On your wedding day, it’s important to feel comfortable and stay true to yourself. Many brides may opt to up the sexy factor but if that does not feel authentic to you, don’t worry about it.
Dressing modestly does not have to be boring. You can still make a stylish statement while covering your cleavage, legs and arms if that is what makes you feel most comfortable. The important aspect then comes in the design of your wedding dress.
Lace, embellishments and beadwork do wonders for bringing life to an otherwise simple silhouette. If you’re not one for sparkle, opt for a more modern cut like a cape that will still cover your arms while giving you a fashionable edge at the same time. A super-long train and subtle corset detailing are also subtle ways to add a unique touch to your look.
Here are some stunning brides who rocked modest bridal fashion on their big day:
We live in a culture that values “experiences”. These are often promoted in the media, and by those selling them, as vital to enhancing our well-being.
We all know big life events like marriage, parenthood, job loss and the death of loved one can affect our well-being. But by how much and for how long?
We set out to measure the effect of major life events – 18 in total – on well-being. To do so we used a sample of about 14,000 Australian adults tracked over 16 years. Some of our results were expected. Others were surprising.
Overall, our results show good events like marriage improved some aspects of well-being, but bad events like health shocks had larger negative effects. For good and bad events, changes in well-being were temporary, usually disappearing by 3-4 years.
Here are some of our most interesting findings.
Happiness versus life satisfaction
Our study distinguished two different aspects of well-being: “happiness” and “life satisfaction”. Researchers often treat these as the same thing, but they are different.
Happiness is the positive aspect of our emotions. People’s self-reported happiness tends to be fairly stable in adulthood. It follows what psychologists call “set point theory” – people have a “normal” level of happiness to which they usually return over the long run.
Life satisfaction is driven more by one’s sense of accomplishment in life. A person can be satisfied, for example, because they have a good job and healthy family but still be unhappy.
Life events often affect happiness and life satisfaction in the same direction: things that make you happier tend to also improve your life satisfaction. But not always, and the size of the effects frequently differ.
In the case of having a child, the contrast is stark. Right after the birth, parents are more satisfied but less happy, possibly reflecting the demands of caring for a newborn (eg. sleep deprivation).
Changes are temporary
After almost all events (both good and bad), well-being tends to return to a personal set point. This process is known as the hedonic treadmill – as people adapt to their new circumstances, well-being returns to baseline. This has been found in other studies as well.
The good news is that even after very bad events, most people seem to eventually return to their set-point well-being level. Even after an extremely bad event such as the death of a spouse, people’s well-being generally recovers in two to three years. This doesn’t mean they don’t carry pain from the experience, but it does mean they can feel happy again.
Bad events affect us more
The detrimental effects of bad events on well-being outweigh the positive effect of good events. Negative effects also last longer. This is partly because most people are happy and satisfied in general, so there is more “room” to feel worse than better. In fact, we can’t confidently say there is any positive cumulative effect of good events on happiness at all. However, marriage, retirement, childbirth and financial gains all temporarily improve overall life satisfaction.
Our finding that “losses” hurt more than “gains” mirrors decades of behavioural economics research showing people are generally “loss averse” – going to more effort to avoid losses than to chase gains.
The bad events that have the largest total effects are death of a spouse or child, financial loss, injury, illness and separation.
Small, fleeting effects
Starting a new job, getting promoted, being fired and moving house are events that people often fixate on as either stressful or to be celebrated. But, on average, these don’t seem to affect well-being that much. Their effects are comparatively very small and generally fleeting.
This could be because of differences in the nature of these events for different people, or that they frequently occur. For example, being fired can be devastating. But for someone close to retirement who receives a large redundancy payment and moves to the coast, it might be a positive experience.
An important caveat to our study is that it reflects the average experiences of people. There are likely to be some people who experience long-lasting improvements in well-being after good events. There will also be people who experience sustained decreased well-being after bad events. In future work we hope to identify these different people and isolate the characteristics that predict what responses to different events will look like.
The things that matter
Our results caution against chasing happiness through positive experiences alone. The impact, if any, seems small and fleeting, as the hedonic treadmill drags us back to our own well-being set point.
Instead, we might do better by focusing on the things that protect us against feeling devastated by bad events. The most important factors are strong relationships, good health and managing exposure to financial losses.
In 2020 we might also take consolation from the fact that, although it will take time, our well-being can recover from even the worst circumstances.
As we bid 2020 goodbye and ring in 2021, with no end in sight yet to the Covid-19 pandemic that has forever changed our world, it’s worth taking a look at how Wrapistry has evolved to help couples – and their loved ones – celebrate their most important moments.
Wrapistry is a local online registry and gift store aimed at making happy couples (and their guests) even happier by creating the ultimate registry experience. They’ve already proven themselves market leaders in the wedding gift registry space and now they’ve evolved, just like the couples they help celebrate do, by creating baby registries to welcome new bundles of joy to the world.
“Weddings are just one part of a couple’s journey together. We want to be a part of every chapter. So, it makes sense for reimagining the baby registry to be our next adventure,” comments CEO, Jed Shein.
Brick-and-mortar shopping has quite rightly developed into the click-and-mortar variety: you order online and have it delivered to your home. Wrapistry uses design and technology combined with exceptional customer service to help couples – and their loved ones – browse through a curated selection of everything that new parents and the new arrival may need. Couples can choose from an amazing range of products. From stylish cots and sleek strollers to everyday essentials (think cutlery sets and vests), Wrapistry has created the ultimate baby registry. Plus, new, beautiful items are added to the online store each week.
Let’s face it, traditional gift registries don’t leave much room for creativity. With Wrapistry, though, couples can ask for what they actually want. They can register for gifts and cash funds – all in one place – so their loved ones have options. And when they really desire a big-ticket item (a baby stroller or bassinet, for example), simply turn on group gifting and give guests the opportunity to contribute what they can. No stress, no hassle and no fuss of keeping tallies of who gave what – Wrapistry does that all for you.
“Creating a gift registry should be one of the most fun experiences,” says co-founders Pat Berman and Linda Shein.
Family and friends may not always be able to celebrate a baby’s arrival in person during a pandemic, and that makes giving them the option of gifting something special that they know the couple chose themselves so much more special. For the couple, the Wrapistry team is on hand to help. The team has learnt much over the years: from the most popular gifts to the average amount people spend. Answer a few questions and they’ll recommend how many gifts to add to the registry, based on price point and category. This way not only will the new parents get a variety of items, but also accommodate different budgets.
Each Wrapistry registry includes:
– The option to play around with photos, background images and customise the welcome message.
– Notifications every time guests shop the registry.
– Free delivery. Plus, the option to choose when to have gifts delivered.
– Free exchanges before closing the registry.
– A 10% registry completion discount.
– Support for the couple and their guests.
Visit wrapistry.shop today to create the perfect registry for the new chapter you’re about to enter as parents.
Your wedding decor can make or break your overall theme. However, you don’t need to go bankrupt to make a statement.
There are so many household items that just need some dressing up, and they will look spectacular on your wedding table. Think bottles, mirrors and candles. They key is to add variety with different heights and shapes.
Spraypaint your items to match your colour scheme, and add fairy lights for a romantic touch. The possibilities are endless.
What began as a simple COVID-19 vaccination ended as a sweet marriage proposal for this healthcare couple.
Robbie Vargas-Cortes (31) who works as a paramedic and EMS supervisor, was one of the first healthcare workers in Canton, South Dakota to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. His partner Eric Vanderlee, a registered nurse, was one of the vaccine administrators at Sanford Health.
Vargas-Cortes then decided to use this opportunity to plan the perfect surprise proposal. During the appointment, Vargas-Cortes rolled up his sleeve to reveal his arm and receive the vaccine, but to Vanderlee’s surprise there was already tape on his arm.
Initially, Vanderlee thought it was his partner’s way of jokingly showing him where the vaccine needle should go. Upon closer inspection, however, he realised that there was a ring taped to his partner’s arm.
“It just kind of dawned on me and I was like, ‘absolutely, of course, yes.’ It was just an amazing moment after I figured it out,” Vanderlee told CNN.
“Robby got his vaccine – and an enthusiastic yes from his now fiancé. Congratulations, Eric and Robby!” wrote Sanford Health in a Facebook post.
Food Network star Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, and husband Jeffrey are celebrating a momentous 52 years of marriage.
Taking to social media, Garten shared a sweet throwback of the couple on their wedding day to honour the occasion.
“Fifty-two years and still having so much fun! You gave me a life I could never have dreamed of. Happy Anniversary my love. (What’s up with that cake??)”
The pair met in 1964, when Ina was visiting her brother at Dartmouth University, which they all attended. Jeffrey marvelled at her beauty from the library window, telling a friend “Look at that girl, isn’t she beautiful?”
Funnily enough, the friend knew Ina as she was the younger sister of a friend who actually had a date with her that very night. Luckily, that date did not lead to anything more and Jeffery jumped at his chance to start something. He began writing Ina letters in the hopes they would meet one day.
Months later, the pair finally met up for their first date. Afterwards, Jeffrey continued to write to Ina almost daily.
Ina and Jeffrey tied the knot in 1968 when she was 20 and he 22. They married at her parents’ home in Connecticut.
Since then, Jeffrey has been a major support as Garten’s culinary career blew up with her Food Network show. He often features in episodes, and has become a welcome addition to the show for many fans.
“I do”, said the bride to her laptop. No, this isn’t a dystopian telling of our future in which robots are our new partners, it’s a reality for many separated by thousands of kilometres amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid the pandemic, some couples forced apart are still going ahead with their wedding day, albeit in a much less traditional format. If you thought Zoom weddings were novel, wait till you hear about double proxy weddings, the hot new trend in 2020.
A proxy wedding or proxy marriage is a wedding in which one or both of the individuals getting married are not physically present for the nuptials, and are represented by other people standing in for them. A double proxy wedding is when both partners are physically absent and two other people stand in for them.
This is legally permissible under certain circumstance in some parts of the world, like if one partner is enrolled in military service, imprisoned or due to travel restrictions. Importantly, this marriage is not legally recognised by most countries as common law requires both parties to be present.
Marriage by proxy was very common among nobility centuries ago. Marie Antoinette married Louis-Auguste by proxy in 1770 and French emperor Napoleon married Archduchess Marie Louise by proxy in 1810. This service became even more popular in the early 1900s in America during the war efforts.
In 2020, it has seen a resurgence thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Times writes of Randy Nuñez and Sasha Nuñez-Carvalho, who married via double proxy in October while he was quarantining in San Diego and she was deployed in the Navy in Europe.
Proxy marriage is legal in the state of Montana and several other American states, all the couple has to do is sign their right-of-attorney over to two stand-ins who them get married for them and sign the marriage licence on their behalf with an officiant present.
The couple who stood in for the Nuñez’s, Chris and April Coen actually specialise in double proxy marriages. For $675 (about R9910), the Coens will stand in for couples wanting to to tie knot. In fact, business has grown by 400% amid the pandemic and by the end of 2020 alone they would have performed about 2500 double proxy marriages.
When it comes to planning your big day, you want your closest people by your side to get your through. Things will get crazy, overwhelming and exhausting which is where your A-team step in.
But how do you know who to ask? Who should be your maid of honour and should you even have one? There will most likely be many outside voices telling you what to do, feelings of moral obligation or pressure from your partner around who to include in your bridal party. Take a breath, we’re here to help.
If you have no idea who to ask, consider the following guidelines.
You have the right to choose
It’s your wedding. Not your mother’s, mother-in-law’s or sister’s wedding. You should be comfortable with the people around you, trust them and be able to rely on them. Choose people you know well, have a close relationship with and that you know carry your happiness at heart.
Your maid/man of honour needs certain qualities
Some traditions dictate that a bride should ask her closest female family member to be the maid of honour, while others firmly believe that it should be your longest-standing friend. While your man/maid of honour might tick both those boxes, the most important thing is that he or she must be your closest friend. They may be a sister, cousin or school friend, but they may also be a recently met colleague, sports mate or even an older person who is a role model and mentor in your life.
That being said, they will need to handle some arrangements, do a lot of planning and be hands-on during the process. As such, they would need to be at least a semi-organised person, live close enough to see you regularly and know you well enough to avoid planning things you would not enjoy.
Your bridal party don’t need to be best friends with each other
The maid of honour and bridesmaids are a group of people who all love you, but they don’t need to love each other. Yes, you want them to have a good time and getting along will be a bonus, but the main thing is that you have the people there that you want. If they really care about you, they will put any potential differences aside and work together as a team to make your dream come true.
You are allowed to exclude people
This part sounds harsh, but it might be necessary. As with guests, you can’t always have everybody there. Sometimes practicalities just won’t allow it and other times it could be that people expect things of you that are unfair. If it so happens that you and your partner’s sister just don’t see eye to eye, for example, you shouldn’t have to feel pressured to include her in the bridal party. It would probably be a relief to them as much as it is to you, if you don’t ask them.
Remember this is your big day and your happiness counts most.
You’ll be hardpressed to find two celebrities better suited for one another than Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Together, the pair make up one of the most famous couples on the planet.
Kardashian has famously been married three times, and her third has by far been her most successful. Here’s how their love story began.
Long before Kardashian hit the big time thanks to her reality show, she met rapper Kanye West on set of a Brandy music video back in 2002/3.
“I met him, I think, in 2002 or 2003. He was recording a song with Brandy, and I was her friend. I vividly remember hanging out with him, and then they did a video together, so I’d see him a few times. He was asking his friends, ‘Who is this Kim Kardajan?’ He didn’t know what my name was,” Kardashian recounted during the 10th anniversary special of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
It wasn’t until years later that the pair would grow close. In 2008, the pair were brought back together to work on a pilot for a TV show called Alligator Boots. From here on out, they were good friends and West even appeared on an episode of Kourtney and Kim Take New York in 2010.
Kim would go on to marry basketball player Kris Humphries in 2011, a marriage that would end after a mere 72 days. She may have been able to avoid this fate if she had listened to an anonymous caller who warned her against the marriage.
“I got a phone because somebody decided they wanted to marry Kris Humphries,” Kanye recalled on an episode of Kocktails with Khloé. “I started sending her pictures of, like, certain basketball players that used to be cool that now they wear their pants all the way up to here. Like, ‘This is your future.'”
Luckily for West, the marriage was short-lived and the pair reconnected during a trip to Paris for Fashion Week in 2011.
“After my breakup, I was feeling really low and down and he said, ‘Just come to Paris and see my fashion show,'” Kim said during the KUWTK anniversary special. “He jokes that he put on this whole fashion show just to get a date with me. So I went there and I stayed with him, and that’s where we started dating. I swear from the moment I landed, I fell madly in love with him and I thought, ‘Oh my god, why didn’t I do this sooner?’ Like, this is what real life is like—love and fun and real support.”
They have been inseparable ever since. In 2012, West released his cold ‘Cold’ in which he publicly confesses his love for Kardashian. At the time, Humphries played for the Brooklyn Nets, which West’s friend Jay-Z owned.
The lyrics go: “And I’ll admit, I had fell in love with Kim/Around the same time she had fell in love with him/Well that’s cool, baby girl, do ya thang/Lucky I ain’t had Jay drop him from the team.”
In December 2012, the pair announced they were expecting their first child and in June 2013 they welcomed baby North.
2013 was an extra special year for the pair. In October, they became engaged in an elaborate proposal at the San Francisco Giants’ baseball stadium that included her closest friends and family.
Their extravagent wedding weekend kicked off in Paris, and included a luncheon at designer Valentino’s French chateau and a rehearsal dinner in Versailles. The pair said ‘I do’ on May 24, 2014 at the Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy.
In 2015, they welcomed their second child, a son named Saint, and in 2018 baby girl Chicago was born via surrogacy. Their last child, a boy named Psalm, was born in 2019.
2020 has been anything but conventional, but one thing that endured was the power of love. Despite all the changes this year threw at us, many were determined to tie the knot with that special someone.
While they were not to the grand standard we are used to, there were many celebrity couples who tied the knot in 2020. Some were lucky enough to walk down the aisle before the pandemic broke out, while others restructured to celebrate in a more low-key and safe way.
Here are a few of our favourite celebrity weddings for 2020:
Tim Tebow and Demi-Leigh Nel Peters kicked off the year with a celebrity wedding to note. From their pre-wedding ‘Welcome to Africa’ cocktail dinner in the Cape winelands to their rehearsal dinner, no expense was spared. The couple’s weekend events are all planned by celebrity planner Zavion Khotze.
The pair married at the La Paris Estate in Franschhoek on January 20, 2020. South African celebrity wedding planner Zavion Khotze organised the day. The former Miss Universe wore an off-the-shoulder cowl-neck dress by Davids Bridal and Tim wore a tuxedo by Antar Levar.
According to PEOPLE, their ceremony lasted 30 minutes and was attended by 260 guests. The couple wrote their own vows.
The wedding blended South African and American wedding traditions, because their cultures are very important to the couple.
The Pitch Perfect actress said ‘I do’ to longtime beau Tyler Stanaland in an intimate ceremony at Cielo Farms in Malibu, California on March 14.
Snow wore a long-sleeved wedding dress with a low back for her big day. Her hair was pinned back in a low bun and adorned with white flowers. Tyler and his groomsmen donned black tuxedos and Converse shoes.
According to reports, the bride walked down the aisle with her beloved pet pooch Billie by her side. As it rained on the day, the ceremony was moved from the lawn area to a covered terrace.
Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell said ‘I do’ on March 25 in a small ceremony at the Australia Zoo where they all live, with no guests in attendance beside her mother and brother. Despite planning their big day for over a year, all their plans had to change amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The wedding was a meaningful moment for her family. Irwin’s mother helped her get ready, her brother walked her down the aisle and they had a special tribute to her father, Steve Irwin.
Almost two months after their planned wedding date, Princess Beatrice and entrepreneur Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in a small, private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor on Friday, July 17.
They had their closest family members in attendance, including her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Duke and Duchess of York.
For her big day, the Princess wore a stunning vintage dress by Norman Hartnell and accessorised with the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, both belonging to Her Majesty the Queen. The tiara was worn by Queen Elizabeth on her wedding day in 1947.
She carried a bouquet of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink o’hara garden roses, pink wax flower and baby pink astible. Of course, she had a sprig of myrtle in it as well to continue royal tradition.
Singer Lily Allen said ‘I do’ to Stranger Things star David Harbour in a secret Las Vegas ceremony on Monday, September 7.
They celebs exchanged vows at the Graceland Wedding Chapel. In true Vegas fashion, they even had an Elvis impersonator officiate the wedding. This wedding location proves popular with celebs, as both Jon Bon Jovi and Billy Ray Cyrus have tied the knot here previously.
The singer went casual with a boat neck double-breasted Dior dress and tulle veil for the nuptials. Harbour wore a simple black suit.
