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In Celebs

Why Somhale opted for an ‘unplugged’ wedding

February 6, 2020 No Comments

One of the most anticipated South African weddings of the year, the Somhale white wedding, recently broke the internet as fans excitedly awaited photos and videos. However, very few images taking us into the wedding actually appeared. Many were surprised to find that the social media-loving couple actually banned guests from bringing their phones to the wedding.

Explaining the reason behind their choice to have an ‘unplugged’ wedding, Idols SA judge Somizi Mhlongo says that he wanted their guests to live in the moment.

“So when we decided to tell our wedding guests via Invites that there will be no phones or cameras allowed beyond the venue gates I’m sure most of them had a mini heart attack thinking how they are gonna get through the day without their phone,” Somizi wrote on Instagram. “The main reasons for that was so that people can engage with each other. Can enjoy every moment with their naked eyes. But also for us as grooms to have exclusive privacy of our day until everyone can get to witness it on @showmaxonline from the 24th February 2020.
We were also very considerate towards our guests as we gifted them with @instaxsa cameras to capture special memories for themselves.”

Fans will get the chance to see the Somhale wedding in all its glory. The wedding will be broadcast in a 4-part special on Showmax, premiering on February 24.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7-uxfbDIUP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Feature image: Instagram / Somizi

In Decor

A magical Greatest Showman-themed wedding

February 5, 2020 No Comments

Ever loved something so much you made it your wedding theme? This couple did. Their love of the musical The Greatest Showman was so great, they just knew they had to incorporate it into their big day.

Julia and Kurtis Moellmann from Orlando, Florida are both huge fans of the circus. So much so that the pair, both of whom work at Ripley Entertainment Inc. knew it had to be a part of their wedding

“Kurtis and I grew up loving the circus,” Julia told Business Insider. “I used to take my mother — who had recently passed away suddenly due to brain cancer — to the circus every Mother’s Day.”

“It describes our lives, our current jobs, and what we both love,” she explains their love of the circus. “When we’re not at work, we’re at a local circus or searching for oddities that might be found in a circus sideshow.”

A year before their wedding, the couple watched The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Zendaya. They fell in love with the musical, rewatching it over and over again. The film’s aesthetic matched perfectly with their personalities, so they decided to recreate it for their big day.

Their barn-like wedding venue was transformed into a circus tent with draping red and white fabrics hung from the ceiling.

Both Julia and Kurtis wore circus-inspired outfits, with Kurtis dressing like a ringleader.

Credit: Instagram / Nick and Lauren Photography

To go with the theme, carnival snacks like popcorn and snow cones were on offer, as well as food stands featuring burgers, pizza, chicken, fries, and funnel cake.

“We had freak-show posters, circus photo ops, and everyone was given a clown nose at their place setting,” Julia adds. The pair even had a miniature horse to pose with them for photos.

Their guests loved this unique take on a wedding.

“Kurtis and I aren’t your average white dress, church wedding people, so it was a nice break for everyone overall,” Julia explains. “You can only eat so many badly cooked steaks and watch couples frolic down a church aisle so many times without falling asleep,” she said of traditional weddings.

Check out more of their work on their website.

Feature image: Unsplash

In Advice

Tim Moolman: Not your average wedding photographer

February 4, 2020 No Comments

Wedding photographers are a dime a dozen, but this one truly stands out. An official photographer to the British Royal Family, Tim Moolman has captured some famous moments. His love of wedding photography, however, has become career-defining.

Widely recognised as South Africa’s leading documentary wedding photographer, Moolman’s work is iconic. He is a rare breed of professional photographer, able to capture photographs in many different genres – and do it well. He’s a Fujifilm X-Photographer ambassador, a passionate documentary photographer, and is also known for his skateboarding photography.

Surprisingly, this artist only began capturing these moments at the age of 30, and quickly fell in love with it. He learned most of his skills on-the-job while working at a photography shop that hired out photographers for various events.

Through his wedding documentary work, it is clear to see that Moolman is a craftsman that blends into the background to capture those images brides and grooms might have wished were taken during their big day. Instead of the big moments, Moolman favours those smaller, more intimate exchanges. Some of his favourite moments of a wedding are when guests are interacting with the couple, congratulating them with hugs and kisses. Behind-the-scene photography tells the story of the moment, capturing smiles and tears, the joys of those who were there and, sometimes, the sadness that goes along with it.

“During a wedding, hundreds of random things happen every minute. There’s joy. Tension. Anticipation. Glee. Drama. Boisterous buttons seek to escape. Little fingers trail across spotless windows. Soggy (t)issues sit in the hands of emotional aunts. I see these little moments clearly – and wedding couples miss out on them, because you can’t be everywhere. But I am.”

“This is my passion, these are my images, this is your story.”

To couples, Moolman advises that they take the time to truly enjoy the day instead of focusing on all the things that may have gone wrong.

“No event ever runs 100% according to plan and I feel it’s far more important to focus on the love and joy with friends and family instead of worrying about some minor table decoration.”

Please visit his website or his Instagram to view more of his incredible work.

Feature image: supplied

In News

Fried chicken, jelly and deadlifts: Inside a CrossFit wedding

February 3, 2020 No Comments

For some, fitness isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. No matter the place, it’s always a good time to get some pumps in. This CrossFit loving couple truly agree with this sentiment, so much so that they decided to have a deadlift competition at their wedding reception.

Ericka and Caleb Sommer from Colorado, USA, are both devout Cross-Fitters. The pair even met at a gym that they now run together. Of course, when it came time to tie the knot, they knew they wanted to incorporate their love of fitness.

“We wanted the ceremony to reflect our personalities — hungry, outgoing, and a little bit crazy,” Ericka told Popsugar.

So how do you incorporate their unique personalities? Well, first, their officiant fed Ericka fried chicken during the ceremony. “He knew I’d be hungry if we stood too long in our 20-minute ceremony, so he brought me a snack.”

Mid-ceremony fried chicken snack. Credit: Adam Houseman

She must have needed that protein for their next standout moment: a choreographed first-dance featuring a mini-dodgeball game between the bride and groom. As the pièce de résistance, the pair also had a Jell-O-eating contest, an ode to their favourite activity to do together: competitive eating. Following this, the pair go head-to-head yet again, this time in a deadlifting contest.

Deadlifting contest. Credit: Adam Houseman

“No one remembers you slow dancing to an Ed Sheeran song,” she says. “People remember you deadlifting in your wedding dress and diving on the floor to go face deep in a pie pan of colors-that-stain Jell-O.”

Chest bumping away fro their first dance. Credit: Adam Houseman

The pair also drank pre-workout shots with their guests instead of alcohol.

Pre-workout shots instead of alcohol for the wedding guests. Credit: Adam Houseman

Photographer Adam Houseman perfectly captured all of these unique moments. For more of his work, please visit his website: https://www.ahpphotos.com/

Feature image: Instagram / Ericka Sommer

In Destination

The tale of the travelling wedding dress

February 3, 2020 No Comments

Who says you can only wear a wedding dress once? This couple decided to make the bride’s wedding dress worth every cent by taking it along on their travels all over the world. The images they’ve since captured are nothing short of amazing.

Jeff and Jennifer Salvage met online and quickly fell in love. Once engaged, they decided on a destination wedding to Easter Island, and thus needed a wedding dress that could travel in a backpack. Jennifer’s dress, a Maggie Sottero gown, made the long 7 000 mile (11 265km) journey from their home in the United States to Easter Island.

Impressed by how well the dress held up, the pair then decided to take it along with them on their travels. Almost 12 years later, Jeff has taken photos of Jennifer all over the world in her iconic wedding dress.

They’ve been dogsledding in Iceland. Credit: Jeff Salvage, One Woman One Dress.

Hiking in France. Credit: Jeff Salvage, One Woman One Dress.

Horseback riding in the Bahamas – Holland America Cruise. Credit: Jeff Salvage, One Woman One Dress.

ZERO-G Experience® in Florida. Credit: Jeff Salvage, One Woman One Dress.

Thus far, the dress has travelled 308 635 miles (496 594 km) and has been in 50 countries, including Albania, Argentina, Croatia, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States.

The pair typically go on two trips a year, and continue to do so because it keeps them close. “It’s very easy for couples to grow apart,” Jeff told Business Insider. “This is one way we have a common bond and drive.”

To see more images, visit their website: www.onewomanonedress.com

Feature image: Jeff Salvage, One Woman One Dress

In Celebs

Inside the glamorous wedding of Mishka Patel and Donovan Loesch

January 31, 2020 No Comments

Much-loved Cape Town radio host and tv presenter, Mishka Patel, recently tied the knot to long time partner Donovan Loesch in an intimate ceremony in Stellenbosch. Mishka, who in 2014 was a finalist for Miss SA, presented tv show Pasella and is now a radio personality at Good Hope FM, jokingly writes on her website she can’t believe she’s now a ‘wifey.’

Their wedding was stylish and lavish, but not the extravagant, over-the-top affair you might expect from an A-lister. There were only 55 guests, but Mishka said that’s exactly how she and Donovan wanted it. “They were a group of people who played a positive and significant role in our lives,” she told Sarie.

View this post on Instagram

For the first time, HI, From Mrs Loesch ❤️ ? @samanthacliftonphoto Click the link in my bio for full details in @sarietydskrif about my wedding! #LoeschWedding Vendors: @jem_coffee_bar @vredenburgmanorhouse @carltonhairsa (Donovan’s hair and my hair maintenance) @cathrinesbridalcouture @thetuxtailor @merlizedutoit @theflowergirldecor @suntory_rokugin @beanwriter @deetlefswineestate @laspaletas @razanarichards @oneboutiquestore @instaxsa @mariosjewellers @succulentoasisgifts @fleurdesignstudio_ @gheta_bailey @samanthacliftonphoto @candicerodrigues.photography @tms_makeup @tms_makeup_bridal Fresh flowers only: @yesexclusiveflowers / @tambuziroses

A post shared by Mishka Loesch (@mishka.loesch) on Jan 15, 2020 at 3:00am PST

The two knew each other only six days when Donovan asked Mishka to be his girlfriend. Eight years later, they are more in love than ever! “I have a husband. How crazy Is that?” Mishka wrote on her website. “Some of you might think, after 8 years, ‘it’s about time’, but to me it feels like I met this guy, just the other day. How is this kind of love even real?”

“Walking down the aisle was not what I imagined. It was more. With my dad walking me down the aisle to get married, to become a wife, still gives me goosebumps,” she added.

In typical celeb style, Mishka wore two wedding dresses. Her first dress (worn for the ceremony) was a sleek JESUS PEIRO halter neck dress from Cathrine’s Bridal Couture. The second dress (for the reception) was a beaded strapless Casablanca dress called ‘Opal,’ also from Cathrine’s Bridal Couture.

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“What’s the one thing you’ll always cherish about your wedding day?” – This. This right here. ❤️ I’ve been getting so many DM’s about my wedding day, and all the details will be live on my website this week! I promise ?? for now, check the link in my bio for the @sarietydskrif article ? @samanthacliftonphoto Dress: @jesuspeiroofficial from @cathrinesbridalcouture Bouquet: @theflowergirldecor using @tambuziroses supplied by @yesexclusiveflowers ? #loeschwedding

A post shared by Mishka Loesch (@mishka.loesch) on Jan 19, 2020 at 10:49pm PST

View this post on Instagram

Of course I had to have a dress change? I was and (I am still) obsessed with both dresses from @cathrinesbridalcouture – My first dress was for our ceremony and couple / family photos, and my second dress for reception and to DANCE in! I truly loved both! Click the link in my bio for more information about both dresses! ? Donovan’s suit: @thetuxtailor ? @samanthacliftonphoto #loeschwedding

A post shared by Mishka Loesch (@mishka.loesch) on Jan 27, 2020 at 11:04pm PST

Congratulations to the beautiful couple!

Wedding photographer: Samantha Clifton Photography

Image: Instagram

In Celebs

Inside the extravagant Somhale white wedding

January 31, 2020 No Comments

Not one to be out done, Idols SA judge Somizi Mhlongo made sure his second wedding to husband Mohale Motaung was even more lavish than their traditional wedding of 2019. The couple, dubbed Somhale, threw an extravagant white wedding on Thursday, January 30.

The pair have been teasing details of the lavish celebration for months, and of course it was every bit as extraordinary as we would expect.

A host of celebrities were in attendance, including Minnie Dlamini-Jones, Casper Nyovest, Khanyi Mbau, DJ Zinhle, Shimza, Lerato Sengadi, Thando Thabethe, Ayanda Thabethe and Bonang Matheba. Guests were instructed to wear white and red-bottom shoes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B78o3S-HAg7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B79A6AZHAJb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7-OJvUBNOn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Right after heading former Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters wedding to Tim Tebow, celebrity planner Zavion Khotse headed this extravaganza. Their wedding flowers were imported from Colombia, Holland, Thailand, and Kenya.

According to reports, Somizi had three outfit changes, each of which were accessorised with different Christian Louboutin red-bottom shoes. Celebrity designer Gert-Johan Coetzee was at the helm of at least one of these looks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7_FkjeBjsI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until next month to see more details. The wedding will exclusively be broadcast in a 4-part Showmax special from February 24, 2020.

“This is the final piece of the puzzle … the final celebration of our union … it’s been an amazing journey, so many events, so many friends, so much family and so much love. Thank you all for joining in via our social media,” writes Somizi on Instagram. “I’m very happy to announce that in weeks to come, you’ll get to see the 4part special of #SomhaleUnion exclusively on @showmaxonline from 24 February”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7875ubDPoM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Also read: Somizi and Mohale wed in lavish ceremony

Feature image: Instagram / Somizi

In Guys

Bride shocks groom with surprise wedding

January 30, 2020 No Comments

Sometimes, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. After a 6-year long engagement, this Canadian bride decided to take matters into her own hands and surprise her husband-to-be with a wedding.

Nicole Arnett and Daniel Knowlton from British Columbia, Canada, first became engaged in 2014. Since then, they’ve gone back and forth on what they wanted their wedding to be.

“We talked about so many different ideas and for one reason or another it never felt quite right when we got down to confirming it, or something happened and we pivoted away from the idea,” she explains. “We realised we didn’t actually want a wedding, which is why we put it off; we just wanted to be married to each other which were two very different things in our mind.”

The couple traditionally host an annual New Year’s Day beach party, and Arnett’s birthday is two days later so she figured this would be the perfect time to tie the knot since their friends and family would already be present. Within two weeks, she was able to plan the entire ceremony for less than $3 000 (about R40 000) – with the groom-to-be none the wiser.

“I never for a second worried that Daniel wouldn’t love this or be up for it,” she said. “I booked our wedding commissioner, which was necessary, booked a caterer and told Daniel, ‘I don’t want to be the one cooking today. It’s my 40th birthday the next day, so I’m just going to do this,’ and I just blamed anything out of the ordinary on that. I already had the dress from a friend’s wedding.”

“We just wanted to keep it [the wedding] really simple and unique to us so that was how I came up with: one, the surprise and two, making it a part of our favourite day of the year anyway, which felt very special and intimate.”

One New Year’s Day 2020, 35 of the couple’s closest friends and family gathered together on Bonnie Brook beach to celebrate love.

“I got up and said how happy I was that everyone was there and that I had a long to-do list this year for resolutions, and there was something that Daniel and I had been meaning to do for a long time but we’d never got around to, which was get married,” she explains. “He’d been filming me, and he just dropped his phone and he’s just staring at me with his mouth hanging open.”

After a quick outfit change, Arnett and Knowlton said ‘I do’ in front of their loved ones. Following their vow exchange, their guests serenaded them with Beatles ‘When I’m 64,’ and promptly sprang into the ocean.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Feature image: Instagram / daniel_d_knowlton

In Destination

Why do we go on honeymoon?

January 30, 2020 No Comments

First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes an awesome week-long honeymoon in Greece that eventually results in a baby in a baby carriage.

Almost every newlywed couple today goes on honeymoon, whether its a staycation or overseas trip. The term as we know it today refers to an often costly post-wedding trip newly married couples take together to celebrate their nuptials. But, as with everything else in weddings, this term has an interesting history.

According to the New York Post, the concept of a honeymoon can be dated back to the 5th century. The word ‘honeymoon’ derives from the old english ‘honey moone’. In these times, moon cycles were a measurement of time that typically lasted a month. After a wedding, couples were gifted with a moon cycle’s worth of mead, an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, and sometimes various fruits, spices, grains, or hops. This mead was meant to keep the couple happy, and also symbolised the sweetness of marriage. Mead was also said to be an aphrodisiac, so couples were encouraged to consume all of it within the moon cycle to heighten their sexual appetite and encourage fertility.

In 19th century England, newlyweds celebrated their honeymoon by going on a bridal tour to visit family and friends who were not able to attend the wedding. It was only by the late 19th century that honeymoons became how we know them today.

Of course, with time, things change. Today, couples go on honeymoon for a relaxing and romantic break together to ring in their commitment. This is considered the ‘honeymoon period’ when the couples is at their most loved-up.

Planning a honeymoon? Make sure to avoid these mistakes.

Feature image: Pexels

In cake

A magical Harry Potter-themed wedding

January 30, 2020 No Comments

This is one wedding theme that’s sure to charm you. Carissa Rumps of Wild Rumpus Photography worked with a host of talented photographers and vendors to create a styled wedding photoshoot bringing the magical world of Harry Potter to life. From a real-life Hedwig to a Butterbeer cocktail, we solemnly swear that you will love it.

The whimsical shoot is an ode to a childhood favourite much loved by many. Potter-heads will recognise various references like a look-alike Hogwarts Express train, a sorting hat-esque cake, a live owl and of course, a Griffindor inspired colour scheme of reds and golds. Take a look at these stunning shots.

Images from vendors: Wild Rumpus Collective, Crystal Vision Events, Liza Spurlock Photography, Write This Way Calligraphy.

Feature image: Instagram / Crystal Vision events