Both Moët & Chandon champagne and the tradition of weddings have stood the test of time. Moët & Chandon has created magical moments for more than 270 years, toasting the most glamorous of royal weddings in history and delighting couples and their guests worldwide with grand gestures in the celebration of love.

When it comes to life’s most precious memories a wedding day is one to cherish forever but as we all well know by now, 2020 has been far from a normal year. The pandemic and the resultant social-distancing policies have effectively ruled out all large-scale wedding celebrations which has been heartbreaking for many marrying couples.

With large ceremonies unlikely to take place for the foreseeable future, couples are now seeking alternative ways to tie the proverbial knot. Indeed, many couples are already embracing the concept of ‘minimonies’ in an attempt to still experience the magic of their wedding day but in keeping with the new reality we find ourselves in.

Which is exactly why the world’s most loved champagne brand, Moët & Chandon, is thrilled to inspire couples with their Moët Minimony experience, in conjunction with, and more importantly in support of Appointed Events, some of South Africa’s most sought-after wedding suppliers.

“With a Moët Minimony experience our wish is to offer couples the opportunity to celebrate in style, with those they love, without having to compromise on luxury or the glamour they were hoping for. Indeed, despite the times we find ourselves living through, elevating life’s meaningful moments with elegance, glamour and generosity remains at the heart of Moët & Chandon’s promise to brides and grooms worldwide,” says Pascal Asin, Moët & Chandon Managing Director Africa and Middle East.

Indeed, the Moët Minimony is curated to both surprise and delight guests and add Moët & Chandon’s unique touch of sparkle and glamour for every couples’ special day. Moët minis, complete with a stylish customisable neck tag, will allow the couple to add their initials and the date of their wedding, ensuring the day’s celebrations begin in personalised champagne style.

A Moët Minimony allows couples to celebrate the magic of their wedding day but in keeping with the new reality we find ourselves in. In the spirit of generosity, couples can also custom design mini-wedding cakes and mini-bouquets – a glamorous new take on traditional wedding elements and perfect keepsakes for each guest too. The days of uneaten multi-tiered wedding cakes and carpets of flowers left on tables are well and truly over! And what better way to mark this milestone for the bride & groom than with a personalised Moët & Chandon Jeroboam for guests to sign as a glamorous guest book.

Whether couples are tying the knot at home or at an intimate gathering, they can now celebrate knowing each and every detail has been considered.  The Moët Minimony is a dazzling way to toast to your future and the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable wedding experience.

 “I do” … but only if it’s with Moët & Chandon!

Contact: [email protected] for further information about the customisable Moët Minimony and further information about local suppliers.

Picture/s: supplied

The Church of England could soon change its stance on same-sex marriage and other issues relating to sexuality.

The church’s House of Bishops announced on Monday [November 9] that they would soon begin a formal decision-making process on questions of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage.

A wedding hosted in Long Island, New York has resulted in dozens of people testing positive for COVID-19 and over 150 people needing to quarantine. Several local schools have temporarily closed to contain the spread.

North Fork Country Club, where the event was hosted on October 17, has had its liquor licence revoked by the state of New York. This comes after they hosted a wedding with 113 guests in attendance, way above the 50-person threshold allowed under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive order limiting gatherings.

They also face $30,000 (R463 962) in fines due to “multiple counts of failure to comply” with COVID-19 regulations.

Since the wedding, about 30 people tested positive for COVID-19, including three employees at the country club and a wedding vendor. An estimated 159 people who were present may have been exposed to the virus, and have gone into a two-week quarantine. Multiple schools in the area even temporarily shut down over fears of a further outbreak. 

“As we have seen in weddings and similar events across the country during this pandemic, large gatherings can easily be super-spreader events, too often with dire consequences,” Cuomo said. “Hosting one of these events after all New York has been through is obnoxious and irresponsible—not to mention illegal.”

The tri-state area, which includes New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, is bracing for a second wave of the virus. New citywide restrictions have been imposed in New Jersey and may soon be imposed in New York, which could include a shutdown of nonessential businesses if the average infection rate continues to climb as it has been over the last week, according to the city’s health department.

Diogo Rabelo, a 33-year-old doctor, married himself in a sologomous ceremony at a luxurious resort in Itacare, in the north-eastern state of Bahia, Brazil on October 17. The decision to marry himself followed after his fiance broke up with him over a series of arguments over the summer.

The couple was meant to get married in September but broke up in July. Instead of calling off the whole thing, Rabelo decided to got through with the big day and marry himself. The wedding cost him around 350,000 BRL (R977 989) and 40 of the people who were initially invited attended. Not surprisingly, the ex’s friends and family did not show up.

 

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O lado bom de casar consigo é que não existem protocolos! Você tem a liberdade de se divertir da maneira que quiser, e estou errado? Teve buquê de flores SIM! Eu queria tanto um buquê de flores mas eu estava tão corrido que não tinha ideia de onde iria arranjar um, e do NADA, @lulilacerda me envia o (segundo) buquê mais lindo da vida (pois o primeiro foi do meu noivado)! Sorte e benção para quem pegou o buquê! Desejo, no mínimo, que você case consigo (e depois com quem quiser), meu melhor amigo @thales.dias #DiogoCASA #eucaseicomigo #casamentosologamico #sologamy

A post shared by Dr Diogo Rabelo CRMSP 161208 (@drdiogorabelo) on Oct 27, 2020 at 6:55pm PDT

 

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Aprendi que quem quer estar contigo, vai estar! Obrigado a todos que não desistiram de ir ao casamento e estiveram ali, me dando apoio essencial para vencer mais essa fase de minha vida! (e que fase!) #2020 #seulouco #sologamy #eucaseicomigo #DiogoCASA

A post shared by Dr Diogo Rabelo CRMSP 161208 (@drdiogorabelo) on Oct 27, 2020 at 7:01pm PDT

The reason behind tying the knot on his own was that he wants to send a message to people that you do not need to depend on a marriage to be happy.

Rabelo explains: “Today is one of the happiest days of my life, as I’m with the people I love the most in this life, celebrating what could be a tragedy, but I made it a comedy.”

“I do want to marry someone else, and I want to have children, but my happiness cannot depend on that,” he added.

 

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Valentina, hoje será o dia que seu tio vai casar! ? @landersonviana

A post shared by Dr Diogo Rabelo CRMSP 161208 (@drdiogorabelo) on Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45am PDT

Picture: Pexels

A British couple now shares a rather unusual surname. After tying the knot in a pre-second lockdown wedding, the pair now go by Mr and Mrs White-Christmas.

Tilly Christmas and Kieran White met as children and got married on Tuesday [November 3] at the Roman Baths in Bath, just before England began its second lockdown.