A wedding guest book does not have to mean pen and paper only. As weddings evolve and modernise, couples are looking for more creative ways to still incorporate traditional elements into their big day.
The guest book allows you to preserve memories from your nearest and dearest. Traditionally, couples go for a hardcover book for guests to sign. However, this easily gets sidelined amid the various exciting points of a wedding.
Make sure your guest book is a moment itself by offering a fun and creative way to sign. Besides encouraging more people to sign, having an alternative guest book allows you to have a creative and functional decor piece to display in your home and remind you of the good times.
COVID-19 related wedding postponements have struck again as a Belfast couple have been forced to change their date. For this couple, however, the cancellation was more serious since they’d already tattooed their wedding date on their arms.
Francis Donald popped the big question to Fionnuala Kearney in December 2017. Immediately the pair began preparations for the big day.
Credit: Facebook /Francy Donald
With their planning, they decided on the wedding date to be October 16, 2020. To commemorate this decision, they had the special date tattooed on their arms in Roman numerals while on holiday in Turkey last year.
“We were in Turkey and had checked out of our hotel at 9am, but had to wait until the evening for our flight home – so we decided to go on a bar crawl. We strolled past a tattoo salon and we were tipsy, so thought it was a great idea to get matching tattoos,” explained the bride-to-be.
Unfortunately for the couple, the coronavirus pandemic took over and their wedding venue, Hugh McCanns hotel in Newcastle, informed them that they would have to postpone their wedding until 2021.
“When I was told we would have to postpone the wedding I was devastated, of course – but we only realised afterwards about our tattoos. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry!” said Kearney to SNWS.
Of course, having to postpone your wedding is bad enough. However, since they already had the date tattooed on their arms, the couple were devastated.
They have now moved their wedding date to April 2021 and are considering how they can ensure the tatoos remain meaningful.
It seems they are lighthearted about their misfortune, as Kearney posted to her Facebook, “Would only be us to get our wedding date tattooed for it to be postponed ?”
A California man said ‘I do’ to his pet cat this past weekend in a livestream ceremony, and no, not in a weird way. The ‘commitment ceremony’ was to raise funds for a local animal shelter where they first met.
Scott Perry found his beloved Olivia Le Chat at the Best Friends Animal Society NKLA five years ago. She quickly became an important part of his life.
“It was love at first sight! Well, sorta — Olivia hopped right into my girlfriend’s lap and right into our hearts! And then she hid under the bed for months,” says Perry on his website. “The girlfriend moved on but Olivia stayed, and as time went on, Olivia became less and less shy. Fast forward five years, and Olivia is more than happy to speak her mind, to wake me up to feed her and pet her in the early mornings, to let her out on the front porch for brushes in the sun and napping on the lounger, for evening biscuits on my tummy while I watch TV, and lots of treats and play time in between.”
Perry explains that he wanted to raise funds for the shelter and bring some happiness to the world during lockdown. So, he decided to have a commitment ceremony with Olivia. He even created a website with a wedding registry, for which he has a goal of raising $5000 to donate to the shelter.
“With the two of us locked down for the crisis, we decided to take the leap and make it official, by offering the world a bright spot to all the bad news out there and to raise money for the very place we met, Best Friends Animal Society NKLA.”
Perry says that having a pet is a huge commitment, much like marriage. You promise to take care of them and be there for them whenever they are in need. Thus, a commitment ceremony seemed fitting for them.
In the summer time, the thought of wearing a full suit for an entire day will have you sweating before you’re even dressed. There is a solution however, if you’re brave!
A shorts suit will bring out your best boyish charm and keep you cool all at once. With a larger variety of colours than the average suit, you have more to work with too.
If you’re having a summer wedding, this is perfect as they often come in light fabrics such as linen. For a beach wedding you shouldn’t even have to think twice!
Musician and producer Pharell is well known for these types of suits, incase you were worried you may look “uncool”.
A-list couple Kim Kardashian West and hubby Kanye West celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary yesterday. Kim posted a sweet picture on her Instagram of the two, captioned “6 years down; forever to go. Until the end”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAli2dVgNlL/
Kanye posted a video of his beautiful proposal to Kim, saying “Life is like a movie”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAlbyDjHFB4/
The two tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Florence, Italy on 24 May 2014. Kim wowed the world with a stunning Givenchy gown, sporting a train and lace detail.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…unless you’re drunk and decide to get to get married on a whim. This is not something that only us mere plebians do. Many celebrities have walked down the aisle during a quickie wedding in classy Las Vegas.
From Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner to Agelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton, Sin City has become a popular wedding destination for famous faces.
One Vegas chapel, interestingly, reigns supreme. The Little White Chapel has been going since 1951. It offers multiple locations for your I do’s, including five indoor chapels – the Little White, L’Amour, Crystal, Promises and Green Room, as well as an outdoor gazebo, and the historic, world-famous Tunnel of Love Drive Thru.
Upon availability, the chapel’s courtesy pink stretch limousine picks couples up within a 5 mile radius of the chapel and drives them to their wedding destination.
Over the years, hundreds of thousands of weddings, celebrity and civilian, have been held at the famous location.
Just a few famous faces who have tied the knot here include Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Britney Spears and childhood friend Jason Alexander, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon, Christina Milian and The Dream, and YouTuber David Dobrik, who married best friend Jason Nash’s mother Lorraine Nash as a prank.
The chapel has even featured on the big and small screen. Ross and Rachel drunkenly tied the knot here in an episode of Friends, and it was featured in The Hangover.
The Chapel is a one-stop shop offering everything a couple may need on their big day. This includes a flower shop, on-site gown and tuxedo rentals and music and entertainment via Elvis impersonators.
Feature image: Instagram / A Little White Wedding Chapel
Rom-com lovers are in for a treat. Love Actually star Hugh Grant is working with a new charity auction to offer up a special appearance at your virtual wedding.
Grant is working with Comic Relief US, a non-profit committed to ending poverty in America. Comic Relief US is pairing up with ecommerce site eBay to host a charity celebrity auction to raise funds in honour of Red Nose Day, held on 21 May. The highest bidder will win the Hugh Grant experience, a personalised pre-recorded video from the actor himself.
Red Nose Day is a campaign with the mission to end child poverty by funding programs that keep children safe, healthy, and educated.
“We’ve teamed up with eBay for Charity to open up the Red Nose Day shop, where you can bid on unique items and priceless experiences, all to help children in need,” Comic Relief US explains on their website.
“Whether you’re dreaming of a wedding encounter with Hugh Grant, want to strut your stuff at fashion week with Christian Sirano, or you’re in need of a love-letter written by acclaimed romantic comedy writer (and, cough, cough, co-founder of Red Nose Day) Richard Curtis, the Red Nose Day shop on eBay has something for everyone.
“And the best part? 100% of the proceeds from all winning bids go directly to Red Nose Day. So when you win, children win the most.”
To win, place your bid HERE before 27 May. Good luck!
If you’ve ever felt like your love would light up the city, it looks like you’re not alone. A Seattle man made this literal by incorporating the lights of a hotel into his surprise proposal.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in closed doors for most businesses, especially those in the travel and hospitality industries. The Hyatt Regency Seattle is one of those businesses. They have been closed for operations for a while. Every night, however, they light up their windows in the shape of a heart – supposedly to life the spirits of all the people stuck in lockdown.
Mitesh and Apoorva are able to see the light show from their apartment. Since Mitesh was planning to propose, he thought he should use the lights on the hotel in his favour.
According to Fox 56, Mitesh approached the Hyatt to ask for their assistance, and they happily obliged.
“Hence, we can see the beautiful heart sign that the hotel shows with the use of lights in individual rooms,” Mitesh said. “It would probably be the best proposal that I could ever hope for!”
The Hyatt adjusted their lights to read “I (heart) you”, with Apoorva’s initials (AP) in the heart. How sweet!
Actress Debby Ryan and Twenty One Pilots’ drummer Joshua Dun secretly married on New Years Day after just 28 days of planning, and managed to keep it under wraps until now.
The pair were engaged for a year before deciding to tie the knot on New Years Eve, 2019 in Austin, Texas.
“We began to flirt with the idea of having a destination party celebrating the new decade, then decided in December to get married [in Austin] on New Year’s Eve, and just keep dancing until after the ball dropped,” Ryan told Vogue.
Speaking to Vogue, the former Disney star explains that their quick planning was due to the passing of a close friend who was very excited about their wedding.
“He was excited that Joshua and I were getting married, and I never doubted that I’d know him through every coming phase of our lives,” Ryan explains. “When he passed, it really rocked me and put a lot of things in perspective. It didn’t feel important to wait anymore, to stop being busy, or for things to line up perfectly—intending to do things is not nearly as powerful as doing, as we aren’t promised tomorrow.”
They chose the Hotel Van Zandt in Austin at their location for the wedding weekend. Ryan wore an Elie Saab wedding gown and Dunn wore a green velvet Paul Smith suit with Nike Cortez sneakers.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, Judy Garland was a performer all her life. She has graced the silver screen in various iconic films and delighted audiences the world over with her magical voice. Although she passed away 50 years ago, she is still much beloved for her contribution to American cinema.
Interestingly, her love was even more dramatic than the characters she portrayed on screen. The iconic Wizard of Oz actress had married five times in her lifetime, giving Elizabeth Taylor and her eight marriages worthy competition. Let’s take a look at the men she loved over the decades.
Husband 1: David Rose (1941)
Garland met British-born composer and bandleader David Rose when she was 18-years-old and he 31-years-old, and they quickly became engaged. At the time, she was riding on a career-high following her Oscar-winning breakout role in The Wizard of Oz. Her mother and production studio she was under contract with, MGM, objected to their marriage over concerns Rose would tarnish Garland’s pristine, youthful image. Rose was still married to actress and singer Martha Raye at the time.
However, Garland ignored them and married Rose a year later in Las Vegas on July 27, 1941 after his divorce was finalised. The couple did not have an easy relationship. They reportedly had very different personalities, and Garland’s domineering mother created much tension. Rose, Garland’s mother and MGM reportedly forced Garland to have a secret abortion for fears that a baby would ruin her career. Secret abortions were common for actresses of this period.
The strain on their marriage could not be fixed and by 1944, the couple divorced.
Credit: Pinterest
Husband 2: Vincente Minnelli (1945)
In 1944, Garland began dating American stage director and film director Vincent Minelli whilst filming Meet Me in St. Louis, which Minelli directed. The film has since become MGM’s highest selling to date. Minelli was nearly 20 years Garland’s senior, and is said to have brought out maturity and onscreen elegance in the star that she desperately craved after playing many teenage roles.
Minelli and Garland were a powerhouse, and continued to work together for various MGM films. The pair married in June 1945, and MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer himself gave the bride away. In 1946, the couple welcomed daughter Liza Minelli, who would go on to become an international star just like her mother.
Trouble began for the couple after daughter Liza’s birth. Garland suffered from postpartum depression and was hospitalised at two different psychiatric clinics from a nervous breakdown after she returned to work a year after giving birth. Garland had also become more dependent on drugs, which she first began taking as a child upon her mother’s insistence to help maintain her weight and give her more energy to perform. She had also attempted suicide multiple times, and recieved scathing reporting from the press for alleged affairs. Garland and Minelli’s collaborations came to an end when she insisted he be removed as director for Easter Parade. The couples divorce was finalised in 1951, and she was released from her MGM contract.
Credit: Pinterest
Husband 3: Sid Luft (1952)
Garland’s longest marriage was to movie producer Sid Luft, who she had known since the 1930s. She began dating Luft after her relationship was Minelli ended in 1951, and he became her manager on a mission to revitalise her career.
Early into their relationship, Garland discovered she was pregnant but felt pressured to have another abortion to preserve her career. The couple managed to get through it together and married in 1952. They had daughter Lorna later that same year and son Joey in 1955. In 1954, the actress reached career success yet again with her iconic role in A Star is Born, which garnered her a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards.
However, throughout this high, Garland and Luft were having many marital problems. Garland continued to suffer from depression, drug use and alcoholism, and Luft reportedly also had issues with alcohol. Garland sued for divorce in 1963, citing mental cruelty as the reason. The actress claims Luft would become physically abusive towards her when he drank. She filed for divorce multiple times but the pair kept getting back together. They finally divorced in 1965.
Credit: Pinterest
Husband 4: Mark Herron
Garland met actor and tour manager Mark Herron in 1964 when he produced her joint shows with daughter Liza at the London Palladium. At the time, however, Garland was still married to Luft. They married soon after her divorce was finalised in 1965 at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas.
This short-lived marriage was not meant to be. They separated after 5 months and divorced in 1967. Garland testified that Herron was physically abusive towards her, which Herron claims was in self-defense..
Credit: Pinterest
Husband 5: Mickey Deans (1969)
Garland’s fifth and final husband was American musician and entrepreneur, Mickey Deans. The pair reportedly met at a hotel in New York City when Deans, 12 years Garland’s junior, was asked by a mutual friend to deliver prescription drugs to the actress. He had to pretend to be a doctor, as Garland’s two youngest children were present.
The pair dated for three years and married in 1969 in London. At the time, Garland’s career and personal life was at an all-time-low. Her physical and mental health had deteriorated from her persistent drug use. She was also in debt and felt immense pressure to continue performing.
Unfortunately a mere three months after their wedding, Deans discovered Garland’s dead body on June 22, 1969. She had died from an accidental overdose just 12 days before her 47th birthday.
