• Your wedding vows is a time to express how much you love your partner. Now is the time to be as honest and heartfelt as possible.

    However, being so emotional is not easy for everyone. So why not refer to the experts? If you’re in need of inspiration, simply turn to your favourite musician. There is a wealth of love songs that perfectly explain your deepest feelings.

    Here are a few special songs that give us all the feels:

    Your Song – Elton John

    Best line: ‘I hope you don’t mind / That I put down in words / How wonderful life is while you’re in the world’

    Best Part – Daniel Caesar

    Best line: ‘You’re the coffee that I need in the morning / You’re my sunshine in the rain when it’s pouring’

    The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack

    Best line: ‘The first time ever I saw your face / I thought the sun rose in your eyes’

    Stuck on You – Lionel Richie

    Best line: ‘Stuck on you / I’ve got this feeling down deep in my soul that I just can’t lose’

    Dangerously in Love – Destiny’s Child

    Best line: ‘Baby, I love you, you are my life / My happiest moments weren’t complete if you weren’t by my side / You’re my relation in connection to the sun / With you next to me there’s no darkness I can’t overcome’

    At Last – Etta James

    Best line: ‘At last my love has come along / My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah’

    I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz

    Best line: ‘I won’t give up on us / Even if the skies get rough / I’m giving you all my love / I’m still looking up’

    Waiting For A Girl Like You – Foreigner

    Best line: ‘I’ve been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life / I’ve been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive / I’ve been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive’

    (They Long To Be) Close To You – The Carpenters

    Best line: ‘On the day that you were born the angels got together / And decided to create a dream come true / So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue’

    Back At One – Brian McKnight

    Best line: ‘One / You’re like a dream come true / Two / Just want to be with you / Three / Girl, it’s plain to see / That you’re the only one for me’

    Make You Feel My Love – Adele

    Best line: ‘I’d go hungry; I’d go black and blue / And I’d go crawling down the avenue / No, there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do / To make you feel my love’

    All of Me – John Legend

    Best line: ‘‘Cause all of me / Loves all of you / Love your curves and all your edges / All your perfect imperfections’

    Songbird – Fleetwood Mac

    Best line: ‘To you I would give the world / To you I’d never be cold / ‘Cause I feel that when I’m with you / It’s all right I know it’s right’

    Come What May – Moulin Rouge soundtrack

    Best line: ‘Seasons may change, winter to spring / But I love you until the end of time’

    Such Great Heights – The Postal Service

    Best line: ‘I am thinking it’s a sign / That the freckles in our eyes / Are mirror images / And when we kiss they’re perfectly aligned’

    Feature image: Pexels

    The quintessential reality TV show is The Bachelor/Bachelorette. A group of guys or girls live together in one villa and compete to win the same person’s heart, what could be better?

    While it is highly entertaining, the show is essentially all about love and making lasting connections. The finale typically ends with an engagement but as we’ve seen, those engagements never really last that long.

    The Bachelor is on its 23rd season, and The Bachelorette is currently filming its 16th season. Spin-off show Bachelor in Paradise has aired six seasons. While most of the romances have wilted much like the roses that always feature on the show, there are a handful of Bachelor Nation couples who have beaten the odds and ended up walking down the aisle.

    Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter

    This couple is the show’s first ever real success story. Trista Rehn, the very first Bachelorette to head a season got engaged to firefighter Ryan Sutter in the finale. Their wedding was televised in 2003 and 17 years later, they are still together. They live in Colorado and share two children.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5xYK9g-vs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Ashley Hebert and J.P Rosenbaum

    Season 7’s Bachelorette Ashley Hebert chose J.P to be her final love. The pair married in 2012, and their televised wedding was officiated by Bachelor host Chris Harrison. They have been married for eight years and have two children.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9FvDtXANtO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Hannah Godwin and Dyan Barbour

    The Bachelor Nation rejects met on spin-off show Bachelor in Paradise, where former contestants spend a summer of love together in a romantic destination with the goal of getting engaged at the end. They immediately hit it off and became engaged in the show’s 2019 finale. A year later they are still together and seem to be going strong throughout the lockdown.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CDSX8qCDDpu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Rachel Lindsey and Bryan Abasalo

    The first black Bachelorette Rachel Lindsey stunned in her season, and ended up with contestant Bryan Abasalo. After a two year engagement, the pair tied the knot in August 2019 and recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CEHtTiAH_hg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Jojo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers

    Season 11’s Bachelorette Jojo knew from a very early stage that Jordan was the one. He won the first impression rose in the first week of the show, and made it all the way to the finale where he went down on one knee. The pair have been engaged since 2016 and were meant to marry in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel their wedding day.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBYT1sHJLvZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Chris Siegfried and Desiree Hartsock

    Hartsock and Siegfried fell in love in The Bachelorette‘s ninth season. Their engagement came with some questioning as the original frontrunner Brooks Forester famously quit the show after telling Harsock he wasn’t invested in the relationship. Luckily for Siegfried, the Bachelorette accepted his proposal and the married in January 2015. Since then, they have had two children.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CDpdaOnA_zx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon

    Ashley and Jared had not one, but two shots at love. They starred in two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise together, and finally managed to make things work. They got engaged in June 2018 and married in July 2019.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CDxSsUpg8Yl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Sean Lowe and Catherine Guidici

    Born-again virgin Sean Lowe shocked fans when he chose Catherine Giudici in The Bachelor‘s 17th season. Since then, the pair have tied the knot in 2014 and welcomed three children.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CEXkawzl9ee/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Jade roper and Tanner Tolbert

    Another Bachelor in Paradise couple made it to the finish line. Jade and Tanner met on the spin-off show’s second season, and got engaged in the finale. Their televised wedding aired in 2016. They have two kids and are expecting their third very soon.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CEFmVijlmZo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Carly Waddell and Evan Bass

    Carly and Evan didn’t immediately hit it off on the third season of Bachelor in Paradise, but eventually they fell in love. They married in 2017 and have two children together, while Evan has three other children from a previous relationship.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCO-_aPJufM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk

    This couple met on season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise back in 2017, and the connection was instant. While they didn’t get engaged in the finale, Adam did eventually go down on one knee in 2019.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAa7hCCpfZx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney

    The controversial 13th season of The Bachelor saw Mesnick choose finalist Melissa Rycroft as his partner, only to end up breaking up with her and picking things back up with runner-up Molly Malaney. Luckily for them, their relationship has lasted. They tied the knot in a televised ceremony back in 2010 and have a daughter together.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BxAQ7yfnEIg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham

    In another controversial moment, Season 22’s Arie Luyendyk Jr. asked not one, but two women to marry him. In the two part finale, he first popped the question to finalist Becca Kufrin before ending things and choosing runner-up Lauren Burnham the very next night. He proposed to Burnham in the ‘After the Final Rose’ reunion episode. Luckily, things worked out and the couple tied the knot in 2019 before welcoming their first child later that year.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0wM1XA2kf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Feature image: Instagram / Rachel Lindsey

    Table Mountain is a fan favourite across the globe. It is listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cape Town.

    This beloved mountain is more than just a great spot for views of the Mother City though. It’s not commonly known, but couples can also tie the knot while sky high.

    Over the past few years, more than 80 couples have taken their marriage vows on top of Table Mountain

    This location is especially popular during February, the month of love. December and January are also trending times to tie the knot at Table Mountain. Some have even said ‘I do’ during the winter months of May, June and July.

    The Table Mountain Cableway offers outdoor venues perfect for cocktail parties, post-conference drinks, weddings, product launches, end-of-year parties, incentives and more. Why not treat your closest family and friends to a special mountain-top occasion they are sure to remember.

    There are three outdoor venues at the Upper Cable Station and one outdoor venue at the Lower Station. Besides the Twelve Apostles Terrace, most of the venues are small so those wanting to host their wedding at Table Mountain may have to opt for a micro-wedding.

    Indoor venues include the U-shaped Summit Lounge with its three private balconies facing Lion’s Head and the City Bowl, the Twelve Apostles mountains and Devil’s Peak.

    Take a look at the magnificent outdoor venues:

    – The Twelve Apostles Terrace

    As the name suggests, The Twelve Apostles Terrace overlooks this spectacular mountain range. The open-air venue can accommodate up to 200 people, is wheelchair-friendly and ideal for breakfast and cocktail functions.

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    – Café Balcony

    This balcony faces the Twelve Apostle’s mountain range and is a fantastic site for sunset cocktail functions. This open-air venue can accommodate 35 people and is ideal for functions any time of day.

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    – The WiFi Lounge Balcony

    An open-air venue situated outside the WiFi Lounge, in the same building where the cable-car docks. This balcony faces the Twelve Apostle’s mountain range and is a fantastic site for lunch time and sunset cocktail functions. Maximum capacity is 24 people, standing with optional bench seating.’

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    – Kiosk viewing deck at the Lower Station

    A shaded viewing deck situated above the gift shops and Visitors Centre, this venue has spectacular views of the city and Lion’s Head and is ideal for sunset cocktail functions. Maximum capacity is 50 people, standing with optional partial covering to cater to adverse weather conditions.

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    Venue hire includes tables, service equipment and service staff requirements. They unfortunately do not offer sit-down or à la carte events, however.

    To book any of these areas, email [email protected] or fill out their online enquiry form.

     

    Feature image: Instagram / Table Mountain Cableway

    Come wedding day, your hair is in top shape, in fact it’s never looked this good. But what comes after? You don’t want things to go south straight after the ceremony. With a few pro tips and three versatile styling products you can keep that wedding feeling going for longer than just the “I do’s.” 

    First Step: Repair

    Take care of any damage to the hair from heat and wedding hair styling by treating it with a DIY hair treatment using Wella’s Invigo Nutri-Enrich Deep Nourishing Mask. The trick here is to not immediately rinse off, take the time to let the product soak in and allow the deeply nourishing formula time to repair stressed hair, this will take about 5-10 minutes.

    Style 1: Romantic Braid

    Credit: Unsplash

    A style that works for pool-side lounging, and can also easily go from day to night, by adding a hair accessory. Even if your hair is clean, spray Wella EIMI Dry Me into the roots, a dry shampoo is a good volumizing product and for this look you want to create height at the roots so that the braid doesn’t drag you down. Leave two front sections one either side loose and sweep the rest of your hair to the side.

    Divide this ponytail into three sections and braid, secure the ends with a tie. With the two front sections, lightly tease with your fingers and a brush, working against the hair, twist them away from the face and tuck them into the braid, securing with a hair pin. 

    Style 2: Breezy Beach Waves

    3 Easy Hairstyles to Master for Your Honeymoon
    Credit: Unsplash

    This is the perfect follow on style from the romantic braid. The braid when undone, gives hair beachy texture to work from. Add to this texture with a Spritz of Wella EIMI Ocean Spritz (with a salt spray a little goes a long way, you want workable hold, not too much grit, so go easy).

    Tong random sections of hair that need a bit more curl, about 5cm sections, then using your fingers, gently break up the curls so that you blend the tonged hair into the beachy texture. Avoid brushing at all costs as this will create frizz.

    Style 3: Up ‘til All Hours

    3 Easy Hairstyles to Master for Your Honeymoon
    Credit: Unsplash

    This style is one to keep for an evening when you don’t have time to wash your hair, in fact it’s easier to do on day-old hair. Make a middle parting at the front, and then using your thumbs roughly section hair in half from ear to ear, lift the top section and spray with Wella EIMI Flexible Finish hair spray, gently back comb the roots with a brush to create volume and lift.

    Using your fingers, scrape both top and bottom sections together and into a low pony at the nape of your neck. Twist this section into a loose bun and secure with pins on each side of the bun, this shouldn’t be tight so that you have space to loosen it. Next, gently wiggle a few pieces of hair free at the front and massage the roots with your fingers to loosen the texture. The beauty of this style is in the imperfection, so messy is good. Once you are happy with your up-style, finish with hair spray to keep in place.

    Written by Jade Leggat-Smith

    Feature image: Unsplash