Are ties out of fashion and has the bow tie taken over? The answer is NO! Both are equally acceptable and both are the ultimate accessory. As a groom, one of the most important fashion decisions you will need to make is whether you’ll be sporting a tie or a bow tie. With a variety of shapes, patterns, colours and styles, you really cannot go wrong with either, so here are some pointers:
The Tie
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Can you think of a more complementary pair than a suit and tie? There is no doubt that they just go hand in hand. When you want to keep it classic and slightly more traditional, the tie is for you.
A well-tailored suiting option is perfectly highlighted with a tie. It will complete the look, leaving you looking utterly dapper. The tie has many elements to consider, like the type of occasion you are going to, as it could work for a formal/semi-formal and smart causal event, but remember a tie should end near the middle of the belt buckle in all cases.
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Tie knots is where it gets a bit confusing because there are so many styles. Consider the type of shirt you’re wearing and the collar type of the shirt. A large triangle-shaped tie will look better with a widespread collar. A narrow knot will pair well with a straight point collar shirt
The Bow Tie
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Although you can wear a bow tie anytime, they definitely help you to stand out from the crowd. On your wedding day, you may want to keep it classic with black or white but this will not limit you, due to the variation of patterns and colours available.
The bow tie is clean and looks different, but remember to keep the rest of your outfit muted in order to let the bow tie make a statement.
If you are playing around with patterns, then stripes and polka dots are your go-tos. You can also play around with a variety of colours if you don’t opt for the classic black. Normally, the bow tie is classified as part of a more formal attire alongside the category of a black or white tie, but it doesn’t have to be as formal – we like to play it up, don’t we? But if you are associating it with a classic tuxedo, without a doubt, you’ll reach for your bow tie
It can also be worn outside of the formal bracket. This is where funky colours and patterns will play a big role as it can soften the formality and be more of a casual accessory, adding a bit of spark to just about any outfit.
By Amy-Lee Steenkamp
Feature image: Unsplash
After the big proposal comes all the planning. You and your partner will usually decide on who you’d like by your side on the big day, which will…
Flowers play a huge role in most weddings. They are used in many parts of the wedding decor, from ceremony to reception, and add a romantic and personal touch to the big day. A big question, however, is if you’re going to use fresh or fake flowers. But before deciding, you should know what the differences between real and artificial flowers are.
Before weighing out the pros and cons, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:
– Both options can be expensive, especially if a florist is involved.
– Most of the time, your guests won’t be able to tell what’s real and what’s fake.
– If you can’t decide, you can always mix and match with both. Use fake flowers for certain things and real for others.
– You can save money by having multi-use floral pieces. For example, you can use some of the floral arrangements from your ceremony and bring it over to the reception decor.
The differences:
Real flowers
Nothing compares to fresh, beautiful flowers. They are authentic and sweet-smelling. Using real flowers is genuine and no matter how realistic a fake flower is, it will never be able to compare to the real thing.
Besides originality, there are a few downsides to having fresh flowers:
– They can be more expensive, especially if you are having them arranged by a florist or imported from overseas. You will also pay a lot more if you’re looking for a specific flower and it’s not in season.
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– As beautiful as delicate flowers are, they’re unfortunately higher risk in terms of being damaged. They will eventually wilt and if it’s hotter, they fade faster. Fresh flowers are easily damaged, whether it’s a wild flower girl having fun or a bumpy car ride.
– The real deal can also be a lot heavier than opting for the fake alternative.
Artificial flowers
Fake flowers aren’t as plastic as you think. There are natural-looking silk or other fabric-based flowers available that almost look like the real thing. If you decide on artificial flowers, you’ll never have to worry if they’re in season or not. These fake alternatives are also a lot lighter than the real thing and therefore easier to carry around, transport and arrange.
Artificial flowers can last for a long time and you will be able to keep them for sentimental purposes. You might even be able to reuse them in future events, depending on the quality. Since they’re fake, there won’t be any allergy issues either, which is great if you or any of your guests are allergic.
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Fake flowers can be a lot cheaper depending on the quality, specifics and where you buy them from. If you’re not looking to purchase the fake flowers, then renting it is also an option. Since you can purchase artificial flowers in advance, you can buy a few each month, thereby not having to fork out a huge amount in one go.
Feature image: Visual Poetry Photography
Getting the perfect dress at a reasonable price is not the easiest thing. Brides tend to spend thousands of rands on either having the perfect dress made or…
On the 9th of September 2019, 99 couples decided to tie the knot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All 99 pairs gathered at The Thean Hou temple to wed in a mass ceremony. The number nine is considered to be very lucky in Chinese culture. This is because ‘nine’ sounds like ‘long-lasting’ in Chinese.
Since the number nine is believed to hold a lot of fortune, September 9, which is the ninth day of the ninth month (9/9) is seen as very lucky this year. The couples decided to commit to one another on this auspicious day, to ensure that their love would be, well, long-lasting.
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The Thean Hou temple was filled with the soon-to-be weds and all of their family and friends.
Many couples decided to keep things wedding-traditional and wear classic black suits and white bridal gowns. Other couples opted for a more traditional Chinese feel and wore red as the colour symbolises joy, luck, happiness and fertility.
Before taking their vows, the 99 couples were blessed by a priest in a red robe.
The Chinese Buddhist temple was filled with life as the newly-wed couples gathered to take pictures and celebrate this joyous (mass) occasion.
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Feature image: Instagram/Mohd Rasfan
The former Bachelorette and her fiancé, who met on her season of the show in 2017, recently exchanged vows at the Royalton Suites Cancún in Mexico. The non-televised…
Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling recently got married in a lavish event fit for royalty. Although they exchanged vows at the York Minster Cathedral, the party only really started at Castle Howard, a stately home a few miles away. In true Ellie style, she opted for not one, but 5 show-stopping wedding looks, paving the way for ‘royal’ wedding trends to come.
The first look, in which she tied the knot, consisted of a bespoke Chloé gown and a delicate silk tulle veil with an organza collar featuring her and Caspar’s initials. The veil reportedly took 591 hours to make. Talk about detail! The dress itself wasn’t shy of detail either – complete with hand-embroidered White Roses of York and subtle white glass bead embellishments, which took a further 640 hours to create.
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The reception saw Ellie in her second ensemble – a sleek off-the-shoulder silk Cady dress, featuring diamond trim detail – a custom Stella McCartney design.
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The third dress came straight from the Ralph & Russo AW19 runway – a bodice of pearls and silk, which she paired with an evening skirt.
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For her fourth look, she turned to Olivier Rousteing from Balmain. Perfect for dancing the night away, Ellie showed some skin in a short dress with semi-sheer puffed sleeves and a high neckline with a plunging cut-out.
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Fifth and finally, to end off her wedding weekend, Ellie appeared in a simple strapless black gown with a full skirt.
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Feature image: Instagram / @elliegoulding