Marble has been having a moment for the last few years. From home design and fashion, this unique metamorphic rock has inspired an enduring trend. It has even entered the wedding world.
The best thing about marble is that it works for many different aesthetics, depending on what you pair it with. You can truly go as hard or as subtle as you want. Add bright botanicals for a garden party, or roses for a romantic look. Opt for unique geometric shapes for a more modern take or a geode texture for a more alternative feel.
Here are some magnificent marble cakes to inspire you:
A wedding is the perfect time to put on your dancing shoes and to cut loose. However, not everyone is that keen to bust out the moves.
Some may need further encouragement to get footloose. Beyond this, getting the party started can be quite physically taxing. With all that gyrating, it’s easy to get tuckered out quickly. It’s best to look out for your guests by offering some dancing relief. Here are a few ideas.
Welcome with some liquid courage
The best way to get people to dance is to get them feeling relaxed first. This is where old faithful alcohol comes in. Serving shots of tequila as a welcome drink is a great way to get the party started and encourage your guests to leave their morals at the door. An open bar will go even further, but may get your guests feeling a bit too confident.
Ariana Grande isn’t everybody’s cup of tea and not everyone is down to clown to some Drake. You’ll need your live band or DJ to perform a healthy mix of music genres, from pop and rap to golden oldies and slow tunes. This way, you appeal to everyone. Plus, no one can resist a cheesy one-hit wonder.
Have you ever danced in stiletto heels? It’s not a fun time. Balancing on these high heels while twerking to Cardi B might lead to a few falls, so it’s best to offer alternative footwear. A cute idea is to have a ‘dancing shoes’ stand where guests can grab a pair of flip flops before heading out onto the dance floor. Place them in different bins based on size, so that everyone has a shoe that will fit. Make sure the flip flops are brand new for hygiene reasons, and place a sign saying that each guest should keep their pair for the night to avoid people chopping and changing flip flops.
After dancing up a storm, you’ll probably be sweating quite a bit. Have a dedicated ‘cool down’ zone alongside your traditional seating, where your guests can rest their weary feet. Offer tons of seating, cute handheld fans and refreshing fruit-infused water to help them rest up before they take to the floor for round 2.
Former Miss and Mr South Africa, Melinda Bam and Adriaan Bergh celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on November 9. She took to social media and wrote him a sweet heartwarming message in honour of the occasion.
“Life cannot be more colourful and fragrant than with you, my husband”, she wrote.
The pair have always given us reason to believe in fairy tales. They met back in 2008 at University and Adriaan instantly knew that Melinda was the girl for him.
He told YOU magazine that when he saw her, he told his friend that she would be his girl. He kept to his words and married her in 2014.
Adriaan posted on his Instagram and said “Life is a song, provided you have the right partner. About 3,155,760 minutes ago I married my dream wife, Princess @melindabam. Today I can honestly say, our marriage is my very greatest blessing. It’s special to be able to say, my Wife is my best friend”
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 group of bishops, chaired by the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, will lead the process of discernment and decision-making about a way forward for the church in relation to human identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage,” said the Church in a statement.
This engagement is expected to take place during 2021, and final decisions would be concluded in 2022 and set before the Church’s General Synod.
Currently, the Church of England does not recognise same-sex marriage or officially bless same-sex civil marriages. However, they do allow clergy members to be in same-sex relationships if they are sexually abstinent. The Church still describes sex as between a heterosexual male and female.
In the foreword in a newly published set of resources drawing together the Bible, theology, science and history called “Living in Love and Faith”, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, acknowledge and apologise for the “huge damage and hurt” that has been caused particularly to LGBTI+ people within the Church.
“At the heart of our failure is the absence of a genuine love for those whom God loves in Christ, knowing as God does every aspect of all of our lives,” they write. “Our prayer for the Church through this work is that collectively we demonstrate the same love to one another that we have experienced from God.”
The Bishop of Coventry, Christopher Cocksworth, who oversaw the Living in Love and Faith project, said: “Questions of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage are deeply personal with real life consequences. Engaging with these resources will be enriching and, at different points for different people, deeply challenging and uncomfortable.
“They ask us to examine afresh what it means for Christians to live in love and faith. We offer them in the hope that the whole of the Church of England will embrace this opportunity to learn and reflect together across difference for the sake of our unity in Christ.”
A wedding bouquet should reflect your personality and fit the theme, but not steal your thunder. We love the elegance of white flowers, and the simplicity it brings.
Here are some ides if you’re thinking to go with an all-white bouquet. If white on its own is too plain for you, add some subtle pastel colours to the mix. Also feel free to experiment with accessories to add a special touch to the flowers like dried botanical pieces, wispy feathers, and jewels.
A man appeared to have married four brides during one ceremony in Limpopo this past weekend. In a video circulating on social media, the groom and his four brides can be seen enjoying their recent nuptials.
The wedding is believed to have taken place in a village in Limpopo called Ga-Makgeru on November 8, 2020. In the video, the four brides and the groom are captured happily dancing into the tent packed with amused guests where the ceremony was going to be.
Three of the brides were wearing similar dresses and one of the four stood out in a long sleeve dress.
Polygamy is no foreign concept in most South African cultures, but it is unusual for mutiple marriages to occur on the same day. Typically, couples host seperate ceremonies over time.
While bigamy is a punishable offence in South Africa, customary marriages operate differently. According to Home Affairs, if a male person is already in a customary marriage and wishes to enter into another customary marriage he has to, at his own cost, get a court order from a competent court which will regulate his future matrimonial property system.
It is also possible for a male person who is already in a customary marriage to enter into a civil marriage. They should follow the normal procedure for civil marriages.
Polygamy is legal under certain circumstances in South Africa. The circumstances include practices of various cultures and religions in South Africa. There are no religions or cultures that recognise a woman having multiple husbands, so polygamy is typically understood as one man having mutiple wives.
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.
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.
There are two reasons why people come to a wedding, other than to celebrate eternal love of course. Those two reasons are: Free food and free booze.
Alcohol and food go hand-in-hand in that you want to ensure your guests have lined their stomachs enough before the drinking begins.
There is an art though, to ensure all your guests dietary requirements are met. While you can make exceptions for the mains, the grazing table is a beast of its own.
You have to consider the vegetarians, vegans, carnivores, gluten-free, sugar-free and everything else in between-free.
To kill 6 birds with one table, here are some tips on what to include in the ultimate grazing table, without anything going to waste.
1. Cheese and crackers
No this is not the most boring combination on Earth. Cheese and crackers are the unsung hero of a grazing table. You’ve essentially covered every single dietary requirement except the vegans. Wheels of cheese are not only the thing dreams are made of but they are also super helpful in feeding en mass. Throw in some vegan cheese options, salt and pepper, rye and gluten-free cracker options and voila! A feast is born.
A cheese tower is a must. Picture: Pinterest
2. Fruit that isn’t fermented
Wine is a guarantee on the day but the only grapes on the grazing table should not be fermented. Red grapes pair with literally anything, especially cheese, to add a bit of sweetness. If you want to add more pzaz than the old faithful grapes, consider some aesthetically pleasing fruits that won’t grow warm and overripe. Most berries such as blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries and strawberries look beautiful on a massive table. Seasonal availability will need to be considered. If you’re having a Summer wedding, think mangoes, litchis, watermelon, sliced white nectarines and other stone fruit. The options are endless. It gives the vegans a variety of yummy foods to choose from too.
Fruites galore! Picture: Pinterest
3. Cold meat’s a treat!
Cold meat cuts are generally a crowd pleaser for those who still consume them. Anything Italian or German is sure to go down well. The meat section of your grazing table will pair nicely with the cheese section, so long as it is nowhere near the vegan cheese options. The protein will help to subdue the hunger pangs enough for the long wait that is the post-wedding ceremony photoshoot.
Cold meats for the carnivores. Picture: Pinterest
4. The side pieces
The only side piece one wants at their wedding are those awkward foods that make up a grazing table. Thing gherkins, capers, carrot and cucumber sticks, saucers of olives, baby tomatoes, lemon slices: Those sorts of fruit and veg that aren’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing but can act as a glorified cracker or filling nonetheless.
Those awkward fruit and vegetables that complete the grazing table. Picture: Pinterest
4. It’s all about the SAUCE!
Sauces are essential on a grazing table. While they don’t necessarily need to be their own separate amenity, honey drizzles over some figs, some sweet chili over the chevin, and a patê or 5 will go down very well. They also force guests to pair it with a carb, or glorified cracker, which will help line the stomachs BB (Before Booze).
5. Extra additions
If you want to spoil your guests, throw in a few freshly baked breads sliced to perfection. Bread will load them up with carbs and essentially get your guests to consume more of the toppings, so nothing goes to waste on the day!
It doesn’t have to be beautiful, it has to be delicious! Picture: Pinterest
‘The Bachelorette’ star Clare Crawley is engaged to Dale Moss. The pair got married a few months ago but have kept it away from the public until Thursday, November 5.
On this week’s drama-filled show, the viewers witnessed Clare become engaged to Dale, just four episodes into the series, and Tayshia Adams being brought in to replace her.
Clare said that it was love at first sight for her, she knew that Dale was her future husband “the moment he walked into the show.”
“After the first night, and I even said it the first time I knew it was special, but after we had our first group date, in my mind and in my heart, everything was already written,” Dale said in an interview with, Good morning America.
With just four episodes in, Clare had already made up her mind on who she was going to pick and for her entertaining other possible suitors was a complete waste of time. This led to her receiving backlash on social media for being unfair to others and the viewers.
Dale proposed to Clare with a 4.5 carats Neil Lane ring. After the big reveal, they have been spotted together and they have been sharing content on their social media accounts being together.
Clare is no stranger to the show. She first turned up on ‘The Bachelor’ in 2014, when she competed for the affection of bachelor Juan Pablo Galavis and turned into a Bachelor Nation legend. This time, however, it worked out for the best.
Planning a wedding is expensive, not to mention the honeymoon and the new life you’ll build together afterward. It’s easily understandable why many couples would prefer a cash gift instead of a physical gift on their wedding day.
It can sometimes feel a bit classless to ask for money, but it doesn’t need to be. However, it’s important to do it the right way to avoid offending some older family members or putting pressure on anyone to contribute more than they were originally willing to spend on a gift.
Here are some tips to get that big tip at the end of your big day:
Don’t ask for money on your wedding invitation
The wedding invitation is to introduce your upcoming union and is all about the good vibes. Adding a clause that you’re expecting cash from your guests can be construed a bit tasteless. Instead, set up a wedding website where you can include a link to a cash registry or banking details of an account set up specifically for the cash gifts.
Let your guests know how you plan to spend the money
While you don’t owe anyone an explanation, giving your guests a general idea of how you plan to spend the money might make them more willing to contribute. For example, if it’s a honeymoon fund for a dream vacation or house renovations fund, your guests will know that their money is going toward something important.
It could also be a good idea to set up a specific target amount, with a live tracker displaying how close you are to your goal. Some might feel even more willing to contribute if they know you are closer to reaching your dream.
Use a cash registry
If you feel awkward asking for money outright, you can easily direct your guests to your cash registry on your wedding website. There are sites that run it all for you, so all you need to do is fill in the details and add the link, and voilà. Try out South African sites like Wrapistry or Gift Tree.
Set up cash boxes at your reception
Some people don’t trust online banking or are simply not technologically-savvy. Give your older guests an in-person option by setting up a cash donation box at your reception. You’ll need your wedding planner or a minder to keep an eye over the box throughout the evening to make sure the money stays safe.
