カテゴリー別アーカイブ: wedding

Question: I’m getting married in a few weeks, and we have a formal cocktail dresses code. I talked to my cousin today and asked what she was wearing. She said she was wearing a shirt and pants. Everyone will be in suits or tuxes, so I asked if she had a blazer or suit jacket, or if I could buy her one for the event. She responded that wearing a blazer would make her incredibly uncomfortable and stressed, and she could not do it; and that wearing a dress shirt and pants was already making her uncomfortable.

I’m incredibly confused by this. It’s just a blazer. I’m not asking her to wear a dress, just to follow the dress code and offering to pay for it.

Am I allowed to ask her mother to try and convince her? Or do I need to accept that this is just my cousin’s odd comfort level and she cannot follow the dress code AND enjoy the wedding?

I would feel uncomfortable and stressed going to an event I was underdressed for, and I’m not sure she truly is understanding the dress code. — Cousin

Answer: Drop it. You tried, she resisted, one person will not ruin anything, and as a host, your priority has to be the comfort of your guests vs. conformity to your theme. If you can have a blazer handy to provide if she asks (i.e., not to offer), it would be kind.

Question: A “good” friend moved down the street from us with her family last fall. I put “good” in quotation marks because, although we’ve been friends since elementary school, she can be snarky, judgmental and passive-aggressive. It’s just tiring to deal with, and I’d rather spend time with people who just do not do that, rather than trying to “fix” this relationship.

However, she lives down the darn block. Our husbands are friendly. Our daughters play together. We have this 20-plus-year history. How do you suggest I save my sanity by limiting our interactions without making things too uncomfortable, or ruining things for the other family members who do get along? — Neighbor Frenemy

Answer: Why don’t you just keep interacting with her as your history, proximity and families demand, and simply not take her crap? Kindly and plainly.

When she’s passive-aggressive, ask her to say what she means. When she says something snarky or judgmental, say there’s no call for that — or just, “Really?”

Not to “fix” anything, but to get across in a friendship-friendly way these habits of hers annoy you and you’re not having them anymore.

She might surprise you by catching herself.

Old habits with old friends go both ways, and she might be reverting to an outdated version of herself she’s more than happy to leave behind, once you make her aware of it.

If instead she responds by calling you too sensitive, keep on the calm path. “Maybe so. I just find life easier when people are kind and direct.”

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A snowy, cold weekend in New York gave us exactly what we needed — lots of quality time to curl up on the couch with our S.O, sip hot chocolate and scroll through our Instagram feed obsessing over wedding photos, of course! And since we know you can’t get enough of wedding cheap prom dresses, venues, and décor inspo, here’s our round-up of our favorite photos from real couples who just got married this weekend.

Want to share your wedding photos with us from your own big day? Tag brides and MyBridesMoment for your chance to be featured.

One of the most difficult choices of wedding planning is choosing the venue where you want to get married. So many options, how’s a bride to decide? But after seeing this photo of City Hall in San Francisco, we’re pretty sure this couple had one of the easiest decisions around. Amirite?

Here come the grooms in black! This handsome couple got married over the weekend at Guasca Cundimarca in Colombia. With their cool shades on, we have a feeling they just rocked their wedding vows.

You would never guess by looking at this photo that this is a December wedding! That’s because Nathan and Gabby were more than lucky to say their “I do’s” in beautiful Apollo, Florida. There’s no doubt that sunshine on your wedding day always makes for smiles all around.

Wedding portraits during magic hour seriously take our breath away — every. single. time. Plus, the setting is so romantic, it’s no wonder they snuck in a quick kiss.

Off the newlyweds go! This elegant and chic couple got hitched at The University Club in New York City and rode off in style. Shot in black and white, this photo will be classic to look back on for many years to come.

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Whitney Eizabeth Horrell and Brandon Jacob Amick, both of Scott City, were married May 21 at Navarre Beach in Navarre, Florida.

The bride is the daughter of Randy and Mona Horrell of Chaffee, Missouri. The groom is the son of Scott and Donna Amick of Scott City.

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Maid of honor was Ashley Braggs of Chaffee, friend of the bride. Bridesmaids were Chelsea Horrell of Chaffee, sister-in-law of the bride; Suzanne Duff of Scott City, friend of the bride and cousin of the groom; Julie Underwood of Scott City, friend of the bride; Erika Miller of Cape Girardeau, friend of the bride; and Britne Amick of St. Louis, sister of the groom.

Owen Amick, son of the couple, was the ringbearer.

Best man was Matt Underwood of Scott City, friend of the groom. Groomsmen were Blake Amick of Scott City, brother of the groom; Lance Amick of Scott City, cousin of the groom; Joe Jacobs of Cape Girardeau, uncle of the groom; Travis Duff of Scott City, cousin of the groom; and Andrew Horrell of Chaffee, brother of the bride.

A reception was held June 4 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Scott City.

The bride received a degree in business administration from Arkansas Northeastern College. She works at Miller Drywall, Inc.

The groom received a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Southeast Missouri State University. He is a dispatcher at Buchheit’s Logistics.

The couple lives in Scott City.

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The St. Louis’ Best Bridal Show tops the list on Sunday, Oct. 9, for spirited and efficient ways that newlyweds-to-be may plan the wedding of their dreams.

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Join the fun at the Saint Charles Convention Center. The bridal show will be from noon to 3:30 p.m.and the runway fashion show will begin at 3:30 p.m. Creative ideas and services from the area’s best wedding specialists unfold, beautiful fashions glide down the runway and the bride- and groom-to-be and their favorite fans see themselves with the look and style they envision for their day of celebration.

Anyone wearing a shiny engagement ring is abuzz about her upcoming wedding. The soon-to-be bride and her support crew – future mate, moms, sisters, BFFs – can truly turn the day into a celebration. Help is at hand to let the show be joyful and personally significant.

With a long list or short handful of tasks to fill in the plan, a couple can share wedding assignments with the best professionals at a St. Louis’ Best Bridal event.

For a comfortable and memorable wedding fit, preparation merges with personalized ideas styled for this occasion. Holding this approach to their wedding, both bride and groom concentrate better on their ultimate destination: marriage.

Among lucky attendees, one will win an all-inclusive trip for two sponsored by Funjet Vacations, Travel Haus of St. Louis and El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels. Music, flowers, delicious hors d’oeuvres and other tasty treats and many, many details preview possible details and inspiration for your wedding. Venues offer unique places to say the “I do” and have a follow-up party.

Brides-to-be, REGISTER NOW to receive two free show tickets. Complimentary tickets are also available while supplies last at local Savvi Formalwear locations. Entry is $5 (cash only) per person on show day at the Saint Charles Convention Center on Veterans Memorial Parkway, just south of I-70.

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The new season of Married at First Sight just started airing last night, and now the new cast is ready to let the fans get to know them better. People shared that Lillian Vilchez shared a blog post and explained all about what made her decide to get married this way and more. She was left with a broken heart from her last relationship and was hoping that this time would be different.

Lillian Vilchez is now married to Tom Wilson after meeting him on the same day they would tie the knot. Lillian shared why she decided to do this experience saying, “The matching on Married at First Sight is based on many different factors, including core values, psychological evaluations, personality assessments and one-on-one. The extensive process is what drew me to the show. I mean, these experts have to take this seriously – their careers are on the line.”

Lillian shared that she went into this knowing 100 percent that this was what she wanted to do. She didn’t doubt the process. As soon as they told her that she had a match, she started to imagine her fairy tale. Lillian revealed all about how her mom was the first person she called saying, “Some people would be nervous or even scared that they got chosen, but I was ecstatic! I couldn’t believe that I was lucky enough to get matched, and I would be meeting my future hubby in just TWO weeks! My initial reaction was to call my mom – hearing her voice is always so calming. But I immediately realized that this time was different. She went right in and started highlighting the terrifying reality of the situation, and the nerves suddenly started kicking in.”

When it came to this process, Lillian knew she was taking a lot of chances, but it was worth it to her. She looked at the pros and cons then decided that it was worth it. Lillian took her mom out shopping with her for her wedding cheap prom dresses.

55 Retweets 2929 likesOne thing everyone remembers about Lillian Vilchez is that she freaked out over the idea of pearls on her wedding day. She explained that this is a culture thing and that in Latin culture pearls mean “tears of the sea.” She was going to be marrying someone she didn’t know so this was a huge chance for her to take. Then her new husband got her pearls, which was shocking and not what she had planned. Lillian shared her thoughts.

“My first reaction was to quickly put them on. They were so beautiful and I wanted everyone to see me wearing them. I wanted my husband to see me wearing them, so I asked my mom to put them on me. But I noticed she was super hesitant and for a moment I forgot why. ‘It’s bad luck!’ my sister said. My heart immediately dropped. Here I was, holding these beautiful pearls that my future husband got for me and was probably expecting me to wear as I walked toward him for the first time, and I simply couldn’t. Suddenly, the thought of not walking down the aisle wearing them brought tears to my eyes.”Between the pearls and the rain, Lillian was very concerned that these were all bad signs. Only time will tell if Lillian and Tom are able to get their marriage to work out long-term. Everyone can’t wait to see if these Married at First Sightcouples have really found love or not.

FYI also explained a bit the fact that this curse that Lillian was worried about might just not mean anything. Also, a rainy day is seen as lucky, so Lillian needs to remember that could be a good thing. A lot of people also believe in something borrowed, blue, old and new needing to be at the wedding, but others get married just fine without it.

11 Retweet 1010 likesAre you shocked to see that these three couples got married at first sight? Do you think that the marriage between Lillian and Tom will work out? Sound off in the comments section below on your thoughts, and don’t miss new episodes of Married at First Sight on Sundays on A&E.

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Courtesy of Neal Peters CollectionGearing up for an upcoming wedding where you have give a wedding toast? It may be good to do your homework and check out some of the legendary wedding speeches that people have laughed to, cried to, and even cringed at. Whether it’s to learn what to do or what not to do, watching movie wedding speeches is a great way to pregame for your shinning moment. Here are the top five wedding movie toasts you just have to watch.

1. Bridesmaids

Who can forget the epically awkward engagement toast battle between Kristen Wiig and Rose Byrne’s characters in this funny flick? It’s clear both want to showcase how much the bride means to them and how amazing their friendship is with one another, but it quickly morphs into a competition between members of the bridal party — and the focus of the bride is lost. This is one of those speeches that teaches you what not to do, especially if you’re giving a co-maid of honor speech.

2. Wedding Crashers

While the movie, in general, is an epic adventure of two guys who crash weddings to pick up chicks, the speech given by Rachel McAdams’ character at her sister’s wedding is actually quite moving andemotionally perfect (once she lays off the cheap jabs at the newlyweds’ superficiality). Her toast includes an unforgettable quote — albeit stolen from Owen Wilson’s character — that many have used in their wedding toasts since, “True love is the soul’s recognizing of its counterpoint in another.”

3. Four Weddings and a Funeral

One of the most endearing and beautiful lines from any movie wedding toast comes from this movie when Hugh Grant’s character says, “I am as ever in bewildered awe of anyone who this kind of commitment that Angus and Laure have made today. I know I couldn’t do it and I think it’s wonderful they can.”

4. The Five-Year Engagement

This movie can be relatable to those with — what else? — super long engagements and a wedding that feels like it’s never actually going to happen. But the wedding toast in this movie uses a dose of humor that gets the audience laughing, a technique that all good wedding toasts should try to tackle.

Editors note: We couldn’t find the toast anywhere online, so you’ll just have to watch it the old fashioned way — by renting the DVD or streaming on Netflix.

5. The Hangover Part II

In The Hangover Part II, Alan (played by Zach Galifianakis) gives quite the awkward speech that both makes the audience cringe and seems like it doesn’t have much of a focus or a point. It’s a great example of what not to do in your groomsman toast… ever.

See More: TBT: Our Favorite Wedding Scenes from Oscar-Nominated Movies

Jen Glantz is a “Professional Bridesmaid” and the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire. She’s the author of All My Friends Are Engaged and frequently wears old bridesmaid cocktail prom dresses to the grocery store and on first dates.

The Fashion Director with Brown Thomas lists the day her daughter was born and several amazing people amongst the loves of her life.

The person

I am lucky that I have so many amazing people I love in my life!

The memory

The day my daughter was born

The moment of the day

When I wake up – the excitement of not knowing what opportunities and discoveries the day can bring. I travel for six months of every year, visiting some of the world’s most incredible cities from New York to Milan, and I love the diversity and energy that brings

The song

I am a big Adele fan. My all-time favourite song is Set Fire to the Rain

The movie

My favourite classic has to be It’s a Wonderful Life – I never get tired of watching it. More recently, I loved The Age of Adaline with Blake Lively; and Room was just an incredible movie

The hero

My hero of the moment has to be Alessandro Michele. What he has done at Gucci is inspiring – transforming a more classical, feminine brand into something much more retro and directional, while keeping it very modern, grabbing the fashion world’s focus. Miuccia Prada and Phoebe Philo are my all-time favourite designers, and every season they produce extraordinary collections which really capture the movement of fashion

The book

I never have the time to read books! I do love to study online fashion resources, such as The Business of Fashion (businessoffashion.com) and Women’s Wear Daily (wwd.com) every day to keep up-to-date on any industry changes. I also look forward to all the monthly glossy magazines, both Irish and international

The outfit

I adore Gucci. My horse-bit loafers are one of my current wardrobe favourites, and I am also awaiting the new Vetements denims, which I am very excited about

The accessory

My new Gucci Marmont bag. I adore it! It’s the must-have bag of the season, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it

The gadget

My iPhone is like an extension of me. I use it for everything – to keep in touch with family and friends when I am travelling, work, and, of course, social media. I love Instagram and watching how street-style influences the fashion industry today – and my new addiction is Snapchat

The pet hate

Bad manners – I think it makes such a difference to be kind and graceful. A hand-written thank-you card is such a simple gesture, but is a lovely thing to receive, especially as everything is now email or text

The friend

I can’t name just one. I have a wonderful group of friends from all parts of my life that I love

The beauty product

La Prairie Cellular Radiance Perfecting Fluide Pure Gold – this launched exclusively in Brown Thomas Dublin earlier this year, and is a miracle product. It really hydrates skin after a long day and gives you that elusive eight-hour-sleep look. I also love anything by Tom Ford

The holiday

I have great memories of holidays in Portugal and Italy. We go away every year to a relatively undiscovered island that allows us to switch off and relax, but I just can’t reveal where, as then the secret will be out

The piece of advice

Keep it simple, don’t overcomplicate things and always take a bird’s eye view on everything

The drink

The delicious Tintoretto, which is served at the new bar in The Restaurant by Johnnie Cook in Brown Thomas. It’s a delicious blend of the finest Champagne and a splash of fresh pomegranate juice – very refreshing

The hotel

I adore the Four Seasons at Christmas time in NYC; and also the Mandarin Oriental in Paris. In Dublin, The Merrion hotel

The bar

The bar at Hotel Costes in Paris is always fun during Fashion Week. It’s a fantastic place to people-watch and soak up the atmosphere

The hobby

Keeping up-to-date on the incredibly fast-moving fashion industry. I love discovering new trends, designers and brands, and bringing something fresh and new to the Brown Thomas customer. I also have a keen interest in photography

The part of my body

My smile. I love to laugh and enjoy life, and try to smile as much as I can

The celebrity

I am really into cool street-style icons rather than typical Hollywood celebrities. I admire Charlotte Casiraghi for her personal style, and was blown away by the recent wedding of Vogue Japan fashion editor Giovanna Battaglia, who wore four beautiful custom-made wedding cheap prom dresses: Alaia, Alexander McQueen, Giambattista Valli and Prada

The virtue

Positivity! I always look at things with an optimistic view and try and find the best in every situation, no matter how challenging

The vice

Unfortunately . . . chocolate!

The smell

My signature scent is Hermes Jardin Sur Le Nil, which I have been wearing for many years. I also love Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady, which is launching in The Marvel Room in October

The taste

I love fish, so I always have the delicious tuna Nicoise salad served in The Restaurant by Johnnie Cooke – it is made from the freshest tuna, and is the perfect option for lunch

Brown Thomas welcomes the return of Create, a celebration of the very best in new Irish design, which has just launched in Brown Thomas Dublin. Now in its sixth year, the installation celebrates the extraordinary work of 19 talented designers across ready-to-wear, accessories, millinery and jewellery, for six weeks, cementing Brown Thomas as the first to discover newness and develop designers at retail level by showcasing and mentoring these bright new things. Create runs until August 14.

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Joe Ledley WILL go ahead with his wedding after Wales’ Euro 2016 exit – and chartered his own flight from France to make it happen.

It had looked at one stage that cult hero Ledley – whose dancing celebrations captivated teammates and fans alike – would have to postpone his wedding plans because of Wales’ incredible run to the semi-finals.

The wedding to Cardiff-born fiancee Ruby-May had been planned for this weekend, which earned him playful stick from teammate Gareth Bale because it could have clashed with a potential dream appearance for Wales in the final of Euro 2016.

But Ledley will now fly to Ibiza for the ceremony on a private plane after pulling out all the stops to make the big day happen in front of close friends and family and sacrificing being part of today’s team homecoming.

Still, that doesn’t mean that the Crystal Palace ace wasn’t feeling the hurt of coming so close to a scarcely believable place in the final.

Joe Ledley and fiancee Ruby May Ridgeway

READ MOREWales to honour Euro 2016 football heroes with open top bus parade and spectacular homecoming party on Friday

“The boys are going back to Wales now to see the fans but I’ve got a wedding to attend,” said the 29-year-old. “I don’t feel like I need to see go back and see what we’ve achieved means to the supporters.

“I think I know deep down how much their support from back home meant to me. It just wasn’t meant to be in the end. I’ve got a wedding to think about. It’s Ibiza for me now.

“It will be a great day but right now I just feel devastated. I’ve been in situations like this before and it does hurt. It will for a few days but that’s life. You just need to get on with it with the help of strong people behind you and we know we’ve done the nation proud and we’ve done ourselves proud.”

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They have put Wales back on the football map’ How the world’s media reacted to our Euro 2016 exit

Ledley will find very few to disagree with him on that, or his acknowledgement that this side deserve their place in history having eclipsed the achievement of the boys of 1958 by not only qualifying for a tournament, but reaching the last four.

“We deserved to be where we got to, we deserved to be in the semi-final,” he said. “We battered Belgium who are second in the rankings, playing them off the park.

“Portugal just wasn’t our day but we should go down in history for what we’ve done, without a shadow of a doubt. I mean, we have created history. No other Welsh team has gone further than what we’ve done. We got to the semi-final of the European Championships so it’s going to be a good few years before another team beats that. Hopefully they do but what we’ve achieve is history making. We’ll go down as legends, hopefully.”

And Ledley says the squad are still intent on making more history with several stars eyeing up the World Cup qualifying campaign that kicks off in September against Moldova in Cardiff.

He claimed: “We’re looking at this as a stepping stone to Russia. The feeling is that this is the start of something rather than the end. I feel I’m getting a bit old, the World Cup will probably be one of the last competitions I’ll play for and it’ll be the same for some of the other players too, so we need to build on this and work as hard as we can going into the nest qualifiers.

“But we have a taste of this and we now want to keep going. We’re a hungry bunch of players and we prove that week-in, week-out. We want more of this. We want to achieve better things than this and hopefully we can do that with the World Cup. That’s the aim.

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While some brides like to leave their wedding photos solely in the hands of the photographer, others like to shake it up and try something a little different.

Hayley Jackman and her now husband Scott, 32, from Sydney, decided they would snap a selfie on their big day, shortly after they were pronounced husband and wife.

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‘We had spoken about the idea before the wedding, it was Scott’s idea originally, and we had never heard of anyone doing it before,’ Ms Jackman told Daily Mail Australia.

‘We had actually completely forgotten about it when we were up there but Scott’s brother handed him the phone just after we kissed and we took the picture really spontaneously.’

Ms Jackman said the candid, playful snap ended up being their favourite from the day.

‘We took two options and they were both really good – you can see all the guests in the background and everyone was laughing so it was great,’ Ms Jackman, an events planner, said.

‘Because of my profession people expected us to do something a little different or unexpected so it was fun to change it up a bit… the priest thought it was great too.’

Ms Jackman said the best part of the selfie was that she had forgotten it was happening, so it was truly an ‘in the moment’ snap.

‘It’s so much better when it’s not posed and you’re not nervous – there was no pressure and it was genuinely just a really fun, awesome moment,’ she said.

The pair’s photographer, Sarah, from Mint Photography, also captured the moment the couple took their selfie.

When it came to the reception, Ms Jackman wanted to keep the guests entertained and enjoy some quirky activities.

‘It’s really important to keep guests engaged throughout the day – there is nothing worse than spending the evening at a cookie cutter event where it blends into all of the other weddings you’ve ever been to,’ Ms Jackman said.

‘You need to set yourself apart as it’s the little personalised touches that people remember, so we made sure that there was always something interesting happening.’

The pair organised for speeches to be staggered throughout the night, live piano activities and games.

‘As our parents and the bridal party were introduced at the reception we had our MC tell everyone a quirky piece of trivia about each person as if they were on a game show,’ she said.

‘I also organised a little questionnaire which was placed on each table setting with a pencil for them to complete throughout the evening with questions like “When do you think Hayley and Scott will have kids?” and “How many kids do you predict they’ll have?”.’

‘Everyone then popped their cards into a piñata which we’ll crack open on our one year anniversary… which is actually next week!’

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In the photo that Aziza produces on her mobile phone, her 14-year-old daughter Layla is wearing a pink satin formal dresses and smiling meekly at the camera.

“This was her engagement party”, said 35-year-old Aziza. “(Her fiance) was 22 years old. His family came to us at various times to ask for our daughter. The third time we accepted”.

At first Aziza and the young man’s parents struggled to convince the two to accept the arrangement but when they did, the wedding preparations were quick to get underway.

It was not the first time Layla had received a suitor. Her parents had turned down many offers of marriage back in Mosul, the family’s home town before they fled a campaign by Islamic State to capture Iraq’s second biggest city in 2014.

Since then, Aziza, her husband and six children have found shelter in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, some of the 1 million Iraqis (IDPs) living in camps for people displaced by conflict.

“I refused in Mosul because I didn’t want her to get married until after school. Here in the camp she was pushed to accept”, Aziza said.

The names of both mother and daughter have been changed to protect their identity for fear of repercussions within their community.

Child brides are not unusual in Iraq — Aziza herself was 16 when she married Layla’s father — but uncertainty about the future in a country torn apart by violence and economic hard times has made early marriage more common.

Married

Worldwide, more than 700 million women were married before their 18th birthday, according to a 2014 UNICEF report. More than one in three of them were married before the age of 15.

While the minimum age of marriage in Iraq is 18-15 years with parental consent — UN statistics show that almost one in five women marry before they are 18.

Aid workers in refugee and IDP camps who have seen an increase in child marriage say many parents hope that their daughters will be better protected against assault or sexual violence if they are married.

Others are desperate to fend off poverty and see the bride price or dowry as a way of getting money which may benefit other members of the family.

A lack of education is another push factor. In Iraq, girls stay in school only until the age of 10 on average, according to the Save the Children.

“Before (the conflict) they had a future … now they have to get married as young as 12 because their fathers think that if they get married they’ll be safe,” Rezhna Mohammad, director of psychological services for local charity SEED, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The lack of privacy in camps, including the sharing of latrines and showers means women and girls are exposed to men who do not belong to their familial circle.

“They want the women to be protected — moral and social protection. They say that marriage is protection”, Mohammad said, adding: “For displaced Iraqis the economic reasons are the most impacting — they left with nothing, not even their IDs”.

By allowing a daughter to marry, parents entrust their parental responsibilities to the groom and his family, who are obliged to accept the new wife into their household.

However, this often isolates her from family and friends, particularly if the husband lives in a different camp or town, adding a fresh trauma to her experience, rights experts say.

Risk

Early marriage not only deprives girls of education and opportunities but increases the risk of death or childbirth injuries if they have babies before their bodies are ready.

“(Sometimes) she cannot breast feed and doesn’t know how to connect with the baby so other family members have to (take care of the baby) and this creates much tension inside the family,” Mohammad said.

“(The girl’s) status as a mother and as a wife is compromised. She feels like a failure and doesn’t know why she cannot do what she’s supposed to do.”

Child brides are also often disempowered and at greater risk of domestic and sexual violence and HIV, campaigners say.

For Abdul Wahed, a psychologist with the aid agency Terre des Hommes, child marriages are often seen by Iraqis as a cultural rite of passage.

“When we ask them why they married their child off they say, ‘Because we’re used to it, we were also married at that age’,” Wahed said.

For Layla, now 16, the threat of moving out of the familial tent never materialized. In a change of heart, Aziza and her husband called their daughter’s engagement off.

“At the start my husband was pressured into it and accepted, but after the engagement he had a pain in his heart,” Aziza said.

Since the engagement was broken off a number of men have come to Aziza’s tent to ask for Layla’s hand in marriage. One man recently offered the family $4,000 in exchange for the teenager, but was refused.

“I’ve promised myself that she won’t marry until she finishes school,” Aziza said.

“Education is important, I didn’t get an education, at least I can help my daughters get one. I want them to finish school and become engineers or doctors,” she smiled proudly.\

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