The California wildfires left devastation as it burned through various parts of the state. In San Francisco, a couple and their children lost everything when flames taller than trees engulfed their home in August. However all was not lost, as they recently discovered their engagement rings survived the fire.
Jason and Chloe Caroll were forced to evacuate their Vacaville home with their two young sons as the LNU Lightning Complex fires ravaged the area. In their haste, they left their wedding rings behind in a basket in their bathroom. When they returned to retrieve the rings two days later, they found their home had burnt down to the ground.
They thought they lost all their possessions but while sifting through the rubble, Chloe’s aunt Denise discovered their rings exactly where the bathroom once stood.
“I didn’t imagine something can be discovered, and I believed if it was discovered, it would be melted to nothing,” Jason told LadBible.
“I thought for sure they’d be gone. I thought they’d be melted,” added Chloe. “I acquired one thing that I believed was utterly gone. It offers you a bit of ‘we can do this’. It offers you a bit of hope.”
Sometimes, a bit of self love is all you need. A bride called off her wedding to “marry herself” in a move to boost her self-confidence. Now, years later, she has married the same man she was originally engaged to.
Nicole Russo (39) became engaged to Paulo de Souza (35) in October 2013, after two-and-a-half years of dating. However, the wellness centre boss struggled with many insecurities that eventually lead to her ending their engagement.
“I remember at one point looking at that ring on my finger and thinking to myself, ‘wow how could I have gotten so far along in myself and almost committed to this other person before I had committed to myself and my own needs and listened to who I really needed to be inside’,” Nicole told Metro UK.
She called the wedding off and married herself instead, reciting her vows in her mirror on October 14, 2014. Years later, the pair reconnected and fell in love once again. This time, Nicole already had love for herself and was able to accept Paulo’s love.
The pair tied the knot of October 12, 2019, just a few days before her fifth wedding anniversary to herself. Nicole sees the two as very different weddings.
“My marriage to myself is not the same as my one to Paulo. It’s not a legal marriage, nor a traditional one with a church and big white dress. Rather, it’s a way of committing to and loving myself.”
Some may find the idea of self-marriage strange, but Nicole believes it changed her life for the better.
“As women, the old-fashioned view of marriage can feel like you are giving part of yourself up to your husband, but we should value ourselves and a self-marriage ceremony is a great way to do that.
“I’d encourage people to give it a go, even if it does feel a bit silly. There were times where I thought I was nuts and that nobody else in the world did this sort of thing. But once you learn to love yourself, it ripples out, and makes being kind to others come naturally.”
“Marrying yourself isn’t easy. There are a lot of tears and forgiveness involved, but it’ll also be the most fulfilling thing you ever do.”
Planning your big day is an exciting time, filled with a number of moving parts. Beyond your wedding flowers and seating chart, it’s important to give lots of thought to the legal side of getting married.
As you join hearts with your partner, you also enter into a legal agreement that can have serious repurcussions later on in life. As such, this might be the most important decision you make in the lead up to your big day.
Couples intending to marry will have to sign a marriage contract. South Africa has three main matrimonial property systems, and each option will largely impact on the couple if they decide to divorce later on in life.
Marriage in community of property:
Legal Wize explains that marriage in community of property essentially combines the estates of the married couple. Property and debts acquired prior to or during the marriage are shared equally in undivided shares (50%). Both spouses are jointly liable to creditors.
South African law automatically opts for this marital regime unless another regime is selected. This is the most popular agreement in the country, although it’s not the advisable option for many reasons.
This contract makes you responsible for all debt incurred by your spouse, including debt incurred before your marriage. Your financial position could thus be weakened by your partner. In the event your assets are seized by a court order to pay creditors for money owed to them, all of your assets can be taken because your estates are joined.
Beyond this, if your spouse dies without a will in place, the surviving spouse is only entitled to half of the assets. The other half are automatically granted to any dependents like children, or the deceased’s nearest relations in the absence of kids.
Of course, if the marriage ends in divorce then all assets will be split equally, regardless of what you came into the marriage with.
This option makes the most sense for couples who enter into the marriage with little assets. However, you cannot predict the future. You might hit it big later on in life and your relationship with your partner may turn sour, but you will still have to share your assets equally in the event of divorce.
Marriage out of community of property with accrual:
Another option is to marry out of community of property with accrual. The accrual system is a formula that is used to calculate how much the larger estate must pay the smaller estate if the marriage comes to an end through death or divorce.
Only property acquired during the marriage can be considered when calculating the accrual. The accrual system does not automatically apply and must be included in an ante-nuptial contract.
An ante-nuptial contract is a contract entered into to regulate whether a marriage will be out of community of property with/without the accrual system. It must be signed by the persons entering into a marriage, two witnesses and a notary public, and it must be registered in the Deeds Registries office within the prescribed time period.
Marriage out of community of property without accrual:
If a couple decides to marry out of community of property without the accrual system, the spouses have their own estates which contain property and debts acquired prior to and during the marriage (“what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours”). Each spouse is separately liable to his/her creditors. Prior to the marriage, an ante-nuptial contract must be entered into to indicate that the marriage will be out of community of property.
This marriage contract protects your individual assets, but disadvantages the spouse who earns less. The breadwinner of the relationship will end up with greater assets because they likely paid for it, disadvantaging the other spouse and all of their unpaid efforts in the marriage. This is especially damaging for those who stop working to raise their children while their partners work, as their reproductive labour goes unrecognised by the law.
As part of the winning team in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Stormers fullback Cheslin Kolbe is no stranger to competition. Luckily, his love life has been an easy ride.
Cheslin and wife Layla, a chartered accountant, have been together since 2013. They met at the DHL Newlands stadium, and the connection was instant.
“We had played a Currie Cup game against the Xerox Golden Lions, and after the match I noticed a beautiful girl in a red hoodie coming down Boundary Road outside DHL Newlands,” Chelsin said in a statement.
“She stopped myself and Kurt Coleman, because her friend wanted to take a photo with us, and I have been in love with her ever since,” he said.
They soon began dating, and Cheslin knew Layla was the one for him. He popped the question in September 2016, after his team’s victory over the Boland Cavaliers at DHL Newlands. The location was extra special because it’s where they first met.
Take a look at their proposal:
WATCH: Cheslin Kolbe proposed to his girlfriend Layla Cupido at #DHLNewlands, and she said yes! #cheslinjoulekkerding
The pair tied the knot in 2018 at Webersburg in the Stellenbosch winelands. Fellow rugby stars Siya Kolisi and Justin Geduld acted as groomsmen, and Rachel Kolisi served as a bridesmaid.
The couple’s daughter Kylah, who was nine-months old at the time, came down the aisle in a custom-made cart with a board that read: ‘Daddy just wait til you see mommy’. Their godchild, Siya and Rachel Kolisi’s son Nicholas acted as pageboy. He carried a sign that read, ‘no stepping this now Uncle Chessy’.
Layla walked down the aisle to ‘The Prayer’ by Celine Dion, a live duet sung by Vernice Platje and Danelle Lewin from the Hillsong church in Cape Town the couple belong to. For her big day, Layla wore a fit-and-flare Robyn Roberts dress covered in beaded lace with long sleeves, a detachable tulle skirt and a low open back.
They had an unconventional navy blue four-tier wedding cake with gold printed leafing and orchids flowing down, and a personalised hand-made topper figurine of Cheslin running with a rugby ball and Layla catching him/falling for him- depicting their love story.
South African comedian Siv Ngesi was the MC for the reception. Later in the evening, the wedding party was entertained by fire dancers.
Their wedding day was captured in all its glory by Top Billing, take a look:
The couple now live in France with their two-year-old daughter Kylah, and Cheslin plays for French rugby team Toulouse. They are expecting the birth of their second child very soon.
A newly married couple have been criticised for their ‘tasteless’ actions after they shared pictures from their recent wedding day.
In the images the bride and groom, wearing old-fashioned plague masks, hold hands as their guests lay strewn around them as if they were dead. The images were captioned, “For all the COVID brides! Don’t let it overshadow your fun!”
The post was shared to Reddit, where users quickly admonished the couple and accused them of being offensive in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Of all the heartless and tacky things I’ve see lately on the sub, this one takes the wedding cake. This is absolutely disgusting, tasteless, and just sick,” wrote on Reddit user.
“This is akin to having a wedding at the Auschwitz museum and being like, “lol, dead people!”. It’s not a joke, real people have died. People that were loved ones, real daughters and father’s who’s death devastated families. This isn’t a damn joke,” commented another.
Being married for 60 years is a true feat. The traditional symbol for this anniversary is a diamond, meant to represent undying love.
For Nebraska couple Marvin and Lucille Stone, their diamond anniversary was the perfect occasion to show of their commitment to one another. The pair decided to re-enact their wedding day and pose for an adorable photo shoot in their original wedding outfits.
The stunning shots taken by photographer Katie Autry were shared to social media, where they went viral. Speaking to Fox News, Lucille (81) said they were overwhelmed by the amazing response.
Marvin and Lucille married in 1960. Six decades later, they have three children and a lifetime of memories.
The pair say their secret to success in love is to work hard, be kind to one another and to think before you speak. They also advise couples rely on each other’s strengths to overcome weaknesses, and stay strong in your faith.
“From day one we have assumed marriage is forever,” said Lucille to Fox. “You do what you have to do and by no means have we been perfect in our marriage.”
Miles Teller and wife Keleigh Sperry Teller are celebrating their very first wedding anniversary.
The young couple married on September 1 in Maui, Hawaii in a Catholic church on the island. One year later, they have returned to the island for a romantic getaway.
“Happy one year anniversary to my all-time love @kelighsperry. You and me til the end,baby,” Teller wrote in a tweet.
Miles Teller is known for his roles in The Divergent Series (2014-2016) and War Dogs (2016). He met model Keleigh Sperry in 2013 at a party for the Black Keys. The two hit it off and there was an instant connection.
A week later they went on the date, and the rest is history. After fours years of dating, Miles popped the question in August 2017. The pair went on a romantic safari in South Africa. While enjoying their morning coffee and the wilderness, Keleigh noticed a rose attached to a tree. She decided to investigate as she thought it was weird to see a rose in the middle of winter. The flower had a note attached to it and when she started reading it, Miles finished it and got down on one knee.
Maui was the destination of choice for the lovebirds because it was a home away from home for Keleigh and her family. Miles joined them for family trips and fell in love with the destination. Hawaii seems to be a popular wedding spot for celebs.
The blushing bride wore a Monique Lhuillier dress, which was elegant and tradition, while still feeling whimsy and light. The ensemble was accompanied by her mother’s necklace, which is a family heirloom.
The dashing groom wore a suit by Celine, designed by Hedi Slimane.
Wedding guests included Nina Dobrev and The Divergent Series co-star Shailene Woodley.
Another royal wedding is on the way. Prince Philippos of Greece has popped the question to longterm girlfriend Nina Nastassja Flohr.
The prince proposed during a summer vacation in the Greek island of Ithaca. Of course, she said yes.
“Their Majesties King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie are delighted to announce the engagement of their youngest son HRH Prince Philippos to Nina Nastassja Flohr, daughter of Thomas Flohr and Katharina Flohr,” the monarchs office wrote in an official statement.
Flohr recently shared some sweet snaps from their engagement, writing: “My dearest Philippos. I love you today, I will love you tomorrow and forever. You make us happier, better and stronger. I cannot wait to spend the rest our lives together ”
Greece abolished their monarchy in 1973 but royals still retain their titles. The prince works as a hedge fund analyst in New York City, and his future bride is a creative director for her father’s company VistaJet.
Their wedding may be a long time coming, considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Philippos’s older sister, Princess Theodora of Greece is also engaged and was meant to marry fiancé Matthew Kumar in May 2020 but had to postpone due to the pandemic.
They celebrated what would have been their wedding day with a small get together.
A truly unique shape, the marquise engagement ring is for the bride that wants to stand out. It has a rich history and eye-catching design for the adventurous soul.
If you’re on the market for a rock to decorate your fingers, here is what you need to know.
The marquise shape has a an interesting French historical background. According to Shimansky, the shape was created for Louis the XIV, a monarch who ruled as the King of France.
“Legend holds that Louis the XIV, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, wanted a diamond that would be as brilliant and in a shape that could match the smile of the Marquise of Pompadour. And that was how the Marquise shape diamond was born. Because of its shape, it is sometimes also known as “navette” (little boat),” they explain.
The stone has 58 facets and a slender, elongated shape that is characterised by two sharp points on either end of it. It typically has a length to width ratio of 1.75 – 2.25 to 1, with the ideal ratio being 2 to 1.
Thanks to its long shape, this cut makes the diamond appear to be of greater weight and size than it actually is. It’s shape can also have the ‘bowtie’ effect, in which the diamond appears to take on the shape of a bow tie due to the absence of light reflection in the table of the diamond. This can easily be solved by adding more facets to the crown of the stone.
Creating the perfect marquise shape diamond takes expert skill and technique because of its distinct shape. It has to be perfectly proportioned or else it won’t deliver the optimum amount of brilliance. When on the market, be sure to ensure the stone is symmetrical.
This stone is perfect for those wanting to grab attention. Like most other shapes, it elongates the fingers and its unique shape makes the stone appear much larger. Those with extroverted personalities will love this shape that offers an unrivalled charm.
This couple has come a long way from their Scooby-Doo days. Actors Sarah Michelle Geller and Freddie Prinze Jr. have beat the Hollywood curse and recently celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary.
It seems the key to this couple’s success is humour. In a social media post, Geller posted throwback images of their 2002 wedding day and captioned it: “You… are my favorite husband #happyanniversary”.
This iconic couple met back in 1997 on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer, in which they both starred. Interestingly, it took another three years before they would start dating. They were meant to have dinner with a mutual friend, who ended up missing her flight. The pair decided to still meet up, and their love story began.
