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Kirsten Jacobs

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Diamonds are forever, but they’re also expected. Unique, alternative stones have been trending for years as modern brides seek to be different on their big day.

While topaz is an unusual and underrated stone for an engagement ring, it is slowly growing in popularity.

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Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine. The gemstone ranges in colours from green, yellow, orange to its most common hue, blue. The most popular forms are London Blue and Imperial Topaz. According to the Gemology Institute of America, the colour of the stone depends on impurities or defects within the sructure of the crystal rather than its chemical composition.

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There are conflicting reports on how topaz got its name. Many authorities believe that the stone got its name from the old Greek name of a small island in the Red Sea called Topazios, now known as  Zabargad. While topaz was never produced on the island, peridot was. Many confused peridot for topaz before the development of modern minerology.

Others argue that its name can be traced back to the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit and the word topas or tapaz, meaning “fire.”

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The ancient Greeks loved topaz for its supposed ability to give them strength.

“In Europe during the Renaissance (the period from the 1300s to the 1600s) people thought that topaz could break magic spells and dispel anger,” explains the Gemology Institute of America. “For centuries, many people in India have believed that topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty, and intelligence.”

In the 19th century, topaz was restricted for the Russian royal family. The majority of topaz came from the Ural Mountains at the time, and the pink gemstone varietal was mined there in honour of the Russian tzar.

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Topaz ranks on the Mohs scale of hardness with an 8, making it quite durable. In fact, it’s one of the hardest naturally occurring minerals, and the hardest of any silicate mineral. It’s hardness and durability makes it an excellent option for jewellery.

Price points vary depending on the colour of the stone. However, the stone is much more affordable than diamonds. Because of its hardness and versatility, the stone can be cut in a number of shapes and sizes. It is important to remember though, that it can scratch easily. Owners are encouraged to be careful with this stone.

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You’d think that by now, we know everything there is to to know about the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle. That’s not the case.

Harry and Megan’s official royal photographer, Chris Jackson, recently let the public in on anothet unknown fact from the big day.

Speaking on the Royally Obsessed podcast, Jackson told hosts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito that there was a very special guest at the wedding that many might not know about.

“What I thought was lovely was the fact that the couple invited 2,000 charity representatives from their various charities to be the first witnesses of them emerging from the chapel as a married couple.”

Also in the crowd was a young orphan that the Duke of Sussex had met during his gap year in South Africa back in 2004.

“Prince Harry invited Mutsu, a young orphan from Lesotho who I’ve met a few times over the years. He’s actually the boy that Prince Harry met on his gap year,” Jackson said. “He was one of the first people to see them come out as a married couple.”

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Old Hollywood exudes class, glamour and style. The many men and women who graced the silver screens, sang right into people’s souls and kept many entertained have also gone down in history for their fashionable wedding moments.

Decades later, we cannot forget the iconic looks some celebrity brides chose to walk down the aisle. Here are a few of our favourite dresses from famous brides in American history.

Grace Kelly
For her 1956 weding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, actress Grace Kelly stunned in an Victorian-inspired gown made of 125-year-old Brussels lace, taffeta, and thousands of hand-sewn pearls. The skirt was made of ivory faille and featured three petticoats: a smoothing petticoat, a ruffled petticoat and a foundation petticoat. The gown itself was made of 100 yards (91 metres) of silk net, and the veil was 90 yards (82 metres). To keep the veil in place, Kelly opted for a Juliet cap decorated with lace, orange blossoms and seed pearls instead of a tiara.
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Audrey Hepburn

Breakfast at Tiffany’s star Audrey Hepburn married actor and stage and film director Mel Ferrer in 1954. For their big day, Hepburn stunned in a Balmain-designed tea-length flared dress with a satin sash, a high neckline and balloon sleeves  that she accessorised with elbow-length gloves and a flower crown.

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Priscilla Presley

The King of Rock and Roll married longtime girlfriend Priscilla Ann Beaulieu in 1967 in Las Vegas. She wore a floor-length white babydoll dress made of chiffon, with a beaded neckline and pearl-encrusted long sleeves. And who can forget that bouffant veil!

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Mia Farrow

A then up-and-coming actress Mia Farrow married megastar musician Frank Sinatra in 1966. The actress wore a two-piece skirt suit with elbow-length sleeves, following the mod style aesthetic of the decade.

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Elizabeth Taylor

This iconic actress had been married a number of times throughout her life, but our favourite dress was from her very first marriage to Nicky Hilton in 1950. Taylor wore a high-necked satin gown designed by Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer costume-designer Helen Rose, who famously went on to design Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.

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Julie Andrews:

Before she hit it big with her breakout role in The Sound of Music, up-and-coming actress Julie Andrews married her first husband, set designer Tony Walton in Surrey on May 10, 1959. She wore a long-sleeved ankle-length gown decorated with floral appliqué and a trailing train.

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Bianca Jagger

Bianca Jagger epitomized ’70s style in her 1971 wedding to rockstar Mick Jagger. The Nicaraguan-born socialite wore a crisp white YSL Le Smoking jacket with no undershirt, atop an ankle-length skirt. She accessorised with a large, veiled sunhat.

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Brigitte Bardow

Actress Brigitte Bardowe married her Babette Goes to War costar, Jacques Charrier in France in 1959. Instead of a traditional wedding dress, the blonde bombshell opted for a pink gingham knee-length dress.

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Jacqueline Kennedy
Jacqueline Bouvier became Jacqueline Kennedy when she married future US president John F. Kennedy. For their 1953 nuptials, she wore an ivory silk-taffeta off-the-shoulder gown with a massive skirt. The dress was designed by black seamstress Ann Lowe, who opened the door for many other designers of colour.
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Ava Gardner
Iconic actress Ava Gardner married third husband Frank Sinatra in 1951. She wore an intricate dress featuring trim box pleats along the neckline and short sleeves, and accessorised with a pearl necklace.
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Sharon Tate
Valley of the Dolls actress Sharon Tate married director Roman Polanski in 1968 in true 60s style. She wore a high-necked babydoll minidress with puffed shoulders and long sleeves. She accessorised with ribbons and flowers in her hair.
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Marylin Monroe

Marylin Monroe married third husband, playwright Arthur Miller in 1956. For their nuptials, Monroe wore a mid-length figure-hugging gown with ruched sleeves.

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Are you a big fan of happily ever after? Well, why not say ‘I do’ at the happiest place on earth – Disneyland!

Disney darlings will adore this wedding location that brings their favourite movies like Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella to life.

There are Disneyland destinations in Florida, California, Hawaii, Tokyo, Paris and even aboard a Disney cruise. The various Disney theme parks across the world offer multiple wedding packages for engaged couples to pick and choose from.

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“Memories to cherish forever are about to be made. Each Disney wedding destination offers something unique, something any couple can get excited about and something all your guests can enjoy,” says the company. “World-famous theme parks, award-winning Resort hotels and luxury ocean liners can’t help but make your celebration magical and the perfect prelude to the rest of your lives together. Decide where your fairy tale will begin.”

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Couples can arrive in style in Cinderella’s horse-drawn carriage, tie the knot next to Sleeping Beauty’s castle and even enjoy a Disney-themed wedding cake.

Count your favourite Disney characters in as wedding guests! Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Mulan and a host of other popular characters can make an appearance at your big day. Couples may even arrange private performances by the renowned Disney entertainers for an extra fee.

Disneyland offers in-house wedding experts, including a day-of coordinator – who handle everything involved in the planning process.

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These packages, however, don’t come cheap. The prices typically include location rental, the ceremony fee, reception food and beverages and the wedding specialists. There are a host of additional services couples may choose from to enhance their event.

Location and ceremony fees range from $2,600 – $10,000 depending on the specific venue chosen. Food and drink is per person, and prices range from $145 to $190 per person depending on whether you want brunch, lunch or dinner.

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A bride in Campbell River, Vancouver Island made sure her dying stepfather was a part of her special day by marrying at the senior home he stays in.

Caroline Scheck and fiancé Rodney Scheck originally planned to marry in August. However, Scheck’s stepfather Brian Devlin’s health was rapidly declining. They then decided to move the wedding date up to May so that Devlin could be in attendence.

“We planned a wedding at a long term care facility we both work at because my stepdad is palliative and he wanted to walk me down the aisle,” said Caroline Scheck. “We are uncertain on how long he has to live and I wasn’t about to wait to get married and not have him be there!”

They moved their wedding date to May 15, and scrambled to pull all the elements together in a short amount of time.

“It’s unbelievable to have planned a wedding during a pandemic and within three days while working from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. on all the days beforehand,” Scheck said.

On the wedding day, all the residents on the facility watched from their windows, waving and smiling as the couple said their “I dos”. Of course, Scheck’s stepfather was there too. He had been wheeled down to the garden where the wedding was held, and symbolically walked his stepdaughter down the aisle.

“My stepdad was wheeled down dressed up and he was coherent the whole time he was present, something he hasn’t been prior to. He talked about fishing and was happy to see his family. He was proud and that’s why we did this on such short notice. It truly was a wonderful moment!”

“When we said ‘I do’ all three floors of the facility were banging on the windows, some were present outside with us, and they all stood at the windows and watched the ceremony with smiles on their faces. We had some fellow co-workers in the crowd cheering us on and taking pics for us.”

A few days later, Devlin passed away on May 24, aged 79. Scheck is eternally grateful that her stepfather could be a part of her wedding before he died.

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What’s a wedding without flowers? From the bridal bouquet to centrepiece arrangements, flowers have become an integral part of the big occasion.

While roses are popular for obvious reasons, there are so many stunning flowers with meanings just as romantic. If you’re planning your bouquet, consider one of these flowers.

Salvia

This adorable flower has different meanings depending on its colour. A blue salvia says ‘thinking of you’ while a red one means ‘forever mine’. We think the red varietal is pretty fitting for a wedding day.

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Edelweiss
The Sound of Music fans might be even more inclined to incorporate this flower in their bouquet, considering its sweet meaning. The flower stands for courage and devotion, both of which are necessary for a healthy marriage.

Gardenia

Gardenias represent purity, joy and love, much like a wedding day. In Victorian times, people used flowers to convey messages to one another. They used gardenias to express their love and devotion without revealing their identity. Thus, gardenias came to represent a secret or untold love.

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Myrtle
Myrtle is a popular addition in royal bouquets. In fact, every British royal bride since 1940 has carried myrtle in her bouquet. This bloom is meant provide good luck and encourage love and fertility in a marriage.
Honeysuckle
Much like its sweet scent, this flower has a beautiful meaning. The bloom stands for devotion and strong bonds of love. It is meant to symbolise being united in love because of the flowers clinging nature.

Tulips 

Yellow tulips represent cheerful thoughts, white convey forgiveness and purple represent royalty. However, red tulips symbolise perfect love. According to Turkish legend, Prince Farhad fell in love with a maiden named Shirin. After she was killed, he was overcome with grief and killed himself by riding his horse over the edge of a cliff. Scarlet tulips are said to have sprung up from each droplet of his blood, giving the flower its meaning of ‘perfect love’.

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Camellia

Much loved by the Victorians, this flower is meant to say “my destiny is in your hands”. The white varietal is given to someone you like, while pink camellias represent longing for someone, and are often given to someone who is greatly missed. Red camellias symbolise love, passion and deep desire.

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Lavender

Besides their amazing scent, this beautiful bloom stunning  meaning. Lavender is typically a sign of devotion, and also has calming properties. It might come in handy to ease those nerves on your big day.

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Daffodil

Daffodils are perfect for celebrations of any kind. This cheery flower typically symbolises new beginnings, and we’d say a wedding is the start of a pretty big new way of life.

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Lilac
The meaning of this flower shifts depending on colour, so be careful! White lilacs symbolise purity and innocence, while violet lilacs symbolise spirituality. Blue stands for happiness and tranquility, magenta for love and passion, and a purple lilac symbolises a first love.

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Winter is coming. While this season might not be the obvious choice for a wedding day, it actually has many benefits.

Winter weddings add a special feeling of cosy romance and magic to even the frostiest of days. Using decor pieces like fairylights, candles and tons of greenery, any space can be transformed into a winter wonderland.

If you’re having your big day during the winter, remember to offer treats and favours that will warm up your guests in more ways than one. We’ve got some sweet ideas for you to try.

Decor:

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Drinks and treats:

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Send-offs and favours:

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Those keen to tie the knot may now do so during Level 3 lockdown. However, there are strict conditions to stick to.

During a media briefing, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi exlained that people may marry at a Home Affairs office or with a marriage officer. No wedding ceremonies are permitted, and a maximum of two witnesses are allowed.

“We are not allowing wedding ceremonies, but people can go to Home Affairs Department to get married,” he said. “We made it very clear about the conditions [for marriages] two people who are getting married and two witnesses, no crowds.”

“Because the majority of marriage officers are ministers of religion, we have also said the same thing – if a minister of religion is going to marry couples in their office, the couple must come with only two witnesses. We don’t allow crowds there.”

Home Affairs will also open other services, such as the registration of births, the re-issuing of birth certificates, and the collection of IDs.

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Is your partner the moon to your stars? Then prove it with a celestial-inspired cake! This trend has been shining bright for a while now, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Whether you’re a stargazing superfan, an intense believer in horoscopes or simply left spellbound by the mystical galaxy, you’ll love this theme. From decor and bridal accessories all the way to your wedding cake, this theme works wonders in adding a touch of whimsy and magic to your big day.

Add a sweet surprise to your wedding cake by incorporating celestial themes like stars, moons and zodiac signs. These stunning cakes are pretty out of this world.

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Celestial cake dreams by @aelizabethcakes ?? How amazing would a cake like this be for your wedding? #rg ? @noyocreativeweddings.

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Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr and Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel recently celebrated their 3-year wedding anniversary.

In honour of their big day, Kerr took to Instagram to share some sweet never-before-seen polaroid pictures from their wedding.

“? Happy Anniversary ?,” she simply captioned the images.

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The pair married on May 27, 2017 in an intimate ceremony at their California home. Kerr wore a Dior Haute Couture princess gown designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The gown was inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.

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They reportedly had only 45 guests in attendance, and Kerr cooked and served the dinner.

“One of my favourite dinner dishes is my slow roast organic chicken with turmeric, lemon and garlic,” she explained in an interview.. “It holds a special place in my heart because I cooked it and served it at our wedding – I really wanted, as his wife, to be the one to cook the first meal he ate as my husband.”

The pair share two children; sons Hart (2) and Myles (8 months). Kerr also has a nine-year-old son named Flynn with ex-husband Orlando Bloom.

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