Looking to get engaged soon? While there is no specific right time for everyone across the board, research has shown that people tend to get engaged on very particular days of the year.
If you’re waiting to propose or to be proposed to, one of these dates might be of significance in your future. These are the most popular days of the year to get engaged.
Christmas:
Christmas is one of the most popular Christian holidays of the year, so it makes sense that many people would get engaged on this day. Typically, people spend Christmas with their family, making it a great time for a proposal as everyone can celebrate together when the big question has been asked.
Valentine’s Day:
Of course the most romantic day of the year would be a popular time for engagements. Loved-up couples honour Saint Valentine by becoming betrothed on this special holiday. As a day particularly designed for romance, Valentines Day makes it easier to plan an elaborate proposal as your partner would not be suspicious of why you’re planning something.
Christmas Eve:
If Christmas is too stressful, Christmas Eve makes a perfect date to get engaged. Some families have a Christmas Eve dinner and exchange gifts then, instead of on Christmas itself. For Christmas lovers, the lead up to this festive event is just as fun and exciting. Because of this, Christmas Eve has become a popular date to get engaged.
New Years Eve:
The last day of the year makes for a great time for a proposal. People tend to be celebrating New Year’s Eve to usher in the new year, and are typically with their closest friends and family. This special day also provides a host of fun activities like watching fireworks, or going to a party. Those that decide to get engaged on this day thus start the new year on a high note.
New Year’s Day:
New Year’s Eve might be a bit too chaotic and busy for some people. On New Years Day, many people are reflective of their life and how they want to be better for the year ahead. Many have therefore chosen this day to begin the year with a big life change by getting engaged.
Anniversaries:
Anniversaries are dedicated days to celebrate your love and how far your relationship has come. Most couples tend to already have plans for their anniversary, and what better way to end it than with a proposal? It’s a great way to honour your love and commitment to one another.
Birthdays:
Birthdays are special days to honour someone’s life, making it the perfect time for a proposal. A ring makes for a great birthday present!
The Saturday before Valentine’s Day:
The Valentine’s spirit spreads the weeks before the lovers’ holiday. Considering most restaurants and vendors mark up their prices for Valentine’s Day, proposing the Saturday before the holiday makes for a more cost-effective time to propose while still having Valentine’s romance in the air.
Picture: Unsplash
Weddings have been happening since time immemorial. From the ancient Romans and Greeks to today’s millennials, weddings have stood the test of time as the ultimate symbol of…
Celebrations are best enjoyed with a glass of bubbly…or in this case, a black salt pineapple cocktail or a citrus whisky tonic. We’re here to help you reinvent your wedding cocktails, so our Wedding Etc food team is sharing their original cocktail recipes.
Oh yes, let the party begin!
Vodka & Pineapple Cocktail With Black Salt Rim
Makes: 6 cocktails
Difficulty: Easy
Tropical flavours are such a popular trend right now – we’ve glammed this up with the dark and mysterious black salt. The pineapple, paired with the mineral undertones of the black salt, creates a deliciously refreshing drink.
INGREDIENTS
6 cups pineapple juice
300ml Anestasia Vodka
12 blocks ice
12 tsp black salt
1 pinch salt
To serve
6 large slices of pineapple
6 pineapple leaves from the crown
METHOD
1. Combine the pineapple juice, vodka and ice in a cocktail shaker or in a large jug. Stir and allow to chill while you prepare the glasses.
2. Dip the rim of the glass in a small saucer filled with some pineapple juice, coating the rim.
3. Pour the black salt into another saucer, and roll the rim of the glass in the salt, allowing it to stick to the pineapple juice
4. Once the glasses are ready, pour the cocktail into the glass and add a pinch of black sea salt to each glass.
5. Serve the cocktail with a large slice of pineapple and garnish with one of the leaves from the crown.
Spumanté & Pomegranate Cocktail
Makes: 6
Difficulty: Easy
What is Spumanté, you’re wondering? It is a lovely, slightly sweet wine, with a fruity and floral undertone – and a lively sparkle! Paired with the sharp flavour of the pomegranate juice, this is a balanced and invigorating cocktail.
INGREDIENTS
1 bottle Ovation Spumanté, chilled
6 tsp honey
2 pomegranates, thinly sliced
½ cup pomegranate juice
METHOD
1. Divide the Spumanté between the glasses, and add 1 tsp of honey per glass. Stir to combine.
2. Garnish the edge of the glass with a thin slice of the pomegranate
3. Just before serving, pour a small amount of pomegranate juice into each drink.
4. Serve chilled.
Citrus Whiskey Tonic
Makes: 6 cocktails
Difficulty: Easy
Use any citrus juice you fancy for this drink – it really depends on how sweet or sour you like it. For a sparkling and glamorous finish, add a small pinch of edible gold glitter to the glasses.
INGREDIENTS
24 blocks ice
300ml American Barrels Bourbon whiskey
4 cups tonic
1 tbsp citrus juice (orange, grapefruit or lemon juice)
To serve
6 small pinches of edible gold glitter
METHOD
1. Divide the ice between 6 glasses, and top up with a double shot of bourbon in each glass.
2. Finish the cocktail by filling the glass with the tonic, and stir in a tablespoon of the citrus juice.
3. Serve immediately.
Gin, Berry & Lime With Cashew Snack Bucket
Serves/Makes: 4
Difficulty: Easy
The small snack bucket in the cocktail is a fun way to keep your guests satisfied while the couple is getting their photos taken. You can add any snacks you like!
INGREDIENTS
300ml Flowstone Bushwillow Gin
4 cups strawberry juice
To serve
6 cups crushed ice
1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
3 limes, halved and flesh removed
1 ½ cup raw cashews
METHOD
1. Combine the Flowstone Bushwillow Gin and the strawberry juice together, stirring thoroughly.
2. To serve, fill 6 glasses with the crushed ice and place a few fresh raspberries into each glass.
3. Pour the cocktail over the crushed ice.
4. To garnish, settle the halved lime into the crushed ice and fill with a quarter cup of cashews.
5. Serve immediately.
Honey Bubbles
Serves/Makes: 5 glasses
Difficulty: Easy
This trend is new to SA, but really ancient. Mead is a wine made from fermented honey, creating a distinct flavour like nothing you know.
INGREDIENTS
1 Bottle of Melaurea Mead Methode Traditionelle, chilled
To serve
6 small pieces of honeycomb
METHOD
1. Divide the Melaurea Mead between 5 glasses.
2. Garnish the side of each glass with a small piece of honeycomb.
As seen in Wedding Album Magazine 1/2019 issue. Out now!
Photographer: Andreas Eiselen
Photographer’s assistant: Sean Dollery
Stylist: Chiara Turilli
Stylist assistant: Brad Botha, Kate Turner and Elizabeth Mackenzie
Wedding dress shopping can be stressful. With so many cuts and styles available, brides can easily become overwhelmed by the options. To make things easier, here’s our wedding…
Displaying your napkins in a fun and different way will instantly upgrade each table setting and won’t cost you any extra money.
Take a look at these simple and achievable napkin displays and the impact they have on the place setting:
Napkin ring
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Pocket Fold
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Tie the knot
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Fanned out
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The drape
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Plate wrap
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Feature Image: Visual Poetry
Fruit and vegetables as decor have been trending for a while now, but a few new takes on the trend have surfaced more recently. We take a look…
A welsh bride lost 63kg for her wedding day, stunning her wedding guests with her incredible physical transformation.
Claire Williams (44) from Wales has battled with her weight for the majority of her life.
Speaking to Fabulous Digital, she said, “I was a chunky child and in my early 20s I was about a size 14 which was fine. But I just got bigger and bigger. Any food I could find I’d put in my mouth.”
“I would eat a stupid amount of bread – almost a loaf a day. I’d have it with every single meal of the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, too.”
At her heaviest, she weighed 125kg. Her weight began to negatively affect her life in many ways.
“I was beginning to suffer with my mobility. When I got on a plane I sat in my seat the whole journey without moving once – terrified if I undid my seat belt I’d never do it up again.”
When she met her now-husband Matthew in 2013, however, everything changed.
“Matthew loved me unconditionally. He met me when I was fat and he got a lot of stick. People asked him why he was going out with a fat lass like me.”
Matthew received lots of criticism for dating her, which is what made things truly change for her. She decided to embark on a weight-loss journey, this time sticking to it because she knew she had the full support of her partner.
“Having such a wonderful partner who loves you unconditionally is amazing. If it wasn’t for him, I’d not be the healthy and happy woman I am today.”
With his support, she joined a Slimming World group, a UK-based weight loss organisation. The group members quickly became family to her during her weight loss journey, so much so that she even asked her consultant to be one of her bridesmaids.
Through this programme, Williams lost a dramatic 63kg, almost half her body weight. She now feels full of energy, and has a renewed confidence. Her weight loss also had another important effect. As she lost the weight, she discovered a prominent lump in her stomach that turned out to be a tumour. She had the non-cancerous tumour removed, and feels lucky that her weight loss helped her discover the tumour.
“It’s shocking to think I had something that big in my stomach and I had no idea.”
She confidently walked down the aisle on her wedding day, stunning guests with her transformation.
“I did feel truly amazing on my wedding day. Walking down the aisle felt wonderful. Matthew did nothing but tell me how beautiful I was and the whole day was fantastic,” she said.
Picture: Facebook