Latest news with #weddingseason
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Unfortunately, Jeremiah Fisher May Have Been Right About This Key Wedding Detail in "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
Belly Conklin's fiancé is actually in line with current trends for couples tying the knot this Takeaways In the most recent episode of "The Summer I Turned Pretty," Jeremiah Fisher describes his dream wedding cake. The confection is a two-tier dark chocolate cake with a mirror glaze, a choice that is currently trending for couples. The confection is estimated to cost $750 in the show, the same price it would likely be in real life, according to an the course of the wedding-planning process, you and your partner may determine that there are different details that are important to each of you. For example, while you may want a high-energy band that will keep all of your guests on the dance floor for hours, your significant other may dream of installing interactive food stations. Depending on your budget and aesthetic, both of you will likely be forced to make certain compromises when it comes to your big day. Such is the case for Belly Conklin and Jeremiah Fisher, two characters on The Summer I Turned Pretty who are currently in the midst of planning their nuptials. In the most recent episode of the hit show, Jeremiah's dream wedding cake—a two-tier dark chocolate cake with a raspberry coulis filling and a mirror glaze on top—is revealed. However, when his fiancée, who is played by Lola Tung, inquires about the cost of such a confection while visiting a local cake designer, she's quickly taken aback by the $750 estimate that's given to her. According to Nicole Redd-McIntosh, the owner of Nicole Bakes Cakes, that's likely what such a creation would typically cost in the real world. Related: The Wedding Cake Trend That's Taking Over Receptions: Couples Decorating Their Own One-Tier Confection Due to their tight budget, Belly is reluctant to spend the money on the dessert. "We can't afford a cake from that place," she tells Conrad, Jeremiah's brother, after visiting the store. "So, I guess we'll just get a sheet cake from Stop & Shop." Conrad, who is played by Chris Briney, quickly pivots, suggesting that the couple opt for just one tier, skip the mirror glaze, and select milk chocolate icing instead. He even offers to pick the dessert up himself so that the two don't have to pay for the delivery charge. Belly seems relieved by this alternate plan, but her fiancé doesn't share her feelings. "Look, the whole flavor profile depends on the bitterness of the dark chocolate and the sweet tartness of the raspberry," Jeremiah, who is played by Gavin Casalegno, says in response to the proposal. "The cake is my one thing, and you said that each of us get one thing." While Belly and Conrad may have been frustrated with Jeremiah's response, the groom-to-be may have been right about his preferred cake. "Mirror glaze cakes are trend-forward for sure," Redd-McIntosh says. "I have seen fellow cake makers glaze full three-tier cakes with mirror glaze." She adds that such a design element can add shine—and even a bit of sparkle—to your confection. However, she also notes that it may not be appropriate for an outdoor celebration in the heat of summer, like the one Belly and Jeremiah are currently planning. "I would say mirror glaze cakes do best in cooler weather or indoor receptions with air conditioning," she says, Up Next: 65 Beautiful Wedding Cake Ideas to Inspire Your Own Big-Day Dessert Read the original article on Brides Solve the daily Crossword
Malay Mail
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Diaspora returns for Comoros' lavish ‘Grand Mariage', a rite of passage that unites generations and communities
MORONI (Comoros), Aug 7 — It is wedding season in the Comoros, when the diaspora return to the tiny Indian Ocean islands for days-long celebrations that mark an essential rite of passage, the 'Grand Mariage'. The elaborate, tradition-infused ceremonies — which can be held years after an initial religious wedding — are most often held in July and August, coinciding with the summer holidays in France which has a significant community of Comoran migrants. On a recent day in July, Badjanani Square in central Moroni — the capital of the mainly Muslim nation off East Africa — was packed with hundreds of people attending a prayer ceremony ahead of the 'Grand Mariage' (French for 'Big Wedding') of a couple based in the central French city of Le Mans. The groom, 55-year-old Issa Mze Ali Ahmed, made his entrance in style, dressed in a turban and robes lined with golden cloth. Issa Mze Ali Ahmed (centre), a Franco Comorian who travelled back to Comoros to celebrate the Grand Mariage swings his stick as he joins the traditional Dinahou dance on the central Badjanani square in Moroni on July 19, 2025 during the Madjiliss ceremony. Madjiliss is a traditional ceremony in which religious chanting and rhythmic dancing introduce the groom during the Grand Marriage celebrations. — AFP pic Accompanied by men from his extended family, he took his seat for the prayers among rows of men, many wearing the traditionally embroidered mharuma scarf denoting their distinguished status. The dowry intended for Ahmed's bride was officially announced and he was saluted by ululating women resplendent in glitzy headscarves and dresses. Elsewhere on the Grande Comore, the largest of the nation's three islands, it was the big day for a couple based on the French territory of Reunion about 1,600 kilometres further east into the Indian Ocean. In a family home in the town of Tsidje in the hills just outside Moroni, men helped the groom, 42-year-old Faid Kassime, put on a handmade black velvet coat embroidered with gold threads. Accompanied by an entourage of family and friends and with an umbrella held over him, Kassime walked to the family home of his wife — whom he first married in 2012 — in a procession preceded by drummers and displaying cases of gold ornaments and jewellery as dowry. 'It's an accomplishment,' Kassime told AFP. 'I really wanted to carry out this ceremony to honour traditions, parents and the in-laws.' Amadi Maria (4th left), the mother of Franco Comoran Faid Kassim (3rd left), who lives with his wife Faizat Aboubacar (2nd left) in Reunion, stands next to the couple as friends and relatives drop banknotes in a suitcase while dancing during the Ukumbi, a women only reception marking the end of the Grand Mariage celebrations, at the Foyer des Femmes (a local venue dedicated to women only gathering) in Moroni, on July 20, 2025 during the evening reception of the couple's Grand Mariage. Gold and other gifts are brought by the groom to the bride as a dote in an elaborate ceremony in which the whole extended families and members of the community take part. — AFP pic Staggering sums It can often take a couple several years after their first wedding, called the 'Petit Mariage', to accumulate the money required to host the second, more lavish event. But, as costly as it is, the ceremony is valued for sealing the social status of a couple in the hierarchy of their community, said anthropologist Damir Ben Ali. 'It marks the end of a period of social apprenticeship,' Ali said. 'It means that a person has followed all the rules that allow him to have some responsibility in the community... for making decisions concerning the community.' A 'Grand Mariage' can cost a couple their entire life savings, said Ali, who found in research in 2009 that the financial outlay then ranged between €6,000 and €235,000 (RM29,603 and RM1.1 million). 'It has surely increased since then,' he said. The spending is staggering for a nation where 45 per cent of the population of under 900,000 people lives below the poverty line of around €100 a month, according to the National Statistics Institute. Remissions from the diaspora account for 30 per cent of the national GDP. The sumptuous attire worn by couples at the ceremonies reflect the outfits worn by sultans before the Comoros became a French protectorate in the 19th century, said Sultan Chouzour, author of the 1994 book, The Power of Honour. 'The ceremony is akin to enthroning a new king,' he said. 'Here, everyone can be a sultan.' Franco Comoran Faid Kassim (centre left), who lives with his wife Faizat Aboubacar (centre right) in Reunion, dance during the Ukumbi, a women only reception marking the end of the Grand Mariage celebrations, at the Foyer des Femmes (a local venue dedicated to women only gathering) in Moroni, on July 20, 2025 during the evening reception of the couple's Grand Mariage. This very expensive custom is often the goal of a lifetime and attracts scores of members of the Comorian diaspora who travel back to the archipelago to honour the tradition. — AFP pic New status Kassime's procession to the home of his 41-year-old bride, Faizat Aboubacar, illustrated the Comoros's matrilineal system and its practice of matrilocality in which husbands move into the communities of their wives. Aboubacar was overjoyed after her special day. 'I am surrounded by my loved ones and that is all that matters. It is a beautiful moment,' she said. The event announces to society that a woman's social status has improved, said Farahate Mahamoud, one of the guests. 'She will be treated as a dignitary wherever she goes. At all ceremonies, she will have the right to speak,' Mahamoud said. Aboubacar's mother-in-law was proud that the couple had returned to the Comoros to uphold one of its pillar traditions. 'A continuation of our customs is a great joy — especially for children who were born in France, raised in France, educated in France or working in France to accept doing what we, as parents and grandparents, did,' said Maria Amadi. — AFP
The Guardian
06-08-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘No clear explanation': businesses reliant on Meta struggle in the wake of wrongful suspensions
This time of the year is typically the busy booking season for Sam Enticknap, a makeup artist based in Margaret River, Western Australia. But the phone has stopped ringing since her Instagram account, which had 48,000 followers, was suspended without notice by Meta three weeks ago. 'I received a horrible email saying a reference to child sexual exploitation content, which obviously was quite traumatic to see,' she said. 'Saying my Instagram accounts have been disabled with just no clear explanation.' Enticknap estimates that, as a result of her account being wrongly suspended, she has lost 80% of the bookings she otherwise would have leading into the busy wedding season in Margaret River. Sign up: AU Breaking News email 'A lot of people come through Instagram, they find hashtags and they find word of mouth, and obviously through other businesses that always tag us,' she said. Enticknap said it made her realise how reliant she was on Meta for business. She said she lost two Instagram accounts and a Facebook account as a result of the permanent suspension, and said attempts to contact the company to have the ban appealed had resulted in a 'dead end'. She said she was not alone, citing another Western Australian business – which sells artificial flowers – which had been suspended from Meta platforms and received the same reference to child sexual exploitation. 'My friend who has another successful makeup business, she went down the week after me, but she's managed to get her account back,' Enticknap said. Incorrect account suspensions on social media platforms are not a new phenomenon. Often when Meta is asked by media about an account, it is later restored. However, something changed in July. A flood of emails were sent to journalists from people all over the world saying that, without warning, their Facebook and Instagram accounts had been suspended. Many were told – erroneously – by Meta that their accounts had been suspended for breaching community standards on child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity. Users report Meta has typically been unresponsive to their pleas for assistance, often with standardised responses to requests for review, almost all of which have been rejected. There are petitions with tens of thousands of signatures, a subreddit devoted to people who have had their accounts disabled and talk of a class action against Meta over the bans. From around a dozen emails received in the past two weeks, Guardian Australia has reported five accounts – including Enticknap's to Meta, which said it had internally escalated the investigation of those accounts. Media reporting of the plight of businesses struggling as a result of their Instagram ban has led to many of those accounts being restored. But the company claims there has not been an increase in incorrect account suspension, and the volume of users complaining was not indicative of new targeting or over-enforcement. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'We take action on accounts that violate our policies, and people can appeal if they think we've made a mistake,' a spokesperson for Meta said. Meta is reliant on a mix of human reports and automation to find and remove accounts in breach of its rules. The company publishes data on how many accounts it removes – and data on how many it subsequently restores – in its quarterly community standards enforcement report. However, the latest report only covers to the end of March, so it can't yet be judged whether the company has had a significant uptick in removed accounts or appeals. For Enticknap, the suspension carries an emotional weight. Her father died this year, and the photos and messages her father uploaded to Facebook cannot be accessed. 'I've tried to message and just say: 'Can I just get my data? Can I just get that? Shut me down, but let me get those pictures back',' she said. 'But nothing. I've not had any reply.'
The Australian
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Australian
Lavish 'Grand Mariage' weddings celebrate Comoros tradition, society
It is wedding season in the Comoros, when the diaspora return to the tiny Indian Ocean islands for days-long celebrations that mark an essential rite of passage, the "Grand Mariage". The elaborate, tradition-infused ceremonies -- which can be held years after an initial religious wedding -- are most often held in July and August, coinciding with the summer holidays in France which has a significant community of Comorian migrants. On a recent day in July, Badjanani Square in central Moroni -- the capital of the mainly Muslim nation off East Africa -- was packed with hundreds of people attending a prayer ceremony ahead of the "Grand Mariage" (French for "Big Wedding") of a couple based in the central French city of Le Mans. The groom, 55-year-old Issa Mze Ali Ahmed, made his entrance in style, dressed in a turban and robes lined with golden cloth. Accompanied by men from his extended family, he took his seat for the prayers among rows of men, many wearing the traditionally embroidered mharuma scarf denoting their distinguished status. The dowry intended for Ahmed's bride was officially announced and he was saluted by ululating women resplendent in glitzy headscarves and dresses. Elsewhere on the Grande Comore, the largest of the nation's three islands, it was the big day for a couple based on the French territory of Reunion about 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) further east into the Indian Ocean. In a family home in the town of Tsidje in the hills just outside Moroni, men helped the groom, 42-year-old Faid Kassime, put on a handmade black velvet coat embroidered with gold threads. Accompanied by an entourage of family and friends and with an umbrella held over him, Kassime walked to the family home of his wife -- whom he first married in 2012 -- in a procession preceded by drummers and displaying cases of gold ornaments and jewellery as dowry. "It's an accomplishment," Kassime told AFP. "I really wanted to carry out this ceremony to honour traditions, parents and the in-laws." - Staggering sums - It can often take a couple several years after their first wedding, called the "Petit Mariage", to accumulate the money required to host the second, more lavish event. But, as costly as it is, the ceremony is valued for sealing the social status of a couple in the hierarchy of their community, said anthropologist Damir Ben Ali. "It marks the end of a period of social apprenticeship," Ali said. "It means that a person has followed all the rules that allow him to have some responsibility in the community ... for making decisions concerning the community." A "Grand Mariage" can cost a couple their entire life savings, said Ali, who found in research in 2009 that the financial outlay then ranged between 6,000 and 235,000 euros. "It has surely increased since then," he said. The spending is staggering for a nation where 45 percent of the population of under 900,000 people lives below the poverty line of around 100 euros a month, according to the National Statistics Institute. Remissions from the diaspora account for 30 percent of the national GDP. The sumptuous attire worn by couples at the ceremonies reflect the outfits worn by sultans before the Comoros became a French protectorate in the 19th century, said Sultan Chouzour, author of the 1994 book, "The Power of Honour". "The ceremony is akin to enthroning a new king," he said. "Here, everyone can be a sultan." - New status - Kassime's procession to the home of his 41-year-old bride, Faizat Aboubacar, illustrated the Comoros' matrilineal system and its practice of matrilocality in which husbands move into the communities of their wives. Aboubacar was overjoyed after her special day. "I am surrounded by my loved ones and that is all that matters. It is a beautiful moment," she said. The event announces to society that a woman's social status has improved, said Farahate Mahamoud, one of the guests. "She will be treated as a dignitary wherever she goes. At all ceremonies, she will have the right to speak," Mahamoud said. Aboubacar's mother-in-law was proud that the couple had returned to the Comoros to uphold one of its pillar traditions. "A continuation of our customs is a great joy -- especially for children who were born in France, raised in France, educated in France or working in France to accept doing what we, as parents and grandparents, did," said Maria Amadi. str/clv/br/jcb/cw/giv
News.com.au
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Lavish 'Grand Mariage' weddings celebrate Comoros tradition, society
It is wedding season in the Comoros, when the diaspora return to the tiny Indian Ocean islands for days-long celebrations that mark an essential rite of passage, the "Grand Mariage". The elaborate, tradition-infused ceremonies -- which can be held years after an initial religious wedding -- are most often held in July and August, coinciding with the summer holidays in France which has a significant community of Comorian migrants. On a recent day in July, Badjanani Square in central Moroni -- the capital of the mainly Muslim nation off East Africa -- was packed with hundreds of people attending a prayer ceremony ahead of the "Grand Mariage" (French for "Big Wedding") of a couple based in the central French city of Le Mans. The groom, 55-year-old Issa Mze Ali Ahmed, made his entrance in style, dressed in a turban and robes lined with golden cloth. Accompanied by men from his extended family, he took his seat for the prayers among rows of men, many wearing the traditionally embroidered mharuma scarf denoting their distinguished status. The dowry intended for Ahmed's bride was officially announced and he was saluted by ululating women resplendent in glitzy headscarves and dresses. Elsewhere on the Grande Comore, the largest of the nation's three islands, it was the big day for a couple based on the French territory of Reunion about 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) further east into the Indian Ocean. In a family home in the town of Tsidje in the hills just outside Moroni, men helped the groom, 42-year-old Faid Kassim, put on a handmade black velvet coat embroidered with gold threads. Accompanied by an entourage of family and friends and with an umbrella held over him, Kassim walked to the family home of his wife -- whom he first married in 2012 -- in a procession preceded by drummers and displaying cases of gold ornaments and jewellery as dowry. "It's an accomplishment," Kassim told AFP. "I really wanted to carry out this ceremony to honour traditions, parents and the in-laws." - Staggering sums - It can often take a couple several years after their first wedding, called the "Petit Mariage", to accumulate the money required to host the second, more lavish event. But, as costly as it is, the ceremony is valued for sealing the social status of a couple in the hierarchy of their community, said anthropologist Damir Ben Ali. "It marks the end of a period of social apprenticeship," Ali said. "It means that a person has followed all the rules that allow him to have some responsibility in the community ... for making decisions concerning the community." A "Grand Mariage" can cost a couple their entire life savings, said Ali, who found in research in 2009 that the financial outlay then ranged between 6,000 and 235,000 euros. "It has surely increased since then," he said. The spending is staggering for a nation where 45 percent of the population of under 900,000 people lives below the poverty line of around 100 euros a month, according to the National Statistics Institute. Remissions from the diaspora account for 30 percent of the national GDP. The sumptuous attire worn by couples at the ceremonies reflect the outfits worn by sultans before the Comoros became a French protectorate in the 19th century, said Sultan Chouzour, author of the 1994 book, "The Power of Honour". "The ceremony is akin to enthroning a new king," he said. "Here, everyone can be a sultan." - New status - Kassim's procession to the home of his 41-year-old bride, Faizat Aboubacar, illustrated the Comoros' matrilineal system and its practice of matrilocality in which husbands move into the communities of their wives. Aboubacar was overjoyed after her special day. "I am surrounded by my loved ones and that is all that matters. It is a beautiful moment," she said. The event announces to society that a woman's social status has improved, said Farahate Mahamoud, one of the guests. "She will be treated as a dignitary wherever she goes. At all ceremonies, she will have the right to speak," Mahamoud said. Aboubacar's mother-in-law was proud that the couple had returned to the Comoros to uphold one of its pillar traditions. "A continuation of our customs is a great joy -- especially for children who were born in France, raised in France, educated in France or working in France to accept doing what we, as parents and grandparents, did," said Maria Amadi.
