Okay so you have survived the holidays with your waistline…somewhat…intact. I’m sure that your wedding day is creeping up on you, but have no fear, there are millions of people who vow to lose weight every new year, so you’ve got plenty of company. First things first, ladies, check out your BMI (Body Mass Index), mine is 25.09, just over the being considered overweight. So here are some of my ideas, to lose those pesky extra pounds.


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Sneezing is a tell-tale sign of sexual arousal for some shows research. Two British doctors discovered the odd phenomenon after studying a middle-aged patient who had uncontrollable sneezing fits when he thought of sex.

Doctors then found chat rooms of other people reporting the same thing. The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine study suggest it may be down to a mix-up in brain circuitry. People with this strange side effect are often embarrassed by this and some have even admitted sneezing fits after orgasm.

The Philippines as a wedding venue paradise? With the country’s scenic spots and the Filipinos’ thing for romance, it’s a pitch that holds a lot of potential, according to the Department of Tourism.

The DOT is positioning the Philippines as the newest destination for Japanese couples to get married.

Yearly, over 450,000 couples choose to hold their wedding ceremonies outside Japan, according to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

He said Japanese couples usually went to Hawaii and Guam during the spring (April to May) and fall (September to October) to wed.

“Young, independent Japanese women have always been in the radar of our promotional activities, where we highlight the country’s relaxation, beach and fashion shopping attractions. As they move on to another stage in their lives, we want to show them … [that] leisure trips are also perfect settings for weddings and honeymoons,” Durano said in a statement.

He also said that the market represented a huge opportunity for the Philippine wedding, food and travel industries.

Durano urged Filipino travel wholesalers, tourist establishments, wedding and event planners and other industry players to integrate their services and develop specialized programs. “Weddings are a major part of the Filipino culture and we have the capability to provide the best celebrations set in the most romantic locations with a variety of preferences,” he said.

Durano and other tourism officials also met with officers of Japanese media group Recruit Co. Ltd., which publishes Zexy Magazine, Japan’s leading bridal glossy magazine which is the top source of couples who opt for out-of-town and overseas weddings.

The tourism chief also revealed that talks have been ongoing to promote the Philippines as a destination for healthy food.

The DOT has partnered with the Japan Vegetable and Fruit Meister Association, a specialty food club that highlights good eating habits through educational programs, culinary schools, fresh produce retail stores and cafes.

There are currently close to 20,000 members or “meisters” across Japan, Durano said.

“We will also highlight the country’s tropical fruits such as mangoes and other organic products,” said Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr.

Japan is currently the third leading source of travelers to the Philippines. Arrivals from this country reached 185,431 between January and June, representing 11.5 percent of overall tourist traffic in the country.

MODEL Lara Bingle and fiance cricket star Michael Clarke have gone into damage control after a gossip magazine said they had split.

The glamour couple have issued a statement saying they are still together, after it was revealed a women’s magazine will be publishing a story that their wedding is on hold.

New Idea mistakenly sent out a press release previewing Monday’s edition with the couple on the cover and the headline “Wedding Bombshell - It’s Off”.

The magazine press release, sent via email, was later recalled.

A statement later said the preview was mistakenly sent today and would be issued on Monday.

However, the release prompted a spokesman for Bingle and Clarke to release a statement, saying that the pair were “still very much a couple”.

“I can confirm that Michael and Lara have not yet set a wedding date,” the spokesman from their management company International Quarterback said.

“Michael and Lara are still very much a couple and Lara will join Michael in India in the very near future.

“Neither of them have made comment to this magazine since their engagement.”

The pews were packed at St John’s in Monmouth as it hosted only the second wedding in its 119-year history.

The church opened on 12 October 1889 in the town’s Buckholt area, but had held just one marriage ceremony since then as it is not licensed for weddings.

But all that changed on Saturday when Jane Ridley and Nigel Griffiths walked down the aisle.

The happy couple managed to gain special permission from the Church in Wales to marry at the venue.

Couples can usually get married only in buildings which hold a specific wedding licence granted by their local council.

However, couples can also apply to the relevant religious authorities to ask them if they can wed in churches which do not hold one of these council wedding licences - like St John’s.

In the case of this couple, the request went all the way to the Anglican leader, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Everyone loves a good wedding and we wanted the church and the congregation to witness another one

Thankfully, their wish has been granted and now the couple have tied the knot in the church where the bride has been a member of the congregation for the past two-and-a-half years.

“We had a couple of complications in terms of getting permission to marry at St John’s but we persuaded the church to allow us to marry there and we feel very privileged about it,” the bride explained before the big day.

“We found out from the church warden that since it was built in 1889 there has only ever been one other person married in the church to her knowledge.

“So we’re going to be only the second couple ever to get married there, so it’s going to be quite an occasion really.”

The little church on the edge of Monmouth usually has a congregation numbering only about 10 or 11.

“It’s a marvellous little place and holds about 57 people when you get three people comfortably on each pew,” explained Miss Ridley.

“Everyone loves a good wedding and we wanted the church and the congregation to witness another one.

“Sadly, we’re probably going to be the last ones to get married there because the congregation is only small and the average age is 70 to 80 years.

“I’m the youngest member of the congregation at 46 and unless other people join there’s not likely to be another one soon.”

The Archdeacon of Monmouth, the Venerable Richard Pain, said he was delighted to be taking the service.

“What’s very pleasing is that they have asked to be married in that small church in front of its small church community.

“It’s good to see that in doing this they have recognised that it’s not just family and friends but also the local community that supports you and your marriage.”

Two young Swedish women tied the knot at the weekend in the first known lesbian “marriage” beside the Taj Mahal, India’s ethereal monument to love, newspapers said on Monday.

The happy couple, known only as Sandra and Sarah, followed Hindu rituals during the ceremony which was conducted by a priest at the Mahadeva Shiva temple close to the Taj in the town of Agra.

After exchanging garlands, Sandra, 19, marked the head of 18-year-old Sarah with vermilion. They then made seven circuits around a fire in the traditional marriage custom.

The priest, Dharm Das, initially refused to “marry” the pair but relented after they gave an offering to the temple and said they would be his life-long disciples, reports said.

“Although the Hindu system of marriage doesn’t allow such relationships or marriages, I am impressed with the love that the two women have for the monument of love,” Das told the Mail Today.

“They had also argued that their Swedish society allows such kind of marriages.”

The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his second wife Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth in 1631.

At Saturday’s “wedding”, Sandra acted as the groom while Sarah played the role of the coy bride, newspapers reported.

“We were in love with each other since childhood,” Sandra said. “A few months ago we came to Agra and were mesmerised by the Taj Mahal.

“Both of us had read extensively about the emperor and his love and decided to draw a parallel and get married in the proximity of the Taj.”

The couple live together in New Delhi working for a children’s charity, reports said.

The priest said the ceremony had attracted much local curiosity as homosexuality is illegal in India.

“Since it was practically a once-in-a-blue moon event in Agra, a large number of people gathered outside the temple for a glimpse of the couple,” he said.

One priest told the Times of India that “foreigners are mocking our system and misusing the liberal parameters. Such waywardness must be stopped.”

It is Sunday evening, and I am at the house of a friend who is getting married in a few weeks. All around me, crazed women are rushing in and out of the bedroom, fussing and tugging at dresses and hemlines. We are trying on our bridesmaid dresses, with everyone zipping up and glancing at themselves in the mirror. Some look happy while others are regretting any extra eating since the measurements were taken. Unfortunately, I am in the latter group because my zipper is not moving past my hips.

One of the girls glances at me and makes a comment about how thin we used to be. I look at my hips and shrug. This particular dress makes my backside look like two baby elephants, but that is the least of my worries right now. I am too busy balancing my checkbook in my mind and making mental calculations on how much money I have spent on this wedding. So far, I have coughed out more money than people spend on entire weddings in Kenya.

There’s the money I have spent on the dress and the extra I will have to pay the tailor to adjust it for my expanding hips. Then there’s money spent on a pair of overpriced high heels and earrings.

Expensive

And I have not even mentioned the small fortune I will spend for this “destination wedding”, which will be held on a beach in California. The cost of flying from the Charletson area to the West coast? Just think of a ticket from Kenya to South Africa, give or take a few dollars. And do not get me started on the prices of the hotel rooms, gifts and other wedding-related activities.

In other words, I feel like a POW, a Prisoner of Wedding. I am exhausted just thinking about all the logistics going into these particular nuptials.

Memo to my friends: If you are altar-bound any time soon, try to forget you know me until after your wedding. Of course, I wish you the best and God speed. But do not send me an invitation. Let me use this space to assure you I will be with you in spirit, but I am going underground until all my pals get married.

Oh, how I miss those simple, straightforward weddings that came with no muss, no fuss. People just get together for a pre-wedding party, donate some cash and meet a few times, and the couple is ready to walk off into the sunset. That said brides are also going nd spending money like there is no tomorrow.

Attending some weddings requires the planning of a CIA agent and the bank account of Donald Trump. Some people opt to have weddings in faraway places on random weekdays, which requires juggling work schedules and trying to explain to your boss that no, you really are going to a wedding that is not on a weekend. My boss still thinks I am trying to dodge work. He got married during the good old days when weddings were simple Saturday affairs.

Sacrifices

I know what married people are thinking: It’s not mandatory ; so if you do not want to be a part of it, stay home. Everyone does have a choice on whether or not they want to be in a wedding. I could choose to decline the honor of being a bridesmaid and save a few bucks. But surely, if you turned down a buddy’s wedding, what good are you as a friend? Weddings and funerals are what people use to determine just who their friends are.

For brides, this is their special day, and with it comes the thrill and the stress of making it perfect. As a woman, I will try not to be judgmental and withhold any tirades against that day. On the other hand, I have the right to get horrified at how much money we are spending on our pals’ weddings.

That is why I have come up with a way to resolve this. I will continue attending weddings of very close friends. (Key word being “very close”). I will show up, dance and toast to your “happily ever after”. I will help spend both your money and my money, and continue enduring the humiliation of wearing the big puffy dress and the hooker-like heels. But here’s a disclaimer for everyone whose wedding I have attended: If I end up broke, I am camping at each of your houses in shifts.

Yeah, pals. Friendship is all about sacrifices.

Weddings are supposed to be unforgettable, but sometimes weddings are memorable for the wrong reasons. Instead of being remembered for the heartfelt vows and the nice couple, they’re remembered for a mishap that intruded on the happy day.

It makes me shiver when I think of what will go wrong when I get married. All I can hope is that it doesn’t come close to what I’ve seen before.

But since I’ve giggled and, yes, laughed out loud over some incidents, I’m sure karma’s gonna get me.

Last weekend, my friend’s wedding went off about as perfect as you can wish for — until the reception. It was fine until a DJ set up his equipment in the restaurant corner and started blasting obnoxious reggaeton — is there any other kind of reggaeton? — music.
Soon, word filtered through the wedding crowd that the restaurant had double-booked the room and the DJ was playing music for a quinceañera.

My friends tried to make the best of the situation and danced a little, some of them even joining a dance-off, but the looks on the faces of the wedding couple showed anger and sadness at the party mashup-mixup.

A peace was brokered between the two parties when another problem was noticed. The TV show “Cheaters” came on during the reception, and the restaurant manager was oblivious to the inappropriateness of it.

A 2005 wedding started almost 45 minutes late and then just as it got under way, a pint-size barking dog entered the Segundo Barrio church and voiced his objections to the wedding. Instead of just wrangling her dog and leaving the church, the pooch’s owner started having a loud conversation with the wedding photographer.

Later on during the ceremony, an elderly man burst through the church doors and interrupted the ceremony by shouting for the person who blocked his driveway to move their car. Wish I had gone to that reception.

Band harmony is hard to come by, and not just in the Bee Gees vocal harmony type of harmony. The crowd at a 2006 wedding was shocked to see the reception band argue all night in front of us between songs.
During one of the high-energy, songs a woman got a little too into the dancing and collapsed on the floor. She was OK.

Then I was disrespected by the bouquet catcher when she took five minutes to respond to my dance request. Awkward.

A unity candle the couple had just lighted blew out. Given all the other awkward events at other weddings and receptions, that’s not too bad unless you believe that there’s symbolism in the unity candle blowing out.

It may be hard to do, but laughing at the situation will help. As the Terminator said in “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” “Your levity is good, it relieves tension and the fear of death.”

Not that marriage is death … you know what I mean.

From the Cake to the Dress, Here’s How to Save

Weddings are famously unforgettable for the betrothed and infamously hard on the wallet. With the average South Carolina wedding costing $28,000, couples everywhere are looking to cut costs on their special day Luckily, www.Wedding.sc found several ways to cut back at all stages of the wedding that can lead to thousands of dollars in savings.

Saving Green At Your Wedding

Think about having a Friday night wedding instead of Saturday. Many wedding venues will offer a discounted price for the less popular day.

• Go for simple flower arrangements. You can still have beautiful, full flowers without spending a ton. Also, be sure to immerse the flower pieces entirely in water. It creates something of an optical illusion that makes the pieces seem larger than they are.
• Search for deals on all the little things. Saving a little here and there on things like invitations and place cards can add up big.
• Think about faking the cake. Many couples use fake wedding cakes for decoration and keep a smaller, more affordable real cake on hand for eating. You can pick up a great tasting sheet cake a
• Be flexible with music. By casting a larger net and looking for deejays or acts outside your area, you can save hundreds of dollars. Also, look for bands or deejays that are just starting out. They may be willing to play for less.
• Develop your own photos. You can keep the photographer, but ask him or her to give you a CD of the photos so you can print your own and only the ones you want.
• Serve ethnic food during the reception. That way you can give off a bohemian vibe and cut costs at the same time.
• Pick the wedding dress based on style, not on name. Often, brides can find wedding dresses very similar to some extremely expensive ones that still make them proud to be the center of attention — without the hefty price tag.

Here is a beautiful wedding at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. It will really give you Carolina Brides a great look at the venue. The bride and groom didn’t want to be named in this post, but I hope you enjoy the video. If you would like to be featured on the Weddings.sc Wedding Blog, email in your information, photos, or a link to your video, to
Info@Weddings.sc. You can give as little or as much information about your wedding as you would like.