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    Those keen to tie the knot may now do so during Level 3 lockdown. However, there are strict conditions to stick to.

    During a media briefing, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi exlained that people may marry at a Home Affairs office or with a marriage officer. No wedding ceremonies are permitted, and a maximum of two witnesses are allowed.

    “We are not allowing wedding ceremonies, but people can go to Home Affairs Department to get married,” he said. “We made it very clear about the conditions [for marriages] two people who are getting married and two witnesses, no crowds.”

    “Because the majority of marriage officers are ministers of religion, we have also said the same thing – if a minister of religion is going to marry couples in their office, the couple must come with only two witnesses. We don’t allow crowds there.”

    Home Affairs will also open other services, such as the registration of births, the re-issuing of birth certificates, and the collection of IDs.

    Feature image: Pexels

    Back in 2002, Anne McGowan was on her way to her mountaintop wedding in Arizona. But having to reroute to their spot because of wildfires, the couple realised they would have to hike up a mountain to get there.

    “I wanted to get married on a vista because we rock climb and hike a lot so that was sort of our ideal wedding. The night before the wedding, the photographer called us and said there were fires and that they had to close off the access to where we were going to be married,” McGowan told AZ Family.

    “I get out of the car, and we realized we were at a bottom of a mountain instead of like, on the top. I had wedding shoes on and a dress because initially, we were going to pull up into a parking lot and jump out and have the ceremony there. So we’re just looking up like, how are we going to get up this mountain? In tuxedos and sandals and a wedding dress?”

    Lucky for her, a group of hikers passed them and a kindhearted lady offered the bride her hiking boots. She took the boots and was able to hike safely to the spot.

    Now, 18 years later, McGowan decided to try and find the heroic hiker who saved her on her wedding day. On the day of her 18th wedding anniversary, she posted a picture taken of them on Facebook and it quickly went viral. Rhonda Nelson, the one and only hiker, eventually saw the photo, and contacted the bride!

    Nelson explained the act of kindness: “It’s a hiking creed almost; you do good things for other people on the trail. What really moved me was that Anne really wanted to reach out and say thank you and that also, this meant so much to her,” Nelson said to AZ Family.

    The two arranged a Zoom meeting to say hi, and plan to stay in touch.

    Feature image: Unsplash

    Is your partner the moon to your stars? Then prove it with a celestial-inspired cake! This trend has been shining bright for a while now, and shows no signs of slowing down.

    Whether you’re a stargazing superfan, an intense believer in horoscopes or simply left spellbound by the mystical galaxy, you’ll love this theme. From decor and bridal accessories all the way to your wedding cake, this theme works wonders in adding a touch of whimsy and magic to your big day.

    Add a sweet surprise to your wedding cake by incorporating celestial themes like stars, moons and zodiac signs. These stunning cakes are pretty out of this world.

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    Celestial cake dreams by @aelizabethcakes ?? How amazing would a cake like this be for your wedding? #rg ? @noyocreativeweddings.

    A post shared by Weddingbells (@weddingbellsmag) on

    Feature image: Unsplash

    Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr and Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel recently celebrated their 3-year wedding anniversary.

    In honour of their big day, Kerr took to Instagram to share some sweet never-before-seen polaroid pictures from their wedding.

    “? Happy Anniversary ?,” she simply captioned the images.

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    The pair married on May 27, 2017 in an intimate ceremony at their California home. Kerr wore a Dior Haute Couture princess gown designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The gown was inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.

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    They reportedly had only 45 guests in attendance, and Kerr cooked and served the dinner.

    “One of my favourite dinner dishes is my slow roast organic chicken with turmeric, lemon and garlic,” she explained in an interview.. “It holds a special place in my heart because I cooked it and served it at our wedding – I really wanted, as his wife, to be the one to cook the first meal he ate as my husband.”

    The pair share two children; sons Hart (2) and Myles (8 months). Kerr also has a nine-year-old son named Flynn with ex-husband Orlando Bloom.

    Feature image: Instagram / Miranda Kerr

    Music inspires and brings people together. For many, music has captured their heart and created important bonds with their loved ones. If you’re one of those people, then incorporating music into your big day seems like the perfect thing to do.

    There are so many easy ways to incorporate music into your big day, from invitations all the way to your guest book. A plus is that this theme is incredibly easy to DIY. Gather some sheet music, some old records, and some creativity.

    We’ve got the inspiration covered. Here are some decor ideas that will hit the right note on your big day.

    Invites:
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    Seating chart:
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    Decor:
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    Guest book:
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    Feature image: Unsplash

    Many beautiful brides-to-be and their partners were looking forward to celebrating their wedding day in early 2020, until the COVID-19 lockdown altered their plans.

    The House of J.C Le Roux understands how easy it is for even the most fun-loving and optimistic bridal couple to lose their sparkle when wedding plans fall through. In an effort to banish the bridal blues, the renowned sparkling wine-brand has launched  #JCSilverLinings – because in the world of J.C Le Roux there is always a silver lining.

    Brand Manager Michelle Michael explains, “The House of J.C. Le Roux understands how difficult the lockdown has been for everyone and recognises all the little things South Africans have been doing to stay positive.  Our team has been keeping a keen eye on the social media scene and recognise the efforts of brides and grooms-to-be across the country to remain upbeat.  The #JCSilverLinings campaign aims to surprise and delight 200 disappointed bridal couples who have had to postpone their weddings due to lock down with the little silver lining they need.”

    One of these bridal couples – Carly Fillis (33) and Nathan Goodall (35) – shared their story of the postponement of their wedding day on social media, which was spotted by the J.C. Le Roux team.  The pair from Johannesburg spent months planning their perfect, fairy tale wedding which they envisaged as an intimate and informal outdoor event that would reflect their light-hearted and relaxed approach to life.  However, they had to put this dream on hold when lock down was announced in March, as the wedding date was set for 8 May.

    Image: supplied

    Their story is one that touches the heart. They first met in 2014 when Carly showed up at Nathan’s 29th birthday party. As it turns out, his sister happened to be a good friend of Carly’s and Nathan had secretly set his sights on her four years before. The spark was ignited that evening and when he asked her out on a date, the mutual attraction led to more time spent together as a couple. Love blossomed and five years later, on 12 April 2019, he popped the question and they set their wedding date. ‘We were destined to be together, and this is a bump in the road we just need to get over,’ says Fillis.

    ‘I wasn’t expecting anything, and I was feeling ‘kinda blue’ when the call came in to let us know we were chosen to receive a hamper from J.C. Le Roux. We were both overjoyed and did a little dance around the living room,’ she laughs.

    Image: supplied

    Marketing Manager Nicola Coubrough says the stories shared on social media by bridal couples that have encountered similar disappointment have touched their hearts.  ‘To  those couples who have had to cancel their wedding because of lock down, this is our small way of saying it will soon be your time to sparkle.  We hope our hampers give them a reason to celebrate while they wait for the moment they will walk down the aisle on the most important day of their lives together.’’

    Bridal couples across the country will be delighted to know that there is yet another surprise silver lining on the horizon courtesy of the House of J.C. Le Roux, to be revealed on social media later in the month.

    Watch this space.

    Anyone who would like to be part of the #JCSilverLinings action on social media can follow J.C. Le Roux on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Check out ther website here: www.jcleroux.co.za

    Feature image: supplied

     

    A Dallas-based wedding videography company is under fire for refusing to refund a couple after the bride-to-be passed away before their wedding day.

    Justin Montney and Alexis-Athena Wyatt were set to tie the knot in May. Tragically, Wyatt died in a car crash in early February, leaving Montney heartbroken.

    Montney soon began contacting all their vendors to cancel arrangements, the majority of whom gave him refunds. One of their vendors, Copper Stallion Media, refused to refund the $1,800 (R31 241) fee the couple had already paid as it was against their policy and the couple had signed a legally-binding contract.

    “We replied and expressed our sympathy and explained to him that all of our wedding contracts are non-refundable,” said the company online. “He kept emailing us trying to get a refund and we kept reiterating that the contract is non-refundable. We eventually stopped responding since the issue was moot.”

    Montney continued to reach out to the company and after not hearing from them for months, said he would post about their refusal to refund him on social media. Copper Stallion Media then threatened to sue Montney, as well as Wyatt’s family for a negative review Wyatt’s mother had posted on The Knot.

    Montney then reached out to a local television station to share his side of the story, along with screenshots of the conversation between him and the company. According to the screenshots, Copper Stallion Media had a few harsh comments, writing “we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day. Sorry, not sorry.” The story quickly sparked outrage.

    According to Buzzfeed, Copper Stallion Media allegedly retaliated by creating a website called JustinMontney.com, on which they state they are building a case against Montney and accuse him of fueling a smear campaign against them, as they have received many negative reviews online since the story broke.

    “We will NEVER refund Justin Montney even with the online threats and harassment… If we knew he was going to shake us down, we would have charged a higher deposit,” they allegedly wrote on the site. “Life is a b**ch, Justin.”

    The content on the site has since been removed and replaced with a Youtube embed of the song ‘Disillusioned’ by A Perfect Circle.

    Buzzfeed also reports that The Knot Worldwide recently discovered that the accounts for Copper Stallion on The Knot and Wedding Wire sites were created under a false identity by a man named  Jesse J. Clarke.

    There are suspicions that Jesse J. Clarke, the creator of those pages, may also be Jesse J. Clark, a videographer who in 2013 was accused of scamming about 90 couples by not delivering wedding videos as promised, while pocketing their payments.

    “As soon as we became aware, we took immediate action and removed Copper Stallion Media from our marketplaces on The Knot and WeddingWire,” the company said.

    “We are conducting a thorough investigation across our sites to determine if there are any other businesses that have been created under false identities by individuals associated with Copper Stallion Media and will take quick action to remove any listings that are found,” the Knot said.

    A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses, and over US$15,000 (R260 349) has already been raised.

    Feature image: Unsplash

     

    Dancehall musician Sean Paul and his wife Jodi “Jinx” Stewart Henriques celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary yesterday, May 27.

    The pair, like many others, couldn’t do much to mark the occassion on account of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Stewart made sure to honour the day with a funny photo on Instagram.

    The photo shows the couple on their wedding day, with Paul glancing lovingly at his new wife as she strikes a silly pose.  “It was at this very moment that he realized he should have run!!! Thanks for sticking it out with me @duttypaul. I promise to always keep things exciting!!! Happy Anniversary Married 8 years, Engaged 1 1/2 years, Dating 8 years,” she wrote.

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    According to Stewarts caption, the pair have been together for 17 and a half years now.

    They made it official on May 26, 2012 at Boon Hall Oasis in Stony Jill – Kingston, Jamaica, according to Dancehall Mag.

    It has been reported that the ceremony was extremely low-key and private. Sources said that staff, wedding vendors, and guests were required to sign contracts declaring that they would not leak any information about the event. Dancehall Mag reported that guests were only given information about the wedding location mere hours before the ceremony.

    Paul and Stewart now have two children together, and they couldn’t be happier!

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    Image: Instagram / jodijinx

    Weddings are believed to set the tone for your marriage in some cultures. There are also superstitions that are either a good or bad omen for your marriage. Rain on your wedding day is a good sign. The groom accidentally seeing the bride in her dress, a bad one.

    Some may believe in these correlations, but this doesn’t make them fact. Getting hitched in Las Vegas, for instance, may be symbolic of an inevitable failed marriage.

    Despite the many, many annulments and divorces that happen after a Sin City wedding – there are a few exceptions to the rule. Here are some of the marriages that have gone the distance in spite of the wedding’s location.

    Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas

    Yes it’s only been a year, but this couple have already outlasted hundreds, if not thousands, of other Vegas marriages.

     

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    Sin city with my angel #tbt

    A post shared by Sophie Turner (@sophiet) on

    Katherine Kelly and Ryan Clark

    In 2013 this couple wed in secret in a little ol’ Vegas elopement. The couple is still together 7 years on. The pair have two adorable girls together.

     

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    Happy Easter everyone xx

    A post shared by Katherine Kelly (@katherinekel) on

    Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

    This must be one of the longest standing celeb marriages to have had their wedding in Vegas. The couple wed in 1996 and are still going strong 24 years later.

     

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    Call me crazy but i like #cincodemayo 2018 way better

    A post shared by Kelly Ripa (@kellyripa) on

    Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley

    The couple, who met in high school and fell in love, wed in Vegas in 1989 and are still together today.

     

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    This is the immortal love ❤️❤️❤️ Jon and Dorothea forever ❤️❤️❤️

    A post shared by ❤Bon Jovi❤ (@bonjovi_sisters) on

    Bette Middler and Martin von Haselberg

    The couple got hitched in Vegas in 1984 and are still together 36 years later.

     

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    Fellini Hulaweeni 2014 was a howling success! Here is a glimpse of the fun.

    A post shared by Bette Midler (@bettemidler) on

    Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward

    One of Hollywood’s golden couples wed in a Vegas chapel in 1958 and stayed together for over 50 years until Newman’s death.

     

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    A post shared by Paul Newman (@paulnewmandaily) on

    Some notably short marriages that give Vegas it’s non-happily-ever-after reputation: 

    Britney Spears and Jason Alexander lasted 55 hours.

    Nicolas Cage and Erika Koike lasted 4 days.

    Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon lasted two months.

    Nicky Hilton and Todd Andrew Meister lasted three months.

    Image: Instagram/ Paulnewmandaily

    Weddings don’t necessarily have to be in fancy hotels or expensive halls. They can be beach-side, river-side, or anywhere you’d like. Similarly, the reception doesn’t have to be super formal. It could be more relaxed too. A picnic wedding is a great option for those looking for something more simple.

    Since this type of reception is not the most common, you may feel a bit lost when it comes to planning. You need not worry! It’s more simple than you think, as long as you know where to start.

    If you’re considering a picnic wedding, here’s how to go about the planning:

    – Size and Location 

    Consider where you’d like to host your picnic wedding. Is it in a park, river-side, by the beach or on the lawn in your garden?

    If you have a large amount of guests, you’ll have to think about the size of the space and whether everyone will be comfortably accommodated. For example, a backyard picnic will not work out well if you’re having 150 guests.

    Another important factor is whether you’re allowed to have events in your desired location. Often, you may need a permit to host an event in a location such as a public park. Before you start making big plans and spending any money, get in contact with a municipal official to find out how you should go about hosting the event.

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    – Decor 

    Since you’re likely to be outdoors for the picnic, decor needs to be done cleverly.

    Ensure that you’re using decorations that are not harmful to the environment, and which are easily disposable to prevent littering.

    You’ll also want to make contact with vendors who provide items such as cutlery and crockery, so that they can advise you on the most appropriate items to use at your reception. The last thing you want is broken plates and inconveniently sized items which make eating outdoors difficult. They’ll also be able to advise you on transportation of these items, since you won’t be in a hall or similar venue, the logistics may be slightly more complicated. Be prepared for that.

    Additionally, a picnic often means you’ll be sitting on the ground or much lower down than you would at a normal table. Find ways to make seating picnic appropriate but still comfortable for guests. Perhaps low tables with comfy pillows for sitting on is a good place to start.

    Finally, take the surroundings into account. You could save big on items such as flowers and table decorations if you make proper use of the area you’re surrounded by.

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    – Food 

    Ensure that you choose picnic-appropriate food. You wouldn’t want it to be too difficult for your guests to indulge in the treats you provide for them. Finger foods are a good start, but a caterer will be able to advise you on meal options that are best suited for the type of event you’re having.

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    – Weather 

    A picnic in the rain is not the most pleasant experience. A picnic wedding is best in the summer time. However, if you’re getting married in the autumn months try to find a way to cover your guests, for example by creating a tented area in your chosen location.

    It may be cute to supply blankets for later in the day when it starts to get a bit chilly, and it will show that you considered your guests while planning the wedding.

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    Image: Pexels