The first dance as a married couple is the highlight of the wedding. It’s the perfect opportunity to show off your dance moves before the celebration really kicks off and gets have the chance to celebrate a little with you. The vows are done and dusted and the stress seems to melt away. However, for some couples choosing the first song to dance to as man and wife is an easy choice. Perhaps it was that Elton John song that was playing when you first bumped into each other at that charming coffee shop, but for others finding the perfect first song to boogie to can be a challenge.
Thankfully, a little survey conducted by The Black Tux of over 900 married couples from all age groups revealed a few of the most requested first-dance songs. Here’s a list of the top 15:
- Sons and Daughters, by Allman Brown
- Moon River, by Frank Sinatra
- At Last, by Etta James
- Time After Time, by Cyndi Lauper
- Amazed, by Lonestar
- 500 Miles, by Sleeping at Last
- Your Song, by Elton John
- I’m Yours, by Jason Mraz
- Perfect Duet, by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
- The Way You Look Tonight, by Frank Sinatra
- Escapade, by Janet Jackson
- My Best Friend, by Tim McGraw
- That’s When I Knew, by Alicia Keys
- Falling Like the Stars, by James Arthur
- This Kiss, by Faith Hill
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If you’ve been wondering what the perfect song to get down on one knee is, make sure you check out Spotify’s ultimate engagement playlist.
Pciture: Pexels
After the stress of planning a wedding and the jitters of saying your vows in front of friends and family, it can be liberating to metaphorically let your…
Some will consider former Japanese Princess Mako and her ‘peasant’ husband Kei Komuro the stuff of fairy tales. Upper echelon circles have considered it dishonourable. Either way, for those who may have thought that the kind of love worth sacrificing everything for is dead, it’s a story worth knowing.
The daughter of the Japanese emperor’s kin has made headlines for breaking the shackles of royal tradition in the name of not only love but also her independence – being the first female Japanese royal to do so.
Four years ago, the former princess and her college sweetheart, a non-royal, brought a real-life fairy tale into the world’s gaze. Many swooned over the kind of love so powerful it would cause Mako to willingly take on the harsh consequences of marrying a commoner. As the BBC writes, their smiles won over a country.
But the consequences were brutal as those within Mako’s social class frowned upon the former Princess’s decision. It would mean losing her royal status, forfeiting millions, and facing intense scrutiny at the sacrifice of her mental health – for years.
But to Mako, Kei Komuro was the sun, famously mentioning that his smile was as warm as the burning star.
The couple had met at a meeting of students planning to go abroad in 2012 and had become close as university students over five years, even when studying in different countries. Mako’s university journey was also largely her first symbol of abandoning tradition as it marked her leaving the traditional institution of study for royal Japanese family members.
While it may have seemed as though Mako was taking all the heat for a story films will no doubt be made about, Komuro too had signed up for mass public scrutiny. As VICE reports, intense questioning regarding whether Kumuro would cause Mako to struggle financially in the future came about in the past after an alleged money dispute to do with the young lawyer’s mother and her former fiance.
However, despite it all, the young lovers have stood by each other through and through and tied the knot yesterday, October 26.
In a highly anticipated live TV appearance, the former princess defended her marriage decision expressing that:
“Kei is irreplaceable for me,” she said. “For us, marriage is a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts.”
Mr Komuro also made vows to his love, stating the words that will be quoted by hopeless romantics all over the world:
“I want to spend the only life I have with the one I love.”
Originally posted on Cape {town} Etc
Picture: EPA
There’s something magical about a beautifully lit space filled with towering trees and the smell of pine. Nature always has a way of calming the mind and rejuvenating…
The world has been tilted on its axis at the news of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s engagement.
The Blink-182 drummer decided to put a ring on it, and boy, was it a RING. Barker popped the question at Montecito Beach on Sunday, October 17, and social media has been flooded with images of the happy couple ever since. But it’s the enormous engagement ring that has us in a tailspin.
Go big or go home appears to be the route Barker has taken, with Kardashian’s left finger now sporting a giant oval-cut diamond engagement ring worth a whopping $1 million. According to Page Six, her new bling appears to be larger than 15 carats in a pavé or hidden halo setting.
The loved-up couple has been dating since January, though they’ve been friends and neighbours for quite some time with the pair making it Instagram official in February. However, it was their trip to Venice, Italy that really had tongues wagging as the pair was unrelenting when it came to showing off their affection for each other. Kardashian famously dated Scott Disick on-and-off for ten years, with the oldest Kardashian sister noting that they would have still been together having Disick not messed up his sobriety during a KUWTK reunion special in June. The two share three children together, while Barker was previously married to former beauty queen Shanna Moakler. He shares two children with her.
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The engagement was a sight to behold too! Countless red roses appeared to envelop Montecito’s white sandy beach, with an array of candles careful placed within a circle of red, adding to the overall ambience.
It looked to be a picture-perfect proposal and we couldn’t be happier for the pair!
Picture: Kourtney Kardashian Instagram
Former Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green and her fiancé Zesimdumise Nxumalo, better known as ‘Ze’, have shared snaps from their traditional Zulu ‘umembeso’ ceremony, which took place last…
Hear the distant roars of wild lions while watching the blazing African sunset at none other than Limpopo’s finest Abelana Game Reserve — the perfect place to escape the bustle of everyday life and dive into a little romance.
2020 was a tough year for the travel industry, and many love birds had to put their wedding day on hold. But now, all that’s left to focus on is a whole lot of love as couples across the world get ready to say “I do”.
It’s time for love to take center stage and there’s no better way to celebrate than at one of the most gorgeous locations in South Africa.
Welcome to Abelana Game Reserve…
A history of union with Abelana Game Reserve’s first bush wedding:
Situated on 15 000 hectares of pure unadulterated beauty, Abelana welcomed their first bride and groom on the scenic Malati Weir.
An intimate, mid-afternoon gathering saw no more than 42 guests come together in celebration of the couple, who said yes to forever with panoramic views overlooking the Selati River, which only enhanced the already magical moment.
The dinner reception was a classic-chic affair hosted at the Abelana River Lodge with not much of the lodge altered in terms of decor — raw beauty. A beaming bride and groom ensured that Abelana’s first bush wedding was the perfect African-ever-after.
Saying “I do” at Abelana Game Reserve
There’s something uniquely indescribable about being serenaded by the sounds of the bushveld, and Abelana is hoping to bring boatloads of African ambience to your wedding day.
Located just a 5 hours drive from Johannesburg, the luxury lodge is now launching its bespoke wedding package to the public. The perfect bushveld wedding is not only available but accessible to brides and grooms ready to tie the knot.
Thanks to Abelana Game Reserve, Limpopo’s burnt skies and natural brilliance are just a booking way from becoming your wedding reality.
Couples can expect only the best service from the Abelana team with wedding packages including, but not limited to:
- A dedicated team was allocated to attend to the bride and groom on the wedding day
- A complimentary Abelana wedding cake
- A romantic turndown
- Luxurious king-suite accommodation for up to 40 overnight guests
- All standard accommodation inclusions apply to overnight guests, such as meals and game viewing activities
COVID-19 has played a big part in wedding plans, but an intimate bush wedding still remains an attractive prospect for couples who are considering the implications of the pandemic.
COVID precautions are the lodge’s top priority and nothing beats naturally wide-open spaces, fresh air, and ample room for social distancing that’s offered when choosing to book your wedding here.
Abelana River Lodge follows stringent protocols to protect tourists, wedding guests and staff, including:
- Guest temperatures are scanned on arrival at the reserve gate, and each guest completes a contact-tracing and general wellness form.
- Staff temperatures and wellness are assessed and recorded on a daily basis.
- All staff are required to wear a mask at all times, and to sanitise their hands frequently.
- Guests are required to wear their masks in the lodge’s indoor public areas.
- All suites are rested between guest stays.
- Hand sanitising stations are positioned at all entrances to the lodge and hand sanitiser supply is available on each game viewing vehicle.
- All surfaces are wiped down with sanitiser on a regular basis, and game viewing vehicles are wiped down between each game drive.
So, what are a few things that brides and grooms-to-be should consider when planning their “safari wedding?”
“Wedding couples should be passionate about nature, animals and bush life. Don’t be too attached to the timing of your big day. Out here, we could run into any number of situations that could delay the whole itinerary. We encounter roadblocks – not the city kind – and detours created by fallen trees and wildlife. We may put a plan in place, but when you come face-to-face with a breeding herd of elephants, we wait; you wait – everyone waits. It’s part of the magic,” says Natalie Roberts, assistant lodge manager.
Ready to book the venue of your dreams and say “I do” while immersed in nature?
For more information on the lodge and its wedding packages, please contact Bryan West at 061 952 4302 or [email protected]
Pictures: Abelana Game Reserve