

The 41-year-old, who prefers to remain anonymous, told Rapport that she discovered she is married to a Chinese man named Chao Chen while applying for a new ID in 2016.

She had lost her ID when she moved from Cape Town to PE, and also applied for a social grant when she applied for her new ID. It was then that she was informed that she was married in community of property with Chen.

According to Home Affairs, fraudulent marriages are quite common, and many are reported every year. This fraudulent marriage occurs when someone uses another’s ID to register a marriage between them.

The woman has since approached the Pretoria High Court and its working with the Wits Law Clinic to invalidate the fraudulent marriage. The first step is to make Chen aware of the legal proceedings, however, he cannot be found.

Picture: Pexels

In Celebs

Larry David ties the knot with Ashley Underwood

October 9, 2020 No Comments

Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David is a married man. The famed comedian said ‘I do’ to his longterm girlfriend Ashley Underwood on Wednesday evening [October 7].

People reports the pair had an intimate celebration in Southern California.

David (73) and Underwood have been together since 2017 and met at a party held by fellow actors Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher. Underwood worked as a producer on Baron Cohen’s Showtime satire series, Who is America? and is friends with actress Isla Fisher, who is also Baron Cohen’s wife.

“We were seated next to each other, I think with that in mind,” he told the Times of their first meeting. “Much to her surprise I left before dessert. I was doing so well, banter-wise, I didn’t want to risk staying too long and blowing the good impression.”

This is the second wedding for David, who was previously married to environmental activist Laurie David. They share two daughters together: Cazzie (26) and Romy (24).

Instagram / Curb Your Enthusiasm

In Emotional

Gay couple legally say “I do” after year-long battle

October 9, 2020 No Comments

A same-sex couple in Richards Bay finally said their “I do’s” legally at Empangeni’s Home Affairs office on Thursday. Muhammad Buckus and Kyle Pillay, who have been together for about five years, were given “the runaround” for a year by officials.

This week, GroundUp reported that Buckus and Pillay had exchanged wedding vows in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Pietermaritzburg in September 2019. They moved to Richards Bay soon after and immediately started making enquiries at the local Home Affairs office as to when they could legally solemnise their partnership.

The couple said they were given “excuse after excuse”, including that there were no qualified marriage offices to do same-sex marriages and that there was no documentation nor certificates.

GroundUp then sent questions to the department and the next day the couple were given an appointment for 10am on Thursday, 8 October.

Buckus said a Home Affairs official from Pretoria contacted them on Wednesday and “reminded us that we had the appointment and said he was checking that everything was ok and said he would phone us afterwards”.

Buckus said that while they appreciated the “VIP treatment”, they just “wanted to get married like any other person can”.

After their legal ceremony on Thursday, Buckus said: “We are relieved…The marriage officer was very kind to us. The only glitch was the issue of changing surnames. The system picked up that it was two men and wouldn’t allow it. So we just left our surnames as is,” he said.

This article was written by Tania Broughton and originally appeared on GroundUp.

In Advice

The perfect wedding theme based on your zodiac sign

October 8, 2020 No Comments

Wedding planning can be chaotic. With so many options to choose from, it can be tough to narrow down what you want. Many use their zodiac sign to determine the choices they make in life, so why not use it to plan your wedding too?

Those that follow astrology believe that it speaks to and shapes personality. Considering that a wedding is highly personal, it makes sense that you’d want to tailor it to yourself. Here are the best wedding themes that suit each zodiac sign.

Aries (March 21–April 19)

Aries individuals are trend-setters. Being the first sign in the zodiac, they love to lead the way and rarely go with the status quo. They are bold, dramatic and a little bit extra.

Go big and bold with a glamorous wedding. An art-deco inspired wedding might be the perfect fit. Think Great Gatsby, a world defined by excess, wealth and conspicuous consumption. Guests have the option of dressing up in theme, making for some memorable photos.

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Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Taureans are a classic Earth sign, displaying practicality with a dose of stubbornness. They are also ambitious and little bit materialistic, with a love of the finer things in life.

Feed into this with a rustic meets glam theme. Pick an outdoor venue with stunning natural scenery, and amplify with more luxe touches like a unique fairy light display, tons of candles and rose gold finishes.

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Gemini (May 21–June 20)

Represented by the twins, the Gemini bride is known for their two-in-one personality which can also make them indecisive in nature. They are intelligent, adaptable and outgoing, yet impulsive and unreliable.

The best is to mix two styles to cover your bases. A boho-glam aesthetic is the best of both worlds, merging the natural with the luxurious. Go for a mix of textures like silk, linens, lace and macramé, as well as natural tones likes greens, whites and tans.

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Cancer (June 21–July 22)

The ever-romantic Cancerians are sentimental and emotive creatures with a deep belief in true love. This water sign is guided by the heart.

A pastel wedding is soft and sweet, just like you. Blush pink is always trendy, and looks amazing paired with gold and white. Tall candles and chandeliers add extra whimsy and romance, making your fairytale dream come true.

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Leo (July 23–August 22)

Much like the king of the jungle, Leos are passionate and confident beings. They are bold personalities who like to make a statement. These trendsetters like to lead the way, and would opt for something unique and daring on their big day.

Pick an unusual venue like a library, museum, art gallery or even a treehouse for something unexpected.

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Virgo (August 23–September 22)

Virgos are practical perfectionists. Logical and dependable, this Earth sign is known for taking a systematic approach to life. Their style tends to be modest, simple, and polished, just like they are.

Go clean and simple with a minimalist wedding theme. Think neutral colours, natural fabrics, organic elements, accent metals and lots of glass pieces. Clean lines and key pieces create a sophisticated look perfect for weddings.

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Libra (September 23–October 22)

Libras are all about balance, much like their symbolic zodiac sign, the scale. They love symmetry and harmony. Like Taureans, Libras are also ruled by Venus, the planet that governs love, beauty, and money, and are thus big fans of luxury and beauty.

A peaceful venue like a vineyard is perfect for the harmony-loving Libra. Pair rustic elements with lush greenery and natural tones to elevate your decor.

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Scorpio (October 23–November 21)

The most passionate sign of the zodiac, Scorpios are masters of seduction and pleasure. These mysterious creatures enjoy a darker side of life, and lean toward hedonism.

With some Scorpios being born in October, it makes sense to give in to the spooky season. Opt for a Halloween theme, complete with dark tones and rich gold finishes for an antique look. Use tulle, velvet, dried flowers and candles for a spooky yet elegant atmosphere.

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Sagittarius (November 22–December 21)

Sagittarius individuals are typically fun-loving and free-spirited. They love to roam free and explore the various facets of the world and life.

With all that wanderlust, it seems perfect to opt for a travel-themed wedding. If you can’t have a destination wedding, bring the world to you with some creative touches. Use ‘boarding passes’ as escort cards, a globe as a guest book and paper airplanes as decor.

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Capricorn (December 22–January 19)

Capricorns are the classy sign. They are typically very grounded and thoughtful, preferring the simpler things in life.

A timeless wedding is best for this sign. Go simple yet elegant with a black-tie affair, with tasteful decor. A banquet hall is the ideal setting, and can easily be dressed up with stunning floral centrepieces.

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Aquarius (January 20–February 18)

Aquarians are represented by the water bearer, the mystical healer who bestows water, or life upon the land. They are easy-going and fun yet graceful and bold.

Being a water sign, a beach wedding is perfect for Aquarius’. Dress it up with elegant lighting, tons of greenery and an unusual print to showcase your eccentric nature.

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Pisces (February 19–March 20)

Pisces individuals are dreamers, often at odds with fantasy and reality. They tend to be empathetic, compassionate and sensitive.

Give in to your inner child and host an informal and fun picnic themed wedding. Use tons of pillows to keep your guests comfortable, and include games to keep them laughing all night long.

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Picture: Unsplash