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Engagements

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In Announcements

Underwater uShaka Marine World proposal goes viral

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From KFC to a Toni Braxton concert, South Africans have a knack for choosing unusual locations to propose. This man dove headfirst into love with a memorable underwater proposal that has since gone viral.

In a one-minute video posted to Dala U Crew on Facebook, a romantic underwater proposal is captured. The video, currently sitting on 37k views, shows a diver holding a sign that reads “Trish,” before revealing another sign with “Will you marry me?” written on it. The camera then zooms out to reveal a man proposing.

The crowd breaks out into applause when the presumed Trish says yes.

Watch the video below:

https://www.facebook.com/dalaucrew/videos/2534226423326976/

Image: Facebook / Dala U crew

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In Announcements

Couple gets engaged at Toni Braxton concert

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South Africans are truly feeling the love this November! Straight off the heels of the KFC proposal that captured everyone’s hearts, yet another public proposal is making the rounds. This time, a man wanted his girlfriend to know she means the world to him and he showed it by proposing on stage at Toni Braxton’s concert.

The RnB sensation is currently in South Africa as part of her As Long As I Live world tour. Uber driver Moegamad Luddy, from Strandfontien, knew that the concert was the perfect moment to pop the big question. His girlfriend, Camilla Hassan from Lentegeur, was brought on stage under the guise of having the crowd sing ‘happy birthday’ to her.

The couple danced together on stage as Braxton serenaded them with a rendition of ‘Unbreak my heart’. Mid song, Luddy went down on one knee and proposed to a shocked Hassan.

Credit: the Daily Voice
Credit: the Daily Voice

Speaking to the Daily Voice, Luddy explained that he wanted to go big for his love’s birthday because he had failed to the previous year.

“Last year I messed up on her birthday, I left her heartbroken,” he said. “This time I just wanted to unbreak her heart, so that there will be no more sad love songs wrecking her brain, for as long as she lives she won’t have to get over me, so that by the end of the night I can hold her in my arms like a Spanish guitar and make her melt like an iceberg in the sea.”

That’s not the only proposal that has happened on Braxton’s stage. In early November, another lucky South African couple became engaged in Braxton’s presence.

Image: the Daily Voice

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In Engagements

Exceeding expectations: Amazing public marriage proposals

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You always expect your proposal story to be a great one. For some people, a great proposal story would be simple, quiet and intimate. Other people, however, prefer grand romantic gestures – the type that people never forget.

Going all out for a public proposal is no small task. A lot of planning and co-ordinating is required and there are many moving parts, not to mention all the factors you can’t control.

Check out this list of five outstanding public proposals.

-The Skyscraper

This is a large scale, high tech proposal if we’ve ever seen one. Marzo, the proposer, asked his girlfriend, Lisa, to marry him using the lights of a skyscraper!

It starts with Marzo filming Lisa as they go on an evening walk. Marzo then has Lisa answer a phone call; on the phone call she needs to say her name and say “Hi”. She does this and the phone cuts off.

The next thing she knows, the lights of a nearby skyscraper goes off. The lights then come back on spelling her name on the wall. They go off again, and the next time they flash the words “will you” brightly on the side of the building. The next two repetitions of this show the words “marry” and “me”.

This must have taken some crazy co-ordination skills!

– Written in the Sky 

A man proposed to his girlfriend by writing it in the clouds. He hired a professional ‘skywriter’!

From the video, it seems he and his unsuspecting girlfriend were spending a lovely afternoon in Central Park, when suddenly the words appear in the sky. The girlfriend is sure to never forget this proposal.

– Like a movie scene 

Matt put together an entire movie trailer to propose to his girlfriend, Ginny.

He enlisted the help of Ginny’s brother, Charlie, to take her to see a movie. They’re in the movie theatre and the trailers start to play. Ginny is a little confused when she hears Matt’s voice coming from the speakers. She is brought to tears by the trailer in which he asks her to marry him.

This one gets extra points for creativity!

– Puppies in the park 

This one involves puppies! A man organised to have puppies walk by as he and his girlfriend sat on a bench in Central Park. Each puppy wore a customised vest with a sweet message like “I want u 4 ever”.

At first his girlfriend didn’t catch on, because the dog walkers were strangers. The third and final puppy’s vest read “will you marry me?”

His girlfriend didn’t believe it at first. We can’t blame her since it was April Fool’s Day! But when he got down on one knee, she knew it was real.

– Live Lip-dub 

Isaac planned and co-ordinated an entire dance number, involving some of their closest family and friends, to propose to his girlfriend, Amy.

He asked Amy to meet him at his parents’ house. When she arrived, his brother was instructed to seat her in the back of a Honda and give her some headphones.

As she sat in the back of the slowly moving car, she watched a well co-ordinated lip-sync and dance number. The presence of all their loved ones must have made it so much more special!

Considering how difficult it can be to organise, these public proposals blew our minds!

Image: Pexels

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In Beauty

How to make your fragrance last longer

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There’s nothing more frustrating than getting a new perfume, only to find the scent will last a whole of five seconds before it fades into the wind. We give you a few simple ways to help make your fragrance last longer and stronger, especially for your big day.

A clean slate

Timing is everything, so spraying on your perfume after a hot shower and a layer of moisturiser is the best way to lock in that scent. After a shower, your pores are clean and skin is moist, making it more susceptible to hold onto the fragrance.

Layered levels

To achieve the maximum scent profile of your favourite perfume, try layering the same scent with its matching body wash and body cream. The products work in harmony to last as long as possible and also reach areas you wouldn’t normally spray your perfume on. For that added punch, lightly mist your hair at the nape of your neck with the scent as well.

Pulse points

These points on our bodies are where blood flows closest to the surface, i.e. behind the ears, along your neck, your inner wrists and behind the elbows and knees. It is always preferred to target these areas with the scent as the skin is thinnest here and they emit natural heat from your body. This heat helps the perfume scent to evolve as the day progresses and works with your natural body scent.

Dab, don’t rub

When spraying perfume onto your skin, always dab instead of rubbing it into your skin, or better yet, just leave it. While the pulse points release heat, rubbing those points together (like your wrists) has the potential to break the perfume’s molecular structure.

The perfect distance

As obvious as it sounds to spray more perfume if you want a stronger scent pay-off, try to not overspray your perfume in one particular area. However, in that same breath, don’t spray into the air and completely miss it landing where it should. The ideal should be the perfume bottle at an angle, half an arm’s length away from your body so that it can settle evenly onto your skin.

Store away from light & heat

Lastly, always keep your perfumes away from direct sunlight and intense heat or humidity. The light and heat break down the perfume itself which causes it to fade faster than usual. One would hate to spend thousands of rands on a beautiful perfume that won’t even last you the month if it’s already broken down.

By Yashna Balwanth

Feature image: Unsplash

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In Celebs

Most expensive celebrity engagement rings

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Celebrities, they’re just like us. Or are they? While some of us (A.K.A, the plebeians) spend months and years saving up for an engagement ring, the lucky minority are able to drop millions on a single piece of jewellery. Oh, to be rich and famous.

While some of these relationships have since ended, diamonds truly are forever and will live on for the years to come. These famous brides have rocked diamonds worth more than most of us will ever earn in our lifetime.

Blake Lively – $2 million (over R29 million)

One of Hollywood’s favourite couples makes it onto the list with Lively’s 12-carat, $2 million engagement ring. The ring was designed by Lorraine Schwartz and features an oval-cut stone in a diamond-accented, rose-gold setting.

 

“My most treasured possession is my engagement ring made by my dear friend Lorraine Schwartz, because of the love and meaning it symbolises,” Lively said in an interview. “No, I didn’t have any hand in its design – I married a gentleman.”

Anna Kournikova – $2.5 million (over R37 million)

When Enrique Iglesias popped the big question to tennis star Anna Kournikova back in 2009, he did so with an expensive 11-carat sparkler that set him back $2.5 million. The pair, who met in 2001 on set of Iglesias’s Escape music video, are notoriously private about their relationship.

Despite getting engaged a decade ago, the couple are in no rush to the altar. Both do not believe that marriage will make a big change in their relationship. In 2018, they welcomed twins Nicholas and Lucy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaCrYYAgqnx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Jacqueline Kennedy O’Nassis – $2.59 million (over R38 million)

Forever the style icon, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is mostly remembered for being one of America’s favourite First Ladies. However, it is her second engagement ring that truly went down in history.

Five years after JFK’s assassination, Jacqueline found love again with mogul Aristotle Onassis. The Greek shipping magnate proposed to the former First Lady with a 40-carat Marquise-cut Lesotho III diamond ring from Harry Winston. The ring was so valuable that Onassis only wore it twice before leaving it in a bank vault for safe-keeping.

After her passing in 1996, the ring was auctioned off and fetched a price of $2.59 million.

 

Grace Kelly – $4-million (over R49 million)

When Grace Kelly became royalty, she needed a stunning diamond ring to prove it. Prince Rainer III of Monaco proposed to the iconic actress with a stunning 10.4-carat, emerald-cut diamond flanked by two baguettes set in platinum. It is estimated to have cost $4-million (R49.36 million).

She wore the Cartier ring in her final film High Society, which iconised it as one of the most famous engagement rings in history. At their royal wedding, she paired the sparkler with a delicate eternity band set with rubies and diamonds for the colours of Monaco.

https://www.instagram.com/p/7MM6_5ow6z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Jennifer Lopez – between $1 million and $4.5 million (over R66 million)

Her love don’t cost a thing but an expensive ring won’t hurt. J-Lo has had not one, not two, but three engagement rings over the value of $1 million.

The first notable one, a 6.1-carat pink diamond solitaire Harry Winston ring, came from her third fiancé Ben Affleck and is estimated to have cost between $1.2 and $2.5 million. Following the end of this relationship, she became engaged to Marc Anthony, who proposed with a 8.5-carat blue diamond Harry Winston engagement ring estimated to have cost $4 million.

Most recently, baseball superstar Alex Rodrigues asked for Jennifer’s hand in marriage with an enormous 16-carat diamond ring. Ajay Anand, CEO of Rare Carat, has estimated to cost around $4.5 million. However, other jewellers give a wide range, stating the ring costs somewhere between $1 million and $4.5 million.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Buzz2LMg92D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Kim Kardashian – $4 million (over R59 million)

Love them or hate them, there is no arguing that Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West will go down in history as one of the most iconic celebrity couples. West proposed to the social media star with a 15-carat cushion-cut diamond engagement ring that is estimated to have cost a casual $4 million. Seriously.

Never one to be outdone, in 2016 Kanye gifted Kim with a 20-carat emerald cut diamond ring for her to wear on her other hand. The second ring was reportedly stolen during an armed robbery in Paris.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfhkovgsTa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Beyonce – $5 million (over R74 million)

Only the best for Queen B. While we know little about this notoriously private couple’s wedding, we can say that Jay-Z presented Beyonce with a 24-carat flawless emerald-cut diamond ring with a split band. The Lorraine Schwartz-designed ring is estimated to be worth a whopping $5 million.

https://www.instagram.com/p/7ycIolvw2-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Elizabeth Taylor – $8.8 million (over R130 million)

While she has been presented with many engagement rings in her time, Elizabeth Taylor’s most iconic one comes from Richard Burton. So iconic, in fact, that it was named after her. Burton gifted her with the ring when they remarried for the second time in 1975. Originally named the Krupp diamond, the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond is a generous 33.19 carats.

Following her death in 2011, her ring was auctioned off for $8.8m. At the time, it was the highest per-carat price ever for any colourless diamond.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzqZgILhz0H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Mariah Carey – $10 million (over R148 million)

Though their engagement was incredibly short lived, Mariah Carey and James Packer will go down in history for owning the most expensive celebrity engagement ring. The iconic singer’s engagement ring, gifted to her by Australian businessman James Packer, was 35-carats and has an estimated value of $10 million. Yes, you read that right.

However, the wedding was not to be. The couple split a few months after getting engaged and Carey sold the ring for $2.1 million.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM7-8b_Bsh_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Image: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor

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In Advice

Groomsmen gift ideas

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This might not be something men think about a lot, but the fact is, your groomsmen give just as much time, energy and money towards your wedding as any loyal bridesmaid. The least you can do is say thank you, and show them that you really appreciate them sharing your journey to the altar with you. Depending on your budget, you can go big or small.

Of course, men are notoriously difficult to give gifts to. Here are some cool ideas to help you out:

Personalized beer case
We love this wooden case, and carving their name on it adds a personal touch.

 

Braai kit
You can’t go wrong with this one. Always handy!

 

Travel mug
For all the campers, travellers and always-on-the-go dudes.

 

Bluetooth speaker
With a small speaker that’s easy to carry, your boys will always be the life of the party.

 

Liqueuer
Not only is liqueur super classy, it actually tastes better than you think!

 

 

 

 

Picture: Unsplash

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In Engagements

Bride helps brother propose at her wedding

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Proposing or announcing big news at someone else’s wedding is mostly frowned upon. Then again, it really does depend on the couple getting married, as some take delight in having others celebrate their own special life events on their big day.

A Texan man proposed to his girlfriend at his sister’s wedding, and the bride was in on the whole thing.

Sierra Mcginty-Rush spent months planning the moment with her brother Solomon McGinty II. At the customary bouquet throwing during the reception, Sierra pretended to get ready to throw the flowers over her head, then turned around and gave her flowers to her brother’s girlfriend, Baylee Gillmore, instead of throwing her bouquet into the crowd.

And there Solomon was, waiting on one knee with a ring to pop the big question. The woman in question looks stunned, then a few words are exchanged and she happily says yes. They even got their cousin in on it to film the whole thing. Watch how it unfolded:

In a Facebook post, Sierra wrote: ‘Doing it at MY reception that MY coins paid for was MY idea. If you know me and my brothers relationship then you would understand why I was more excited then they were! I was nervous and trying not to cry,’ she added. ‘Sharing Saturday with him just gave us more memories,’ she said.

Picture: Daily Mail

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In Advice

The latest wedding trend: Touch-up stations

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It might sound unnecessary, or even a little vain but we’re not here to judge. All we know is, touch-up stations are becoming a thing! A touch up beauty station is a great idea for a bridal party that wants to have all the fun but still be photo ready at a moment’s notice.

Touch-up stations are literally just that: stations set up at your wedding venue for any necessary make-up touch-ups.

Depending on the wedding venue, it can be set up in the bathrooms or a neutral space. There are a few options you can consider:

You can easily (and cheaply) just create a private corner by a mirror for everyone who wants to bring their necessities and leave it there for the day.

You can also dedicate a whole pop-up stand or mobile home and supply all the items yourself.

 

There are even companies who rent out mobile beauty bars and can send you stylists who are ready for the quick touch-up or the emergency sewing kit.


 
Here are some essentials your station should include:

– Tissues
– Cotton wool
– Ear buds
– Make-up remover
– Lip balm (get one that uses finger application for hygiene reasons)
– Mascara
– Hair comb (add a cleaning product for guests to clean it after use)
– Hairspray
– Anti-perspirant
– Tampons/sanitary pads
– Needles and thread
– Hand lotion

 

Picture: Pexels

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In Announcements

South African KFC proposal goes viral

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Some might devise an elaborate plan to pop the big question, but this man proved that you shouldn’t be chicken to do a humble proposal. His decision to propose in a local fast food restaurant has turned into a social media storm as people across the country come together to give them a wedding beyond their wildest dreams.

A video of a man proposing in a Vaal KFC outlet was posted to Twitter yesterday afternoon, and quickly caught the attention of social media users. Fast food giant KFC South Africa saw the video of the couple becoming engaged and posted it to their official Twitter. In their tweet, KFC SA appealed to their followers to help identify the couple in the hopes of doing something special for them.

The couple has since been identified and two Twitter users are meeting with them today to discuss wedding planning. The grooms name is Mr. Kansi, and his financial situation is tough at the moment so he would like to have a small wedding to celebrate their nuptials.

The video quickly went viral, causing #KFCproposal to trend on Twitter. South Africans are now rallying behind the couple to make their dream wedding come true.

Takealot has offered a R5000 voucher to the couple to purchase anything on their online store. Vodacom, Total South Africa, Cricket South Africa and Pick ‘n Pay also joined in the hunt to find the newly engaged couple.

People are offering to support in any way they can, from donating money to supplying cars, outfits, accessories, invites and drinks. Austin Malema has offered to be their photographer free of charge, and Amanda Black is keen to sing at the reception.

This wedding is sure to be finger lickin’ good.

Image: Twitter /  KFC South Africa

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In Advice

Engagement parties: Yay or nay?

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Getting engaged is a big deal. We get it. When your loved one pops the question, or says yes, all you want to do is shout it out to the world. Adventure awaits. But how practical are engagement parties really?

The upside:

FUN

There’s really not much to explain here. It’s a good time. You get to celebrate this special time in your life with people you care about!

Sharing stories

It’s natural that everyone will want to know how it happened, who asked whom and how. Was it a grand gesture or a private moment? It’s all pretty exciting. So instead of having to answer a bunch of questions over and over, it’s a great opportunity to tell your love story while everyone is gathered.

Show off the bling

The real reason most ladies want to throw a party! If your partner gave you a customary ring, you are bound to be super proud of it. Everyone will want to see it up close, and you will want to show it off. Sometimes, it’s okay to brag.

The downside:

The money issue

Sigh. Why is everything so darn expensive? Unless you’re a celebrity, it will probably hurt your wallet. You’re already spending money on the wedding, the honeymoon, the ring and dress… An engagement party seems like an unnecessary expense.

It can be stressful

Planning a wedding is already pretty stressful. There is a lot to do and there are many people involved, all wanting to weigh in on how it should go. You have a ton of things on your mind. Planning one more event might add to the stress and only make you anxious.

Finding the time

We know it is supposed to be about the couple, but the reality is, everyone’s busy. Supposing you and your fiancee can find an open date, all your guests might not be available. They are already putting time aside to attend the wedding itself, and it might be hard to find another date and time that suits everybody.

Yay or nay?

In conclusion, of course, it’s a personal choice so it’s up to you as a couple. However, we think it would be wise to rather put the time, money and energy towards the big day. You’ll see everyone there anyway, and those who really care will call or drop by to say congrats and share in your happiness.

Picture: Pexels

 

 

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