User blogs

To have, or not to have a fancy wedding is one of the biggest questions that plague all to-be-married couples. While having the wedding of your dreams, if you can afford it, is completely okay, it can also be a waste of money that can be used elsewhere. The point is, no matter where you stand in this debate, at the end of the day, all you need to do is have fun and enjoy your big day.

As someone who has had a big fat Indian wedding, let me tell you that the things that matter in the end are far different from what you would imagine. From my wedding, way back in 2010, here are the things that matter to me, and the things that I hardly think of, seven years later.

The Guest List

My wedding had over 300 guests and while there were a number of guests who were there because of obligations, and I wouldn't really have called them, I really didn't care about them on my big day. I was happy as long as the people I loved were around me. Honestly, stressing about the wedding list is so not needed. Yes, put your foot down if you are going over budget or if you are genuinely uncomfortable with a particular guest, but for the most part, you'll hardly get time to mingle with your guests, you'll be too busy getting married.

The Food

Well, I didn't even get to eat my own wedding food. What with the insane ceremonies and the huge task of getting pictures clicked with almost everyone, we had no time to eat. I remember wolfing down a biryani in two minutes flat before I went back on stage. And trust me, no one came up to me and spoke about the food either. In the end, all those menu samplings and crazy planning faded away to a mere dinner that people came to, ate and left. If you ask me, stick to the budget that you have for food and don't try and put extra money into making things fancy. People are going to eat no matter what, and you really don't need that additional stress in your life.

The PhotographerThis is the one thing I would say is worth fighting for. If you don't have a good photographer you are going to end up with some crappy wedding memories and that's no fun. However, despite investing in a fancy album and printing a whole lot of pictures, we have barely looked at any of it. The HUGE album lies somewhere in a cupboard and the closest we come to looking at our wedding pictures is scrolling through the Facebook album. So yes, go ahead and invest in a good photographer, but the post production work and a video are hardly worth the money.

The Wedding Dress

I spent a bare minimum on my wedding lehenga and that is something that I am forever grateful for. This might sound clichéd but you will look beautiful no matter what, and the amount of money you pump into your dress barely matters. Plus the huge lehenga and all the wedding finery is simply going to rot in one corner of your cupboard, without coming to any use for the rest of your life. I still take pride in spending the bare minimum on the dress and using all that money elsewhere.Read more at:black evening dress | www.marieaustralia.com/vintage-formal-dresses

A landmark legal bid to secure official recognition of a humanist wedding is due to be heard in Belfast on Friday.

Laura Lacole is due to wed Republic of Ireland footballer Eunan O'Kane in Northern Ireland.

She is challenging the General Register Office for Northern Ireland for refusing to officially authorise the ceremony.

Ms Lacole said: "Eunan and I are both humanists, so we want to have an intimate marriage ceremony which is encompassing of who we are as individuals, the values we hold, how we go about life, and our viewpoint on life.

"We want it to be personal to us and the love we have for each other.

"So, of course, not being able to have legal recognition for that ceremony is an issue for us, and we want to do something about that for ourselves and other people in our position. That is why we are taking this case."

Any couple in Northern Ireland wishing to have a legally recognised marriage ceremony can only choose a religious wedding or a civil ceremony.

Anyone wishing to have a humanist wedding must also have a separate civil registration, the Humanists UK lobby group said.

This is also the case in England and Wales, but not in Scotland or the Republic of Ireland.

Humanists chief executive Andrew Copson added: "Religious people currently have the legal right to marry in a ceremony that reflects their most fundamental views of the world, but humanists cannot do likewise.

"They are denied legal recognition for a bespoke personalised ceremony that reflects the values of the couple involved, that they share with the celebrant, and that is built around them.

"That is why there is a need for legal recognition to be extended to humanist marriages, so that couples can enjoy such a wonderful start to married life together, free from discrimination while doing so."

The case is due to be heard at the High Court in Belfast.

In Scotland humanist marriages gained legal recognition in 2005.

The total rose from 80 in the first year to more than 4,300 in 2015.

In the Republic of Ireland humanist marriages gained legal recognition in 2012.

In 2015 around 6% of marriages were humanist.Read more at:formal gowns | celebrity dresses

The 'Love Island' winner has just found out she's pregnant with her ex-boyfriend Nathan Massey's baby but hasn't let their split dampen her happy news as she's planning to record the birth of her child, who is due in the winter, just like the 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star did with her kids; Mason, seven, Penelope, four, and Reign, two.

Speaking to OK! magazine, the brunette beauty said: "Kourtney Kardashain has filmed her births and I'm basing myself on the UK's Kourtney. She's a strong woman."

The 26-year-old star - who is 12 weeks pregnant - is also hoping that bosses will approach her about doing her own reality TV show once the baby is born.

She explained to the publication: "I'd love a single mum reality show. I love Sam Faiers' 'Mummy Diaries' but she's off in Beverly Hills having a lovely time, whereas I want to show the reality and what's it like to do it on your own."

However, in the meantime, Cara is hoping producers for 'The Only Way is Essex' will ask her to appear in the summer series, but she's adamant she'll only do so if they promise not to "pit" her and Nathan, who also appears on the show, against each other because that will cause unnecessary stress for their unborn child.

She said: "It depends if they want me and the baby! I would go back for the right reasons. I'm pregnant and in a vulnerable state, so I wouldn't want to go on there if they were trying to put me and Nathan against each other. My baby is too important."Read more at:yellow formal dresses | white formal dresses

No one's really complaining when they're sipping champagne and eating wedding cake. I certainly wasn't at my own wedding, where we served traditional brut with a chocolate cake, covered in cream cheese frosting. In fact, it wasn't till nearly three years later, sitting down to a tasting with Chandon's head winemaker, Pauline Lhote, that I realized we — and nearly every wedding I've attended — had been playing it all wrong.

On a weekend away with Chandon in Sonoma, CA, we were treated to a tasting menu and a range of Chandon's sparkling wines to pair with each. We sampled the Brut, the sparkling rosé, and the newest addition to the Chandon family, the Sweet Star ($24). We were presented with the three wines at once and a feast of berries, breads, apples, whipped cream, citrus fruits, and desserts. Again, no one was complaining as we sipped the brut, pairing it with strawberries and whipped cream, as one does. Then, Pauline asked us all to try the same bite paired with the Sweet Star and there was a resounding — and audible — "mmmmmmm" around the room.

The change was subtle, but instant — and we all noticed it. Where there was a slightly acidic, and almost sour after taste with the Brut, the Sweet Star only enhanced the bright fruit flavor and sweet cream with just a smooth finish. The same was true when we paired it with a vanilla cupcake (heaven!), and even Thai food. Yes, really — it complements the coconut flavor and helps to balance the spice.

Why does it work so well? Naturally, we turned to Pauline to get some answers. As she explained, "Because of the bright acidity and the sweetness, the [Sweet Star] wine offers smoothness to the palate and enhances the texture and aroma of the dessert. If the dessert is fruit based, it's all the better! Sweet Star plays on the fruit notes and matches the acidity of the fruit beautifully." That's the big difference. The brut or champagne often has a dry finish that when paired with sweets, like wedding cake, can taste more acidic. It doesn't always complement the sweetness the best way, but the Sweet Star's sweet finish was made for pairing with desserts.

That's not to say I won't drink champagne when given the chance, but if I had a do-over at my wedding, I'd be washing down my cake with a glass of this instead.Read more at:red carpet dresses | red cocktail dress

STUDENTS at Lymm High School have thrown their own fashion week to showcase designs as colourful and creative as anything you might see in the pages of magazines.

Sixth form pupils studying for their BTEC in fashion and clothing had the opportunity to see their outfits brought to life on the catwalk after working hard all year on their designs.

The popular show took place in the school’s main hall, which was set up with a real front row for Lymm’s fashion royalty, and each designer’s logo projected onto the stage.

Brave models from different classes volunteered to wear the innovative outfits and the pupils drew inspiration from diverse themes including riots, anarchy, fusion cultures and Portuguese architecture.

Year 13 student Alice Beckett, said she loved the experience, adding: “The fashion show was a perfect end to an amazing two years on the course.”

And Alfie Chambers, who is all set to continue his studies at the London College of Fashion, said: “Seeing my final year work on the catwalk made me really proud.

“I cannot wait to see what the future brings.”

Family, friends and staff from universities also enjoyed the show and praised the students for their professional work ethic.

Fashion course leader Rachael Doherty was delighted with her students’ success and said: “They delivered an excellent show of all their incredible work and it is inspiring to see such dedicated and highly creative students emerge once again from Lymm High School.

“The second year students will continue their studies on some of the most prestigious university courses in the UK and they all deserve every success.”

Year 12 students also had the chance to see their clothes on the catwalk at the event, which took place on May 3.

Earlier this year four Lymm High pupils were offered places to study at the second best fashion university in the world, the London College of Fashion, on the merits of their portfolios.

The youngsters’ work impressed the judges so much that they were invited to interviews at the college.

Lymm High launched its popular fashion and clothing course for sixth form students in 2014 after identifying a lack of design courses in the north west.Read more at:formal gowns | evening dresses australia

I call it “a broad abroad,” says Diane Lane from over the phone in her hotel room in Manhattan. She of course is talking about her storied career emulating dynamic women who, among other things, either travel to a different country and fall in love with foreigners (A Little Romance and Under the Tuscan Sun) or fall for foreigners out of the comfort of their own homes (Unfaithful). And now she plays her latest iteration of a dislocated broad in Eleanor Coppola’s semi-autobiographical feature debut Paris Can Wait, which follows Anne, the wife of a Hollywood movie producer (Alec Baldwin), as she drives from the South of France to Paris with his flirtatious French business colleague (Arnaud Viard). Throughout the journey, which is full of great conversation over decadent meals, joyrides in an antique Peugeot convertible, and a ton of superfluous stops along the way (picnics, museums, flower markets so the car can smell nice), one can’t help but think: Lane, 52, has never looked better.

At first glance, her secret is no doubt her finger-combed, sandy-colored hair that’s just long enough to throw up in a messy pony and just short enough for said ponytail to fall apart mere seconds later. In one scene, she’s even able to make a worn-in red baseball cap look chic. It could also be that her unlined face (formerly under contract for Neutrogena) appears radiant and dewy under the abundant natural light found only in the South of France. And of course, her body has always been banging, though at the same time, not off-puttingly so. In fact, Lane has managed to appear both alluring and approachable at the same time.

“[Beauty] is about allowing for spontaneity—which is almost a dirty word in America,” says Lane of her character, who was inspired by a personal experience Coppola, now 81, had with one of Francis Ford’s business colleagues. “[Americans] are programmed to be embarrassed that we require rest, let alone indulgence or even overindulgence.”

It’s true; this fairy tale for grown-ups, which was filmed in France in the summer of 2015, before the November terrorist attacks in Paris, before Marine Le Pen nearly won the French election, and “long before the t-word reared his head as a possible presidential candidate,” she says, feels like a “well-deserved 90-minute reprieve from life…. It’s amazing what can happen when you let yourself be delighted.”

And if that type of enlightenment isn’t happening in your near future, Lane says appearing effortless and chic, especially while in a foreign country, is all about capturing a sense of timelessness with your fashion and beauty choices. “Even if you only have two and a half outfits like [my character Anne], make sure to allow for individuality,” she says. “Don’t try to take a vacation from yourself when you’re on vacation.”Read more at:year 10 formal dresses | womens formal dresses

Once you've got your festival wardrobe ready, focus should turn to prepping hair, as it is unlikely you'll have access to a shower let alone hair dryers or straighteners!

You don't have to go overboard to make a statement as some of the simplest of styles can be the most effective at these types of events, so listen up and take note of these great tips for trendy festival tresses.

Leave it as late as possible to wash your hair before you embark on your journey, and spend a decent amount of time massaging shampoo into your scalp before conditioning to nourish your locks.

You can even add a cheeky treatment into the process, taking into account your hair type when picking the product so every little step you take lends itself towards making life easier while at the festival.

Letting your hair dry by itself will also keep it fresher for longer, as any form of heat will do damage, and you'll need to add product to protect it from heat. You want to steer clear from products as much as you can and stick to the bare necessities. A very thin slick of serum or an anti-frizz spray should do the job, then you can focus on picking your first 'do.

"The best hairstyles for the festival seasons are styles that get better with age, such as braids, plaits, knots and twists. These styles tend to look better the longer they are worn, and are suitable to see you through the festival," Jack Merrick-Thirlway of prestigious London salon Neville Hair & Beauty tells Cover Media.

So, taking on board his advice, if you have long enough hair it's a good idea to try a half-up do, twisting the upper section of hair into a loose knot for a fun finish. Or if your hair isn't long enough for this, focus on a few small braids and plaits around your head to inject a carefree festival vibe. These are the kind of styles you can sleep in and still look normal in the morning, giving you more time to enjoy the music and party!

"Should you suffer from oily scalp or need to tweak the style, a dry shampoo is a great choice because it gives the illusion of washed hair," Jack adds.Read more at:formal dresses australia

The gridlocked traffic on cobbled streets of Milan yesterday was not, unusually, the result of the world’s fashion press descending on the city, but due instead to a marathon nearby. In fact, far from the usual circus of fashion week, Prada’s Cruise ‘18 show, a first for the brand, was quietly done.

In the past, the collection has been shown as part of the menswear runway collection, but while Miuccia Prada might have joined the Cruise fashion calendar, she chose not to follow the trend of flying the world’s press to far flung destinations (in the next week Dior will show in LA, and Louis Vuitton in Kyoto), choosing to show in the brand’s hometown of Milan, where just shy of 200 satin-covered seats were set in Fondazione Prada’s new photography exhibition space, upstairs from their menswear store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

And if the spectacle was stripped back, so too were the clothes. There were riffs on the brand’s biggest hitters from SS17, with feathers sprouting from cuffs, but swapping the lemon yellow, pink and turquoise plumage of that season for more wearable black, here trimming a black trench coat, there against a soft pink and grey top printed with hopping rabbits. The sense of humour was still there, but with a little less flounce, and a lot more wearability.

Neat coats in black and grey were tailored, nipped and belted at the waist, then cut to bare the shoulders like cocktail dresses, while elegant LBDs were buttoned like coats. Then came utterly beautiful (though admittedly far less practical) sheer chiffon skirts and blouses, pleated and layered for modesty in clashing shades of lavender, coral and mint green, with black patents belts and overlaid black miniskirts giving structure. The knee-high socks, printed with stripes and Prada logos, and clunky, squashy neoprene trainers velcro-strapped around the ankle grounded all that softness with sportiness. Even as far as stilettos can be sporty, these were, multi-strapped and buckled, with fiercely pointed toes lending a toughness.

There is fantasy here, and beauty, but more than ever a sense of reality, and of the realities of the women buying and wearing these clothes. By skipping the spectacle, the focus was put firmly on the clothes- and they stood up to the scrutiny. These will sell, and sell well, both the frothy and the understated.

Held on the same day as the French Presidential election, I couldn't help but wonder what comment Miuccia Prada was making. To close the show, she chose, not a sequinned and ruffled gown, the usual showstopper, but a black shell suit. This was a Prada shell suit, of course, buckled just above the elbows to add volume, and worn with a pink feather headdress, but it was a shell suit all the same. Perhaps she knows that with the world as it is right now, not every moment is the right one for a ballgown.Read more at:www.marieaustralia.com/green-formal-dresses | www.marieaustralia.com/purple-formal-dresses

Ever tried to copy your favourite celebrity’s makeup look but failed in the attempt? We’ve all been there!

Compiled from Yahoo Style!, celebrity makeup artist Puja Taluja helps decode the trademark makeup looks of five leading ladies of Bollywood and how to replicate their looks.

“She is blessed with a gorgeous face cut and over the years she has enhanced her looks by doing the right kind of makeup. Deepika is big on eye brows so whether she opts for a super glam look or some days she just goes for a minimal make up look but regardless she always has very well defined dark eyebrows,” says Puja. “The other signature look of hers is heavily lined eyes with bold lips.”

Get her look:

Start by shaping up the brows. Use an eye primer to even out the eye lids. Apply a nude eye shadow all over the lids and then apply a well-defined wing eye liner. Apply two coats of mascara. For the face, use a primer and conceal the areas wherever required to achieve a super smooth skin and then apply the foundation. Line and fill the lips with a lip pencil; this will ensure that the colour stays intact and does not bleed. Then fill in your lips with same colour lip shade.

Katrina Kaif

“Katrina is a natural beauty who can carry off any make up look with ease. She usually does not like too much makeup on herself and does not experiment with her makeup looks. Her classic look is to glam up the eyes and keep the lips nude with naturally glowing skin,” adds Puja.

Get her look:

Start by using a primer on the face to get a smooth glowing skin. Then apply your foundation all over your skin and make sure it’s blended in perfectly into the skin. Opt for a light weight dewy foundation. Use the primer on eye lids and apply a nude eye shadow on it. Smoke up the outer corners of the upper and lower lash line, which will help pop up the eyes and then you can apply a few coats of mascara For the pout, just fill up your lips with a nude gloss for an effortlessly natural look.

Alia Bhatt

“Alia has become the youth icon; she is relatable and her style is easy, simple and effortlessly perfect. She is someone who does not like the overdone look but would go for a fresh dewy look,” mentions Puja.

Get her look:

Start with cleansing, toning and moisturising your skin. Then, instead of a foundation, use a BB cream all over your face to smoothen out the skin. Next, line the upper lash line with a dark brown eye shadow or a gel liner and smudge it and fill in your lower lash line with kohl. Apply generous coats of mascara on your lashes after that. Apply a peachy soft pink blush on the apple of your cheeks. For the lips, choose a matte lip shade and fill your lips with that colour.

Kareena Kapoor Khan

“Kareena is genetically blessed with creamy peach skin. She manages to look gorgeous in Indian as well as western looks, although she is not very big on makeup and prefers using as little makeup as possible.”

Get her look:

Bebo uses foundations only for events, shoots or evening functions, while usually she would just apply a compact. Next, start with enhancing your eyes with a liner on her upper lash line and kohl in her lower lash line. Apply a coat of mascara. Choose lighter shades of lip colours for a casual look or glam up with the help of bold red lips.Read more at:www.marieaustralia.com/orange-formal-dresses | womens formal dresses

Singer Jhene Aiko has re-teamed with designers at Teva footwear to release her second shoe line.

The Worst star's Teva x Jhene Aiko collection launched last year (16) and featured three styles for women. The first collection came about after Jhene discovered the shoes while vacationing in Hawaii in 2014.

"The new collection was inspired by being outside and the natural beauty of the sky," she tells Billboard. "I always say, Teva feels like you're walking on a cloud and it's the next best thing to being barefoot, because they're (shoes are) so comfortable.

"This design reminds me of a really pretty sunset when there are clouds in the sky on a summer day with a shimmer, that feels like a magical daydream," she continues. "I feel like there's so much to discover when you're outside and seeing new beautiful things, and that's how I wanted the sandal to feel. In the first collaboration, the colours were very specific, and I wanted these to feel a little more neutral and versatile."

And, after working with designers on her initial collection, the 29-year-old knew what styles she wanted to incorporate in the new line.

"I loved the Flatform and hadn't owned any platform shoes until I did the (original) collaboration," she says. "The Hurricane XLT was the original model I had and it's a sandal suitable for hiking.

"Of course, I had to get the classic Universal for the people who are more in-between and want an everyday sandal. I also knew that I wanted to work in rose gold because it's one of my favourite things ever and it's a shade suitable for both spring and summer."Read more at:evening dresses australia