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    Removing all or some of your body hair is a personal choice, and we’re firm believers in doing whatever works for you. Many men and women do choose to wax, though, especially before the big day and long-awaited honeymoon. However, it’s not a very pleasant thought when making that waxing appointment. Often accompanied by pain, discomfort and even skin conditions like rashes or in-grown hair have made many skeptical of this procedure.

    We take a look at the other options out there, which may just make things slightly easier and prevent you from getting in a sticky situation.

    Sugaring

    This method makes use of a sugar mixture which is applied at body temperature. That already means there is no chance of burning as is sometimes the case with wax. The sugar paste does not stick to live skin cells, only to hair and dead cells – giving the best exfoliation and leaving your skin smooth when the dry paste is removed. Although not completely painless, sugaring is considerably less painful than waxing.

    Laser

    Laser treatment’s biggest perk is the fact that it leads to permanent hairlessness over a long time if that’s what your goal is. However, it is quite expensive and you might still have to go for up to six treatments per year, depending on your hair growth and other factors like the quality of the laser machinery. Also, not completely pain-free, but most women say that it is definitely less painful than waxing.

    Electrolysis

    Different to laser treatments but working on the same basic principle, a probe emitting shortwave radio frequencies is applied to hair follicles to stop new hair from growing. This damages your hair follicles to prevent growth. Unlike laser technology, electrolysis is able to treat even blonde, white and grey hair.

    Dry shave

    It’s not groundbreaking, but it has proven to be an effective -and cheaper- alternative. Easy to do at home, a waterless electric shaver is quick and easy, with the bonus that it won’t cause in-grown hair like shaving does.

    Image: Pexels 

    On your wedding day, you want to look and feel your best. However, getting here requires work that often starts months before your big day.  Here are some tips to make sure you are looking and feeling your best come wedding day.

    Develop a consistent skincare routine and STICK TO IT!

    Hopefully you already have one in place, but it is important to have a skincare routine designed for your particular skin. Maybe you have oily skin, dry skin, or sensitive skin. Maybe you have discolouration, rosacea or fine lines. Regardless, there are many products created to cater for a multitude of skin types and concerns. Now, developing a skincare routine is not easy. It’s mainly just trial-and-error.

    While Koreans are famed for their 12-step routines, many dermatologists recommend a simpler skincare routine with three key steps: cleanse, tone, moisturise. Another thing dermatologists agree on is that SPF is the most important skincare product everyone should be using. Sunscreen protects your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Many skincare and makeup products contain SPF, which makes it that much easier and leaves you with no excuse not to use it.

    Facials:

    Treat your skin to a facial with your regular aesthetician every month in the lead up to your wedding. When meeting your aesthetician, highlight what you want to focus on with the facials. It’s also important to speak up about your skin type. If you’ve got sensitive skin, your aesthetician has to be very careful about the types of products they use, and it’s the same for dry and oily skin.

    Importantly, make sure not to get a new facial the day before your wedding. Your skin might react weirdly and leave you with a nasty pimple on your big day. Leave yourself a couple of days for your skin to calm down and really reflect the benefits.

    Exfoliate:

    Get rid of those pesky dried skin cells with a weekly exfoliant that will leave your skin silky smooth. Exfoliants help your skin appear brighter and glowing, which is always a good thing. Be careful when choosing your exfoliant, as some can be too harsh on your skin.

    Importantly, over-exfoliating can leave your skin dry, flaky and irritated, so best avoid using this product more than three times a week. Usage will change depending on the strength of your exfoliator.

    Manage your stress

    I know it’s hard, but this one’s important. With all the wedding planning and small moving parts to keep track of, your skin and body is likely to show your internal stress. You need to keep stress at bay so that it doesn’t show up in your skin through a breakout. A host of other conditions like exzema and psoriasis can be worsened through stress.

    Consider sharing the load and delegating jobs to your bridal party to help out so that you don’t carry all the stress of event planning. If you have an event planner, that’s even better! It’s also a great idea to participate in some stress-relieving activities like yoga, painting or reading.

    Feature image: Pexels

    Bridal showers are a way for all the women in the bride’s life to come together, get to know each other, and celebrate the bride-to-be. Games at a bridal party keeps things light and ensure that there are no awkward silences.

    Another reason to offer games at a bridal shower is to prevent the occasion from centering around gift-receiving. A common problem, however, is that the old-school, traditional bridal shower games are a bit played out.

    Here are five fun bridal shower games we know you’ll want to try:

    1. The Gossip Game 

    The bride and the host team up to write a light-hearted, gossipy question about each attendee on little pieces of paper, fold them up, and put them in a bowl. Questions can include things like “who was Sarah’s first kiss?” or “When last has the bride’s mom bought lingerie?”.

    As the guests come in, have them take a question out of the bowl. They then have to play detective, and in the process mingle and get to know each other to find out the answer to the question.

    The rules are that they are not allowed to ask the question directly and there should be a set time limit of about 30 minutes to investigate.

    2. Achieve the Look 

    This one is simple and it’s relevant. The bride probably knows exactly what she wants her bridal make-up to look like. But it’s always good to have some options… right?

    Print out multiple copies of a photo of the bride with no makeup. Each player should receive a copy of the photo and a cheap set of makeup. Have them fill in the brides makeup on the photo.

    For an added twist, you could blindfold the players too. This is sure to have you cry-laughing at the end results.

    3. Creating Cocktails 

    Provide guests with various cocktail ingredients, set a time limit, and have them create a signature drink for the bride. Let the bride be the judge of the competition.

    This one is sure to have everyone feeling merry, and the bride will have her own signature mixture to remember her bridal party by!

    4. Dream Date 

    Each guest should write down her dream celebrity date. On the other side of the page, they should write their nightmare date.

    The bride should draw each one, one at a time, and as a group the guests should try to figure out which card belongs to who. To make it trickier, have the guests guess which side is the dream date and which is the nightmare.

    5. Cold feet 

    Fill a bucket with ice and place toy rings at the bottom. Each player needs to retrieve as many rings as possible in 1 minute…with their toes!

    Also read: Top 10 summer bridal shower ideas

    Image: Pexels 

    The bold bride does not shy away from a statement look. Go big with dramatic shoulder detail that commands attention. Modern brides are taking more risks with their fashion, and it pays off.

    We’ve seen celebrities like Hilary Duff, Princess Eugenie and Caroline Kennedy bring the attention upwards with stunning shoulder detail, so you’ll be following in some iconic footsteps with this trend. With so many ways to add flair to bridal fashion, you’ll be overwhelmed with choice. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

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    Feature image: Instagram / @retoucher_marc

    The turn of the century has seen some exciting new trends emerge, with one of the biggest in bridal makeup being the “barely there” makeup look. But trust us, as simple as it looks, it’s not so easy to get it just right. The most important thing to remember is that less is more and you want to look radiant, not weighed down by make-up. Let your natural beauty shine through with a ‘no makeup’ makeup look.

    If you’re doing your own makeup for the big day, or even just want to keep this look going on your honeymoon, we’re here to help. Choose neutral colours that are right for your skin tone and avoid over-application. The aim is not to see the makeup, rather the effect thereof.

    Check out these step by step tutorials on how to nail this airy look.

    -For darker skin tones:

    -For lighter skin tones:

    Remember, these are just guidelines and each bride might feel comfortable with something different. Play around with makeup to see what makes you feel the most beautiful. And most importantly, have fun!

    Picture: Instagram/emmanouela_make_up_artist

    Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady are #supercouplegoals. This Brazilian supermodel and American quarterback couple almost seems too pretty to be real. While many celebrity marriages seem to crumble after a few years, this one has lasted over a decade. This is their secret.

    It may come as a surprise, but Gisele’s advice for a healthy marriage is incredibly simple: be attentive. Gisele believes that being present and in the moment is key to a lasting relationship. This comes in small but meaningful steps like putting the phone down when speaking to your partner and maintaining eye contact.

    Speaking to The Guardian, the supermodel explains, “I’ve been with my husband for more than 12 years now and, as you know, men are very… They want a lot of attention. They’re like, they demand… They need a lot of attention, like children do, like your family, your friends. So I think the important part is to have fully present moments with everybody. I think that leads to fulfillment, because they don’t have half of you, they have all of you in that moment and then they get recharged.”

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    In 2019, the couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. Taking to Instagram, Gisele wrote, “I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years since we’ve chose to walk this life together… and what incredible 10 years we’ve had! There is nothing that I love more in this world than you and our family. Thank you for being on this journey with me and for doing the work that it takes to make it so special. May we continue growing together, walking side by side supporting and loving one another for many many years to come. Te amo tanto❤”

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    Feature image: Instagram / Gisele Bündchen

    Many believe that wearing white to a wedding is downright sinful, but these bridal parties say otherwise. All-white bridesmaid dresses have been loved for many years by brides and stylists alike, and we can see why. Follow in the footsteps of Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton by having your bridal party rock elegant white frocks.

    The key to pulling off this trend is contrast. Even though everyone is wearing white, guests should immediately be able to tell who the bride is. Keep enough difference between your dress and your bridesmaid dresses so that the roles are clear. Here are some tips to do it right.

    Detail, detail, detail:

    Go big on detail for your wedding dress and simple for your bridesmaid gowns to create contrast. Using texture and fabric, a wedding gown can easily stand out and emphasize the bride.

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    Mix shades of white:

    Bone, ivory, pearl, cream…white comes in so many tones. Another way to create a point of difference between the bride and the bridesmaid is to have gowns in different shades of white. Just remember that more than three shades can appear overwhelming, so don’t go too crazy.

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    Show some leg:

    Keep the wedding dress a full-length gown and go shorter with your bridesmaid dresses. Shortening a gown makes it slightly less formal, thus making the bride stand out that much more.

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    Feature image: Unsplash

    A wedding registry seems like one of the easiest tasks in preparation for a wedding. You go to a store, pick the items you think you need (or want) and have the store create a list with your name on it. It may, however, not be as simple as you think.

    There are a few common mistakes that couples make when it comes to the registry. These slip-ups could have your guests criticising and will have you cringing! Ensure that you steer clear of any awkward situations by avoiding these common registry mistakes.

    – Waiting too long to register 

    Once you get engaged, putting together a wedding registry should be on the top of your list of things to do! Ensure that you have this done within a month of your engagement. You’ll be receiving engagement gifts soon, and the registry will help people to get you a gift for the engagement too. Don’t worry about looking greedy, the registry is simply to help your guests, not to demand things from them.

    – Including the registry on the wedding invitation 

    This could make it seem as though you’re demanding a gift. After all, it isn’t compulsory for guests to give gifts.

    When you put the registry on the invitation it feels like you’re asking for a gift in exchange for entrance into the wedding. Many people will find it rude that you’ve added it.

    Instead, you could direct people to the registry via your wedding website or the save the date.

    – Only registering in one place 

    While registering at only one store is probably the easiest option for you, it probably will be inconvenient for your guests. Some guests will want to buy gifts at real stores instead of online and some may be too far away from the one physical store you’ve chosen.

    Be sure to have one or two online stores and one or two physical stores with your registry. Limit the amount of stores to three or four. Too many stores could also be a bad idea, as this may make you look greedy or self-indulgent.

    – Asking directly for cash 

    Here, it’s more about tact than anything else. These days it’s okay to ask for money if you do it in the right way. You shouldn’t directly say that you want money.  However, you can indicate that you will be happy to receive contributions to a down payment on your new home or to your dream honeymoon.

    The trick is to choose your words wisely and ensure that you’re showing people that their money will go to good use.

    – Not varying the prices of gifts 

    Putting only expensive, dream items on your list may be a bit presumptuous. Remember that some people may not be within the means to buy you an expensive gift, and some simply may not want to. A colleague, for example, wouldn’t want to splurge on a wedding gift for you.

    Similarly, don’t assume that nobody will buy you one of those dream items on your list. Add a few! Maybe a few people will come together and get one big gift, or maybe your siblings are so happy for you that they decide to go all out.

    Add a good variety of gifts to the registry, with prices from very low to quite high.

    – Not writing thank you notes

    While this is not registry related, it is gift related and failing to send out thank you notes is a big no-no!

    Keep track of who gives you what, to make the thank you note process easier. After the wedding, you have no more than three months to get your thank you notes sent out. Don’t put it off!

    Also read: Wedding gifts for every budget

    Feature image: Pexels

    One of the wedding traditions that have stood the test of time is the preservation of the top tier of a wedding cake. Couples save the top tier of their wedding cakes and eat it on their one-year anniversary. It may sound impractical, but we’re here to show you how to do it!

    Before we get to the tips for preserving your wedding cake, perhaps a little background on the tradition is necessary. These days, saving your cake for a year is understood as an omen for good luck. But where does the tradition come from?

    The story of cake preservation has two short parts. The first is that having a child in the first year of marriage was much more common in years gone by. For this reason, a couple would prefer to save a part of the wedding cake for the celebration of the birth of their child instead of getting a new cake.

    The second part of its story goes back to the 19th century and follows the actions of Queen Elizabeth II (or Princess Elizabeth at the time). When the Princess married Prince Philip in 1947, they had a three-tier cake. Each tier had a designated purpose – the bottom tier was to be cut at the wedding, the middle was to be sent off as a gift, and the top tier was to be saved for a future occasion. The future occasion here was the presumed upcoming birth of a child.

    Now, instead of saving it for the birth of the first child, the couple saves it for the first anniversary which is usually much closer in time to the wedding. The tradition seems to have stuck as a symbol of bringing the past into the present and of celebration.

    So, how do you preserve your top tier? Here are a few tips:

    – Decide on preserving it in advance 

    To ensure that the top tier doesn’t get cut on your wedding day, let your caterer know that you’ll be preserving it well before the ceremony. Deciding on preserving the cake early also helps you decide on fillings which may be longer lasting than others or decorations and designs that are able to withstand a year in the freezer.

    – Remove ornaments and flowers (real or sugar) 

    When you wrap the cake, it needs to be airtight.  The extra decorations will prevent the cake from being wrapped airtight.

    – Chill the cake 

    As soon as you get a chance, pop the cake in the freezer. This allows the cake to harden and preserve the icing properly. Ensure that there are no soft bits around the cake before you take it out of the freezer.

    – Double wrap it 

    First, wrap the cake with plastic. Push the plastic onto the cake so that there are no air bubbles. Then cover it again with foil. This ensures that nothing can get in. It also helps to ensure that other things in the freezer don’t pass their smells or tastes onto your cake.

    – Freeze

    Once the cake is tightly wrapped, label it (to ensure it doesn’t get mistaken for something else) and pop it in the freezer!

    – Eat later 

    Once your first anniversary comes, you’ll defrost the cake. Take the cake out of the freezer the day before your anniversary and keep in the fridge overnight. Then take it out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for about 5 hours. Thereafter, it’ll be ready to eat!

     

    Many couples want to participate in this tradition but, for whatever reason, prefer not to save the cake. If you don’t see yourself saving the cake, but still want the sentiment and symbolism that comes with this tradition on your first anniversary, chat to your caterer and let her know that in a year you’ll be ordering an identical top tier. You may end up receiving a special deal or a totally free top tier!

    Image: Pexels

    The days of having to invite your cousin twice removed and your grandmother’s brother’s children, whom you have never even met, to your wedding are over. These days, where the economy is tight for everyone except the royals and celebs, every penny counts and it really has become more common to have smaller, intimate weddings. That way, you can spend the day (and your hard-earned money) with the people that are closest to you and are part of your everyday life.

    Thus, we present to you: The microwedding. This means usually no more than 30-40 guests in total. The best part is, if you do have a more flexible budget, you can throw an extravagant affair and cater to everyone’s needs. You also get to spend more time with each person, so you have great memories with everyone who shares in your special day.

    This also means you can have a destination wedding with ease, as the practical arrangements are way simpler and the planning overall is way easier.

     

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    Image: Instagram/100layercake