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    So you’ve decided to plan your own wedding. Whether it’s something you have always wanted to do, or you and your partner thought it was another great idea to save a bit of cash, it is not an easy task. Luckily, there is no task too big for a bride-to-be.

    Planning your big day on your own is no walk in the park. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

    Prepare a budget

    Figuring out a budget is very important, this will help you decide on other things too and this will help to prevent overspending on things that are not unnecessary.

    You will figure out the venue, decor, and catering as you go along. You need to know how much you are spending and for how many people are you preparing for. This should not be your task alone, your spouse should also pitch in and help.

    Create your own vision board

    Whether you cut and paste pictures, or you make it online, you will find it very beneficial and soothing to put together a vision board of your ideas. It visualises your ideas and makes them seem realistic to achieve.

    You will be able to see your wedding day at a glance and figure out what works within your theme and what doesn’t.  It also helps with restricting things that are not in your plans.

    Stay on track

    From the get-go, you and your partner should decide on a realistic timeline and an idea about the kind of wedding you want. If you can prioritize what you want, then you will be able to make decisions faster and get the vendors you really want for the wedding.

    You will need to plan your time accordingly, you need a time frame and a breakdown of your goals. Do not decline help from people who volunteer.

    Choose the easiest and most convenient tools to help you work. Things like invoices and receipts, keep copies of contracts, track costs need to be kept very safe, look into tools like web-sharing tools such as Google Docs. That way you can access your things anywhere.

    Expect challenges

    Things can and will go wrong, and you’ll need to prepare as best you can, the best thing you can do is breathe it out and go back to the drawing board. It will most likely be your first time planning a wedding, do not punish yourself for mistakes.

    Read any contract carefully before signing 

    Before you sign on any legally binding documentation, be sure to closely review every detail, including dates, location, times, deposits, additional fees, and colours. Everything has to be in the contract because if it isn’t, or is written incorrectly, you will not be protected if it’s not executed properly.

    Take a closer look at any policy they might have. Many of them are more often than not one-sided and should anything happen, they will leave you out in the cold. Draw up your own contract and find a way to reach an agreement.

    Make it fun

    Planning a wedding can be very stressful and it will definitely take its toll on you but try and make it a fun task. Do not overthink and stress yourself, you and your partner can make it fun by delegating tasks amongst each other and turn that into a game.

    Picture: Unsplash

    Kate Middleton became the world’s envy on November 16, 2010 when Clarence House announced that she and Prince William were engaged to be wed. Besides the obvious excitement of a royal wedding, fans could not get over her unique sapphire engagement ring that carries a sweet story.

    The world’s most famous blue sapphire ring once belonged to Prince William’s mother, Princess Diana. Here are some facts about this deeply personal ring.

     

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    Prince Charles first proposed to Princess Diana with a selection of rings from crown jeweller Garrard, and she chose the blue sapphire. At the time, it caused a scandal and many called her decision to go with a ready-made ring ‘common’.

    Upon Charles and Diana’s divorce, she returned the ring to her ex-husband and it remained in storage in Kensington Palace. After her untimely passing in 1997, however, sons William and Harry were allowed to choose mementoes to remember her by. Harry chose the engagement ring while William picked a gold Cartier watch.

    When William was really to propose, the brothers agreed to exchange mementoes so that he could do so with their mother’s ring. He chose this ring to be symbolic of his mother being a part of her wedding and marriage in general.

    The ring consists of a 12-carat oval blue sapphire cut into facets, which is surrounded by fourteen solitaire diamonds. The setting is crafted from 18K white gold.

     

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    Immediately after their engagement announcement, sapphire engagement rings sales went through the roof and jewellers rushed to supply customers with this trendy item.

    Her wedding band was fashioned from a piece of Welsh gold that was given to Prince William by The Queen shortly after the engagement was announced.

     

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    Picture: Instagram / Kengington Royal

    Former Miss and Mr South Africa, Melinda Bam and Adriaan Bergh celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on November 9. She took to social media and wrote him a sweet heartwarming message in honour of the occasion.

    “Life cannot be more colourful and fragrant than with you, my husband”, she wrote.

     

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    6 jaar is soos n oogwink as ek dink dat dit alles nog net soos gister voel. As ek dieper delf en elke mooiste mooi herinnering na gaan, voel dit egter asof ons al n leeftyd se avonture in die kort tydjie gehad het. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Van doodgewone aande met ongewone gesprekke, kaalvoet loop op die gras en reuke ruik met middag stappies, rond reis en die wereld verkyk, met rover speel, soene steel, huis bou, mekaar vashou, saam bid, saam droom, saam hoop, saam in dieselfde rigting loop… ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In my hoop vir wat n huwelik kon wees, oortref wat ons het elke beste opgedroomde weergawe!. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My Bul, jys ‘n Godvresende man met n eerbare & opregte hart. Jy loop oor van dankbaarheid, sagtheid & deernis vir ander. Jou Kinderlike opgewondenheid & soeke na Net die Here se wil inspireer my! Dit is maklik om jou vrou te wees, onder jou te submit & jou te eer & ondersteun as priester in ons huis, wat ons op koers hou na ons roeping met outoriteit & Godelike wysheid. . Elke dag is n avontuur wat ons saam kan aanpak & waar ons ‘n onuitputbare lewenslus in mekaar kan aanwakker! Om jou lief te he is n eer, een wat my laat glimlag & terselfde tyd my oë vol trane laat skiet van pure dankbaarheid. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Die lewe kan nie meer kleurryk en geurryk wees as saam met jou nie my man. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ek bid die Here se seën en covering opnuut oor ons en die volgende seisoene wat ons gaan betree. Mag ons lewe altyd Sy geur afgee en ons liefde vir mekaar, mense na Hom toe wys, en n baken vir ander wees. Ek en jy teen die wereld, wat n voorreg, wat n fees! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ? @adriaanbergh ? @cmeintjes ? @bondesiocouture #marriedlife #live #laugh #happiness #married #love #GodlyMarriage #TheStoryOfMarriage #covenant #bliss

    A post shared by melindabam (@melindabam) on

    The pair have always given us reason to believe in fairy tales. They met back in 2008  at University and Adriaan instantly knew that Melinda was the girl for him.

    He told YOU magazine that when he saw her, he told his friend that she would be his girl. He kept to his words and married her in 2014.

    Adriaan posted on his Instagram and said “Life is a song, provided you have the right partner. About 3,155,760 minutes ago I married my dream wife, Princess @melindabam. Today I can honestly say, our marriage is my very greatest blessing. It’s special to be able to say, my Wife is my best friend”

    Picture: Instagram

    You have your wedding day all figured out and you think that you have ironed out every bit of information. However, there might be things you have always wondered about, but never had the courage to ask. Or maybe you have simply never thought about it, so now is a good time to think it over.

    Here are a few questions no one ever thinks to ask before their big day.

    How do we kiss when we kiss?

    This is a big one. Remember, you will likely have your whole families, including children present at the ceremony. Understandably, you are madly in love and emotional to boot. But now is not the time to give people a sneak peek at your honeymoon.  Keep it simple and tasteful. Ideally, no tounge should be involved and let’s keep those hands from exploring, shall we?

    How does a bride use the bathroom?

    The dress-and-bathroom question is a very easy one to slip your mind because of the excitement of your beautiful wedding gown.

    A smaller or simpler wedding dress offers much more flexibility but if you choose to go big, then it might be vital that you highlight this question with your designer. Make sure you do a practice run prior to the day to figure out the most practical way of using the bathroom without having to take off the dress entirely.

    What happens to the engagement ring?

    If you and your partner decide to exchange wedding bands in addition to your engagement ring, you may prefer to keep your ring fingers “clear” for the big moment. People have different traditions and beliefs so this is really an important thing to discuss with your partner before the wedding.

    You will find that some slip it back on after the ceremony or before they meet and greet guests or head off for photographs. Others might leave it safely back home.

    How’s everyone getting to the reception?

    Transport for your guests is one of the most important things to consider when planning a wedding. Will the people you are inviting bring their own cars? Does the venue accommodate cars? Are you going to opt for the casual approach in which everyone finds their own way or bus or a string of limos? Make sure all the guests are informed about the arrangements.

    Is it okay to request that guests wear a certain colour?

    It is your wedding day and the colour of the day should be something you come up with. However, it might be unreasonable to expect guests to wear only a certain colour, style or theme. We say the best way is to let everyone wear what makes them feel comfortable. You can always show the colour scheme of the wedding on the invitation, and add a playful hint that everyone is welcome to dress up accordingly. However, make sure there is no pressure.

    What’s the backup plan?

    There are many aspects of your wedding day over which you have a lot of control. Unfortunately, there are others you absolutely do not. So, it’s important to have a backup plan in case anything changes, like a storm occurring at an outdoor wedding.

    Will you be exchanging gifts?

    Many couples exchange gifts on their wedding day and some even give gifts to the parents of their partner. It’s a good idea to have a discussion prior to the actual day about whether you want to give presents or not and what is expected.

    Picture: Unsplash

    A man appeared to have married four brides during one ceremony in Limpopo this past weekend. In a video circulating on social media, the groom and his four brides can be seen enjoying their recent nuptials.

    The wedding is believed to have taken place in a village in Limpopo called Ga-Makgeru on November 8, 2020. In the video, the four brides and the groom are captured happily dancing into the tent packed with amused guests where the ceremony was going to be.

    Three of the brides were wearing similar dresses and one of the four stood out in a long sleeve dress.

    Polygamy is no foreign concept in most South African cultures, but it is unusual for mutiple marriages to occur on the same day. Typically, couples host seperate ceremonies over time.

    While bigamy is a punishable offence in South Africa, customary marriages operate differently. According to Home Affairs, if a male person is already in a customary marriage and wishes to enter into another customary marriage he has to, at his own cost, get a court order from a competent court which will regulate his future matrimonial property system.

    It is also possible for a male person who is already in a customary marriage to enter into a civil marriage. They should follow the normal procedure for civil marriages.

    Polygamy is legal under certain circumstances in South Africa. The circumstances include practices of various cultures and religions in South Africa. There are no religions or cultures that recognise a woman having multiple husbands, so polygamy is typically understood as one man having mutiple wives.

    Also read: What you need to know about polygamy in South Africa

    Picture: Unsplash

    A proposal is a special moment, one to remember forever. For this exact reason, you want it to go perfectly according to plan.

    Unfortunately, things don’t always work out the way we want them to. While a slight deviation from the plan is okay, there are some proposals that went so far off course that they cannot be salvaged.

    Here are a few fails that will have you cringing in embarrassment.

    The break up:

    This couple is known for pranking each other and sometimes going too far, so it’s no surprise that a prank would be part of their proposal story. The girlfriend decided to fake a break up with her partner as a prank, going so far as to say that she had accepted a job in another country and is not in love anymore. After an argument and tears, her partner goes back into the apartment and returns with an engagement ring to admit that he had been planning to propose.

    Please say yes:

    Public proposals are always risky because there is so much room for error. Despite planning a sweet proposal at a live basketball game, this proposee forgot to factor in whether his partner would actually say yes. She said no in front of hundreds of people before walking away awkwardly, leaving her ex needing to receive comfort from the mascot.

    A courting fail:

    This couple met in a mall, so this man naturally thought it would be the appropriate place to propose. Mic in hand, he broadcast the proposal in front of a throng of shoppers. As he tried to go down on one knee, his partner literally grabbed him and tried to stop him from proposing. He persisted, and she ended up smacking him over the head with a ukelele before storming off.

    Spring it on him:

    While on the Jerry Springer show, this woman felt it was the perfect time to propose. She handed her partner a bowl of popcorn, which contained his ring. After she proposed, her partner continued to eat the popcorn in silence as the audience stared. He then rejected her, saying she’s too clingy and secretive. He then admits to cheating on her twice, the most recent time being with her friend. Just when you think it couldn’t get worse, the ‘friend’ he cheated with showed up and a physical fight ensued.

    Never ask questions:

    In another Jerry Springer proposal, things seemed to be going so well. He proposed and she accepted, before turning to Jerry and asking ‘Is that it?’. Unfortunately, that wasn’t it. The man admitted to cheating on her with her friend. The bouquet of flowers he had proposed with then turned into a weapon.

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    ‘The Bachelorette’ star Clare Crawley is engaged to Dale Moss. The pair got married a few months ago but have kept it away from the public until Thursday, November 5.

    On this week’s drama-filled show, the viewers witnessed Clare become engaged to Dale, just four episodes into the series, and Tayshia Adams being brought in to replace her.

     

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    It’s official!! Love wins!!!! ?❤️!!! I love you @dalemoss13 !!!!

    A post shared by Clare Crawley (@clarecrawley) on

    Clare said that it was love at first sight for her, she knew that Dale was her future husband “the moment he walked into the show.”

    “After the first night, and I even said it the first time I knew it was special, but after we had our first group date, in my mind and in my heart, everything was already written,” Dale said in an interview with, Good morning America.

    With just four episodes in, Clare had already made up her mind on who she was going to pick and for her entertaining other possible suitors was a complete waste of time. This led to her receiving backlash on social media for being unfair to others and the viewers.

     

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    Never a point I won’t show up for you @clarecrawley ? ?.

    A post shared by Dale Moss (@dalemoss13) on

    Dale proposed to Clare with a 4.5 carats Neil Lane ring. After the big reveal, they have been spotted together and they have been sharing content on their social media accounts being together.

     

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    This is everything ? . Finally the VIP Tour of Sacramento! #Hometown

    A post shared by Dale Moss (@dalemoss13) on

     

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    Where we headed next @clarecrawley ?

    A post shared by Dale Moss (@dalemoss13) on


    Clare is no stranger to the show. She first turned up on ‘The Bachelor’ in 2014, when she competed for the affection of bachelor Juan Pablo Galavis and turned into a Bachelor Nation legend. This time, however, it worked out for the best.

    Picture: Instagram

    Bachelorette parties are traditionally all about painting the town red and going wild in celebration of your last night as an unmarried woman. While clubbing is fun, it’s not for everyone.

    Brides who aren’t into the nightclub and stripper scene don’t need to feel any pressure to conform to tradition. Many modern brides are opting for alternative activities where they can enjoy their time with their best friends in a less chaotic way that is less likely to end with a hangover and regrets.

    If you’re the artsy type, there are a host of creative activities to spend your time doing. Here are a few of our favourites.

    Painting party

     

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    Channel your inner artist with a painting party! You can easily DIY this by purchasing canvases, brushes, and paints for all your guests. Set the canvases up against mini easels, and arrange them in a circular fashion around the specific item being painted. To add a raunchy spin, you can have a nude model to pose for the art.

    Turn it into a painting and pinot party with a selection of your favourite wines to get the creative juices flowing. We promise a pretty hilarious outcome.

    Dance Class

     

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    Whether you have two left feet or you’re footloose, you can’t deny that dancing is a great way to loosen up and get the laughs going.

    Gather your best girls and head out to a dance class to show off your moves. Any dance style would work, although those wanting to be daring should definitely try a pole dancing class. You could make it even more fun by dressing up in matching costumes and performing a sassy routine.

    Cooking class

    Who doesn’t love good food? Hire a professional chef or visit a cooking school to learn some new dishes with your best friends. You’ll work in teams to prepare starters, mains, and desserts, and in the end, you can have a sit-down dinner party to feast on your creations.

    Host a photoshoot

     

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    You’ll (hopefully) want to remember your bachelorette for the rest of your life, so why not have it professionally immortalised? Hire a professional photographer to take some glamour shots of you and your girls looking your best. You can theme the shoot or have multiple locations, and of course, all the outfit changes.

    In 20 years, you’ll look back at all those images and fondly remember your single days.

    Picture: Pexels

    Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the general public and couples had to change how they traditionally did things.  How weddings are celebrated have also changed, forcing many to get creative with how they say ‘I do’.

    If you are not scared of heights but also wants to maintain extreme social distancing, then saying your vows in the sky could be an idea.

    Air Charter Service is offering a “Wedding in the Sky” package for couples who can afford to socially distance in the clouds. The two-hour sky-high experience takes place at 30 000 feet and includes an airport chauffeur to drive the newlyweds to and from their choice of airport.

    The package will also include champagne, personalized wedding favours, canapés, a cabin crew member officiant, flower arrangements, and catered food and drink aboard a plane that seats up to 16 people.

    One of the nicest things about this adventure is that your route can be planned and you can say “I do” while flying over your preferred route.

    The whole thing will cost you $28,000 (R443 286) but if you have a smaller budget, there is an offer for you at $18,000 (R284 969) but you need to bear in mind that the perks will not be the same because its one is for a couple that wants to elope.

    Picture: Unsplash

    On Saturday, October 31 Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that they will be going to another hard lockdown that will last four weeks in preparation for Christmas and to reduce the number of rapidly growing infections.

    Couple Jo Loosemore, 33, and Matthew Goffin, 37 were meant to get married on November 14. Instead, they married 24 hours after the announcement. 

    Matthew said that they already had a set date, venue, and 200 guests as part of their plans for their wedding day. The ceremony was going to take place in  Devon but because of the impromptu decision to get married a day after the announcement, they got married at Church of St Martin in Witcham, Cambridgeshire instead.

    Initially, the venue in Devon was chosen because of the proximity to Jo’s parents but the change forced them to get married where they lived with their son.

    Jo said: “I was having a shower on Saturday morning and I heard about the news coming out so I just thought, ‘Well I’ll see if we can get it done this weekend”

    The couple ran around trying to get everything ready for their new wedding date, they posted an appeal on their village’s Facebook page, which led to offers from musicians, with friends and family also helping them and they had a beautiful ceremony.

    Picture: Unsplash