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In a dramatic turn of events, sometimes when you hear the phrase “Speak now or forever hold your peace,” it’s followed by a notable entrance. Someone bursts through the doors just in time, yelling “Don’t marry him!” and the scene then more or less concludes with bouts of tears and the wedding being cancelled. The couple who was actually meant to be together, of course, end up declaring their unending love to one another and ride off into the sunset. Yes, I’m talking about every hopelessly romantic movie ever.

In real life, though, things don’t always end that dreamy. Objections do happen and in fact, sometimes it’s really, really awkward! Here are some of the worst (or best) stories of objections when people did not hold their peace.

– At a small and intimate wedding, a man claiming to be the bride’s lover jumped up during the ceremony and started yelling at the groom. He was screaming that he wasn’t going to let him steal his woman, pointing a gun and threatening to shoot him if he didn’t give her up. Reddit user jjett89 attended the wedding and rightly said it felt like an episode of the Jerry Springer show. The guests were screaming and running for cover as the looney lover stole the show.

– Setting: A vibey, hipster beach wedding in a small town in Canada. The groom waws from Trinidad and Tobago, so all his relatives travelled far and are dressed wildly different from the Canadians. Everyone was loving it.  As the ceremony progresses, everyone was getting teary from the vows. Then the line comes. “Any reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now.” The father of the groom gets up, stumbling and making a scene. A collective gasp followed by silence overtakes the scenic venue. Everyone is holding their breath. But he’s just standing there with glassy eyes. Turns out he was high on marijuana. The 70 year old man in a suit, sunglasses and dreadlocks laughs and says “No, I kid, I kid!” and the audience cracks up laughing as he sits back down. What a jokester.

– During a very prim and proper wedding, a man and says, “Yeah, I object. That’s my wife.” As everyone sits in shock, he claims that they got married at 18, she abandoned him and they never divorced. He had been trying to get a hold of her, and he actually told her that if she didn’t at least get a legal divorce, he would show up at her wedding. She had just ignored him, never answering his calls after leaving him at age 19.  Complete disaster. The wedding was cancelled. The groom married the bride a year later after the divorce went through, in a small private ceremony. And here’s the kicker: two years later she just walked out on him.

– Here’s one you don’t hear everyday. When the pastor got to the part “or forever hold your peace,” the bride said, “Yes, I’d like to say something.” Then she turned around to her guests and said, “I’d like to thank my maid of honour for sleeping with my fiancé last night.” With that, she threw her bouquet and stormed off. The story apparently even made it on the radio at the time.

– This one does not have much theatrics to it, but the sheer mess of it will leave you stunned. The bride and groom were siblings, and their estranged father hadn’t told them until he objected at the wedding. They already had a child together, says didyouknowfacts.com. Twisted.

 

Picture: Unsplash

Wedding dress shopping can be stressful. With so many cuts and styles available, brides can easily become overwhelmed by the options. To make things easier, here’s our wedding gown 101 guide to the most popular wedding dress silhouettes.

 

Ball gown:

Also known as princess style, this wedding dress silhouette is characterised by a full skirt, fitted bodice and natural waist. It is the most traditional of the silhouettes, often considered the most romantic and feminine due to its fairytale-esque shape. This cut works well on most body types, especially more straight figures as it creates shape. However, more petite brides might get lost in the fullness of the skirt.

Famous brides that have worn this look include Mariah Carey, Serena Williams and Diana, Princess of Wales.

 

 

Mermaid:

This silhouette is for the daring bride. This curve-hugging cut is fitted to the brides body from the chest to the knees, where it flares out. It works best on brides that want to enhance their curvy shape.

Kim Kardashian, Melania trump and Khloe Kardashian stunned in this wedding dress style.

 

A-line:

While similar to a ballgown, the A-line silhouette skirt is more flowy in style. The fitted bodice flows into the skirt forming an upperclass ‘A’ shape.

Priyanka Chopra, Duchess Kate Middleton, and Allison Williams have worn this style.

 

 

Trumpet:

Also known as fit-and-flare, this style is fitted on the bodice and flares out mid thigh, making it a blend of an A-line and mermaid silhouette. It is typically easier to move around in than a mermaid dress. This style works best on brides wanting to accentuate their waists.

Beyonce, Ciara, and Michelle Kwan all wore this style on their Big Day.

 

Empire waist:

This wedding dress silhouette it fitted and flares out underneath the bust. They are flattering for most body shapes and are comfortable to wear.

Celebrity brides that have worn this style include Kelly Clarkson and Priscilla Presley.

 

Drop waist:

The drop waist silhouette is essentially an A-line gown with a lower waistline. Instead of flowing from the natural waist, drop waist gowns begin to flow from the hips. This style hugs your waist and hips, making it perfect for brides wanting to accentuate these parts of their body.

Caroline Kennedy and Poppy Delevigne have worn this style for their wedding day.

 

 

Sheath:

This classic style features a narrow shape that flows  straight down from the neckline to the hemline. Brides with more athletic or lean builds look best in this style. It also works well on petite brides as the straight lines work to elongate bodies.

Celebrity brides that have donned this silhouette include Jada Pinkett Smith and Princess Charlene of Monaco.

 

 

Picture: Unsplash

A symbol of prosperity, good fortune and fertility, rice has been a staple at weddings for decades in the form of a rice toss. Guests gather outside the venue following the wedding ceremony, awaiting the newlyweds. As the new couple exit the venue, guests shower them with rice to positively usher them into their new lives.

If you’re not much of a grain person, there are many fun alternatives to the rice toss.

Here are some unique alternatives to the rice toss:

Bubbles:

Flower petals:

Dried lavender:

Glow sticks:

Streamers:

Confetti:


 

Sparklers:

Sprinkles:

Ring the Bells:

Feathers:

Picture: Unsplash

A welsh bride lost 63kg for her wedding day, stunning her wedding guests with her incredible physical transformation.

Claire Williams (44) from Wales has battled with her weight for the majority of her life.
Speaking to Fabulous Digital, she said, “I was a chunky child and in my early 20s I was about a size 14 which was fine. But I just got bigger and bigger. Any food I could find I’d put in my mouth.”

“I would eat a stupid amount of bread – almost a loaf a day. I’d have it with every single meal of the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, too.”

At her heaviest, she weighed 125kg. Her weight began to negatively affect her life in many ways.

“I was beginning to suffer with my mobility. When I got on a plane I sat in my seat the whole journey without moving once – terrified if I undid my seat belt I’d never do it up again.”

At her heaviest she weighed 125kgs. Credit: Facebook

When she met her now-husband Matthew in 2013, however, everything changed.

“Matthew loved me unconditionally. He met me when I was fat and he got a lot of stick. People asked him why he was going out with a fat lass like me.”

Matthew received lots of criticism for dating her, which is what made things truly change for her. She decided to embark on a weight-loss journey, this time sticking to it because she knew she had the full support of her partner.

“Having such a wonderful partner who loves you unconditionally is amazing. If it wasn’t for him, I’d not be the healthy and happy woman I am today.”

With his support, she joined a Slimming World group, a UK-based weight loss organisation. The group members quickly became family to her during her weight loss journey, so much so that she even asked her consultant to be one of her bridesmaids.

Through this programme, Williams lost a dramatic 63kg, almost half her body weight. She now feels full of energy, and has a renewed confidence. Her weight loss also had another important effect. As she lost the weight, she discovered a prominent lump in her stomach that turned out to be a tumour. She had the non-cancerous tumour removed, and feels lucky that her weight loss helped her discover the tumour.

“It’s shocking to think I had something that big in my stomach and I had no idea.”

Credit: Facebook

She confidently walked down the aisle on her wedding day, stunning guests with her transformation.

“I did feel truly amazing on my wedding day. Walking down the aisle felt wonderful. Matthew did nothing but tell me how beautiful I was and the whole day was fantastic,” she said.

She looked confident and happy on her wedding day. Credit: Facebook

Picture: Facebook

One of the most time-honoured traditions still in existence today is the wedding day. Traditional weddings include a host of specific customs that brides typically engage in, one of them being wearing a wedding veil.

For centuries, lovebirds and strangers have been getting hitched and brides donned the famous headwear. Widely considered just another fashion accessory on your big day, the wedding veil actually has an interesting history.

The history of the the wedding veil

The wedding veil is arguably the oldest part of the wedding ensemble. There is some contention over its specific history, but most wedding historians pinpoint ancient Greeks and Romans as the first people to wear the wedding veil. According to Julie Sabatino, expert bridal stylist and founder of the The Stylish Bride, brides of this time wore the wedding veil to disguise themselves from evil spirits aiming to spoil their joy. Some accounts show that veils were red in hue to symbolise the fire of the betrothed’s commitment as well as to ward off evil spirits.

Wedding historian Susan Waggoner speaks of the Christian symbolism of the veil, telling Brides.com that in ancient times, people “wrapped brides from head to toe to represent the delivery of a modest and untouched maiden.” These were also the days of arranged marriages, when a bride’s virginity was her most important marker. The veil thus became a way of representing modesty and purity. The veil also acted as a method of concealing the bride’s face to the groom to prevent him from getting cold feet and running away from the stranger he was about to marry.

In Judaism biblical times, the groom would place the veil on his bride as a symbol that he was marrying her for her inner beauty.

The 18th century saw the veil fall out of fashion as brides opted for caps, bonnets, tiaras, jewels, wreaths and other adornments. However, they came back in style when Queen Victoria donned a four yards (3,7m) by 0.75 yards (0.7m) wide veil during her wedding to Prince Albert on 10 February, 1840. Following her iconic wedding, the veil became a symbol for wealth, status and style. The length, weight and quality of the veil all spoke highly of the status of the bride. This is why royal brides traditionally wore the longest veils.

Roger Fenton / Getty Images

The wedding veil today

Today, the wedding veil is largely seen as an optional accessory. Many brides opt out of wearing wedding veils. Some consider it too traditional and unnecessary, others just don’t like the look. However, it is still quite popular and is largely used as another fashionable element to your Big Day. Many celebrity brides have famously donned the wedding veil, including Ciara, Princess Diana, Kim Kardashian and Duchess Meghan Markle.

 

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Picture: Unsplash

A British couple took their love for Monty Python to the next level when they centred their wedding theme around the popular surrealist comedy group.

Superfans John Wood and Gemma Harris from West Sussex wanted their wedding to honour the 50 year anniversary of Monty Python’s Flying Circus’s first broadcast. The extravaganza took two years to plan and cost over £15,000.

They invited their guests with this unique save-the-date video. In a Facebook post, Harris wrote, “As well as a Monty Python theme, we also had ‘The Wood Party’ as a consistent thread throughout the process which was based on a real Monty Python ‘Wood Party’ sketch and also the ‘Silly Elections.’ This was our Save The Date video.”

Their wedding, held on October 5, 2019, featured numerous references to the popular show. Harris walked down the aisle to the Python theme song and fart noises in lieu of the wedding march, and a hand of God pointed to the couple throughout the ceremony. They even recreated the ‘Buying a Bed’ sketch at their ceremony.

Facebook/Hyacinth Daniels

“There was a 9ft parrot, a handmade albatross, all sorts of things. We commissioned artists to make some of the props, but most things we did ourselves,” says Wood.

Facebook/Gemma Wood

“Instead of saying ‘I do’, I said ‘perhaps’, to which Gemma replied: ‘Oh, say you do!’ To which I replied: ‘Oh, all right then.’”

As a starter, they served guests salmon mousse, which Wood explains to BBC was “a reference to the salmon mousse which kills everybody at the end of ‘The Meaning of Life.'”

The main course featured spam in reference to another popular sketch. Instead of cutting the cake, they smashed it with a prosthetic foot.

Facebook/Gemma Wood

Carol Cleveland, an actress well known for her work with Monty Python, even made an appearance at the wedding.

Facebook/Gemma Wood

The British surrealist group entertained viewers with their Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV show from 1969 to 1974, as well as several movies. Members of the group included John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, and Michael Palin.

Monty Python is incredibly important to Wood, who was once married to a woman that did not like the show.

“The way I look at the world, everything reminds me of it,” he told The Guardian UK. “I wanted a woman who likes and understands Monty Python. It was the most important thing in my search for a new partner.”

He took his search very seriously, even setting up a Monty Python themed Facebook group called Pythonesque Dating to help Python-heads find love with each other. It was here that he met his future wife, Gemma Harris.

The couple became engaged in front of Monty Python stars Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam at a fundraising event in London.

Picture: Facebook/Gemma Wood

Every wedding needs a first-dance song. Music inspires and moves us every day, and your wedding should be no different.

Regardless of your wedding style, we’ve got some romantic melodies to get you in the mood for love. Here are 50 romantic first-dance songs, or just songs to add to your wedding playlist.

  • Your Song – Elton John
  • (Everything I Do) I Do For You – Bryan Adams
  • Best Part – Daniel Caesar

  • (They Long to be) Close to You – The Carpenters
  • Teen Heat – Kimbra
  • Dangerously in Love – Destiny’s Child
  • Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
  • You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
  • Come What May – Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge soundtrack)

  • Songbird – Eva Cassidy
  • Honey – Kehlani
  • Differences – Genuwine
  • Make You Feel My Love – Adele
  • How long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
  • While We’re Young – Jhené Aiko

  • You Give Me Something – James Morrison
  • You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
  • I.F.L.Y – Bazzi
  • When We Were Young – Adele
  • Love on Top – Beyoncé
  • You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oats
  • Be my Baby – The Ronettes
  • If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
  • Adorn – Miguel

  • Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison
  • Shut Up and Dance – Walk The Moon
  • Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
  • Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey
  • I’m Yours – Jason Mraz

  • When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
  • Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warner
  • Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
  • A Thousand Years – Christina Perry
  • Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
  • All of Me – John Legend
  • Love Someone – Lukas Graham
  • Always Remember Us This Way – Lady Gaga

  • Ho Hey – The Lumineers
  • All My Life – K-Ci & JoJo
  • Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
  • I Like Me Better – Lauv
  • Beyond – Leon Bridges

  • Waiting for a Girl Like You – Foreigner
  • We Belong – Pat Benatar
  • Sucker – The Jonas Brothers
  • Stuck On You – Lionel Richie
  • I Don’t Care – Ed Sheeran feat. Justin Bieber
  • Speechless – Dan + Shay
  • Better – Khalid

Image: Pixabay

On a couple’s wedding, they should be able to do what makes them happy. Even if the guests have to shut their eyes or bite their tongues. Call it weird or call it wonderful, these weddings certainly were unusual.
1: If you’ve got, flaunt it

Ellie Barton and Phil Hendicott decided to spend their wedding dressed to the nines. Or should we say undressed? The pair of exhibitionist Aussies exchanged vows in front of 250 guests wearing nothing more than their wedding rings – and a bouquet of strategically-placed roses. The bride, not sacrificing style for freedom, wore  a long white wedding veil. And the groom, well, a black top hat, but not where hats usually go.

2: Dive in head first

Some might think tying the knot will be enough of a rush on it’s own, but these adrenalin junkies tied it quite literally. Jeroen and Sandra Kippers of Brussels, Belgium, were lifted on a platform about 48m feet in the air for their wedding ceremony. They were joined by the officiant and about 20 guests. Another platform held the musicians. After the vows, they made it official by bungee-jumping over the side!

3: After death do us part

A heartbroken woman decided to “marry” her murdered fiancé in a hospital morgue. Kevin Lavelle, 29, was tragically murdered before his wedding could take place. Michelle Thomas organised a “wedding” in the morgue of Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital in England, where Kevin lay. In front of an open coffin, the priest blessed the wedding rings that Michelle had bought specially for the service. Now that’s commitment.

Vorply.com

4: You take my breath away

Underwater weddings seem to have become a trend and many couples are trading in the aisle for the seabed. If that’s still not adventurous enough for you, there are even shark diving packages that invite some predatory guests to the ceremony. You do have to be a certified scuba diver, obviously. Just don’t get thrown in the deep end!

Scuba-monkey.com

5: You sweep me off my feet

You won’t have to worry about your weight at this one. And if it feels like you’re floating, you probably are. Noah Fulmor and Erin Finnegan became the first couple to be wed in microgravity over the skies of south Florida. They said “I do” aboard G-Force One, a modified 727 similar to the Air Force’s “Vomit Comet” which can provide periods of weightlessness lasting several minutes via a parabolic flight path. It’s operated by Zero Gravity Corp., the first and only company cleared by the FAA to offer simulated-weightlessness flights to the general public.

Popsci.com

Featured Image: Popular Science

As the backdrop to your wedding, your wedding arch quite literally frames your ceremony. Flowers, fabrics and unusual shapes bring your wedding arch a unique, personal touch guaranteed to wow your guests. Here are some ideas to elevate your wedding arch:

Flower power:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bse0c15lGEl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3JtUbKAEXo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LCJCDAJeD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1uDEBtITCA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzO2HOVpUcQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Boho bride:

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxK5zscgSnp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3NxKLSnpnX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Quirky:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0YAA3Ij9kh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3MsrrDjtC8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Lcob1JoWk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ULL7yhJ49/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/BopMrBSF3An/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Image: Unsplash