• A wedding cake is the sweet cherry on top of an exciting day. Newlyweds slice into the cake, symbolic of the first action they take together as partners.

    The wedding cake has a centuries-long history, and started as a tradition that was said to ensure fertility. Today, however, while many still choose elaborate wedding cakes, some have opted for a more paired-down experience.

    A new trend has emerged for those not wanting to go big on price and drama with their wedding cake. Instead of a tiered creation, they have a gesture cake. Gesture cakes are mini, affordable cakes that still hold the essence of tradition but won’t create a massive hole in your bank account.

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    Of course, this cake won’t feed an army either. It’s generally the size of a normal cake one may have at a birthday party. For those having micro-weddings, this option is perfect. You won’t have a ton of cake go to waste, and get to save some money in the process.

    Just because it’s a smaller cake does not mean it has to be boring. Take a look at these stunning treats:

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    Feature image: Unsplash

     

    A princess’s look is not complete without a tiara. Swedish royal brides, interestingly, seem to gravitate towards a specific one.

    The Cameo is a famed tiara in the Swedish royal family and is believed to be one of the oldest tiaras still in use. The unusual tiara has a long, romantic history and has been worn by both Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria on their wedding days.

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    The crown is believed to have first belonged to empress Josephine, the first wife of Napoleon, and the first empress of the French after he proclaimed himself Emperor. The crown was reportedly made for her in the early 1800s during the final years of her marriage to Napoleon.

    The crown features 7 cameos, or oval pieces of jewellery that consist of a portrait in profile carved into it. The cameos were individually made and not intended to go together, which is why they vary in size and appearance. The largest cameo at the centre of the crown depicts a scene from the famous story of Cupid and Psyche. A base of gold and seed pearls frame the cameos.

     

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    The #cameotiara The gorgeous bridal tiara of the Bernadottes had its start not in Sweden but at the imperial court of Napoléon. 1804: In France, Napoléon Bonaparte is crowned emperor at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. At his side is his wife, Joséphine. Born in Martinique as the daughter of a wealthy Creole planter, Joséphine had previously been married to Alexandre de Beauharnais, a French aristocrat who was guillotined during the Reign of Terror. She is crowned empress by her husband at his coronation, and she needs a vast collection of jewelry to help her fit the part. Among these is a set of cameo jewels, apparently made for her during this period by her husband’s court jeweler, Marie-Étienne Nitot. The set includes a grand tiara in gold set with pearls and large cameos depicting the story of Cupid and Psyche. It also includes a necklace, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings. Although Joséphine had two children, Eugène and Hortense, with Alexandre, she is not able to provide Napoléon with a much-needed biological heir to the French throne. He divorces her and marries Marie Louise of Austria, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. Joséphine relocates to the Château de Malmaison near Paris, taking her jewelry along with her. Joséphine loans the cameos to her daughter, Hortense, who had briefly been Queen of Holland during the first decade of the nineteenth century. Hortense wears the cameos in a portrait painted by Anne-Louis Girodet. The painting is the first known representation of the cameos. Josephine’s granddaughter received the #cameo as a wedding gift when she married #crownprinceoscar of #Sweden passing the tiara into the #Swedishroyalfamily where it has become the traditional #wedding tiara. #napoleonandjosephine #crownprincessvictoria #royaljewels #royalhistory

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    The crown ended up in Sweden via empress Josephine’s granddaughter, also named Josephine, when she married the country’s first King Oscar in 1823. The queen passed the tiars on to daughter Eugenie. Since Eugenie had no children, the crown travelled throughout the family houses until it was presented to Princess Sybilla. It was from here that the crown began to feature atop the heads of Swedish brides.
    Two of Princess Sybilla’s daughters, Princess Birgitta and Princess Desiree wore the tiara on their big days. In 1972, the tiara was passed on to Princess Sybilla’s son (who became King the following year) after her passing, and his bride Silvia wore it on their wedding day as she became Queen of Sweden. Queen Silvia wearing the tiara on her big day added even deeper royal significance to this prized diadem. Their eldest child and heir to the throne, Princess Victoria followed tradition and proudly wore the crown during her 2010 royal nuptials.

     

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    ♕ Tнe Caмeo Parυre Tιara ⋆⋆⋆ In 1809, Empress Joséphine (see photo2️⃣), first wife of French Emperor Napoléon I Bonaparte, likely received the cameos as a gift from her husband. The seven cameos used in the tiara were made first and were not intended to go together. Each is framed in pearls and sit on a base of gold and seed pearls. The tiara is part of a set including a pair of earrings, a brooch, a necklace, and a bracelet. ⋆ In 1814, Former Empress Joséphine died. The cameos was eventually inherited by her granddaughter, future Queen Josephine (see photos3️⃣), who married the future Oscar I, King of Sweden and Norway in 1923. Since then the cameos resided in the Swedish royal vaults. ⋆ In 1876, Queen Joséphine died. The cameos was inherited by her only daughter, Princess Eugénie (see photo4️⃣). Eugénie never married, but instead devoted her life to artistic pursuits and charitable causes. Upon her death in 1889, the cameos were inherited by her nephew, Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (see photo5️⃣). Eugen was also a gifted artist and never married. ⋆ In 1947, The Duke of Närke died. Before his death, he loaned the cameos to his niece-in-law, Crown Princess Margaret (see photo5️⃣.1️⃣), and eventually gave the cameos as a wedding gift to Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (see photo5️⃣.2️⃣) when she married Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten in 1932. Sibylla also loaned the cameos to her sister-in-law, the future Queen Ingrid of Denmark (see photo5️⃣.3️⃣). ⋆ In 1961, Princess Sibylla’s second daughter Princess Birgitta (see photo6️⃣.1️⃣) married Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern. Three years later, Sibylla’s third daughter Princess Désirée (see photo6️⃣.2️⃣) married Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld. ⋆ In 1972, Princess Sibylla died. The cameos was inherited by her only son, current King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Four years later, the King married Silvia Renate Sommerlath (see photos7️⃣to9️⃣). Thirty-four years later, their eldest child and heir Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland (see photos?) married Olof Daniel Westling. ⋆⋆⋆ #TheEuropeanRoyalty #CameoTiara #QueenJosephine #PrincessSibylla #QueenSilvia #CrownPrincessVictoria #Sweden

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    It’s not many celebrities who can maintain long-lasting,  successful marriages in the spotlight. In fact, Hollywood is notorious for having countless marriages end in sensational divorces splashed across tabloids.

    Some couples do however make it work amidst the pressures and high roller lifestyles of being famous. One rock star couple we all know and love is singer Pink and her husband Carey Hart.

    Pink, (real name Alecia Beth Moore) met former professional motocross rider and current off-road truck racer Carey Hart at an extreme sports event in 2001. He was a contestant and piqued her interest.

    The non-traditional rockstar honoured her ‘rebel’ persona by proposing to Hart during a motocross competition in 2005.

    She painted a sign saying “Will you marry me?” and showed it to him on the course during the race. When he didn’t respond, she added “Serious!” at the bottom and showed it to him again. Of course, he said yes!

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    They tied the knot in 2006 at the luxurious Four Seasons resort in Costa Rica. The Walk me home singer wore a tiered halter neck with a black bow belt and headband.

    Credit: Pinterest
    Credit: Pinterest

    The power couple has not been without their fair share of marriage problems, however. The pair are as notorious for their ups and downs as they are for sticking together.

    According to Goalcast, the two had a major split during their first two years of marriage but never got divorced. During this break, in 2008, Hart asked her to perform at his Las Vegas club on New Year’s Eve and she agreed. She had planned quite a theatrical surprise for him in the meantime.

    “After soundcheck, I told him that he needed to come to my room,” she told Redbook. “I had made him a photo album of all the cards he had ever given me, of all the photos of our entire relationship. I spent months on this album. On the last page, I pasted a photo of me from a really bad movie I made years ago with my neck slit and blood everywhere. Next to it I wrote, ‘This is me without you.’”

    They reconciled, went for marriage councelling after that, and seemed stronger together ever since.

    “Both of us came from broken homes, yet we made the choice to work hard at our relationship. And look at us now! Two misfits when we met, we have grown together and now have an amazing family,” Hart posted on Instagram on their 14th anniversary earlier this year.

    The couple have a daughter, Willow Sage, and a son, Jameson Moon.

    Instagram/pinkfan.page

    An entire wedding procession was halted right before the wedding when a groom and his father were informed that they had tested positive for COVID-19 as they made their way to the ceremony. The ceremony was promptly called off in order to allow for the necessary quarantining to take place.

    The wedding procession left the Kamrauli village in Amethi, India, on Friday, June 19. They were headed for Haidergarh, where the wedding was set to take place.

    Just before this, on June 15, the groom and his family travelled from Delhi to Amethi. As a result, the had their samples sent in for testing. As we all know by now, testing for coronavirus can take up to a week. Therefore, they had not received any results before they left for the wedding.

    As the family made their way to the wedding, they received their results. Sadly, the groom and his father were confirmed to be positive for the virus. This stopped not only the procession but the entire wedding in its tracks.

    According to The Tribune India, the police were made aware of the situation, and they cut off the “baraat” (or the groom’s wedding procession).

    Those who tested positive were taken to a hospital immediately, and others including around ten family members are now in quarantine.

    After the groom and his father recover completely, the wedding will go ahead.

    Image: Unsplash