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    When we hear the phrase “your future is written in the cards”, we never expect it to be very literal. However, for this couple it was. A man used the card game called Taboo to propose to his girlfriend, completely taking her by surprise.

    Taboo is a word guessing party game. The point of the game is for a player to get their partner’s to guess the word on their cards, without using the word written on the card and without using 5 other words written on the card.

    Daunta, the man proposing, pre-arranged the Taboo cards “will”, “you”, “merry”, and “me” to come up. “Merry”, was there to ensure that his girlfriend didn’t catch on to the marriage proposal that was on its way.

    Christina, his now-fiance, had the job of ensuring that Daunta didn’t use any of the words on the card in his attempt to get others to guess the word.

    His partners guessed the words correctly, and Daunta threw the cards on the ground as they guessed each one. At the end of the round they tried to remember how many of the words they guessed correctly. In order to examine this, Daunta got down on one knee to look at the cards he threw on the floor.

    As he picked them up he read each one, “Will. You. Merry. Me”.

    It took her a while, but once she understood she was absolutely shocked!

    Watch it all happen here:

    Image: Screenshot from video

    Despite rules and regulations on public gatherings due to COVID-19, many are still going about their lives as usual. While many couples have significantly scaled down their weddings and others have cancelled their celebrations altogether, others refuse to do so. Now, a San Francisco couple is realizing the error of their ways.

    A couple celebrated their wedding in early July with approximately 100 guests at the SS Peter and Paul’s Church in San Francisco, California. Guests came from across the US, including Texas and Arizona. The large gathering has led to the newlyweds, along with eight of their friends, contracting coronavirus.

    The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the couple also held a rehearsal dinner on the evening before their wedding, which was attended by over 40 people.

    Despite being aware of the restrictions implemented, including a governmental order on the closure of indoor operations including religious services, the couple still held their wedding as planned. They were reportedly ware that they were breaking rules according to the Daily Mail, who claim that the father of the bride instructed guests to enter the venue from the back door so as to ensure that the event was not obviously visible.

    According to the Independent, a city official arrived at the event as guests made their way inside and instructed those participating that the wedding should not continue due to the high number of guests.

    Thereafter, the couple had a smaller ceremony with most guests watching online and some still in the church.

    However, within five days of the ceremony the couple and eight of their guests started showing symptoms and tested positive for the virus.

    According to a Pastor involved with the church,  the church had agreed to the wedding but had not agreed to the number of guests.

    “I had said to them they had to comply with the minimum number for the service and when they showed up with more people, they agreed with sending them away,” he said.

    Image: Unsplash

    The COVID-19 pandemic has placed many restrictions on various industries, including weddings. This creative couple found an ingenious way to go ahead with their wedding safely while still having their family physically present, despite travel restrictions.

    Norwegian bride Camilla Øyjord and Swedish groom Alexander Clern wanted their families there for their big day. However, travel restrictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made this difficult.

    As Sweden does not have a formal lockdown in place, its neighbouring countries have placed restrictions to prevent their citizens travelling to the country. This couple found a loophole by hosting their wedding ceremony across the border of Sweden and Norway.

    A Norwegian bride married her Swedish groom at a ceremony conducted at the border between their countries – with both…

    Posted by Katherine Rohan on Tuesday, 21 July 2020

    The wedding was held in the woods of the south-eastern Holebekk region, and family and friends remained in their respective countries, separated by a white ribbon to mark the border. Police were present to make sure guests did not cross the line. The couple even organised separate catering for their guests on either side of the border.

    “We did not want to change the date… all we wanted was to get married!” Oyjord told the BBC. She says the idea came to them as a joke, but as they neared their wedding date they saw it as a viable solution.

    Feature image: Unsplash

    Birthdays are a special day for many people. We get to feel our best, be spoiled, and we’re celebrated just for being born. Adding a proposal to a day as special as this makes it all the more amazing. Metro FM show host Lerato Kganyago had this fairytale experience last week.

    Following social distancing rules, Kganyago is currently hosting her Metro FM show from her bedroom. On Wednesday, July 22 she stuck to her routine and got on with her work. But little did she know, a surprise awaited her after.

    Once she left her room, she found her home covered in balloons and flowers. As she made her way down the staircase, words describing her covered them. “Hard worker, self-motivated, kind, joyful, strong, lovable, content, generous, intelligent, nurturer, blessed, compassionate, loving, Lerato”, were written on the steps.

    With music playing in the background, she eventually found “Will you marry me again?” written in gold on the floor.

    Kganyago was completely taken by surprise. “While I was in my bedroom doing my radio show!!! This was happening downstairs and I had NO CLUE!” she wrote on Instagram.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8VyfCpid_/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8naCbpEAz/

    In May, Kganyago announced that she had split from her partner Thami Ndala, after they had been married for two months. In a statement, she wrote, “It is with sadness that we announce that Thami and I have decided to go our separate ways. We have come to realise that our different priorities and workloads have not afforded us the time to invest in our relationship. We will continue to care deeply for each other, and look forward to growing our friendship. We have nothing more to say on this subject and hope that our privacy will be respected during this difficult time.”

    Shortly thereafter, there was speculation that they had gotten back together.

    Now, it seems clear that the pair have reunited and are planning another trip down the aisle since the words read “will you marry me again” appeared in the video, indicating they had been married before.

    Kganyago prefers to keep her private life to herself and out of the spotlight, and she made it clear in May that she was frustrated with all the speculation about her private life. She has not tagged or mentioned her groom to be in her Instagram posts recently either.

    Image: Lerato Kganyago

    The power of love can bring us all together. That’s exactly what happened this past weekend in Yemen as the city of Aden came together to celebrate a stranger on his wedding day, after he posted a plea for wedding guests.

    Mohammed Ali Abdullah married his life partner on July 18. Prior to his big day, he took to Facebook to write an open invite to his wedding, saying he did not have that many friends.

    “Hello, my name is Mohammed Ali Abdullah, or as they call me, ‘Mohammed the blind’. I’m so happy that my life has become tinted in rose, although I don’t know what that looks like, but I hear roses are beautiful. I have finally found my life partner,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

    “I have few friends and wish you can all be my friends and join me in my celebrations, as I want to prove to the world that I also have the right to be happy like other normal person. I will not see you at the wedding, but I will feel your presence,” Abdullah said.

    This post quickly went viral, encouraging the city of Aden to join in on the festivities. The hashtag ‘We All Are Your Friends’ began trending

    It quickly became a massive affair, with local businesses and companies reaching out to offer the groom gifts and financial support for their big day.

    Come wedding day, hundreds of locals took to the streets to meet and celebrate the newlyweds.

    Congratulations to the newlyweds!

    Feature image: Pexels

    After battling stage 4 cancer for six months, terminally ill patient Tash Young was told she had weeks to live. Not wanting to waste it, the 25-year-old from Southampton planned a wedding in four days and married boyfriend and long time love Simon Young at her hospital during lockdown.

    Tash had a rare spindle cell sarcoma, which unfortunately was not responding to treatment. Simon had been waiting for the right time to propose but after receiving the heartbreaking news, they realised they did not have the luxury of time. Together with the team at Southampton General Hospital, they planned a wedding in just four days.

    Their big day was beautifully captured by Sarah Bassett and Emily Ford for the BBC.

    Unfortunately, Tash lost her battle with cancer a month after they tied the knot. Her family is raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and anyone who would like to support may donate here.

    Feature image: Unsplash

    A former priest and former nun found love with each other after leaving their respective ministeries. Over four decades later, the pair are celebrating their 45-year wedding anniversary and milestone birthdays.

    Allen and Patricia Kosck met at a party that Allen’s  employer hosted. While it was not an immediate attraction, the pair grew to love one another. They were engaged for a year and a half, during which Patricia tells Fox 2 Detroit that they got all their arguing out. They hardly ever argue now.

    “You learn to respect the individuality of the other person and that’s essential,” says Allen.

    “No matter what I do, he always has my back. He always sticks by me. He loves me through whatever I do,” gushes Patricia.

    Both Allen and Patricia celebrate milestone birthdays in July, as they turn 90 and 80 respectively. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to cancel their party, but their condo association stepped in to throw them a little celebration.

    Watch their love story here:

    Congratulations to the happy couple!

    Feature image: Unsplash

    Nick and Vanessa Lachey celebrated their ninth year of marriage on July 15. To commemorate the event the pair each posted loving messages to one another on Instagram.

    The former member of popular boyband 98 Degrees posted a sweet photo of the pair on a beach at dusk. Embracing each other (and the island vibes), they seem to be living in a romantic movie.

    “Nine years and counting!! I feel incredibly lucky to have found my soulmate and ultimate partner in life and love,” he said in his caption.

    “V, you mean everything to me. No matter what we face, we face it together. Whatever blessing we enjoy, we enjoy it together. With our love and commitment to each other, I know there is nothing we can’t get through…..together. I love you V with all that I am. I always will! Happy Anniversary.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrL7eKFyRx/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Vanessa, a filipino-American television personality, beauty queen, fashion model, television host and actress, had a similar idea. She shared a throwback photo from their 2011 wedding, which was seemingly captured while the coupled danced.

    “14 years ago today, you said “I Love You”. 9 years ago today, we said “I Do”. Today, I say “Thank You”. Thank You for this Beautiful Life & Marriage. Thank You for the unconditional Love you give to me and our 3 crazy kids. Thank You for the hard work you put into Us and yourself daily. Thank YOU for keeping all your vows we shared on this day nine years ago. Thank you for it ALL. Happy Anniversary, My Love! I Love You!!! ❤️,” she wrote.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrVYjYjIMX/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Nick first met Vanessa when he went on TRL, a show hosted by Vanessa, with his then-wife Jessica Simpson. In 2005, Simpson and Lachey’s relationship began to fracture, and in 2006 he started a relationship with Vanessa. The new couple faced scrutiny due to Nick and Simpson’s story.

    They first made their relationship official in the public eye when they kissed during MTV’s New Year’s Eve broadcast.

    Around June 2009, the pair split up, but it didn’t last long and by August of the same year the were back together.

    In November 2010, Nick proposed with a $125,000 Asscher cut diamond ring, at the  Montage hotel in Orange County. The next year, the married on Richard Branson’s 74-acre private island in the British Virgin Islands.

    The couple now share three children, Camden John Lachey, 7, Brooklyn Elisabeth, 5, and Phoenix Robert, 3, and are as happy as ever.

    Image: Instagram / Nick Lachey

    Many think you can’t rewear a wedding dress after your wedding day, but this Dawn Winfield-Hunt begs to differ. She made the decision to rewear her wedding dress for a year to raise money for very special causes.

    It all began when Winfield-Hunt was dared to wear her wedding dress while paddle-boarding.

    “I was dared to wear it paddle boarding and I said OK..and I’ll wear it to Tesco too,” she tells Wedding ETC. “Someone photographed me whilst I was paddle boarding and I posted on an isle of Wight photography site to see if I could find the person and from there it spiraled.”

    She has worn her dress in unique places like Buckingham Palace, while boxing and even swam in it on Boxing Day. She says people are always fascinated by her getup, and it’s a great conversation starter. She started a Facebook page called ‘The life and times of a wedding dress’ to document her dress’s journey and raise awareness for the charities she supports.

    Meeting donkeys. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Meeting donkeys. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Boxing day festivities. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Boxing day festivities. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Getting some fitness in. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Getting some fitness in. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt

    From here, she decided to put her wedding dress, named Bella, to good use and raise money for three charities: Mountbatten Cancer Trust, Friend’s of The Animals and The Food Bank. She had even planned to put on a charity wedding dress ball but with the COVID-19 pandemic, has had to change her plans.

    Out for a swim. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Out for a swim. Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Doing some renovations.Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt
    Doing some renovations.Credit: Dawn Winfield-Hunt

    Winfield-Hunt plans to have a little beach party in her dress to raise money, and also to say goodbye to her wedding dress.

    Check out her Just Giving page if you would like to donate to the charities.

    Picture/s: Dawn Winfield-Hunt / The life and times of a wedding dress

    If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that anything can happen, no matter how out of the ordinary it may seem. A 35-year-old Russian influencer has proven just that after she married her ex-husband’s 20-year-old son.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCgYG3LnOE2/

    Instagram influencer Marina Balmasheva announced her plans to marry Vladimir ‘Voya’ Shavyrin, the son of her ex-husband Alexey Shavyrin (40), earlier this year.

    Balmasheva, who is from the western Russian region of Krasnodar Krai, resided with Alexey Shavyrin for more than a decade before they decided to go their separate ways. Their relationship ended in divorce.

    Since she was with Alexey for so long, Balmasheva had a hand in raising her stepson Vladimir, and was in his life for around 13 years. Despite this, they have fallen in love.

    Last week, the influencer shared a video on Instagram showing their low-key nuptials.

    Translated from Russian, her caption says that the couple accepts well wishes and congratulations. She explained that they drove to the registry together, and she hadn’t even brushed her hair for the occasion. However, they ensured the wedding rings were in the car.

    “There was a good mood and a little embarrassment,” she added.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCfxBg9qIrY/

    The couple’s relationship has caused an uproar, as they are also expecting a child together. They announced the pregnancy in June, and on July 11 said that the baby looks like a boy in the ultrasound.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBIuHwtHmWh/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCd652JKzoW/

    Many claim their relationship is immoral. The Mirror UK reported that it was a massive scandal in their homeland, and that ex-husband Alexey had caught wind of their affair while he was still married to Balmasheva.

    There was uproar when Balmasheva posted a comparison photo, showing her standing next to a 7-year-old Voya next to another picture of the pair cuddled up as a couple.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_2ozglHQ_J/

    Balmasheva has gained thousands of followers after going public with her relationship with Voya. The pair remain adamant that the public are behind their relationship.

    Image: Instagram / @marina_balmasheva