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Woman marries man who saved her at mass shooting

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From terrible tragedy, this couple found love. One of the most terrifying mass shootings in the US became a turning point for Austin Monfort and Chantal Melanson.

Austin Monfort and Chantal Melanson first met at a Las Vegas country bar in September 2017. Monfort made enough of an impression on Melanson that she invited him to hang out with her at the Route 91 Harvest music festival outside the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Vegas.

It was at this festival that gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on 22 000 unsuspecting partygoers. The Las Vegas mass shooting has since become the deadliest of its kind in modern US history. 58 people were killed and more than 850 injured.

Monfort instinctively felt the need to protect Melanson when the gunfire began.

“I felt a sense of responsibility for Chantal,” he told People. “She was with me and not her friends. I felt like not only did I have to get myself out, but also her. Keeping her calm and getting her out kept me calm, and didn’t allow me to panic.” He helped guide her to safety, much to Melanson’s appreciation.

“I remember laying on the ground just looking into Austin’s eyes, trying to make sense of everything,” she said. “Next thing I knew, Austin was holding my hand and we were running through the entire grounds trying to make it to safety.”

“I felt safe with him — I didn’t want to leave his side,” Melanson said. “In many ways, he did save my life.”

This tragic, frightening night bonded the two together. They stayed in contact over the following months, eventually falling in love. They became engaged in March 2019, and have since married at a San Diego, California, courthouse.

Their traditional ceremony was planned for May 8 of this year in Vegas. However, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the pair have postponed their big nuptials.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CADb-gtgKYX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Feature image: Instagram / Tragedy to love

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Couple postpones wedding and fights hunger instead

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Sebastian Cina and Jaclyn Hockenjos have had to postpone the day they’ve been planning for months, like many other couples across the world.

The two were supposed to say ‘I do’ tomorrow, May 16 in New Jersey. Instead of grumbling about the misfortune, this power couple instead launched a fundraising campaign called #WithThisRingYoullBeFed and are inviting friends, family and supporters to make donations. The campaign is partnered with a local food bank and will feed families in need.

“We were devastated when we found out we had to postpone our wedding,” said Jaclyn, a first-grade teacher. “Then we thought about it and realized we could use it as a platform to help people in our community, and that’s exactly what we intend on doing.”

More than that, they have even encouraged other couples who postponed their weddings to start their own campaigns.

If you would like to donate, click here: https://bit.ly/2YXs1OK
Join The Movement & Learn More: https://bit.ly/3boYwrV

Image: WithThisRingYoullBeFed

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UK castle offers ‘bubble weddings’

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Langley Castle in Northumberland is hundreds of years old. By it’s age alone we know that it’s faced many a struggle. Presently, the castle serves as a hotel and wedding venue and thus is facing a new challenge: COVID-19 and social distancing weddings.

In response to the crisis, and their need to keep the wedding industry alive (for their own good too, of course), the castle’s management have come up with a creative solution. In fact, the solution is said to be a first in the UK.

Already known for many other “firsts” such as being the first wedding venue in the country to offer civil marriages and being the first in the UK to offer Game of Thrones style weddings, they are now the first to offer “Bubble Weddings” as a social distancing solution.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CADmgjSA93J/

The Bubble wedding gives you a “castle to yourself” experience. According to Chronicle Live the offering is customised to your liking and is created to be intimate, being only for couples and their absolute nearest and dearest. This allows for the wedding to follow social distancing rules.

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

There are two packages and they both adhere to the guidelines set by the Government.

The first package is a Bubble with Bubbles day for 10 people. Included in this package is a marriage at the castle, canapes, drinks, buffets and use of all nine bedrooms, costing £4,500.

The second package, called ‘Key to the Castle, is for 18 people. The guests are allowed to lockdown and run the castle. This will cost £6,500.

There is also an option for the couple to come alone and get married there.

In times like these, creative and out-of -the-box solutions are exactly what we need! Hopefully, others in the wedding industry will follow suit and introduce new ways around the COVID-19 challenge.

Image: Facebook / Langley Castle Weddings

 

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Marriage laws in SA may soon change

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A new policy is in the works at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) that will bring changes to marriage laws in South Africa.

The DHA, during a presentation to parliament, argued that the existing policies which deal with marriages are not rooted in consitutional values such as nondiscrimination and equality.

According to Business Tech, the DHA said that while there have been many changes since 1994, there are still many flaws in the existing 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,” they said.

They acknowlegded that due to the diversity in this country, it would be very difficult to draw up laws which regulate every existing cultural marriage. However, they have begun a process of creating a marriage policy which they hope will “lay a policy foundation for drafting a new single or omnibus legislation.”

Business Tech reported some of the key changes which will be instituted by the policy:

  • The new Marriage Act will enable South Africans of different sexual orientation, religious and cultural persuasions to conclude legal marriages;
  • The introduction of strict rules around the age of marriage (including the alignment of age of majority in the marriage legislation to the Children’s Act);
  • It will align the marriage, matrimonial property and divorce legislation to address matrimonial property and intestate succession matters in the event of the marriage dissolution;
  • It will allow for equitable treatment and respect for religious and customary beliefs in line with Section 15 of the Constitution.
  • It will deal with the solemnisation and registration of marriages that involve foreign nationals;
  • It will deal with the solemnisation and registration of customary marriages that involve non-citizens especially cross-border communities or citizens of our neighbouring countries.

The DHA said that the new policy is to be gazetted in the 2020/21 financial year, for the purpose of consultation from the public. Thereafter, it will be submitted to cabinet by the end of March 2021, in order to be approved.

Image: Unsplash

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Hillary Clinton shares sweet photo from daughter’s wedding

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The world recently celebrated Mother’s Day and former First Lady Hillary Clinton delighted Instagram followers with a very special picture.

Taken at her and former US president Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsey’s 2010 wedding to Marc Mezvinsky, the stunning picture shows three generations with Hillary, her late mother Dorothy Howell Rodham and Chelsey. The picture was captioned “Happy Mother’s Day to these two mothers dearest to my heart. ”

The bride stole the limelight in her Vera Wang dress, while Hillary wore a magical pink ombré gown from Oscar de la Renta.

 

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Happy Mother’s Day to these two mothers dearest to my heart. ?

A post shared by Hillary Clinton (@hillaryclinton) on

Image: Instagram

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Emma Stone sparks marriage rumours

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Although her wedding to SNL writer Dave McCrary was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Emma Stone’s latest appearance has many thinking she secretely tied the knot.

During an interview with Reese Witherspoon and psychiatriatrist Harold S. Koplewicz on the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine YouTube channel, the actresses discussed living with anxiety during the pandemic. Stone appeared wearing a wedding band that looks very different to her pearl engagement ring.

During the interview, Dr Koplewicz, who  speaks of associative mating and says, “If you marry an anxious man, you’re gonna have to know me the rest of my life.” Stone laughingly responds, “Thankfully I didn’t do that.”

Fans immediately began speculating that the pair secretly got married during quarantine.

Stone and McCrary announced thei engagment in December 2019. Stone’s vintage-inspired ring was designed by Tokyo-based designer Kataoka and features an eight-millimeter pearl at its center, surrounded by tiny diamonds.

The pair were originally meant to marry in March 2020.

Feature image: screenshot from video

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Joe Jonas reveals reason for impromptu Vegas wedding

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A year ago, Joe Jonas and Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner said ‘I do’ in an impromptu Las Vegas ceremony after the Billboard Music Awards.

The pair married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas in May 2019, in a ceremony officiated by an Elvis impersonator. During a video for GQ Magazine’s “Actually Me” series, Jonas reveals that the reason for this wedding was not that romantic.

Jonas explains that the pair needed to legally marry in the States, as they planned to tie the knot in a big wedding in the South of France later in 2019.

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“So we thought it would be really fun to get all of our friends, invite them out (to Vegas), and do an impromptu wedding,” he explained. “And we actually had some people that I didn’t even know that well there.”

“Some people (in attendance) I am now closer with! Khalid was there! That was cool. And Diplo decided to livestream the whole thing.”

Following the spontaneous wedding, Jonas did land in a bit of trouble with his parents.

“My parents called me the next morning and they were like ‘Did you just get married?’ And I realised that I told everybody, but forgot to tell my parents. So, kids, make sure you tell your parents when you’re getting legally married!”

Feature image: Instagram/ Sophie Turner

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Cast of The Office come together for Zoom wedding

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Zoom weddings and celebrations have been bringing people from all over the globe together. The trend has even managed to reunite the cast of popular TV show, The Office.

Actor John Krasinski, who played Jim on The Office, has a YouTube channel called Some Good News. The purpose of his channel to to spread positive stories from across the globe in order to show that even during the toughest of times there are still good things happening and people are showing how we all come together.

On this weeks episode of Some Good News, Krasinski showed off a newly engaged couple – Susan and John, from Maryland. John had proposed to Susan the same way Jim proposed to Pam in the TV show (outside a petrol station).

Of course, this warranted Krasinski to get the cast together for a celebration of this special engagement. Additionally, the couple had hoped that Krasinski would attend their wedding, since he inspired their proposal. This was Krasinski’s way of attending the wedding.

Taking it a step further, he enlisted the help of Jenna Fischer (who played Pam on the show) to be the maid of honour.

Members of the cast including Jenna Fischer, Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, Angela Kinsey, Brian Baumgartner, Phyllis Smith, Kate Flannery, Creed Bratton, Oscar Nunez and Ellie Kemper also came together to dance to Forever by Chris Brown. For fans of The Office, you’ll know that they did this at Jim and Pams wedding in the show!

See the entire celebration below:

Congrats to this lucky couple!

Image: Screenshot from video

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Terminally ill man granted gift of marrying his love in lockdown

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Des Codona has always wanted to marry his partner and mother of his kids, Christine Meaney. The timing was just never right. When Codona was diagnosed with terminal cancer in April and given weeks to live, however, he knew that now was the time.

Due to lockdown restrictions in the UK, however, Codona and Meaney did not think their dream was attainable. No weddings are allowed at the moment to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Des and Christine. Credit: Facebook / Middlesbrough Council

Codona’s daughter Suzi contacted the Middlesbrough Council in the hopes that they could be granted special permission to marry in their home. The council first weighed a risk assessment, and decided to use their emergency powers to allow the wedding despite regulations.

“In this instance, having spoken to the family and carried out a risk assessment, we felt it was something we could do for them,” said Registrar Dawn Galloway.

“They are a lovely family and a lovely couple and we are really pleased that we were able to grant this wish and make it happen for them.”

The pair wed on April 30 in their home. Of course, safety precautions were put in place. Registrar Dawn Galloway and her deputy Sarah Teece wore personal protective equipment (PPE) as they married the couple.

Registrar Dawn Galloway and her deputy Sarah Teece in their PPE. Credit: Facebook / Middlesbrough Council

The day was a meaningful one for the couple.

“Des is absolutely buzzing, it has really given him a lift. It has really picked him up and that has made me feel a lot better. It’s given him a real boost,” said newlywed Meaney.

“He had been talking to our children Suzi, Michael and Katie… and Suzi got in touch with Dawn and it spiralled pretty quickly – that was on Tuesday and on Thursday we were married. It was very surreal.”

Feature image: Facebook / Middlebrough Council

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Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriquez officially cancel wedding

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Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriquez, who previously said they were planning out various versions of their wedding, have decided to indefinitely postpone their big day.

The pair, who got engaged last year in March, are one of many couples who have had their wedding plans fail as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They had apparently planned “the wedding of their dreams”, but of course, to ensure that people stay safe and follow social distancing rules, they have no choice but to relook their plans.

An insider told E! News that the wedding will not go on as planned. “They have been struggling for weeks over this decision, but with no return to normalcy in the near future, the couple felt postponing the wedding was the safest and smartest choice,” they said.

According to this insider, all guests have been notified that the wedding will no longer be taking place in late summer, as they expected.

The source also said that JLo and ARod had planned to say their “I-do’s” in Italy, and are hoping that they can eventually follow through with their dream wedding. They are already thinking of new dates, however, they do not see the nuptials taking place any time in the near future.

Image: Instagram / Jennifer Lopez

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