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In Advice

Gesture cakes – The affordable alternative

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A wedding cake is the sweet cherry on top of an exciting day. Newlyweds slice into the cake, symbolic of the first action they take together as partners.

The wedding cake has a centuries-long history, and started as a tradition that was said to ensure fertility. Today, however, while many still choose elaborate wedding cakes, some have opted for a more paired-down experience.

A new trend has emerged for those not wanting to go big on price and drama with their wedding cake. Instead of a tiered creation, they have a gesture cake. Gesture cakes are mini, affordable cakes that still hold the essence of tradition but won’t create a massive hole in your bank account.

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Of course, this cake won’t feed an army either. It’s generally the size of a normal cake one may have at a birthday party. For those having micro-weddings, this option is perfect. You won’t have a ton of cake go to waste, and get to save some money in the process.

Just because it’s a smaller cake does not mean it has to be boring. Take a look at these stunning treats:

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In Weddings

Include everyone with a gender-neutral wedding party

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As weddings continue to modernise and couples begin to care less about what their older relatives might think, new ideas for the wedding as a whole are being implemented. One of these,  the gender-neutral wedding party, aims to make weddings more inclusive of everyone.

For many, the idea that the wedding party should be gendered (i.e. males have only male friends in the wedding party and females have only female friends in the wedding party), is a bit old school.

Firstly, people have friends of all genders. It seems odd to only include those who identify as the same gender as you do. Secondly, the idea that wedding parties should be gendered is exclusionary for those who do not fall into the gender binary.

By going for a gender-neutral wedding party, you can include those who you have the closest relationships with, without being held back by the idea of gender categorisation.

Anything from terminology to logistics is also easy to work around. There is no need to worry about what you will call the members of the bridal party. Is that really important? However, if you’re set on labelling them, you can go for fun alternatives like “bridesmate”, “bridesman”, “groomsmaid”, or anything that you’d like.

Similarly, you might think that they still need to walk down the aisle in opposite-sex pairs. Why not have some same-sex pairs, or have them walk down the aisle individually?

Further, the gender-neutral wedding party could take some strain off of you when it comes to organising. For example, instead of finding the perfect outfit for each member of the party, you can assign them a colour and they can each go out and find something that they would be comfortable to wear.

The gender-neutral wedding party is perfect for inclusivity and makes all your loved ones feel welcome and comfortable. Who wouldn’t want that?

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In Advice

Outstanding wedding cakes inspired by the ocean

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The sea is a great place to be, especially on a wedding day. If you’re planning a beach wedding or just love the ocean, you can easily extend that theme into your wedding cake.

We aren’t talking about slapping some shells on and calling it a day. Use texture and detail in unique ways to honour the stunning seas. This allows you to make a subtle statement without going full-on theme.

Here are some amazing designs to inspire you:

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In Accessories

The origin story of the Swedish Cameo tiara

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A princess’s look is not complete without a tiara. Swedish royal brides, interestingly, seem to gravitate towards a specific one.

The Cameo is a famed tiara in the Swedish royal family and is believed to be one of the oldest tiaras still in use. The unusual tiara has a long, romantic history and has been worn by both Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria on their wedding days.

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The crown is believed to have first belonged to empress Josephine, the first wife of Napoleon, and the first empress of the French after he proclaimed himself Emperor. The crown was reportedly made for her in the early 1800s during the final years of her marriage to Napoleon.

The crown features 7 cameos, or oval pieces of jewellery that consist of a portrait in profile carved into it. The cameos were individually made and not intended to go together, which is why they vary in size and appearance. The largest cameo at the centre of the crown depicts a scene from the famous story of Cupid and Psyche. A base of gold and seed pearls frame the cameos.

 

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The #cameotiara The gorgeous bridal tiara of the Bernadottes had its start not in Sweden but at the imperial court of Napoléon. 1804: In France, Napoléon Bonaparte is crowned emperor at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. At his side is his wife, Joséphine. Born in Martinique as the daughter of a wealthy Creole planter, Joséphine had previously been married to Alexandre de Beauharnais, a French aristocrat who was guillotined during the Reign of Terror. She is crowned empress by her husband at his coronation, and she needs a vast collection of jewelry to help her fit the part. Among these is a set of cameo jewels, apparently made for her during this period by her husband’s court jeweler, Marie-Étienne Nitot. The set includes a grand tiara in gold set with pearls and large cameos depicting the story of Cupid and Psyche. It also includes a necklace, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings. Although Joséphine had two children, Eugène and Hortense, with Alexandre, she is not able to provide Napoléon with a much-needed biological heir to the French throne. He divorces her and marries Marie Louise of Austria, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. Joséphine relocates to the Château de Malmaison near Paris, taking her jewelry along with her. Joséphine loans the cameos to her daughter, Hortense, who had briefly been Queen of Holland during the first decade of the nineteenth century. Hortense wears the cameos in a portrait painted by Anne-Louis Girodet. The painting is the first known representation of the cameos. Josephine’s granddaughter received the #cameo as a wedding gift when she married #crownprinceoscar of #Sweden passing the tiara into the #Swedishroyalfamily where it has become the traditional #wedding tiara. #napoleonandjosephine #crownprincessvictoria #royaljewels #royalhistory

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The crown ended up in Sweden via empress Josephine’s granddaughter, also named Josephine, when she married the country’s first King Oscar in 1823. The queen passed the tiars on to daughter Eugenie. Since Eugenie had no children, the crown travelled throughout the family houses until it was presented to Princess Sybilla. It was from here that the crown began to feature atop the heads of Swedish brides.
Two of Princess Sybilla’s daughters, Princess Birgitta and Princess Desiree wore the tiara on their big days. In 1972, the tiara was passed on to Princess Sybilla’s son (who became King the following year) after her passing, and his bride Silvia wore it on their wedding day as she became Queen of Sweden. Queen Silvia wearing the tiara on her big day added even deeper royal significance to this prized diadem. Their eldest child and heir to the throne, Princess Victoria followed tradition and proudly wore the crown during her 2010 royal nuptials.

 

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♕ Tнe Caмeo Parυre Tιara ⋆⋆⋆ In 1809, Empress Joséphine (see photo2️⃣), first wife of French Emperor Napoléon I Bonaparte, likely received the cameos as a gift from her husband. The seven cameos used in the tiara were made first and were not intended to go together. Each is framed in pearls and sit on a base of gold and seed pearls. The tiara is part of a set including a pair of earrings, a brooch, a necklace, and a bracelet. ⋆ In 1814, Former Empress Joséphine died. The cameos was eventually inherited by her granddaughter, future Queen Josephine (see photos3️⃣), who married the future Oscar I, King of Sweden and Norway in 1923. Since then the cameos resided in the Swedish royal vaults. ⋆ In 1876, Queen Joséphine died. The cameos was inherited by her only daughter, Princess Eugénie (see photo4️⃣). Eugénie never married, but instead devoted her life to artistic pursuits and charitable causes. Upon her death in 1889, the cameos were inherited by her nephew, Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (see photo5️⃣). Eugen was also a gifted artist and never married. ⋆ In 1947, The Duke of Närke died. Before his death, he loaned the cameos to his niece-in-law, Crown Princess Margaret (see photo5️⃣.1️⃣), and eventually gave the cameos as a wedding gift to Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (see photo5️⃣.2️⃣) when she married Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten in 1932. Sibylla also loaned the cameos to her sister-in-law, the future Queen Ingrid of Denmark (see photo5️⃣.3️⃣). ⋆ In 1961, Princess Sibylla’s second daughter Princess Birgitta (see photo6️⃣.1️⃣) married Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern. Three years later, Sibylla’s third daughter Princess Désirée (see photo6️⃣.2️⃣) married Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld. ⋆ In 1972, Princess Sibylla died. The cameos was inherited by her only son, current King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Four years later, the King married Silvia Renate Sommerlath (see photos7️⃣to9️⃣). Thirty-four years later, their eldest child and heir Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland (see photos?) married Olof Daniel Westling. ⋆⋆⋆ #TheEuropeanRoyalty #CameoTiara #QueenJosephine #PrincessSibylla #QueenSilvia #CrownPrincessVictoria #Sweden

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In Celebs

Olivia Newton-John and husband celebrate 12-year anniversary

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Grease star Olivia Newton-John has reached a milestone with husband John Easterling. The couple recently celebrated their 12-year wedding anniversary, and seem as loved up as ever.

Newton-John took to Instagram to gush over her husband. She shared a picture from their 2008 wedding and sweetly captioned it, “Seems like yesterday I married the man of my dreams in Peru on the winter solstice 12 wonderful years ago! Happy Anniversary my darling @therealamazonjohn and thank you Gregg for capturing these special moments?”

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The Grammy award-winning singer and actress met the American businessman and environmentalist at an environmental show in the 90s, although there was no romantic connection. They kept running into one another over the years and grew close when Easterling stayed at Newton-John’s guesthouse for an extended period after he got in a car accident.

When Easterling, who had never seen Grease, heard Newton-John singing at a concert they went to, he was amazed and thought she was a healer.

“All I could think was that I wanted to introduce her to other healers who work in the Amazon,” Easterling said in an interview. “So, after the show, I asked if she wanted to come to Peru and she said yes. I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m taking her to Peru, I’d better watch Grease!’”

The pair fell in love on their Peru trip. In 2008, they married atop a mountain in Peru in an Incan spiritual wedding ceremony.

Easterling is founder of the Amazon Herb Company, and even formulated a special blend of cannabis, called ‘Olivia’s Choice’ in honour of his wife. Both are cannabis advocates, and Newton-John says the herb greatly eases the pain and stress of her stage 4 breast cancer.

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Viola Davis celebrates 17th anniversary with husband

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Academy award-winning actress Viola Davis and her husband, actor and producer Julius Tennon celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary on June 23. She gushed about him in a touching celebratory Instagram post.

Accompanied by photos from their wedding and vow renewal ceremonies, Davis wrote a touching tribute to her husband.

“17 years of marriage to the most beautiful man in the WORLD!!!! You have made my life sweeter and my heart bigger. I prayed for you and God said,”Yes! I have just the right person for you!!!!” Happy Anniversary my love… The best is yet to be❤❤❤,” she said.

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As is to be expected, congratulations poured in from a multitude of fellow celebrities, including How To Get Away With Murder co-star Matt McGorry, Gabrielle Union, Octavia Spencer, Kerry Washington, Halle Berry, and more.

According to Essence, Davis said that she met her husband just three weeks after making a special prayer. She said that at the time, she was “the loneliest woman in the world” and was told that she needed to “pray for a husband”.

Speaking to Page Six, she said “I said I wanted a big black man from the South who looked like a football player, who already had children, who maybe had been married before . . . 3 1/2 weeks later I met my husband.”

Tennon said on an episode of OWN’s Black Love that they had met when he overheard Davis talking to a friend about how she didn’t like living in Los Angeles. They ended up chatting and he gave her his card. Davis then took several weeks to call him up, since she felt she wasn’t ready. “I didn’t call [him] because I had bad credit; I was struggling with driving in LA,” she said.

A month after they met, they finally went on their first date.  Only 20 minutes after their first date he called her to tell her what a great time he had, and another 20 minutes later he called again to say, “I just want to tell you I got home, and you are a beautiful woman. I’m about to go to sleep, and I just wanted to tell you to have a good night.”

Thereafter, the pair fell in love and tied the knot in 2003. In 2011, they adopted their daughter, Genesis.

Image: Instagram / Viola Davis

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How P!nk and Carey Hart got the party started

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It’s not many celebrities who can maintain long-lasting,  successful marriages in the spotlight. In fact, Hollywood is notorious for having countless marriages end in sensational divorces splashed across tabloids.

Some couples do however make it work amidst the pressures and high roller lifestyles of being famous. One rock star couple we all know and love is singer Pink and her husband Carey Hart.

Pink, (real name Alecia Beth Moore) met former professional motocross rider and current off-road truck racer Carey Hart at an extreme sports event in 2001. He was a contestant and piqued her interest.

The non-traditional rockstar honoured her ‘rebel’ persona by proposing to Hart during a motocross competition in 2005.

She painted a sign saying “Will you marry me?” and showed it to him on the course during the race. When he didn’t respond, she added “Serious!” at the bottom and showed it to him again. Of course, he said yes!

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They tied the knot in 2006 at the luxurious Four Seasons resort in Costa Rica. The Walk me home singer wore a tiered halter neck with a black bow belt and headband.

Credit: Pinterest
Credit: Pinterest

The power couple has not been without their fair share of marriage problems, however. The pair are as notorious for their ups and downs as they are for sticking together.

According to Goalcast, the two had a major split during their first two years of marriage but never got divorced. During this break, in 2008, Hart asked her to perform at his Las Vegas club on New Year’s Eve and she agreed. She had planned quite a theatrical surprise for him in the meantime.

“After soundcheck, I told him that he needed to come to my room,” she told Redbook. “I had made him a photo album of all the cards he had ever given me, of all the photos of our entire relationship. I spent months on this album. On the last page, I pasted a photo of me from a really bad movie I made years ago with my neck slit and blood everywhere. Next to it I wrote, ‘This is me without you.’”

They reconciled, went for marriage councelling after that, and seemed stronger together ever since.

“Both of us came from broken homes, yet we made the choice to work hard at our relationship. And look at us now! Two misfits when we met, we have grown together and now have an amazing family,” Hart posted on Instagram on their 14th anniversary earlier this year.

The couple have a daughter, Willow Sage, and a son, Jameson Moon.

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In Advice

Flower-filled bridal hairstyles

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Nature-lovers can infuse the beauty of the outdoors into their big day in many ways. From your decor to your dress, Mother Nature can be your most special guest.

One’s bridal hairstyle is an aspect people often forget can help in extending a wedding theme. If you’re going for a relaxed boho feel, pull it off by incorporating some flowers. The blooms you choose depend on your wedding colours and the flowers you include in your bridal bouquet.

Here are some ways to add blooming beauties to your bridal hairstyle:

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5 Lebanese wedding traditions you probably don’t know

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Lebanese weddings are known to be fun and energetic, with great food, spectacular venues, and lots of partying. Some say that several Lebanese wedding traditions have faded away with the times, but many still celebrate the event with age-old cultural practices.

Events surrounding marriage begin way before the actual wedding day, with the reception being the grand finale of it all. Since there are many traditions that occur in the lead-up to the nuptials, some Lebanese people believe that the reception should bring it all together with a bang. For this reason, there are also various traditions that are practiced on the wedding day.

Here are some Lebanese wedding traditions you should know about:

– Zaffé 

The Zaffé stems from the Middle East and can be traced back to the 14th century. This tradition sees the bride and groom being escorted from each of their family homes to the location of the wedding. It calls for music, dance, and often has many onlookers joining in on the festivities.

When they reach the reception venue, the bride and groom walk in behind the Zaffé, showing themselves together as a married couple for the very first time.

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– Cutting the Cake

The details of this tradition vary from source to source. However, it is clear that cutting the cake is an important part of traditional wedding celebrations.

According to the 365 Days of Lebanon blog, the tradition began in ancient times and was initially practiced by breaking a cake made of wheat or barley over the head of the bride. Now, the tradition is practiced through the cutting of the cake instead. The couple place their hands together (symbolic of their unity) and cut the cake (the wheat used to make the cake is symbolic of fertility and the cake’s sweetness represents the sweetness of their new life together).

Other sources also report the same tradition, however, they add that the cake is to be cut using a sword.

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– Fireworks 

It is quite common for the Lebanese to have fireworks at their wedding reception. Usually, it takes place after or during the cutting of the cake.

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– Dancing

Dancing is a big part of weddings in Lebanon. Often, weddings incorporate belly dancers as entertainment and of course, the newly-weds and their guests join in on the fun too.

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– Staying at the reception 

In many cultures, it is common for guests at the wedding to see the newly-weds off as they leave for their honeymoon or to their new home. It is tradition, however, for Lebanese couples to stay at the reception until the very last guest has left. It is considered extremely impolite and disrespectful for them to leave any earlier.

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In News

Wedding procession halted as groom and father test COVID-19 positive

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An entire wedding procession was halted right before the wedding when a groom and his father were informed that they had tested positive for COVID-19 as they made their way to the ceremony. The ceremony was promptly called off in order to allow for the necessary quarantining to take place.

The wedding procession left the Kamrauli village in Amethi, India, on Friday, June 19. They were headed for Haidergarh, where the wedding was set to take place.

Just before this, on June 15, the groom and his family travelled from Delhi to Amethi. As a result, the had their samples sent in for testing. As we all know by now, testing for coronavirus can take up to a week. Therefore, they had not received any results before they left for the wedding.

As the family made their way to the wedding, they received their results. Sadly, the groom and his father were confirmed to be positive for the virus. This stopped not only the procession but the entire wedding in its tracks.

According to The Tribune India, the police were made aware of the situation, and they cut off the “baraat” (or the groom’s wedding procession).

Those who tested positive were taken to a hospital immediately, and others including around ten family members are now in quarantine.

After the groom and his father recover completely, the wedding will go ahead.

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