• One year down, forever to go. That’s the motto for former professional footballer Tim Tebow and former Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Tebow, née Nel-Peters. The pair recently celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary and wrote sweet messages of dedication to one another in honour of the occasion.

    Taking to Instagram, Tim shared a sweet video from their special day.

    “A year ago today, this is the moment my life changed forever. After years of prayer, God gave me you @DemiTebow. I’m so grateful you’re in my life, that you chose me, and that we get this lifetime alongside eachother. I love you so much Demi, and as I did the day we got married, I promise I’ll do my best to uphold 1 Corinthians 13:7– “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Happy anniversary baby,” he wrote on Instagram.

     

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    A post shared by Tim Tebow (@timtebow)

    Demi-Leigh followed up with her own special video, capturing moments from their first year of marriage.

    @timtebow I can’t give you anything better than what we have. I wish we could relive our wedding day over and over again because it was the best day of my life. Here’s my best shot at putting the last 366 (leap year) days into 3min and going back in time to reliving how this union started,” she captioned the video.

     

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    A post shared by Demi-Leigh Tebow (@demitebow)

    The pair met through an event Tebow was hosting for his non-profit, the Tim Tebow Foundation.

    “Her sister has special needs, so we invited them to Night to Shine in South Africa,” Tebow said during an interview with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. “We kind of met and started talking through that and haven’t stopped.”

    Their relationship moved pretty quickly, and they confirmed their relationship in July 2018.

    In January 2019 after less than a year of dating, Tim popped the question with an elaborate and sentimental proposal. Tebow had flown family members from across America and South Africa to Jacksonville, Florida to be part of the proposal. Demi-Leigh was told they were attending a late Tebow family Christmas dinner at their family farm and was surprised when it ended in a proposal.

    Tebow also flew Demi-Leigh’s favourite South African performer Matthew Mole to Florida to serenade them post-proposal.

    They came to Demi-Leigh’s home country, South Africa, to tie the knot in late January. Their pre-wedding festivities kicked off with a ‘Welcome to Africa’ cocktail dinner in the Cape winelands to introduce Tebow to South African culture. The bride wore a stunning white dress by Gert Johan-Coetzee featuring a criss-cross neckline and cut-out detail, while Tebow wore a blush-toned suit.

    The following day, the couple held a stunning rehearsal dinner. They went for a sophisticated colour scheme, opting for rich purples, reds and black. Demi-Leigh stunned in a strapless wine-coloured dress with beading by Anel Botha. The couple’s weekend events are all planned by celebrity planner Zavion Khotze.

    The pair got married at the La Paris Estate in Franschhoek on January 20, 2020. South African celebrity wedding planner Zavion Khotze organised the day. The former Miss Universe wore an off-the-shoulder cowl-neck dress by Davids Bridal and Tim wore a tuxedo by Antar Levar.

     

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    A post shared by Demi-Leigh Tebow (@demitebow)

    Picture: Instagram / Demi Tebow

    When you think ‘engagement ring’, your mind automatically turns to diamonds. But the truth is, diamonds aren’t every girl’s best friend, despite what TV ads may have taught you.

    If you and your partner are shopping for your engagement ring together or they’ve asked you what you like, consider one of these stones instead – from the colour to the texture, you’ll find one that captures your personality to a tee.

    Tanzanite

    Tanzanite is a variety of the mineral zoisite and varies in hues from blue, to violet, or purple. These incredible blue stones are one thousand times more valuable than diamonds. Why, you ask? Discovered in Tanzania, it’s estimated that there’s only a 30-year supply left in the world.

     

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    Morganite

    Morganite is a semi-precious stone in the beryl family, making it related to emerald and aquamarine. While it is typically light peach in colour, it can range in shades from orange to pink. Besides being unique, morganite is also way more affordable than diamond, making it a great choice for an engagement ring.

    Pearls

    Nothing beats the classic look of pearls and in an engagement ring, it becomes a timeless memento of your love. The only problem? Pearls are quite soft and easily become scratched or tarnished. This can be countered somewhat by using smaller pearls in your setting surrounded by harder stones to protect it.

     

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    A post shared by L O R E A N (@loreanjewellery)

    Opal

    Another classic stone, opals come in black, white and crystal. Their most striking feature is the ability to reflect the rainbow depending on how they are held up in the light. This, coupled with the fact that each opal is unique, makes for a very special ring.

     

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    Emerald

    Dubbed the “Stone of Successful Love,” emeralds are particularly symbolic for romance. The stone is said to open and nurture the heart and embody unity, compassion and unconditional love. The distinct deep green colour gives it a sense of timeless luxury while an ornate setting can give it a vintage feel to stand out in a sea of modern designs.

    Ruby

    Not only are rubies gorgeous, but they’re sturdy too. As one of the four precious stones (the others are diamonds, emeralds and sapphires), it comes with quite a price tag. Some of the finest rubies will cost more than a diamond.

    Garnet

    Garnets are often a rich pink-red colour similar to that of rubies. However, you can also find these gems in different hues. They are softer and less expensive than rubies, and also work well when paired with other stones. In Greek mythology, the pomegranate was a gift given as a symbol of love and eternity. Hades gifted his love Persephone with a pomegranate before she left to ensure she returned home fast and safe.

    Amethyst

    Amethyst is an ancient semi-precious gemstone and a purple variety of quartz. The stone ranges in purple-tinged shades, from deep violet to lavender. Amethyst is slightly softer than diamonds but they’re still very durable so you know your ring will last a lifetime.

    Onyx

    Onyx is a semi-precious gemstone, a sub-variety of the microcrystalline quartz called chalcedony. This gemstone is typically black with white lines, although can sometimes also be green or reddish-brown. The stone is perfect for fans of the art deco or Victorian style as that’s when it was most popular.

     

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    A post shared by The Moonstoned LLC (@themoonstoned)

    Sapphire

    We all know that sapphires are blue but did you know you can get them in peach, pink, yellow, green and white too? That means if sapphires are your birthstone but you’re not a fan of blue, you can find a colour that matches your personality.

     

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    Moissanite

    If the diamond look and feel is what you want, but you’re wary of using actual diamonds (conflict diamonds are still an issue) then moissanite is the stone for you. They are not as expensive as diamonds and are almost as hard.

     

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    Lapis lazuli

    This semi-precious stone is simply gorgeous! A deep matte-blue stone with gold flecks, they make for striking jewellery. It’s best set in gold and may need replacing every few years.

     

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    Topaz

    Topaz is one of the stones where imperfections are welcome. While pure Topaz has no colour, you can find this stone in hues of blue, orange, red, green and pink. The imperfections on each stone also create beautiful settings.

    Moon- and sunstones

    Moonstone is a white cloudy gemstone that looks as if it is emitting light. This incredible optical phenomenon makes the stone quite popular and will make for a mesmerising ring. Its counterpart is the lesser-known sunstone, which is more peachy in colour and makes for wonderful cluster combinations.

     Rose quartz

    As the name suggests, this stone is available in different shades of pink, ranging from pale to deep rose. It can be transparent or opaque, so all you have to do is choose the colour and clarity that works for you.

    Picture: Unsplash

    An Eastern Cape woman has been found guilty of recruiting local women to marry foreign nationals and issuing fake marriage certificates.

    Nomabandla Manjezi (47) appeared at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday, January 20 and was found guilty on four counts of corruption and two counts of fraud. The matter was postponed to February 18, 2021, for sentencing.

    Manjezi, along with another person named Abu Bokar (46), was arrested in 2017 following a tip-off received by immigration officers about the arranged fraudulent marriage certificates between South African women and foreign nationals.

    Their operations were accosted during a waylay investigation in March 2017, resulting in them being charged for fraud and corruption.

    Their premises, which included a cell phone shop in North End and a house in New Brighton was searched. Documents linked to their criminal operations were found in a container at the New Brighton premises and were seized for further investigation.

    An investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team revealed that the duo recruited young women from New Brighton, Kwazakele and Zwide, then paid them between R200 and R300 each to marry Bangladeshi nationals, whilst other local women were unaware that they were married to foreign nationals.

    Bokar appeared in the same court on August 14, 2018 and he pleaded guilty on two counts of fraud. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.

    Picture: Pexels

    The most romantic day of the year is quickly approaching. Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love in all its forms, making it the perfect day for a wedding.

    If you’d like to incorporate themes from this day into your wedding, the easiest way to do so is with your colour scheme. Red, pink and white are classic Valentine’s Day colours because they represent passion and romance.

    Of course, the heart shape and Cupid’s arrow are both eternal symbols of this holiday too. Incorporating these shapes are a little more on the nose, but still super sweet.

    Here are some wedding cakes full of the Valentine’s Day spirit:

     

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    A post shared by Wedding Etc (@wedding.etc.za)

     

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    A post shared by Cake Creations (@asherscakes2)

     

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    A post shared by Cakes & Drapes (@cakesdrapes)

     

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    A post shared by Kerry Tucker (@kerrytuckercakedesign)

     

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    A post shared by Suzanne (@blushingrosecakes)

    Picture: Pexels