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“Absolute monster”: Bridezilla slammed for unreasonable bridesmaid rules

<p dir="ltr">A woman has shared the reason she quit her best friend’s bridal party, after she was presented with a 14-page contract to be a bridesmaid. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman was excited to celebrate her friend Laura’s wedding to the love of her life James, and shared how Laura was a very regimented bride. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We began planning everything, having multiple meetings to make sure we all are up to date on all plans,” the bridesmaid said in a Reddit thread.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She is a bit of a neat person and very organised. She made all five bridesmaids and her maid of honour a binder of our duties... We keep track of appointments, vendors — pretty standard stuff.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“But that’s not all that’s in there.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The bridesmaid then shared an extensive list of rules the bridal party had to follow for the big day in relation to their physical appearance. </p> <p dir="ltr">The list included 12 bizarre rules about how they were to look on the big day, saying everyone must wear size-eight dresses, tattoos must be covered or removed and brown eyes are banned.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No visible tattoos. Must be removed or covered with makeup. No jackets or long sleeves to cover them,” the bride began in the extensive list.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Full head of hair. No shaved sides or back. Must have a professional wig on if a haircut is not acceptable.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hair can not be too short. It must be able to be braided. Also if your hair is too long like to your waist, it will need to be cut. Hair must be blonde or black. I will tell you what colour is best for you.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You must fit into a size eight dress. I don’t want to see tents (too big) or rolls (too tight). Dresses have been ordered at size eight only.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“No brown eyes. That’s James’ and my eye colour so you will need to get contacts. Blue is required.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Other things banned in the bridal party are “harsh tans”, visible scars and eyeglasses.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get contacts or go without for the day,” the bride added.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bridesmaid felt the rules were directed at her, as she was furious with her friend and decided to leave the bridal party. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Here is where I started to backpedal and want to walk away,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have very thick but fine hair. I keep the sides shaved down and the top and back long like halfway down my back which helps my migraines.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also have an Eeyore tattoo and a bear paw print tattoo that shows. I also just had bariatric (gastric sleeve) surgery so I’m working on losing weight. I also have glasses.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Upon looking through the contract, she was mortified to see what the bride expected of her bridesmaids.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The final kick in the pants was the contract — 14 pages front and back of everything we are required to do. Like not getting pregnant, attend meetings and events, as well as constantly communicate,” the bridesmaid said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the demands, the bridesmaids were each required to gift the bride and groom a minimum of $150 and “some type of expensive alcohol”, along with a $400 fee to be a bridesmaid.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I tried to explain I can’t afford this and she told me I had to figure it out. I figured she lost a bridesmaid, me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a follow-up post, the bridesmaid confirmed she was no longer in the bridal party after she quit.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am not doing the wedding. The bride is mad but I don’t care,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her post has been met with more than 640 comments, with many describing the bride as an “absolute monster”, “cruel” and a “bully” over her outrageous demands. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Reddit</em></p>

Relationships

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Shocking reason why woman was dumped as her best friend’s bridesmaid

<p dir="ltr">A friendship has broken down live on radio, after a woman was dumped from being a bridesmaid after trying to attend a Taylor Swift concert the same night as her best friend’s wedding. </p> <p dir="ltr">Liv was one of thousands of Aussies who secured tickets to see Taylor Swift when her Eras Tour heads Down Under in February. Unfortunately for the young woman, the only night she could get tickets for was the same night as her best friend Jess’ wedding, where she was set to be a bridesmaid. </p> <p dir="ltr">Knowing about the concert while the wedding planning was taking place, Liv said she was nervous to tell Jess about the show, and decided to keep it secret while they were shopping for wedding outfits. </p> <p dir="ltr">Calling into the <em>Fifi, Fev &amp; Nick</em> radio show, Liv wanted advice on how to tell her friend that she planned to attend Jess’ wedding ceremony, and then leave the reception to attend the concert. </p> <p dir="ltr">The radio hosts decided to let the two women hash it out live on air, with Liv saying to her friend at the start of the phone call, “Obviously the whole Taylor thing, we've been talking about it and you've been saying how annoying it is that people have been backing out.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2cLqsqvcIw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2cLqsqvcIw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Fifi, Fev &amp; Nick (@fififevnick)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“But I haven't told you I got tickets for the Saturday and this was done before Christmas. However, I was thinking of trying to compromise here and make it work.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Liv shared her plan to “scoot off” in the middle of the big day, to which Jess was convinced she was being “pranked”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel really bad, I do but I have loved Taylor for so long, you are aware of this and you knew how hard it was to get tickets,” Liv replied. </p> <p dir="ltr">But Jess flew off the handle at her friend, slamming her for withholding the news and poking holes in her compromise. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You've known this before December and it's three weeks until my wedding and you're telling me now?” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You want to miss a part of my wedding to go to a Taylor Swift concert? You know how much this has been annoying me that people have been dropping out to go to her and you've known all along that you're going to go to her concert.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Liv said she feels like a “bad friend” before breaking down in tears, although Jess wasn’t having it. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't even understand though you've gone and bought tickets on my wedding date. I'm not trying to be mean right now, I think I'm just angry before I'm even upset because I'm so stressed, it's three weeks out,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Host Fifi Box suggested Liv skip the concert, but she was hesitant calling the show a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. </p> <p dir="ltr">The pair eventually hung up, with Jess ringing into the radio show in the weeks after to share an update. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C29c8ERPrdT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C29c8ERPrdT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Fifi, Fev &amp; Nick (@fififevnick)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I was caught off guard, pretty mortified that she chose to do it live on air, and also pretty angry,” Jess told the Melbourne radio show hosts. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Liv and I did speak after the show, and I told her she’s shown her true colours and if she wants to go to the concert, she can go to the concert.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was a really good friend, and if she saw that a Taylor Swift concert was more important (than my wedding), that’s her choice but I don’t want her to be a part of my day.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When Fifi asked exactly what happened after the first call on air, Jess admitted that “there was a bit of fighting.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She still wanted to take the route that maybe she could come for some of the wedding and then leave,” Jess explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But realistically that wasn’t feasible and to choose someone to be your bridesmaid — in my eyes — is a pretty big deal.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Jess went on to say that Liv “reached out to some of the other bridesmaids and offered to help with the hen’s night, to which she “told them to block her because I don’t want her involved with it at all”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bride-to-be admitted that it had been a “rough couple of weeks” and that some of her friends are “cult Taylor Swift fans and have taken Liv’s side.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It definitely hasn’t been the lead up to the wedding that I wanted, I didn’t expect to lose friends over such an exciting part of my life. It’s really emotional, it’s meant to be an exciting time for me,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It just really sucks that someone who I loved so much has done this.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram / Getty Images </em><span id="docs-internal-guid-b1fd920e-7fff-fda1-0a24-05d2c9a0abb2"></span></p>

Relationships

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Bridesmaid "horrifies" viewers with "cringe" wedding speech

<p>A "horrifying" wedding speech has gone viral online, as a bridesmaid delivered an "awkward" toast to her friend and her new husband. </p> <p>The video, which was originally posted on TikTok, has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, shows a bridesmaid named Shannon standing in front of the congregation to toast the newlyweds. </p> <p>In what should have been an emotional, wholesome speech, it instead got off to a bad start when she appeared to forget how long she's known the bride for. </p> <p>“Hi, I’m Shannon, I’ve known Tracy for...oh god...” she started, before a voice off-camera suggests it’s been nine years.</p> <p>“I don’t quite know Anthony that well,” the woman continued, alluding to the groom.</p> <p>“But Tracy talks about you non-stop. She’d be like ‘Oh, Anthony this, Anthony that’, and I’m like, ‘I don’t care’.”</p> <p>Shannon's fake eye-roll didn't get a laugh from the crowd, as she insisted, "Just kidding!"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">What…the hell…did I just watch? <a href="https://t.co/smfqexmcsz">pic.twitter.com/smfqexmcsz</a></p> <p>— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) <a href="https://twitter.com/notcapnamerica/status/1585151254464196608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>She continued, “You guys are so cute together.”</p> <p>After telling the groom he’d “better take care of my girl”, Shannon turned to the crowd and said, “I’m not gonna be racist, guys, I’m just saying.”</p> <p>“You guys are outstepping the stereotype and I love it."</p> <p>“You guys, I swear, I love Black people. You guys. Are. The. Best.”</p> <p>Shannon went on to say, “My own daughter’s great-aunt is like, the best woman” before concluding, “You guys are amazing, I love you.”</p> <p>As the video made the rounds online, viewers couldn't believe what they were watching. </p> <p>“What…the hell…did I just watch?” one person asked.</p> <p>“I actually gasped out loud! What in the actual hell??” another weighed in.</p> <div> <p>“Wtaf?! I thought you were just sharing a cringy public speaking clip and that was bad enough, but...then...it took a turn,” another wrote.</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p> </div>

Relationships

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Controversial reason man barred wife's bridesmaid

<p dir="ltr">A man has asked whether he’s in the right for asking his fiancée to ban her friend from their wedding because she works in the adult entertainment industry.</p> <p dir="ltr">The groom took to Reddit revealing that his future wife is very close friends with the adult industry star, who is well known and could possibly be asked for autographs at the wedding.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, he is questioning whether or not he is being reasonable to bar the friend from the wedding.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t disapprove of her at all, that’s her business. She’s great. But my family is staunchly religious,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So much so that my mom said that if the wedding was not held in a chapel she would not be attending. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I know it’s ridiculous but it’s my family. And it’s not just her, it’s that entire side with the exception of a few cousins and my siblings.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He insisted the problem with having her attend the wedding is because of how “recognisable she is” and even admitted to having seen some of her videos. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ll fully admit that prior to meeting her, I had watched a few of her videos just because of how viral they are,” he confessed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m sure other guys there will have seen her videos too, and if something gets mentioned or pointed out it could cause so much drama that I really don’t want to deal with on the wedding day. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I also don’t want attention to be taken off the woman I’m marrying.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple broached the subject and his fiancée said she would have her friend at the wedding regardless of what anyone thinks or says despite trying to compromise.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She told me that she is one of her closest friends and that she’s not moving her out of our wedding just to appease my mother,” the man continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I told her that I want our day to go off without a hitch and this is just mitigating risk. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I also said that I felt that she owed me one because she vetoed a groomsman of mine because he cheated on someone in the bridal party.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She felt it was unfair and now we’re at an impasse. She told me that the way I was behaving was gross and I was being an a**hole.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Reddit community did not hold back questioning why the man was so worried about his religious family’s reaction when they shouldn't be watching such content.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And how, pray, is this deeply religious family going to recognise an adult film actress? Anyone who recognises her has no right to be outraged,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Your family is deeply religious, but you were going to have a cheating groomsman? How does that work? This is about you being a prude,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m dying to know how the ‘very religious’ mother would know who this person was,” another interjected.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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Meet the ‘professional bridesmaid’ who once attended FOUR weddings in one weekend

<p dir="ltr">Kersytn Walsh has made a business out of one of the happiest days of people’s lives - with a twist.</p> <p>Not only does she offer wedding planning, wedding day coordination, and MC services through her company, but she also offers<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.hireabridesmaid.com.au/services" target="_blank">‘bridesmaid for hire’</a><span> </span>services.</p> <p>As a professional bridesmaid, Kerstyn can perform her usual roles of planning, coordinating, or MCing, but can also just be by the bride’s side on the day. On her website, Kersytn explains the role of professional bridesmaids by writing, “We are the friend, the cheerleader, the hand-holder, and support system you need by your side throughout planning and preparing for your wedding! We offer the kind of support you'd expect from your bestie, AND we're not afraid of some heavy lifting!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Their services can cost as much as $9000 a ceremony, and Kerstyn has been a bridesmaid over 150 times since starting her business in 2015 after deciding a career in real estate wasn’t for her.</p> <p dir="ltr">She fell into the role after being made the host at her friend Annie’s wedding, which saw her coordinating many of the vendors and guests on the day. Kerstyn told the<span> </span><em>Daily Mail,<span> </span></em>“I've always loved performing, and I suddenly had an epiphany that I wasn't doing a job I loved.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLoRva3DPjD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLoRva3DPjD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by HIRE A BRIDESMAID (@hireabridesmaid_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Soon after, she handed in her notice and established her own business. While she volunteered her services to several friends to kickstart her business, “word spread towards the end of 2015, and it wasn't long before I was attending four weddings in two days and between 30 and 40 a year”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She estimates that she has been a professional bridesmaid at over 150 ceremonies, and she has a closet of more than 70 dresses she has saved from her numerous weddings.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the full bridesmaid package costs around $9000, on-the-day coordination is around $2000. Kerstyn explained that women often hire her to do the running around and coordination on the day so their friends and family can relax and enjoy the day. “Brides often need someone who is willing to do all the jobs - whether it's consult with the vendors or fix the speakers for the DJ. They want their friends and family to be fully present for the wedding, while I can help with chores.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Royal bridesmaid reveals real truth behind Prince Frederik and Princess Mary’s “fairy-tale” meeting

<p>Princess Mary and her husband Prince Frederik shook the world when it was revealed they met by chance at a Sydney pub during the 2000 Olympics.</p> <p>However, a bridesmaid of Mary Donaldson, now the Crown Princess of Denmark, has revealed her friend’s seemingly “random” meeting with the royal isn’t quite the fairy tale we all thought it was.</p> <p>Amber Petty says Mary actually met her then-future hubby at an exclusive private dinner party with a group of royals who were in Australia for the Olympics.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.29117259552044px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837423/new-project-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ed2d81a67624464ba5a05c216e300897" /></p> <p>“I’m sorry to break everybody’s hearts, but it’s not always about randomly bumping into princes in pubs,” Petty told Seven’s<em> Sunrise.</em></p> <p>“It wasn’t just a random meeting.</p> <p>“It was an organised small dinner during the Olympics and Mary happened to be invited and most of the guests happened to be royals.”</p> <p>“That’s really the truth... it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.29117259552044px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837422/new-project-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7ca75598d75242d69269ddb542432dd4" /></p> <p><em>Mary Elizabeth Donaldson's bridesmaids, sisters Jane Alison Stephens, Patricia Anne Bailey and friend Amber Petty.</em></p> <p>Petty went on to say that Mary and Frederik were seated close together and quickly developed a “really lovely connection.”</p> <p>“I think they were sitting across from each other, which is obviously the perfect position to be talking and bonding with someone,” she said.</p> <p>“It was a very civilised, lovely dinner and it was the start of what would become a very big chapter for both of them.”</p> <p>Amber Petty is still relatively to the Princess and has just released her memoir, called<span> </span><em>This Is Not A Love Song.</em></p>

Relationships

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Princess Mary’s best friend reveals what it’s really like to be a royal bridesmaid

<p>Bridesmaid and best friend of Princess Mary, Amber Petty, has shared a candid account of what it was like to a part of a royal wedding.</p> <p>The former columnist and radio host told <em><a href="http://https//www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/royal-bridesmaids-advice-dont-trust-anybody/news-story/63e16c967c7392d20f974eec5de1f418" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Stellar</strong></span></a> </em>magazine that while going through the intimidating experience, she experienced “grief” knowing their friendship would never be the same again.</p> <p>“I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was grieving the loss of a friendship that was never going to be the way it was,” she said. </p> <p>“It did feel like all anyone wanted to talk about was ‘the fairytale’, which wasn’t how my heart was processing it for me.”</p> <p>Amber was one of the three bridesmaids who found themselves in the media’s spotlight when Mary Donaldson married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2004.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="673" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818706/1_500x673.jpg" alt="1 (141)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Amber Petty (left) with Princess Mary's sisters at the royal wedding</em></p> <p>Amber confessed that she’d hoped she would be a part of Mary’s special day, but she was worried royal protocol wouldn’t allow it as she was not a relative.</p> <p>“That would have broken my heart a little. It would have been further proof I was losing a person I loved to a very unexpected life event,” she said. </p> <p>“I think every girl who loves her best friend would understand this feeling.”</p> <p>But five months before the royal wedding, Amber’s dream came true and she was asked to join the bridal party.</p> <p>Two weeks before the big day, Amber arrived in the Danish capital and felt like “a lost bogan extra in a beautiful European film” while the last-minute wedding preparations were finalised.</p> <p>“My fear was always of making a fool of myself by not greeting certain royals and dignitaries in the correct way … I felt very much like a fish out of water,” she said.</p> <p>Amber describes her experience of the wedding itself as “uncomfortable” due to all the cameras and reporters.</p> <p>While honest accounts of being a royal bridesmaid are rare, earlier this year, Princess Diana’s bridesmaid India Hicks spoke about the morning of the wedding.</p> <p>In an interview with E!, India recalled the “mayhem” of the morning of Princess Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.</p> <p>“Diana had her tiara on as she was getting ready and there was a little fuzzy TV and the Cornetto ice cream advertisement came on and we all just stopped and sang along,” she said.</p> <p>“I remember Diana getting to the bottom of this huge sweeping staircase in Clarence House and she paused and said, ‘I'd like a glass of water’ … she hadn't seemed nervous before then.”</p> <p>India, who was 13 years old at the time of the royal wedding, also recalled a memory with the King of Tonga’s wife.</p> <p>“I remember my shoes pinching, they were a size too small, and I remember the King of Tonga's wife passing sweeties across to me," she told <em>E!.</em></p> <p>India’s mother, Lady Pamela Hicks (formerly Mountbatten) had been one of Queen Elizabeth’s bridesmaids when she married Prince Philip.</p> <p>Lady Pamela previously confessed that there had been some mishaps while the Queen was getting ready before the wedding.</p> <p>“People may imagine that big royal events go like clockwork. They do not,” she told the <em>Daily Mail</em> in 2017. </p> <p>“There was a moment of panic when, as the bride’s veil was being fitted, her tiara broke. An aide was bundled into a taxi and sent hurrying to the jeweller’s.”</p> <p>On top of that, then-Princess Elizbeth’s bouquet was missing when she was supposed to leave for Westminster Abbey.</p> <p>“It had been popped in a cupboard to remain fresh – and forgotten,” Lady Pamela, who was 18 at the time, recalled. “Yet throughout all this mayhem, the bride was totally unflustered. As ever.”</p>

Relationships

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Why Kate won’t be a bridesmaid at Harry and Meghan’s wedding

<p>Now that the initial frenzy surrounding their engagement has begun to die down (a little!) it’s time for Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle to start planning their May wedding. But if you thought Harry’s sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge would be given a starring role in the upcoming nuptials as one of Meghan’s bridesmaids, think again.</p> <p>According to royal expert and author Marlene Koenig, the reason for Kate’s omission from the bridal party is a simple one – “the Duchess of Cambridge barely knows Meghan,” she explains to <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a14006064/meghan-markle-bridesmaid-kate-middleton/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cosmopolitan</span></strong></em></a>.</p> <p>“For another, she is the future queen consort when William becomes king after his father, and would unlikely be an attending person to another royal bride.”</p> <p>Aside from her high position in the royal family, Kate’s status as a married woman would automatically rule her out as a bridesmaid or maid of honour, as both roles are traditionally reserved for single ladies.</p> <p>If she was to be offered any role in the bridal party, it would be that of “matron of honour” – essentially the same as maid of honour but referring to her married status. “But it’s unlikely for Catherine to do this,” says Koenig. “She was not a matron of honour, even at her sister’s wedding.”</p> <p>So, if it’s not her soon-to-be sister-in-law, who will Meghan choose as her bridesmaids? With a slew of famous friends, it’s possible that tennis champ <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2017/11/inside-serena-williams-fairytale-wedding/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serena Williams</span></strong></a> could make the cut, as could Meghan’s best friend, Indian actress <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2017/09/paul-burrell-slams-meghan-markle-vanity-fair-interview/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Priyanka Chopra</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>As for Meghan’s soon-to-be niece and nephew? “It is very likely that Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge will be a page boy and a bridesmaid,” Koenig says.</p> <p>No matter who the couple choose for their wedding party, we can’t wait to watch their fairytale ceremony take place.</p>

Relationships

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Looking back at 100 years of bridesmaid dresses

<p>On your big day, the focus is usually on you, the bride and groom. But looking back at those old wedding photos, it’s hard to notice anything but those bridesmaid’s dresses – let’s face it, most of them don’t age well!</p> <p><em>Glamour</em> magazine has put together a video chronicling the evolution of bridesmaid’s dresses, and while some of them are timeless and elegant, we have to say, a few are truly hideous! Take a look for yourself.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XhXujKjCLjI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what were your bridesmaid’s dresses like? Did you wear anything similar to the styles in the video?</p>

Beauty & Style

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Why the Duchess of Cambridge won’t be Pippa’s bridesmaid

<p>Pippa Middleton might’ve stolen the show as maid of honour at her sister’s royal nuptials, but it’s unlikely the Duchess of Cambridge will return the favour when Pippa weds 41-year-old hedge fund manager James Matthews on the weekend.</p> <p>Why? For a couple of reasons. Firstly, maid of honour and bridesmaid roles are traditionally reserved for single woman. Of course, Kate could theoretically be her sister’s matron of honour (matron meaning a married woman), but according to <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/kate-middleton-bridesmaid-pippa-wedding-9159071" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Yahoo</span></strong></a>, it’s unlikely she’ll be in the bridal party at all.</p> <p>Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Pippa naturally wants to be the star of the day. “Kate would upstage her sister,” royal insider Judy Wade told <a href="http://people.com/royals/why-princess-kate-might-not-be-in-her-sister-pippas-wedding/" target="_blank"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">People</span></em></strong></a>. “It’s a tricky situation for Pippa. She would want her sister by her side, as who else would she trust to make things go well? But if your sister is a future queen, she is going to upstage the bride and draw attention. Kate would want to be in the background as much as possible.”</p> <p>Plus, with <a href="/news/news/2017/04/prince-george-and-princess-charlottes-exciting-new-roles/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Prince George as page boy, Princess Charlotte as flower girl</span></strong></a> and Prince Harry’s actress girlfriend <a href="/news/news/2017/05/pippa-middleton-bizarre-request-for-wedding-guests/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Meghan Markle among the attendees</strong></span></a>, there’ll be more than enough attention going around without the future Queen of England walking down the aisle, too.</p>

News

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Bride asks 92-year-old grandmother to be her bridesmaid

<p>Reddit user RachelAmandaMay recently shared a beautiful picture of her wedding on the online social site.</p> <p>When the Ontario-based music teacher wed in 2016, she asked her grandmother to be one of her bridesmaids. And we must say, she looks like she was perfect for the job.</p> <p>“At 92 years young, my granny was the most beautiful bridesmaid! I am so fortunate,” Rachel wrote.</p> <p><img width="500" height="749" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33526/bridesmaid_500x749.jpg" alt="Bridesmaid" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/difference-between-men-and-women-in-retirement/">Men and women: the differences in what we look forward to in retirement</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/retirement-income/2017/02/retirement-in-the-age-of-financial-uncertainty/">Retirement in the age of financial uncertainty</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/tips-to-maintain-mental-health-in-retirement/">2 top tips to maintain mental health in retirement</a></em></strong></span></p>

Retirement Life

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100-year-old bridesmaid is warming hearts

<p>A centenarian grandmother-of-four has become the oldest bridesmaid in the UK after she helped celebrate her granddaughter’s big day – which also happened to be her 100th birthday!</p> <p>Martha Wallbank told her granddaughter, 29-year-old Vita Cresswell, of her wish as soon as she announced her engagement, proclaiming “I’m the bridesmaid.”</p> <p>Cresswell told the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/grandma-martha-100-year-old-bridesmaid_uk_571f921ce4b0d6f7bed501b6" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Huffington Post</strong></em></span></a> she wanted her day to be about family, so it seemed natural to have it on the same day her grandma turned 100. ““It couldn’t have worked out any better. We got her posies and she was in the same colours as the other bridesmaids. She was singing and laughing and waving at everybody. I bet she was thinking ‘why do you keep looking at them, it’s my day?’. It was gorgeous how happy she was. She had a ball.”</p> <p>Wallbank, who aside from a few occasional memory issues is in great health, reportedly did her best to eat healthy and stay fit in the lead up to the wedding since it was “something she always wanted to see us do.”</p> <p>What better way to celebrate the special bond between a grandma and her granddaughter?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/three-generations-wear-same-wedding-dress/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">One wedding dress, three generations of women</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/03/95-year-old-grandma-beautiful-flower-girl/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>95-year-old grandmother makes beautiful flower girl</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/03/bride-ditches-wedding-dress-for-grandmas/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Bride ditches expensive wedding dress for grandma's 50-year-old gown</strong></em></span></a></p>

Retirement Life

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89-year-old bridesmaid steals the show

<p>When Christine Quinn was deciding on her bridal party, the decision to ask her grandma was obvious as she considers her nana one of her best friends.</p> <p>“While she doesn’t live that close, we have continually made it a point to spend as much time together as possible," the new bride said. "She just has an amazing sense of humour and outlook on life that I strive to emulate every day. Everyone loves her."</p> <p>While 89-year-old grandma Betty Govern was hesitant at first, in the end she donned the dusty purple bridesmaid dress to stand alongside her beautiful granddaughter on her special day.</p> <p>Christine told Huffington Post: “She asked me about 10 times, ‘Are you sure?’ and ‘Why would you want an old lady in your bridal party?’”</p> <p>“A few times she even said 'All of your bridesmaids are young and pretty, why would you want me?' Obviously Nana is beautiful too. Just look at those photos!”</p> <p>We certainly agree! And luckily on the day, Christine revealed her nana was over the moon.</p> <p>“You’re only as old as you feel and I feel young today," Nana Betty said on the wedding day, according to the bride. </p> <p><img width="513" height="341" src="http://img.huffingtonpost.com//asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/55b7c4cc1700002500565bde.jpeg" class="image-component__main-image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="427" height="641" src="http://img.huffingtonpost.com//asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/55b7cb3c1400002f002e117b.jpeg" class="image-component__main-image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/best-advice-ever-received-video/">People aged 5 to 105 reveal the best advice they’ve ever received</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/photos-of-animals-hitchhiking/">Hilarious photos of animals hitchhiking</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/12/cheap-school-holiday-activities/">30 cheap – or free – holiday activities to do with grandkids</a></em></strong></span></p>

News

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95-year-old grandma honoured to be bridesmaid for her granddaughter

<p>When New Yorker Jamie Jacobs got engaged she had trouble narrowing down her list of potential bridesmaids. She solved all her problems by enlisting the best person for the job: her grandmother, Dorothy Shapiro.</p><p>“I had so many friends, I couldn’t narrow it down,” Jamie said. “I couldn’t have 15 bridesmaids, but my grandmother is on another level.”&nbsp;</p><p>In a New York Times video, the 95-year-old recounts her experience as her granddaughter’s matron of honour.</p><p>"That was one of the biggest honour that a grandmother could have -- that she chose me, an old lady!" she exclaimed.</p><p>“First of all, I’m not that old-fashioned. I understand the younger generation. You know what, I don’t butt in to their lives.”</p><p>“I remember I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to walk down the aisle, but I did it like a real trooper – and I was able to dance!”&nbsp;</p><p><em>Image credit: New York Times Facebook&nbsp;</em></p><p><strong>Related links:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/02/90-year-old-woman-goes-to-school/" target="_blank">90-year-old woman goes to school to learn to read and write with her great-great-grandchildren</a></strong></span></em></p><p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/02/senior-screen-dreams/" target="_blank">Australian seniors recreate iconic movie moments</a></strong></span></em></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/01/109-year-olds-secret-to-life/" target="_blank">109-year-old woman reveals avoiding men is the secret to a long life</a></strong></em></span></p>

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