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    To hire a wedding planner or DIY?
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    To hire a wedding planner or DIY?

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    With a million things to decide on, from cakes, decor, and venue amongst others, making the decision whether to hire a wedding planner or to do everything yourself is a tricky decision.

    The logistics can take away from the thrill of enjoying your big day. It’s no wonder so many choose to hire a wedding planner to plan their big day so they can focus on the fun.

    While wedding planners are more experienced and flexible, those who want 100% control will probably be better doing doing it themselves.

    If you enjoy planning and doing things yourself then, by all means, you should plan your wedding. This can also be another way to save money because it will cost you less than having to pay a professional.

    Here are the pros and cons of hiring a planner.

    The Pros

    – Your wedding will have an expert look to give it the extra flair and beauty

    – You will not worry about things going wrong, because that is not your responsibility

    – Pros already know who to call and for what  to make your big day amazing

    – Your budget gets a professional eye and you will get a fresh perspective of ideas

    The Cons

    – You will lose some control over the planning of your own wedding

    – You will spend more money paying a professional than you would if you were doing it yourself

    – You may have a difficult time trusting someone with every detail, and have disagreements from time to time

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    The best suit style for your body type
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    Choosing the best suit style for your body type

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    Unsure of what suit will fit you best? It’s important to choose the right style and wear what flatters your shape most. Looking good is guaranteed to make you feel good!

    Take a look at these tips and tricks to find the perfect fit for you.

    Slender and tall

    Tall men often have trouble finding pants that cover their ankles completely. Make sure your pants are the right length, as pants that are too short will seem skimpy. Alternatively, you cold opt for ankle grazers which are meant to be shorter and end just above the ankles. If you are slim and want to add more texture to your shape, opt for a blazer with padded shoulders. Dark colours work well with taller postures.

    Muscular

    If you are a fitness enthusiast and have the muscles to prove it, you could possibly wear any style and rock it. However, remember to choose the right size. Buying too small to enhance your muscles is not smart. You will feel uncomfortable and there is always the risk of popping buttons.  The correct size will set you off just fine.

    Short and bulky

    Go for smooth textures, without too many bells and whistles. The idea is to make you look taller, so opt for vertical stripes or buttoned blazers. Make sure the pant legs are not too long and don’t scrunch at the bottom. Rather get them hemmed if you can’t find a size that fits the waist and legs equally well.

    Slender and short

    If you have a small frame, you get to go all out. Lighter colours will make you appear larger and stylish accessories will be pleasing to the eye. A bit of extra shoulder padding will also go a long way, and keep an eye out for shoes with a slightly raised sole.

    Large

    If you are more man than muscle, fret not. Dress smartly in slimming colours like navy and charcoal, and avoid attracting attention to your waistline. Vests are flattering and will conceal any insecurities. Make sure your pants fit nice and snug, not baggy as that will make you seem bigger. The right size is key.

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    Simple yet chic wedding hairstyles to wow the crowd

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    While many brides want to be different on their special day, your hair is not something you need to be unique.

    There is no need to go crazy with a wedding hairstyle. In 20 years time, you don’t want to look back at your wedding pictures and hate your hairstyle. Sometimes, a classic look is best.

    Soft flowing waves or a chic chignon are popular for a reason. They are eternally glamorous styles that have been in fashion for decades.

    Whether you want your hair up or down, a simple hairstyle can quickly be elevated by adding a fun hair accessory. From a flower crown to jewel-encrusted clips, choose a look that goes with the overall vibe you have in mind. This way, you have the classic look with a little something for added personality.

    Take some inspiration from these brides.

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    Traditional leather gift ideas for your third anniversary

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    Three years of marriage is no small feat. While the honeymoon period is over and you’ve likely settled into wedded bliss, it is still important to honour every moment.

    Every year is a special year for a married couple, as it marks another 365 days of their union. However, each anniversary has its own special meaning, according to tradition.

    The third wedding anniversary is symbolised by leather, meant to represent strength and security. At this stage in your relationship, you’ve developed habits and patterns that have solidified, and you’ve faced ups and downs. Like leather, your love is durable and resilient.

    Of course, it does not have to be real leather. You can easily opt for vegan leather alternatives to stay on tradition while not compromising your principles.

    Here are some leather-related gift ideas to honour the day:

    – A handbag

    – A monogrammed wallet

    – An office chair

    – Boots

    – Driving gloves

    – Camera strap

    – A leather-bound notebook

    – Matching bracelets

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    Tropical-inspired wedding cakes to complete the island vibe

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    Got a special island wedding planned? Or even if you can’t have the destination wedding of your dreams, you can bring the island vibes to your special day with some tropical-inspired touches.  

    Bring your wedding cake to life with some fun and fancy tropical extras. A tropical theme is all about bright, fun colours, from vivid greens to sharp yellow, any bold hue will work. Of course, you’ll need to incorporate flowers of some kind. If you’re hosting a destination wedding, use a popular local flower. Otherwise, palm leaves will work perfectly.

    If you’re not into the botanical look, you could also use items like coconuts or pineapples to complete the feel.

    Here are some stunning cakes to inspire you:

     

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    Delicious DIY drink ideas to serve your guests

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    Planning your wedding to the last detail can greatly help to cut down costs. Importantly, not everything needs to be outsourced, You can easily serve up some delicious DIY drinks to your guests, adding an extra interactive element to your big day.

    Not only will it save you costs, but this will also create a fun vibe and you won’t have people complaining that eadrink menu did not have their favourite drink. Here are 5 DIY drinks your guest can make for themselves.

    Cool lemonade 

    For the non-drinkers and possibly children (if you will have them at your wedding) a cold lemonade is always a winner, it is very easy to make and you can easily be creative when making it. Another plus about this drink is that you don’t need a lot of ingredients. All you need are some lemons, water, and sugar/syrup.

    Cut the lemons in half and then juice them.  Pour water and stir in sugar. Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved and the liquid looks clear again. Combine sugar solution with lemon juice. When ready to serve, add water to taste.

    Mimosa 

    This lovely two ingredients cocktail is a favorite amongst champagne lovers. It is easy to make. All you need is some chapmpagne and orange juice.

    Ensure both ingredients are well chilled, then mix into the glass. Serve cold. To get the best taste, stir and not shake. For the ambiance you can add cherries, grenadine, strawberries
    Gin bar
    For gin lovers, Here’s an easy option that only requires one main ingredient and that is gin. Have mint, rosemary, and basil ready, slice up limes, lemons, and grapefruit to let guests add a refreshing twist to the classic. Look at how you can set up a gin bar.
    Mojito
    This is a sweet cocktail that is also very easy to make. It has versatility because you can have it as a non-alchoholic beverage but you can also add  your rum. You will need white rum, lime juice, sugar, mint leaves and soda water.
    Whiskey cocktails
    For guests who like hard liquor, this is the perfect thing for them. If you are tired of drinking it in shots, you can make cocktails out of them. You can have whiskey with apple tiser or red bull. The options are endless.
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    Move over gowns, mini wedding dresses are the hot new trend

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    The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the wedding world upside down. From the guestlist to the fashion, it seems like everything has changed in 2020.

    Many modern couples are hosting micro weddings in 2020, and hope to have bigger affairs later on when it is safe to do so. Smaller-scale celebrations call for less dramatic gowns.

    We’ve seen quite a few pandemic brides opting aginst the traditional ballgown-length look in favour of a minidress or jumpsuit. Oscar de la Renta even showcased a bridal minidress in his 2021 bridal collection, meaning this look is right on trend.

    Just because you’re wearing a minidress, does not mean it has to be simple. Go big with statement shoulders and dramatic detailing, or incorporate fun fabrics to add edge to your look.

    Here are a few dresses to inspire you:

     

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    50 of the best wedding entrance songs to get the party started
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    50 of the best wedding entrance songs to get the party started

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    Making your first entrance as a married couple at your wedding reception is a big deal, and you need the perfect soundtrack to back it up.

    The song you choose to punctuate your steps will set the tone for the rest of the evening. What kind of story do you want to tell? It’s important to pick something that is true to you and your partner. The best thing to do is to match the song to your personality.

    Whether you make your debut as a married couple to an upbeat song or a tear-jerker, there is no right or wrong answer. There is a wealth of options to choose from, here are a few of the top tracks people have been loving.

    1. Linger – The Cranberries
    2. Best Part – Daniel Caesar
    3. Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding
    4. You Make My Dreams Come True – Hall and Oates
    5. Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe – Barry White
    6. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
    7. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) -Whitney Houston
    8. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gay and Tammi Terrell
    9. All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
    10. Best Day of My Life – American Authors
    11. Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
    12. Raise Your Glass – P!nk
    13. What I Like About You – The Romantics
    14. Riptide – Vance Joy
    15. On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
    16. Lucky – Chelsea Cutler
    17. Cheerleader – Omi
    18. Crazy in Love – Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z
    19. Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
    20. Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
    21. This Is What You Came For – Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna
    22. How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
    23. Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
    24. We Belong – Pat Benatar
    25. Waiting For A Girl Like You – Foreigner
    26. I.F.L.Y – Bazzi
    27. You’re The One That I Want – The Grease soundtrack
    28. Beyond – Leon Bridges
    29. Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
    30. I Wanna Have Your Babies – Natasha Bedingfield
    31. Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey
    32. Stuck With You – Ariana Grande feat. Justin Bieber
    33. Dangerously In Love – Destiny’s Child
    34. We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
    35. Marry You – Bruno Mars
    36. My Girl – The Temptations
    37. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer
    38. It’s Tricky – Run DMC
    39. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
    40. What I Like About You – The Romantics
    41. Let’s Hear It for the Boy – Deniece Williams
    42. T.N.T. – AC/DC
    43. You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
    44. Dear Future Husband -Meghan Trainor
    45. Get Your Number – Mariah Carey
    46. Stuck On You – Lionel Richie
    47. Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
    48. This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
    49. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder
    50. Crazy in Love – Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z

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    How to pick your wedding date
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    How to pick your wedding date

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    After getting engaged, you already know that the next step is getting married and that includes the wedding and its planning. Your date can be chosen based on a number of things like a season, a location, family members, or a special date. However, if you have always dreamt of a specific destination or venue, then your wedding date might depend on the availability of the place.

    Specific special dates

    Many wedding dates are related to a special day, like each other’s birthday, the day that you met, your favourite restaurant, or the day you got engaged. When you want a specific date, start planning as soon as possible and call venues and vendors you want to hire. Most wedding venues can be booked a year in advance.  You will have peace of mind knowing that you have secured the venue but you need to have a plan B just in case something unforeseen happens.

    Choose the season

    Start by thinking about your favourite times of the year. Is there is a month or season that you would like to get married in? It is also very important to understand that the time of the year can affect your venue, wedding colours, and theme. Consider the weather, holidays, and commitments you have each month before you choose to host the wedding then.

    Indoors or outdoors

    When you are going to choose to have a wedding outdoors it is important to consider the season because as a person, you don’t know what the weather will look like. For the bride, think about the type of gown that would be comfortable for the venue, a short-sleeved gown will probably not work for a beach wedding in winter. Research the weather conditions in the location you are planning on getting married in and ask your wedding planner.

    Think budget

    There are months that are cheaper than others, people buy winter clothes in summer and vice versa. If you are working with a budget then this might be the idea you take and run with. April, September, and December are some of the most popular marriage months, so prices are inevitably higher. You will most like to pay high prices for everything, from venues to decor. Pick an off-peak month, where you’re more likely to get discounted prices and a better selection of venues.

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    Here’s how marriage laws are changing in South Africa

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    A number of amendments have been made to existing marriage laws in South Africa in recent months. These changes were meant to have been implemented earlier in the year but were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown.

    The Department of Home Affairs said in a presentation to parliament that they plan to introduce new policy changes that will update South Africa’s marriage laws. The policy will be drafted for public comment before the end of the 2020/2021 financial year, which will be by March 31, 2021.

    The changes are all based on constitutional values and modern social dynamics, the department explained in May.

    “Despite all the changes that have been made in the marriage legislation post-1994, there are still serious gaps in the current legislation. For instance, the current legislation does not regulate some religious marriages such as the Hindu, Muslim, and other customary marriages that are practised in some African or royal families,” the department said.

    “Given the diversity of the South Africa population, it is virtually impossible to pass legislation governing every single religious or cultural marriage practice. It is against this background that the DHA is embarking in the process of developing a marriage policy that will lay a policy foundation for drafting a new single or omnibus legislation.”

    The key updates introduced in the new policy include:

    – The new Marriage Act will allow South Africans of different sexual orientations, religious and cultural persuasions to legally marry.

    – New rules on the age of marriage

    – Changes in marriage, matrimonial property, and divorce legislation

    – solemnisation and registration of marriages that involve foreign nationals

    – solemnisation and registration of customary marriages that involve non-citizens especially cross-border communities or citizens of neighbouring countries

    Most recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Civil Amendment Act of 2020, making it illegal for state marriage officers and magistrates to refuse to solemnise a civil union between same-sex couples.

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