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    Engagements

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    Some meet their future partner late in life, and others can say they’ve known their love since they were kids. But how often is it that you meet your future husband right at birth?

    In a wild twist of fate, Courtney Mahnken and her now fiancé Nick Monguso discovered they were actually born in the same New Jersey hospital 26 years ago. In fact, their moms gave birth right next to each other.

    Taking to TikTok, Mahnken shared the truly crazy coincidence. Since posting on February 18. her TikTok has been viewed over 7.7-million times.

    “When I was 14 years old, I got my first boyfriend. It was the first time my mom was ever meeting one of my boyfriend’s moms, obviously,” Mahnken says in the clip. “The first thing she says to his mom is ‘Oh my god you look so familiar! Where did you give birth?’”

    “Immediately I’m embarrassed, and they start talking about their birthing stories. Well, come to realize, they gave birth next to each other,” she recalls.

    “My boyfriend and I are less than 24 hours apart, and my last name starts with “Ma,” his starts with “Mo,” so not only that, we were next to each other in the baby room. My mom remembered them because he was the ‘big fat baby.”

    @reneemahnkie#stitch with @breecard #greenscreen I guess you can say we are actually soulmates ??‍♀️♬ original sound – Courtney Mahnken

    Keeping up with their series of coincidences, the pair attended the same elementary school, middle school, and high school. The pair began dating as teenagers but broke up before reconnecting when they attended the same college years later.

    Monguso went down on one knee to propose in November 2020, and they plan to tie the knot in June 2022.

    Picture: Pexels

    Just said ‘Yes’? Congratulations! What is typically an exciting moment is somewhat dampened by the global pandemic, as we cannot celebrate with one another as we used to.

    If you still want to honour your big news, fear not. There are still ways to celebrate with your closest friends and family without putting them at risk amid the pandemic.

    Here are a few ideas:

    Hold a (virtual) celebration:

    Just because you can’t be together physically does not mean you cannot celebrate! Host your festivities via online platforms like Facetime, Skype or Zoom.

    You can still make it fun by decorating your home and having your ‘guests’ dress up. Planning a themed event makes it extra special and gives your friends and family something to dress up for. For an extra sweet touch, have small thank you gifts delivered to your guests’ homes after the celebration.

    Drive-by party:

    Your loved ones can attend your event from the safety of their cars, ensuring that all safety precautions are met while still giving you the feeling of their presence.

    When choosing the location of the drive-by, ensure that it is a wide-open, public space. This will mean that everyone driving by will be able to clearly see you. You could even do it in your front yard if you have space and don’t have walls.

    Set up a spot to show yourselves off, for example, you can decorate fancy chairs as thrones for you to sit on as your parade drives by. Assign a close relative or friend the role of head driver. This ensures that there is somebody leading the cars to your location, and allows for some sort of order for the drive-by.

    Take engagement photos:

    You’ll want to remember this moment for the rest of your life, so it makes sense to document your engagement. Photographers were hit hard by the pandemic, and hiring one is a great way to give back to small business.

    Keep COVID-19 protocols in mind by having your photographer work from a safe distance with a mask on and have sanitiser on hand.

    After you receive your pictures, have them printed and framed or emailed to your friends and family so that they can feel like they are a part of your special moment.

    Picture: Pexels

    Engagement rings stacked with stones are not a new idea, however, incorporating a more clustered design has exploded in popularity.

    Ever since Emily Rajakowsi showed off her unique, bold ring, combining stones together in a unique way has become acceptable and even more admired than the standard solitaire.

    Clustered rings come in all shapes and designs but are especially great if you want to incorporate coloured stones into your ring, rather than the standard diamonds.

    We’ve pulled a few cluster creations to inspire and surprise you.

     

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    Picture: Black Betty/ Instagram

    Rapper AKA has taken the next step and popped the question to girlfriend Nelli Tembe.

    AKA took to Instagram on Monday to announce the exciting news, sharing an image of his future wife’s sparkler with the caption, “21/02/21 – love of my life said Yesssss.”

     

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    The pair have been together for over a year but have been relatively private with their relationship. They appear quite loved up, with the musician writing songs Cross My Heart and Mr Perfect about their relationship.

     

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    Before Tembe, AKA famously dated presenter and businesswoman Bonang Matheba as well as DJ Zinhle, with whom he shares a child. This is the rapper’s first confirmed engagement.

    Congratulations to the happy couple!

    Picture: Instagram / AKA

    Paris Hilton is engaged! The socialite turned entrepreneur and DJ said yes to boyfriend Carter Reum on Saturday, February 13 after being together for over a year.

    Reum popped the question while on a trip on a private island to celebrate Hilton’s 40th birthday on February 17.

    Taking to social media, Hilton announced their exciting news with a sweet caption.

    “When you find your soulmate, you don’t just know it. You feel it. My love & I have been together since our first date, and for my birthday, he arranged a special trip to tropical paradise.  As we walked to dinner along the beach, Carter led us to a cabana adorned with flowers and dropped to one knee. I said yes, yes to forever. There’s no one I’d rather spend forever with.”

     

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    Her engagement ring was designed by Jean Dousset, the great-grandson of Louis Cartier, reports PEOPLE Magazine.

    After the proposal, the pair enjoyed an intimate celebration with family members, such as Hilton’s sister Nicky.

    Hilton and Reum, a businessman and family friend, have been dating since November 2019. They have known each other for 15 years, and have been together for over a year.

    “I’ve known him for 15 years. Then [Reum’s sister Halle Hammond] invited us to Thanksgiving and we just had this incredible chemistry. We had our first date and haven’t spent a night apart since. It’s pretty amazing,” she told People Magazine.

    “After my last breakup, I thought I was going to be alone forever,” she says. “I was like, I give up. I’ll just focus on myself. I don’t need anyone. So to have actually fallen in love, I just feel so grateful.”

    This is the starlet’s fourth engagement. Hilton was previously engaged to model Jason Shaw and Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis in the 2000s, and called off her engagement to actor Chris Zylka in 2018.

    Picture: Instgram / Paris Hilton

    There is more to an engagement ring that its stone. The type of metal you choose is just as crucial to your overall finish and durability.

    A classic choice, gold is one of the most popular ring metals. It offers several options, including white gold, rose gold, and yellow gold.

    Be careful when opting for gold though, as anything under 24-karat may be easily bent, and often, to make these stronger they are alloyed with other metals. This means your ring may be weak or not pure gold. Look into that before going for gold.

    Rose gold has been trendy in the wedding world for the last few years and shows no signs of disappearing. It is flattering for both warm and cool skin tones, and works well with a variety of gemstones in a way that does not clash.

    If you’re wanting to rock this rosy look, take some inspiration from these rings we are loving:

     

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    Picture: Pexels

    Just like wedding trends come and go, proposal trends are also always changing. Proposals have become more premeditated over the years, with couples deciding beforehand that they want to get engaged. This allows them to plan and co-ordinate, while still keeping some of the surprise.

    You don’t have to go super big and elaborate to make a splash, however. Here are some unique and sentimental ideas that your partner will remember forever.

    Secret photographer

     

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    Plan a sweet photoshoot for your partner, but don’t let them know it’s actually an engagement shoot. This way, you can make sure you’re both looking camera-ready and your photographer can make up an excuse to have your partner looking away as you go down on one knee. We promise the candid photos will be priceless!

    Spell it out

     

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    Go big and have the phrase ‘Will you marry me’ lit up in marquee lights. Whether you place them on a beach or a backyard, they make the perfect backdrop for a ring selfie!

    A pizza my heart

     

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    Who doesn’t love pizza? Combine your favourite Italian meal with a sweet proposal by having the toppings spell out ‘Will you marry me’. Have the pizza made in a heart shape for an extra cheesy touch.

    A pawsome proposal

    Got a four-legged friend who is basically the third wheel of your relationship? Make sure to include your pet by having them pose with the ring and a sign that reads, ‘Will you marry me’.

    Picture: Unsplash

    Get the royal look with a blue sapphire engagement ring. Once belonging to Princess Diana, Kate Middleton’s sapphire sparkler caused sapphire sales to skyrocket in 2010 following the royal engagement announcement.

    The name of this precious gemstone comes from the Greek word ‘sappheiros’ and the Latin word ‘saphirus’both of which translate to mean blue. Despite the namehowever, sapphires come in a range of colours from blue to yellow to pink. The only colour is cannot present as is red as it would then be considered a ruby. Naturally, blue is the most coveted colour variant.

    Its a decade later and sapphires are still just as popular. Blue sapphires pair beautifully with various metals and cuts, meaning the possibilities are truly endless.

    Here are some stunning blue sapphires that have caught our eye:

     

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    Picture: Pexels

    American footballer Aaron Rodgers shocked fans when he announced he was engaged while accepting an award. It turns out his fiancé is none other than Big Little Lies actress Shailene Woodley.

    On February 6, Rodgers accepted the NFL Most Valued Player award during a virtual appearance on the NFL Honors broadcast. During his speech, he casually slipped in that he was engaged but did not name his fiancé.

    “2020 was definitely a crazy year filled with lots of change, growth, some amazing, memorable moments, 180 straight days of having my nose hair scraped, playing for very little fans or no stands the entire season. I got engaged and I played some of the best football in my career,” he said.

    “So I’d like to thank, first and foremost, my teammates for their support, their inspiration, protection, incredible play on the field … off the field I’ve got a great group of people that support me, so I’d like to thank my team.” He then listed a slew of people before shouting out “my fiancée.”

    A source confirmed to People magazine that the Descendants actor and the Green Bay Packers quarterback are engaged and incredibly happy.

    “They are very happy together. It’s not surprising he proposed so fast. When you know, you know, right?” said the insider.

    This engagement comes mere days after US Magazine confirmed the pair were dating.

    Picture: Instagram

    Florals for weddings aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but they’re not that common in engagement rings. The trend really took off thanks to Katy Perry, when she showcased her daisy-inspired engagement ring from Orlando Bloom.

    If you’re a fan of florals, take inspiration from their pretty petals when designing your own engagement ring. Use a larger central stone and encircle it with smaller stones to get the look. Using cushion or marquise cut stones on the outer ring will fit the theme even better.

    Here are some fantastic flower-themed rings to inspire you:

     

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