タグ別アーカイブ: wedding

When it came time for an Indianapolis teacher to choose a flower girl and ring bearer, the only kids who came to mind were her students.

That’s why Marielle Slagel Keller of Butler Lab School invited her entire class to be in her recent wedding, according to WXIN.

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Indianapolis Public Schools says 20 students walked down the aisle wearing all white and carrying garland.

“They mean the world to me,” said Keller. “The kids and their families were part of the whole wedding planning process with me and gave me so much support along the way. They are a huge part of who I am and it would not have felt right to not have them there.”

The school says students took great pride in participating in their teacher’s big day. For some, it was even their first wedding.

Keller teaches a combination of kindergarten and first grade students, so some of the students will have her as a teacher again this year.

The students go back to school Monday.

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When Uduak Udoh was visiting family and friends in Detroit, the last thing on her mind was dating. However, her cousin’s wife had other plans.

Attending school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Uduak, originally from Nigeria, was far from home and had just lost her mother. Since she couldn’t go home for the funeral, she decided to visit family in Detroit.

“They wanted me to come up for a few days so I could be with family,” Uduak recalls. “My cousin’s wife is a good friend, and she asked if I was dating anybody, and said there was someone she really wanted me to meet. I was not in the mindset, though.”

She did end up meeting Ekong Bassey that weekend, though. Her cousin’s wife was persistent, she laughs, and fortunately, so was Ekong.

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After that first date, Uduak didn’t plan to see Ekong again, but he convinced her otherwise. She skeptically went out with him a second time, but still didn’t think there was anything there.

“That one was actually worse than the first,” Uduak says of their second date. “But he kept pursuing me. We’d talk on the phone, and my heart really started to warm to him.”

So much so that when he popped the question on her birthday weekend in Las Vegas, she quickly said yes.

Though the couple met in Detroit, they are from the same state in Nigeria, so it was important to them to follow their country’s traditions. There would be a traditional Nigerian wedding, and then what Uduak refers to as their white wedding.

That traditional wedding would take place in their hometown in Nigeria. However, there would be two key players missing–the bride and the groom. Both were still in school getting their Ph.D.s, so they couldn’t travel. Their families took over and hosted the ceremony, which is more of a formal meeting of the two families and

an engagement.

“It’s a whole long process where you state the purpose of being there,” Uduak says of the traditional ceremony. “They did the whole traditional ceremony without us there. Our families met and talked.”

There were pictures from their engagement session on display at the ceremony, and when they hosted their white wedding one month later, their families were there to help them celebrate.

Since Uduak was finishing up school in Birmingham, they decided to have the wedding there, and she wanted it to be classic Birmingham. They chose the newly-renovated Tutwiler hotel for their ceremony and reception.

Although this was their white wedding, the couple still added some traditional Nigerian touches.

A Nigerian dance group from Atlanta provided entertainment, and as is tradition in their home country, guests showered the couple with money to celebrate their union.

The bride wore a lace mermaid dress. Instead of a long veil, she went with a short birdcage. Uduak’s bridesmaids all wore dresses in the same shade of pink, yet in different styles. The groom wore a gray tuxedo.

Uduak’s flowers were soft shades of pink and white. In memory of Uduak’s mother, the florist attached a picture of her mother to Uduak’s bouquet.

“That really almost made me cry,” she said. “It was just wonderful. It really made it feel like she was there with me.”

Though Uduak initially found it difficult to date again after the death of her mom, she knows now she was meant to meet Ekong that weekend in Detroit. The couple, now living in Springfield, Missouri, just welcomed their first baby.

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It’s no secret that Tamannaah Bhatia has some desi swag, and can rock any Indian outfit with grace and panache. She is known for donning unique designer ensembles, more so, with a slightly traditional twist, and the Baahubali actress gives it an edge. Recently, the 27-year-old attended her brother’s wedding and looked beautiful in the colourful designer attires she donned.

From anarkalis to lehengas, she picked exquisite choices for all the wedding functions and looked really graceful. Steal a glance at all the designer ensembles that she wore here.

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PINK PERFECTION

The actress wore a heavily embellished pink lehenga designed by Neeta Lulla. Complemented with a purple blouse and a sheer pink dupatta, it looked pretty on her. Bhatia added zing to it with jewellery from Wite & Gold Jewellery.

SOFT PEACH

For the Sangeet ceremony, she wore a beautiful peach lehenga with heavy zardosi work on it from the House of Neeta Lulla. Bhatia complemented it with jewellery from Gehna Jewellers and rounded the look with light makeup.

ORANGE POP

Bhatia looked like a dream in the mehndi ceremony. She wore a heavily embellished orange-peach lehenga by Neeta Lulla and left her hair poker straight. To accessorise it, she wore jewellery from Gehna jewellers.

BRIGHT YELLOW

For the first function of her brother, she wore a yellow ethnic attire designed by Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor. Hairstylist Tina Mukharjee styled her hair in side braids, and makeup artist Aparnah Mitter gave her a slightly glossy touch.

While all her outfits are simply spectacular, she looks gorgeous, we love the pink lehenga the most. Which one do you think looks the best on her? Tell us in the comments below.

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Get ready to say “Awww” when Joy-Anna and Austin say “I do!”

The countdown to Counting On’s wedding special is just about over. On Monday, June 12, Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth’s special will air at 9 p.m., on TLC.

The young couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony on May 26 in her native state of Arkansas.

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“What an absolutely wonderful day our family will always treasure. As parents, we could not be more grateful for the godly woman Joy has become, and the loving husband she married! We love you, Joy and Austin and are so happy for you both, as you embark on this exciting journey together!” her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar wrote in a blog post on the Duggar Family’s official website.

Austin — who has been a long-time family friend of the Duggar’s — proposed after several months of courting, which means dating with the intention of marriage.

The newlyweds are already talking about having lots of babies, which should come as no surprise considering Joy-Anna is one of 19.

“We love kids and we’re excited to have a family. We’re just going to see what the Lord does. We want as many as the Lord thinks we can handle and we are putting it into his hands,” the newlyweds told People.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Be sure to watch Joy-Anna and Austin tie the knot on Counting On on Monday, June 12 at 9 p.m.!

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Dear Dr. Marcia,

My husband and I had a small wedding, which we paid for ourselves.

We invited only immediate family members and just a couple of our very close friends.

My husband’s brother had been going out with a girl for only a couple of months so we did not invite him with a guest and he had absolutely no problem with that.

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My sister was another story.

It seems like every time we see her at a family function she’s with a different guy. She gets way too serious way too fast and has told guys she loves them on a second date. She also talks about how much she wants to get married and have a baby by the time she’s 30. She is 27 years old now.

I told her she is scaring them away but she can’t help herself.

Needless to say, she was also not invited with a guest. Much to my disappointment, she did not come to my wedding. She did not even tell me she wasn’t coming but just did not show up. I was disappointed in the choice she made but not that upset about it.

The weekend after we came home from our honeymoon, we had dinner at my parents house. We were of course talking about the wedding, and my father told me how upset he was with me for excluding my sister. I told him she was invited just not with a guest because we did not want a stranger that we would be meeting for the first time at our wedding, and that her not attending was her choice.

We had some serious words over it and my husband defended me and my father made a comment to him that this was between him and his daughters. I then defended my husband saying it was our wedding and our decision not to invite her or his brother with a guest.

I told him my brother-in-law had no problem with it even though he had been seeing his girl for three months. I have not talked to my sister since before the wedding but want to resolve this. Please help.

Signed,

Stumped

Dear Stumped,

Be the mature one and invite your sister to coffee or dinner out. Tell her how much you missed her being at your wedding.

Keep the conversation positive – explain to her why she AND your brother-in-law were invited without guests. Make certain not to discuss her dating history or why she can’t keep a boyfriend.

Tell her you did not mean to hurt her feelings as you hope she did not mean to hurt you – and that you want the two of you to be able to move on from this.

Unfortunately – if she still chooses to be immature – you just have to wait for her to grow up.

Either way – explain to your parents that you took the initiative and spoke to her to try to resolve the situation.

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Chasity Byrd always wanted a Christmas wedding. But when her then-boyfriend, Robbie Riddick, proposed to her last June, she knew she wouldn’t have time to plan a wedding in just six months. So Chasity “had to re-think things,” she said.

Since April and October are the best months in Mobile “as far as the temperature goes” (and Chasity, who works as a meteorologist, should know), they settled on April 8 for their wedding at Springhill Avenue United Methodist Church, followed by a reception at the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion with about 325 guests.

Chasity said that she’s “not a crier,” but she was emotionally overwhelmed when she walked down the aisle on the arm of her brother, Clifton Byrd. “I saw so many faces from different parts of my life,” she said. “I was flooded with memories. It was very emotional. As the tears starting welling up, I couldn’t help but smile.”

Robbie’s son, Alex, 14, was his dad’s best man, and his daughter, 9-year-old Isabella, served as junior bridesmaid. The ceremony was officiated by Dr. Chip Starnes of First Baptist Church of Bay Minette, Chasity’s home church. The Hon. Robert Wilters was a scripture reader, which was very special to the couple because he married Chasity’s mother and stepfather.

As the couple left in their limousine, the groom whispered to his new bride that the day “could not have been more perfect,” and she agreed. “Everywhere we looked, people were smiling and having a good time,” she said.

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Where they live: Mobile

Her job: Meteorologist and Studio10 host, WALA Fox10 News

His job: Corporate investigator, Alabama Power

Wedding date: April 8, 2017

Wedding location: Springhill Avenue United Methodist Church

Reception location: Bragg-Mitchell Mansion

How they met: On the job, Chasity said. “We knew each other for many years before we started dating.”

How he proposed: “Robbie and I love to go out on the boat, which is where you’ll find us most weekends. He had talked to my mom, and talked to his kids prior to this particular outing to the west end of Dauphin Island. Anyone who knows Robbie knows he is a very private person, so it’s no surprise there on the secluded beach he asked me. He said he was very nervous when he asked me to go for a walk down the beach. I still had no idea what was going on when he stood in front of me saying the nicest things about me and about our relationship. He went down on one knee and then, very shocked, I figured out what was going on.”

The dress: “I could not wait to put on my dress! It was a Sincerity Bridal organza ball gown that I knew was my dress from the moment I saw it. The wonderful ladies of Bliss Bridal in Fairhope said my eyes lit up when I put it on!”

Wedding planner: “The amazing team at Noble Events. My wedding planner was Laura Hails Taliancich.”

Junior bridesmaid: Isabella Riddick

Matron of Honor: Laurin Tew

Bridesmaids: Jessica Hadley Corbitt, Melinda Coleman Harville, Christie Gammage Atkins, Caitlin Belder Wood, Whitney Ryan Law, Jessica Nesbitt Taloney and Shiela Hajjar Perry

Best man: Alex Riddick

Groomsmen: Eric Lauzier, Carlos Baylor, Clifton Byrd, Jason Hadley, Casey Coleman, Christopher Corbitt and Michael Golson

Bridesmaids’ dresses: “The bridesmaids wore a Dessy Group long, strapless gown of soft tulle in a classic blush color. The color was very faint. I’m a big fan of neutrals.”

Flower girl: The bride’s niece, Mary Syndel Byrd

Ring bearer: The bride’s nephew, Swayden Byrd

Wedding cake: Cakes by Judi

What made it special: The cake was simple and elegant, said Chasity. “I chose a round, five-tier cake with ivory icing adorned with flowers and greenery. The cake flavor was almond with Mrs. Judi’s signature icing.”

Wine selection: Domke Market

Flowers: Tim Harrell

Transportation: Old Shell Trolley, Hunter Limousine

Hairstylist: Phrankey Lowery, Studio PH

Makeup: Emily Stiles

Photography: Posh Images, Mobile

Catering: Naman’s Catering

Rentals: Mobile Popcorn

Ceremony music: Chelsey Smith and family, violin and cello

Reception music: The Denver Hawsey Band

Lighting: Showbiz Theatrical Services

Most memorable moment: “One of the best moments of the day happened at the ceremony. Robbie’s daughter Isabella was a junior bridesmaid and the first person to start the procession. I, of course, was not in the room, but everyone said when Bella started walking down the aisle, Robbie started tearing up, which led Bella to do the same. I heard there wasn’t a dry eye in the place! She told her dad after the ceremony they were ‘happy tears.’”

Funny/unexpected moments: “Unexpected moments always happen with weddings, but we had a couple that were ‘fun’ to deal with that week. There were two days where our area was put under the risk of severe weather, with the possibility of tornadoes. It was kind of ironic, with me being a meteorologist. Everyone at work joked that of course there would be tornadoes the week of our wedding. Luckily, our wedding day ended up being one of the best weather days we see here along the Gulf Coast. The temperature was perfect!”

Wedding traditions: “My favorite was my ‘something borrowed’ and ‘something old.’ My mom had saved a bonnet from when I was a baby that she had made into a handkerchief with my new initials monogrammed on it. I carried it around the handle of my bouquet.

“My ‘something borrowed’ was an antique brooch my grandmother had let me pick out from her collection. It had so many beautiful colors and was the perfect addition to my bouquet. To make my flowers even more special, my mom had given me a small picture of my late stepfather, whom we all wish could have been there. It was attached and joined me on one of the most important walks of my life.”

First dance: “Robbie picked the first dance song and contacted The Denver Hawsey Band without me knowing! It was so sweet. We danced to ‘Holy’ by Florida/Georgia Line, one of our favorite bands.”

Honeymoon: Sandals Royal Caribbean, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Advice for other couples planning a wedding? “Know things are going to happen – things you may not even hear about until you get back from your honeymoon! Remember, at the end of the day, those minor details will be forgotten, so don’t forget to forget those worries and have a good time.”

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Did you know April is National Donate Life Month?

It’s an effort to raise awareness about the need for organ donors – a need folks like Dr. Matt Mulloy, the surgical director of the kidney and pancreas transplant program at Medical City Dallas, are already all too aware of.

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“We have a huge waiting list,” said Dr. Mulloy, “and while people are waiting, unfortunately, some people never make it to the top of that list, because they get too sick to remain on the list.”

That was a fear of Anu Phillip, who was diagnosed with a kidney condition when she was just nine months old.

“As years went by, my kidneys just got worse,” Phillip recalled. “50%, 25%, then in 2011, 0%.”

She was dependent on dialysis, and waiting on a new kidney, for over five years. Until…

“On March 18, 2017, they called me,” she said. “Medical City called me and say they had a kidney for me.”

There was only one problem. Anu and her fiancé Jeswin were getting ready for their wedding – just six days away!

“We weren’t expecting a kidney before the wedding,” Jeswin said with a laugh. “But it just happened!”

It can take a week or more to recover from a transplant, but after some quick thoughts and prayers, Anu and Jeswin decided to risk the wedding and headed to Medical City.

Dr. Mulloy performed a successful surgery, and got her out of there just in time!

“I was discharged the day before the wedding, and got married the next day,” said Anu.

“The next day morning!” added Jeswin.

So Anu got to start a new life, in more ways than one.

“Because of the donor,” Jeswin said, “she got her life back.”

Hey, if you want a chance to make a world of difference for someone like Anu, it’s actually pretty easy!

“You can go to your computer right now,” Dr. Mulloy tells us, “and go to Donate Life Texas, or DonateLife.net. Register, fill out a first-person consent, and that way we’ll have more people on the registry, and more potential donors.”

And more potential happy ending to stories like Anu’s.

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Concern about fitting into their gown drives many brides to crash diet in an effort to lose weight.

In addition, brides-to-be and grooms-to-be want to look their best on their wedding day, and many express concern about their weight in the weeks and months leading up to the wedding. Losing weight is a goal for many engaged couples, but it’s important that couples who want to shed a few extra pounds don’t sacrifice safety for the sake of slimming down.

According to a Cornell University study of 273 women with a wedding day approaching, 70 percent wanted to lose more than 20 pounds before the wedding. However, reality indicates that a weight loss of 5 to 10 pounds is more attainable – more so if the weight loss regimen is spread out over several weeks.

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The term “brideorexia” has entered the vernacular, and it is associated with brides who are taking extreme measures to lose weight. Taking laxatives, engaging in fluid-only diets and even using tobacco or drugs as appetite suppressants are just some of the measures brides have taken to shed weight before their wedding day.

There is no magic formula to shed pounds, but there are certain ways to jump-start and maintain the process of healthy weight loss that can help you look slimmer and healthy for the big day.

* Eat. Although initial calorie curbing can help shed weight, eventually your body may adapt to your new eating habits or go into “survival mode,” which means conserving fat reserves. Researchers at Penn State University found that fasting signals to the body that it is being starved, triggering a lower metabolic rate. Brides-to-be should never cut out food entirely. Eating anything less than 1,200 calories a day will encourage the body to try to conserve energy by lowering its metabolism. Severe calorie restriction is not an effective way to lose weight.

* Step up your exercise regimen. Reducing food intake alone will not help you lose weight quickly. For that you must burn more calories than you consume. Adding more cardiovascular activity to your routine can help burn calories more efficiently. According to a clinical study from researchers at Italy’s University of Padua published in the 2011 International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, eating a light meal before exercising helps you burn more fat and keeps your body burning fat even 24 hours after the exercise.

* Reduce sodium intake. Sodium doesn’t necessarily lead to weight gain, but it can make it appear so. Sodium contributes to water retention, which may make you appear heavier or bloated. Cut back on foods that are high in sodium, especially as the wedding nears, to reduce water retention.

* Identify sources of empty calories. Fruit juices, soda and other beverages are often the culprits in cases of unnecessary calorie consumption. Choose your beverages wisely and limit them to water, tea and unsweetened drinks. If you want to drink fruit juice, consider diluting it. In addition, most alcoholic beverages have 100 calories or more. While it may be tempting to celebrate with wine, champagne and mixed drinks during your engagement period, your waistline may ultimately pay the price for such indulgences.

* Hire a good photographer. It is said that a camera adds 10 pounds, a reason many couples panic about their wedding day. A photo is a two-dimensional image of a 3-D object. The photo reduces depth perception and flattens an image, which may make some items look like they have more bulk. A professional photographer will know how to manipulate lighting and camera angles for more flattering shots.

* Eat smaller portions. Often its not a matter of what you are eating but how much. Most portion sizes served in restaurants or even at home are double or triple the amount you should be eating. When in doubt, cut portions in half.

* Fill up on fiber or protein. Instead of resorting to pills to suppress an appetite, eat foods that will fill you up naturally. High-fiber foods will bulk up in the stomach and keep you feeling satiated longer. The same can be said for lean proteins, which take longer to digest, thus fending off hunger pangs.

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A Sheffield couple is celebrating after scooping the top prize in a competition to give them the wedding of their dreams.

After a tense finale, Hallam FM’s Win Your Wedding competition was won this week by Luke Scanlon and Emma Rhodes from Sheffield, who raised a record breaking £19,713.67 to take the title and win the wedding of their dreams.

The annual campaign, sponsored by The Crown Hotel in Bawtry, who have provided the wedding venue and reception at the Doncaster hotel, is part of a £30,000 package which includes a honeymoon and dance tuition.

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Six couples from across South Yorkshire were also in the running with family fun day events, supermarket bag packs, FIFA tournaments, raffles, sweepstakes and bungee jumps were just some of the activities the couples arranged which contributed towards the final total of £58,166.49.

Allan Ogle, charity manager for Hallam FM’s Cash for Kids, said: “We are completely blown away by how much the couples all raised this year. That’s absolutely phenomenal fundraising in such a short space of time, they are all heroes to Cash for Kids. Thank you so much to every person and business that supported them all to make this happen.

“This incredible amount of money will enhance the lives of thousands of children across South Yorkshire.”

Anybody inspired by their efforts can now sign up to 500 Faces, Cash for Kids next fundraising campaign, which is recruiting 500 people across South Yorkshire to raise £100 in 2017 which will generate £50,000 to support sick and disadvantaged children across South Yorkshire.

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Memorizing the Quran has always been appreciated among the Palestinian Muslim community. The Hamas-affiliated Al-Tayseer Society for Marriage and Development in partnership with the Riyad Charity Society on Feb. 4 announced the launch of Ridwan (Satisfaction), a program to provide free weddings in Gaza for individuals who memorize the Islamic holy book. The project is being funded by the Palestinian Charity Committee, affiliated with the International Islamic Charity Organization in Kuwait, a prominent organization that collects donations to help the poor in the Arab and Muslim worlds.

The spread of poverty and high unemployment, which according to figures issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics stood at 41.2% in the first quarter of 2016, have made wedding ceremonies and dowries expensive propositions for young people.

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Riyad Shahin, chairman of the Riyad Charity Society, said during the press conference announcing the program that it targets unmarried “huffaz” — people who have memorized the Quran — 26 and older. The aim, he said, is “to encourage youth to read the book of Allah and strengthen ties and social solidarity.”

Hasan al-Juju, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Courts, said at a Jan. 29 press conference in Gaza City that the marriage rate in Gaza dropped by 8% from 2015 to 2016. He attributed the decrease to poverty and unemployment.

A number of young men told Al-Monitor that they disapprove of the memorization requirement to obtain a free wedding. Mahmoud al-Batrawi, an unemployed university graduate, dreams of getting married, but he is unable to find a spouse because he lacks the financial means. He has not memorized the Quran and therefore cannot benefit from a free wedding courtesy of Tayseer, the most prominent organization helping young people with the financial burdens of marriage.

“Some have been blessed with the ability to memorize the book of Allah, and so they have,” Batrawi said. “Today, those who lack this ability will be denied the chance to benefit from this project. This is why I believe this is an unreasonable condition, and I hope it will be reconsidered because memorizing the Quran means memorizing around 78,000 words, i.e., about 6,000 Quranic verses. No ordinary human being is capable of doing so; only those with an extraordinary talent for memorizing can do it.”

Ibrahim al-Ejel, who works in a blacksmith shop in the Shujaiyah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, makes $150 a month. He told Al-Monitor that he has been saving for eight years so he can get married, and he got engaged two years ago. He has not yet, however, been able to save enough for a wedding, which on average costs around $10,000.

“I realized that a young man living in Gaza cannot get married without help,” Ejel said. “This is why I had high hopes for a charity to help me out in overcoming this [financial] difficulty and finally achieving stability in my life. I was extremely frustrated when I found out that Tayseer’s project was only for huffaz.”

He added, “Young people from all social classes in Gaza need help getting married. This is why all discrimination in terms of social and religious standards should end now.”

Tayseer director Wael al-Khalili stressed that the free wedding program for huffaz is only part of a series of social projects to youths. He told Al-Monitor, “ We chose huffaz as worthy of receiving such help because they represent a special and unique segment in our society.” Khalili said that his organization also helps youths in general through the Tayseer Marriage Fund, which was established in 2010. The organization provides a loan from the fund to cover the wedding, and the newlyweds repay it in regular installments.

“The huffaz are the young people with the highest morals in our society,” Khalili asserted. “They deserve to be treated differently, and so they do not have to pay back the money they get for their weddings.”

As for the huffaz who stand to benefit from the project, Khalili said, “We do not have a specific number for the time being, but the funding is enough for dozens of huffaz. Each one will be granted an amount to cover the costs of the entire wedding.”

Mouin Rajab, an economics professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, noted that Palestinians from all social classes are living under difficult economic conditions, which is why thousands of unemployed graduates are in need of assistance to deal with life’s troubles.

“Although honoring the huffaz is appreciated by Palestinian society, Palestinian youths — college graduates in particular — are unemployed, have no income and are unable to pay for a wedding,” said Rajab. “This is why they should all be receiving help without exception.”

He added, “Even the ones working need assistance to cover the costs of weddings, because they can barely earn a decent living in light of the low wages in Gaza and the difficulty in saving.”

Palestinian youths in Gaza are mired in economic problems that render them unable to live normal lives. Social, partisan and government organizations are able to provide some help for those hoping to marry, but many are stuck between the hammer and the anvil when it comes to financing weddings and dowries and meeting social and religious standards.

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