The secret garden, where romance and whimsy awaits. Such is the fashion story Monique Lhuillier weaves together with her latest bridal collection inspired by the Italian countryside.
With her newest line, Lhuillier encourages brides to make bold statements in an accessible, timeless fashion. Her designs are simple yet amplified, for the versatile modern bride. Bliss Monique Lhuillier Fall 2020 takes a sensual approach to classic silhouettes through matte sequin tulle, abstract floral beadwork and dimensional jacquard organza. Classic cuts are taken to the next level with ballooned sleeves, exaggerated trains and statement veils.
“An exuberance of colour; Monique Lhuillier Fall 2020 Bridal is a celebration of life,” explains the official website. “Embracing individualism, this season is all about bold colourful florals, botanical prints, and epic proportions. Silhouettes of poetic grandeur with billowing sleeves and exaggerated trains add a modern twist to traditional elements. Versatile components such as seamlessly detachable boleros, capes, and over the top veils complete each look. This Bride will leave a lasting impression”
“It’s about joy and romance, and I wanted to bring it to a storybook level,” Lhuillier explains to Vogue.
Here are a few of our favourite looks from the collection.
Brides opt to do their own makeup for a multitude of reasons. Maybe you want to save more money, maybe there’s a specific look you want or maybe you just enjoy doing makeup. Regardless of the reason, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared to take on this task.
Here are some tips to have you looking your best on your big day.
Keep your location, theme, wedding dress and weather in mind:
First things first, think logistics. If you’re going for a specific theme for your wedding, you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb with your makeup. For example, a bold smokey eye might clash with a botanical-inspired wedding in a local garden. You also have to consider how the wedding might affect your face beat. If it’s going to be hot, you’ll want to use products that reduce oil and won’t melt too drastically in the heat.
Start with eyes first:
If you’re doing a specific eye look, its best to start there first before applying your face makeup. This way, you can clean up any fallout and avoid the dreaded mascara flecks on your under eyes.
Don’t go beyond your abilities:
Love a bold winged liner but whenever you try, it ends up looking like a chunky piece of liquorice on your eye? You’re not alone. Yes, there are so many trends and looks that are beautiful but if you can’t do it, you’ll end up frustrating yourself on what is meant to be a happy day. Stick to what you know and you won’t start your day cursing the heavens above for your wonky cut-crease.
Practice, practice, practice:
Ideally, you want your makeup application to be stress-free and easy. The best way to do this is to practice your final look a few times so that it becomes second nature. Before your wedding day, make sure to give your application three trial runs in which you time yourself to see how long it takes to complete your look. Make sure to also wear your look throughout the day to see how it wears, and take photos under a variety of lighting to see how your look will photograph. No one wants flashback on their big day!
Blend the day away:
Every part of your makeup will be made so much better if you remember the cardinal rule: blend! Want flawless skin? Blend. Perfectly diffused eyeshadow? Blend. Remember to blend your foundation down your neck, chest and even onto your ears to maintain an even finish.
Give yourself time:
Please, please do not leave doing your makeup to the last minute. You might end up feeling rushed and end up not doing as great a job as you would have liked. Ideally, you should set aside an hour and a half to do your makeup, and still have plenty of time afterwards for any final touches once you’ve got your full look on. Remember, this is your big day and you want to look your best!
The stereotype may suggest that all women love shopping, but that’s not really the case. For some, shopping can be an annoying or stressful experience. These women usually opt for the online shopping route.
Wedding dress shopping is even more taxing a task. Online shopping may seem like a good way to relieve some of the stress. It could give you more time to deal with other wedding organisation to-do’s, it saves you from endless interactions with consultants in bridal stores, and may even be more affordable. But we all know it comes with some risks.
This bride decided to take the chance. If the outcome of her online shopping escapades was not so funny it would be tragic.
The bride-to-be ordered what she thought would be a stunning lace dress with a cascading skirt. What she got, however, was much more comical. The dress, while it did somewhat resemble the picture’s lace and a cascading skirt, came with defining boob-cupholders.
Taking to instagram to share her misfortune, she wrote “Online order fail. Don’t worry though a new better dress has been purchased”.
The image she shared had her followers in stitches.
“Omg no way!!!! So funny, how could someone even ship that lol,” said @lizard17 in the comments. “Look on the bright side…you got yourself a Halloween costume now. Make the boob pads seashells and paint the dress green and boom you’re Ariel! Glad you were able to get a laugh out of this. Weddings can be stressful!,” said another follower, @dodgeret.
We can confirm that the bride replaced her dress with something much more fitting for the occasion:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzFnAOzpe8E/
Congrats to the bride! And for those of you brides-to-be considering online dress shopping, let this be a lesson in the risks involved.
Child-free weddings are the best option for some. But if you’re somebody with lots of kids in your life, like little nieces and nephews, then you probably want to have them around on your special day.
There are a couple of things you need to consider if you’re having a kid-friendly wedding. First, weddings can be long and overwhelming for kids. In all likelihood, there will be a few tantrums. Second, you want the parents to enjoy the occasion and not be running after their kids all day.
In order to minimise tantrums and keep the kids occupied, you should provide some sort of entertainment. Here are some fun ways to keep them busy:
– Kids tables
Let them keep each other company! The kids can make new friends and play together as the adults catch-up and enjoy the festivities. You’d be surprised how well this works, it’s like a day-long play date.
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– Games galore
If you’re having a summer wedding, or if the winter weather allows, ensure that you have lots of outdoor games. Running around in the fresh air, playing games in the sun will keep the kids busy and might even tire them out.
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– Napping area
Once they’ve participated in the various activities, and maybe had a snack or two, they may want a nap. Set up a cozy sleeping corner and they’ll be off to dreamland! A mid-wedding nap decreases the likelihood of tantrums, so this one is important.
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– Kid friendly drinks
Make them feel as though they’re part of the festivities. They’ll see all the adults with drinks in hand, and if they’re given their own little drinks station, they’ll feel included and welcome.
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– Kid friendly snacks
Kids are not intrested in fancy starters and several course meals. They don’t even want your decadent desserts. It’s best to provide some familiar snacks for the little ones. It may even be cool to set up a buffet table just for them.
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– Hire entertainers
When in doubt, hire a professional. There are baby-sitters and entertainers who specialise in taking care of kids at weddings. They’ll bring games, costumes for entertainment, and much more. You won’t have to worry about a thing.
We know what you’re thinking. Yes, ruffles can feel very childish, but they can also be incredibly whimsical and fresh. Ruffles add delicate yet lively detail to your wedding dress. Imagine the fun you can have playing with your skirt!
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Pre-Fall 2019 collection for Valentino saw a resurgence of ruffles, followed by Dior, Comme de Garcons and Marc Jacobs. Ever since then the trend has permeated street style as fashion steers towards a more ‘frou-frou’ aesthetic.
Stay on trend yet classic with these fun and flouncy finishes.
Renewing your vows may possibly be better (for you) than saying them for the first time. You’re likely to be a hundred times less nervous, which means your day will feel much smoother. You also may have started a little family to celebrate alongside you in the years after your vows were first uttered.
There are many more up-sides to having your vows renewed. One of these being that there are less expectations, norms and rules to follow for vow renewals. Your parents won’t require you to invite that one aunt you’ve never really clicked with, for instance.
Weddings are steeped in tradition and thus come with many do’s and don’ts. But with vow renewals, you can let your imagination run free.
If you’re worried about updating paper work, there’s no need! A vow renewal ceremony is not a legal one and thus requires no registered officiates or trips to Home Affairs. This ceremony is more about romance, celebration, commemoration and for some, spirituality.
Some couples renew their vows on a big anniversary, while others use it as a way to celebrate making it through a tough time together. But in all honesty, you don’t need a reason. Maybe you just lacked the funds for a big celebration the first time around and now have the means to throw a fancy party. That is reason enough to celebrate your love again.
So if you’re planning on a big day 2.0 here are some quick tips:
– Get creative
Since you have free reign you should go wild with your ideas. Choose a loved one to officiate, have your kids walk you down the aisle, pick that venue that you’re worried will be too much. Just go for it!
– Vows
Since it is a renewal, you’ll want to update your vows to be more relevant to your life together as it is now, not as it was back then.
– Wedding party and registry
These two things are usually left out of the renewal ceremony. But if you want to have them, you definitely can.
– Photographer
Be sure to book a photographer to capture all the memories! An occasion as special as this should always be documented.
Here are some real life vow renewals to inspire you:
February is Black History Month in the United States and to honour African tradition, a church in Atlanta Georgia hosted a Wakanda-themed mass wedding.
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church hosts an annual mass wedding called ‘The Vow’, in which they aim to cut down the financial burdens of hosting a wedding.
“We wanted to remove the financial barriers that would burden or even deter couples from having a wedding ceremony,” explains New Birth Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant. “Marriage not only signifies a commitment between two people, but also is an outward demonstration of a commitment and bond that symbolizes God’s love for the church.”
On February 16 this year, 12 couples said ‘I do’ during the mass wedding themed “A Wedding in Wakanda”. Guests were encouraged to wear traditional African clothing to honour Black History Month.
Credit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist ChurchCredit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist ChurchCredit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist ChurchCredit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
Wakanda is the fictional African country home to Marvel’s Black Panther. Ever since the Black Panther film hit theatres, people around the world revelled in the movie’s portrayal of black superheroes and African ingenuity.
Singer Kelly Price serenaded the couples on their big day.
Feature image: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
Does the thought of planning a fancy dinner for hundreds of people, a year in advance, with the focus of everyone’s attention only on you scare you or excite you? If it’s the former and this sounds like your worst nightmare of a wedding, then why not elope?
Skip the excessive and unnecessary spending and choose a destination you and your partner have dreamed of visiting. Do some research on local wedding officiates and choose somewhere. Pack a bag and be gone.
If you want to be a little less dramatic, tell your family that your wedding is going to be extremely intimate: you, your partner, the officiate and a photographer. They can’t disown you for wanting to celebrate your special day the way you want to. It’s your day, not theirs.
If the idea of an intimate wedding excites you, here is some inspiration to hopefully get you to commit to your authentic happily ever after.
On your big day, you want to look like the best version of yourself. As the literal base of your makeup, foundation helps to create an even, flawless complexion on which you can build to achieve your perfect look. Foundation is not one-size-fits-all, and its important to find the one that works best for you (if you choose to wear foundation at all).
The type of foundation you choose will depend on the finish you desire, and it can be quite tricky to figure it out if you’re not a beauty guru. Fear not, we’ve got the breakdown. Finding the right foundation for your skin requires you to consider four different elements: coverage, type, finish and shade.
Coverage
Foundation comes in three main types depending on the amount of coverage you want: full, medium and sheer coverage. This is up to personal preference. Full coverage gives you the most even, flawless finish, while a sheer coverage or a tinted moisturiser will mostly give an overall skin-tint and slightly cover a few blemishes. Medium coverage falls somewhere between these two, offering up buildable coverage that evens out your tone while still allowing your skin to shine through.
Type
Once you’ve decided on the coverage you want, you can begin to look at foundation types. Foundation generally come in liquid form, in a stick, as a whipped mousse and as a powder.
Liquid foundation is the easiest and most accessible to use. Liquid glides on easily and blends the best for the most even finish, however it can exaggerate oil-prone skin. It can be applied using a brush, beauty sponge or even your fingers.
A stick foundation is creamier and thicker in consistency than a liquid foundation. However, there is quite a bit of buffing that is required with this foundation to make sure you get an even look. Stick foundations are perfect for contouring and highlighting, as it gives a great colour-payoff that can be blended more naturally into the skin than powder.
A whipped mousse foundation is a liquid foundation that has air incorporated into it, lightening up the texture. This light-weight foundation blends easily and works well for all skin tones.
Powder foundation is easy to apply as it generally requires less blending and comes in a convenient compact case. Powder foundation is perfect for someone who wants a lighter, more matte look. However, it can be quite drying and is generally not great for someone already predisposed to dryness.
Finish
Once you’ve locked down the coverage and type of foundation you want, your second-to-last step is to choose your finish. These are the main foundation finishes:
– Matte foundations eliminate sheen on your face, making it perfect for those with oily skin. Those with blemish or acne-prone skin will like this finish as it provides a poreless filter to the skin. Dry, more mature skin should steer clear of this finish as it can accentuate problem areas.
– Dewy finishes give the wearer a soft, glowing look to the skin and is perfect for dry skin and mature skin as it appears more youthful.
– A Satin finish falls between matte and dewy: close to full coverage but in a more natural way. This finish compliments all skin-types.
Shade match
Unfortunately, the last step is always the hardest. Shade matching your skin to a foundation can be incredibly difficult, especially in store where lighting is not exactly optimal. The key thing to take into account is your skins undertone.Warm undertones reflect traces of red and gold in their skin and typically tan very easily. Cool undertones have hints of ink and blue in their skin and are prone to burn more easily in the sun. A neutral undertone falls in the middle, with an equal mix of cool and warm tones.
When in doubt, many makeup artists create a foundation cocktail, mixing together two or three shades to get the closest match. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
While she will always go down in history as being the violet-eyed star of the silver screen, Elizabeth Taylor also has another title: the celebrity who had been married the most. The iconic actress was married eight times in her life, twice to the same man.
“I am a very committed wife,” Taylor is famous for joking. “And I should be committed, too—for being married so many times.”
We take a look back at her numerous glamorous weddings…
1950-1951: Conrad ‘Nicky’ Hilton
A baby-faced 18-year-old Taylor wed Conrad ‘Nicky’ Hilton, heir to the Hilton Hotel fortune, in a large Los Angeles affair attended by 700 guests. Taylor wore a gown designed by Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer costume-designer Helen Rose, who famously went on to design Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.
Unfortunately the marriage did not last long; the couple split in January the following year.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1952-1957: Michael Wilding
Taylor didn’t stay single for long following her divorce. A year later, the starlet was married to British actor Michael Wilding. The bride went more casual this time around, wearing a modest suit with a fitted jacket and a knee-length flared skirt – once again designed by Helen Rose. Her trend-setting sapphire engagement ring inspired many brides for the years following.
Throughout the course of their five-year marriage, the pair had two children: Michael and Christopher. They divorced in 1957.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1957-1958: Michael Todd
Husband number three was American film producer Michael Todd. The pair said their ‘I do’s’ in Mexico in a ceremony officiated by the mayor of Acapulco. Not one to wear the same thing twice, Taylor went bold with a hooded gown. Husband-and-wife duo Eddie Fischer and Debbie Reynolds (parents of Carrie Fisher) served as the best man and matron-of-honour respectively.
This marriage was the only one of Taylor’s to not end in divorce; Todd tragically passed away in a private jet crash in 1958. Taylor was originally meant to be on the jet too, but at the last minute stayed home because of a cold. The couple share a daughter together named Liza.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1959-1964: Eddie Fisher
Distraught from losing her husband so suddenly, Taylor controversially found comfort in best man Eddie Fischer. The pair grew incredibly close, and ended up getting married in 1959 after Fischer left Debbie Reynolds. Elizabeth converted to Judaism, and the happy couple wed at the Temple Beth Shalom in Las Vegas. Once again, Taylor stunned in a green silk dress with a hood and long sleeves. In another unconventional move, Fisher proposed to Taylor with a 40-carat bracelet made with 50 diamonds.
This marriage, however, was not to be and the pair divorced in 1964.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1964-1974:Richard Burton
Taylor’s most famous relationship was with actor Richard Burton. The actors met while filming Cleopatra and began dating in secret. At the time, Burton was married to Welsh actress Sybil Williams and Taylor was still married to Fisher. Their relationship was made public when they were spotted together by paparazzi on a yacht in Italy. Their affair was an international scandal and was even condemned by the Vatican but that wouldn’t stop these love birds. Only nine days after officially splitting from Fischer, Taylor and Burton wed in Montreal, Canada in 1964. Sticking to her colourful train, Taylor wore a canary-yellow chiffon gown and stunning floral headdress – the original flower crown. In another unique choice, Burton decided against an engagement ring, instead proposing with a Bulgari brooch the bride wore on her wedding day.
This was her longest marriage by far, spanning 10 years in which the couple starred in eleven films together before calling it quits (or so we thought).
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1975-1976: Richard Burton (again)
Burton and Taylor went for round two a year-and-a-half after their divorce, secretly renewing their vows in Botswana in October 1975. Taylor embraced the 70s aesthetic in a unique tie-dye dress. During this marriage, Burton gifted Taylor with the world famous Krupp Diamond, now known as the Elizabeth Taylor diamond, a generous 33.19 carats that sold for $8.8m after Taylors passing.
Of their love, Taylor famously said, “Our love is so furious that we burn each other out”. They divorced again the following July, officially closing the chapter on their book of love although Taylor has called Burton the love of her life.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1976 – 1982: John Warner
Tired of actors, Liz married senator John Warner in an intimate ceremony on his cattle farm in Virginia. For their big day, the bride wore a cashmere dress accessorised with a tweed and fur coat, and matching turban.
Unfortunately the politicians wife life was not for Liz; the couple divorced in 1982.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1991 – Larry Fortensky
Having been burnt a few times, Taylor took a near decade-long break from marriage before her eighth and final wedding to construction worker Larry Fortensky. The couple met at the Betty Ford rehabilitation clinic where Taylor had checked in for her struggles with alcoholism. The pair truly went all out for this star-studded event that was hosted at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California and was attended by 160 guests, including famous faces like Liza Minnelli, Eddie Murphy, Nancy Reagan, Diane von Furstenberg, Quincy Jones, Macaulay Culkin, and Brooke Shields. Taylor said ‘I do’ in a pale yellow lace Valentino gown.
Unfortunately, this marriage was also not to be. Taylor and Fortensky split five years later.
