Those keen to tie the knot may now do so during Level 3 lockdown. However, there are strict conditions to stick to.
During a media briefing, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi exlained that people may marry at a Home Affairs office or with a marriage officer. No wedding ceremonies are permitted, and a maximum of two witnesses are allowed.
“We are not allowing wedding ceremonies, but people can go to Home Affairs Department to get married,” he said. “We made it very clear about the conditions [for marriages] two people who are getting married and two witnesses, no crowds.”
“Because the majority of marriage officers are ministers of religion, we have also said the same thing – if a minister of religion is going to marry couples in their office, the couple must come with only two witnesses. We don’t allow crowds there.”
Home Affairs will also open other services, such as the registration of births, the re-issuing of birth certificates, and the collection of IDs.
Back in 2002, Anne McGowan was on her way to her mountaintop wedding in Arizona. But having to reroute to their spot because of wildfires, the couple realised they would have to hike up a mountain to get there.
“I wanted to get married on a vista because we rock climb and hike a lot so that was sort of our ideal wedding. The night before the wedding, the photographer called us and said there were fires and that they had to close off the access to where we were going to be married,” McGowan told AZ Family.
“I get out of the car, and we realized we were at a bottom of a mountain instead of like, on the top. I had wedding shoes on and a dress because initially, we were going to pull up into a parking lot and jump out and have the ceremony there. So we’re just looking up like, how are we going to get up this mountain? In tuxedos and sandals and a wedding dress?”
Lucky for her, a group of hikers passed them and a kindhearted lady offered the bride her hiking boots. She took the boots and was able to hike safely to the spot.
Now, 18 years later, McGowan decided to try and find the heroic hiker who saved her on her wedding day. On the day of her 18th wedding anniversary, she posted a picture taken of them on Facebook and it quickly went viral. Rhonda Nelson, the one and only hiker, eventually saw the photo, and contacted the bride!
Nelson explained the act of kindness: “It’s a hiking creed almost; you do good things for other people on the trail. What really moved me was that Anne really wanted to reach out and say thank you and that also, this meant so much to her,” Nelson said to AZ Family.
The two arranged a Zoom meeting to say hi, and plan to stay in touch.
Is your partner the moon to your stars? Then prove it with a celestial-inspired cake! This trend has been shining bright for a while now, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Whether you’re a stargazing superfan, an intense believer in horoscopes or simply left spellbound by the mystical galaxy, you’ll love this theme. From decor and bridal accessories all the way to your wedding cake, this theme works wonders in adding a touch of whimsy and magic to your big day.
Add a sweet surprise to your wedding cake by incorporating celestial themes like stars, moons and zodiac signs. These stunning cakes are pretty out of this world.
The pair married on May 27, 2017 in an intimate ceremony at their California home. Kerr wore a Dior Haute Couture princess gown designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The gown was inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.
They reportedly had only 45 guests in attendance, and Kerr cooked and served the dinner.
“One of my favourite dinner dishes is my slow roast organic chicken with turmeric, lemon and garlic,” she explained in an interview.. “It holds a special place in my heart because I cooked it and served it at our wedding – I really wanted, as his wife, to be the one to cook the first meal he ate as my husband.”
The pair share two children; sons Hart (2) and Myles (8 months). Kerr also has a nine-year-old son named Flynn with ex-husband Orlando Bloom.
Mr and Mrs seem like given titles for those that choose to walk down the aisle and say ‘I do’. Have you ever wondered where these titles come from? The origin might surprise you.
The titles originally had nothing to do with marital status. Cambridge University historian Dr. Amy Erickson explains that ‘Mrs’ and ‘Miss’ derived from the word ‘mistress’ while ‘Mr’ comes from ‘master’.
“Few people realise that ‘Mistress’ is the root word of both of the abbreviations ‘Mrs,’ and ‘Miss,’ just as Mr is an abbreviation of ‘Master.’ The ways that words derived from Mistress have developed their own meanings is quite fascinating and shifts in these meanings can tell us a lot about the changing status of women in society, at home and in the workplace,” she said
According to author Samuel Johnson, a mistress could be defined as “1. A woman who governs; correlative to subject or servant; 2. A woman skilled in anything; 3. A woman teacher; 4. A woman beloved and courted; 5. A term of contemptuous address; 6. A whore or concubine.”
Back in the mid-18th century, ‘mistress’ didn’t have quite the negative connotations it has today. In those days, a mistress typically referred to a woman of high economic or social capital, rather than a married woman. A woman referred to as Mrs in the 18th century was thus not necessarily married.
Those on the lower scales of society were simply referred to by their names. For example, the lady of the house might have been Mrs Abernathy, while the scullery maid would simply be Anna Black.
Mr and Mrs were on equal standing, and Erickson argues those that held these titles were more like businessmen and women as they governed servants or apprentices, and were quite literally the masters and mistresses of their trades.
It was only in the late 18th century that the use of Mrs became attached to marital status. The title Miss, which was originally a title for young girls, started to be used as a term to refer to an unmarried woman of a high social status, who was often a teacher. These young, socially ambitious single women wanted their own title that would mark their social class but not lump them into a group with the older businesswomen and heads of households that typically held the title of Mrs.
This new term thus shifted the meaning of Mrs to signify a married woman and create a distinction between young and older.
Why the pronunciation of mistress turned to ‘missus’ is unclear. In A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary, and Expositor of the English Language from 1828, author John Walker suggests its a result of colloquialism.
“The same haste and necessity of dispatch, which has corrupted Master into Mister, has, when a title of civility only, contracted Mistress into Missis,” he wrote.
Music inspires and brings people together. For many, music has captured their heart and created important bonds with their loved ones. If you’re one of those people, then incorporating music into your big day seems like the perfect thing to do.
There are so many easy ways to incorporate music into your big day, from invitations all the way to your guest book. A plus is that this theme is incredibly easy to DIY. Gather some sheet music, some old records, and some creativity.
We’ve got the inspiration covered. Here are some decor ideas that will hit the right note on your big day.
When you really think about it, the idea of walking down the aisle carrying a bunch of flowers seems a bit odd. Perhaps for decorative purposes it works, but one could argue its a bit random and inconvenient, and serves to block the full view of the main attraction – the wedding gown – as well.
Yet, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bride without a bouquet, or at least some form of it. Many consider it to be an essential part of the bride’s look.
While we can all agree that the bouquet does add a touch of natural beauty which is unmatched, this is not the reason brides carry bunches of blossoms. Like most other wedding traditions, the practice is rooted in reasoning from centuries passed.
In Ancient Rome, brides would carry flowers as they were believed to signify new beginnings, fidelity and hope of fertility, according to Modern Wedding. Bouquets, however, were not always made up of flowers.
Herbs took preference for brides in the Middle Ages. Dill and garlic were most commonly used as they were said to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, according to Readers Digest. Reportedly, the dill would make a second appearance on the wedding day – during the feast – to prepare the newlyweds for the consumation of their marriage since it is considered an aphrodisiac.
Later on, during the Victorian Era, the act of giving and receiving flowers came to be known as an expression of love. As they were then linked to love and romance, they increasingly became incorportated into weddings.
Since then, it seems the practice has stuck and is not going anywhere either. Flowers are incorporated into weddings through bouquets, table decorations, and much more.
There is a popular myth that has been reported by many publications, including Bustle, which that claims another reason for the bouquet in the 15th century was to mask the smell of the bride.
This claim is based on the fact that, in those times, people only had one bath per year. Huffington Post reported that June was the most popualr month for weddings and most women took their annual bath in May.
According to Snopes, an online fact checking resouce, this is not true. Brides have never carried a bouquet to mask their smell.
“Although the modern practice of full-immersion bathing was a long way off in the 1500s (among other reasons because filling a vessel large enough to hold a person with heated water was rather impractical given the effort required to collect fresh water and fuel for heating it), people did still “bathe” in the sense of attempting to clean themselves as best they could with the resources at hand,” explains Snopes.
“Although today’s brides carry flowers simply because it is now the custom to do so, at one time bridal bouquets were symbols of sexuality and fertility. Covering up anyone’s bad smell played no part in why this custom came into being.”
Many beautiful brides-to-be and their partners were looking forward to celebrating their wedding day in early 2020, until the COVID-19 lockdown altered their plans.
The House of J.C Le Roux understands how easy it is for even the most fun-loving and optimistic bridal couple to lose their sparkle when wedding plans fall through. In an effort to banish the bridal blues, the renowned sparkling wine-brand has launched #JCSilverLinings – because in the world of J.C Le Roux there is always a silver lining.
Brand Manager Michelle Michael explains, “The House of J.C. Le Roux understands how difficult the lockdown has been for everyone and recognises all the little things South Africans have been doing to stay positive. Our team has been keeping a keen eye on the social media scene and recognise the efforts of brides and grooms-to-be across the country to remain upbeat. The #JCSilverLinings campaign aims to surprise and delight 200 disappointed bridal couples who have had to postpone their weddings due to lock down with the little silver lining they need.”
One of these bridal couples – Carly Fillis (33) and Nathan Goodall (35) – shared their story of the postponement of their wedding day on social media, which was spotted by the J.C. Le Roux team. The pair from Johannesburg spent months planning their perfect, fairy tale wedding which they envisaged as an intimate and informal outdoor event that would reflect their light-hearted and relaxed approach to life. However, they had to put this dream on hold when lock down was announced in March, as the wedding date was set for 8 May.
Image: supplied
Their story is one that touches the heart. They first met in 2014 when Carly showed up at Nathan’s 29th birthday party. As it turns out, his sister happened to be a good friend of Carly’s and Nathan had secretly set his sights on her four years before. The spark was ignited that evening and when he asked her out on a date, the mutual attraction led to more time spent together as a couple. Love blossomed and five years later, on 12 April 2019, he popped the question and they set their wedding date. ‘We were destined to be together, and this is a bump in the road we just need to get over,’ says Fillis.
‘I wasn’t expecting anything, and I was feeling ‘kinda blue’ when the call came in to let us know we were chosen to receive a hamper from J.C. Le Roux. We were both overjoyed and did a little dance around the living room,’ she laughs.
Image: supplied
Marketing Manager Nicola Coubrough says the stories shared on social media by bridal couples that have encountered similar disappointment have touched their hearts. ‘To those couples who have had to cancel their wedding because of lock down, this is our small way of saying it will soon be your time to sparkle. We hope our hampers give them a reason to celebrate while they wait for the moment they will walk down the aisle on the most important day of their lives together.’’
Bridal couples across the country will be delighted to know that there is yet another surprise silver lining on the horizon courtesy of the House of J.C. Le Roux, to be revealed on social media later in the month.
Watch this space.
Anyone who would like to be part of the #JCSilverLinings action on social media can follow J.C. Le Roux on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Check out ther website here: www.jcleroux.co.za
A Dallas-based wedding videography company is under fire for refusing to refund a couple after the bride-to-be passed away before their wedding day.
Justin Montney and Alexis-Athena Wyatt were set to tie the knot in May. Tragically, Wyatt died in a car crash in early February, leaving Montney heartbroken.
Montney soon began contacting all their vendors to cancel arrangements, the majority of whom gave him refunds. One of their vendors, Copper Stallion Media, refused to refund the $1,800 (R31 241) fee the couple had already paid as it was against their policy and the couple had signed a legally-binding contract.
“We replied and expressed our sympathy and explained to him that all of our wedding contracts are non-refundable,” said the company online. “He kept emailing us trying to get a refund and we kept reiterating that the contract is non-refundable. We eventually stopped responding since the issue was moot.”
Montney continued to reach out to the company and after not hearing from them for months, said he would post about their refusal to refund him on social media. Copper Stallion Media then threatened to sue Montney, as well as Wyatt’s family for a negative review Wyatt’s mother had posted on The Knot.
Montney then reached out to a local television station to share his side of the story, along with screenshots of the conversation between him and the company. According to the screenshots, Copper Stallion Media had a few harsh comments, writing “we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day. Sorry, not sorry.” The story quickly sparked outrage.
there’s really people like this in the world. I hope no one hires them and they lose their business pic.twitter.com/OosZZcYaX6
According to Buzzfeed, Copper Stallion Media allegedly retaliated by creating a website called JustinMontney.com, on which they state they are building a case against Montney and accuse him of fueling a smear campaign against them, as they have received many negative reviews online since the story broke.
“We will NEVER refund Justin Montney even with the online threats and harassment… If we knew he was going to shake us down, we would have charged a higher deposit,” they allegedly wrote on the site. “Life is a b**ch, Justin.”
The content on the site has since been removed and replaced with a Youtube embed of the song ‘Disillusioned’ by A Perfect Circle.
Buzzfeed also reports that The Knot Worldwide recently discovered that the accounts for Copper Stallion on The Knot and Wedding Wire sites were created under a false identity by a man named Jesse J. Clarke.
There are suspicions that Jesse J. Clarke, the creator of those pages, may also be Jesse J. Clark, a videographer who in 2013 was accused of scamming about 90 couples by not delivering wedding videos as promised, while pocketing their payments.
“As soon as we became aware, we took immediate action and removed Copper Stallion Media from our marketplaces on The Knot and WeddingWire,” the company said.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation across our sites to determine if there are any other businesses that have been created under false identities by individuals associated with Copper Stallion Media and will take quick action to remove any listings that are found,” the Knot said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses, and over US$15,000 (R260 349) has already been raised.
Movies are idealised versions of our messy, no-quite-so-perfect reality. This includes marriage proposals, which are often even grander and more emotionally satisfying on the screen. Here are some of the best marriage proposals through the ages.
1. Love Actually
This proposal is all about the power of love. Despite never having spoken a word the other could understand, Jamie and Aurelia feel a connection, leading both to attempt to learn the other’s language. We can’t help but melt as her entire town follows him as he searches for Aurelia and proposes to her in clumsy Portuguese and she says yes in equally clumsy English.
2. Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason
After two whole movies watching these two be on and off depending on which frustrating mishap or misunderstanding has happened, we finally get a typically Bridget awkward proposal. After interrupting Mark’s meeting to ask him to take her back, Bridget awkwardly leaves only to be met with a proposal from Mark in the hallway, even repeating it to make it slightly more perfect.
3. Sex and the City
Big and Carrie were the biggest ‘will they, won’ they’ couples of the 1990s. While the couple’s first proposal is dull and uninspiring, after their first attempt at a wedding didn’t go as planned we got the proposal we deserved. Carrie deserved nothing short of a proposal in a beautiful penthouse apartment with the perfect Manolo Blahnick heels.
4. Walk the Line
There is no bigger proposal than one that takes place on stage in front of everyone. Although this isn’t the first proposal throughout the movie, as Johnny is relentless despite June’s protests, it is the one where she says yes. Some may call it peer pressure (how can you say no to that blackmail?) but for the sake of fantasy, we’re chalking this up to a grand gesture.
5. The Proposal
This one had to make the list, the entire movie is premised on the concept of a proposal! While Margaret’s deal with Andrew is a kind of proposal, the real heart-warmer is that Andrew’s declaration of love comes after an antagonistic relationship grows into love with him finally asking her to “Marry me…because I’d like to date you.”
6. He’s Just Not That Into You
This entire movie about relationships involves many characters, but the most down-to-Earth, frustrating pair are Neil and Beth. Neil doesn’t believe in marriage and after an ultimatum by Beth, they break-up and he lives a sad life on his boat. After proving he is more of a husband not married to her than her sisters’ real husbands, Beth takes Neil back. While that may have been a sweet ending in itself, the best moment comes when Neil proposes using a pair of cargo pants Beth hates. “Check the pocket first,” he says, where she finds the ring box. He drops to a knee and asks, “Will you marry me?” and she says, “Of course.”
7. About Time
This simple proposal is as sweet as the film it features in. Tim wakes Mary up to ask her to marry him, at first she doesn’t realise what he’s getting at but once she does she says yes. This simple, truly romantic proposal is much sweeter and realistic than a grand proposal.
8. Sweet Home Alabama
This is a double proposal spectacular and which one you prefer really depends on what kind of person you are. First there is the New York lavish surprise proposal where Andrew takes Melanie into a darkened room before flicking on the lights and revealing it to be the inside of Tiffany’s so she can pick a ring. The second is the sweet, childhood sweetheart proposal between a young Melanie and Jake as he asks her to marry him. “Why would you want to marry me for, anyhow?” she asks. “So I can kiss you anytime I want,” he responds.
9. When Harry Met Sally
Harry fulfils the ideal of the proper but romantic speech to convince Sally that they are meant to be together. “When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible,” he says.
10. Crazy Rich Asians
One of the most recent entries on this list, this proposal takes the cliché airport chase to the next level, ending up actually on the plane. After getting the approval and ring from his mother, Nick rushes to Rachel before she flies back to the US. It’s a cute spin and the beautiful ring and engagement party at the end makes it one for the books.
