Photographer dead after guns used as props in wedding snaps
The firing of a gun at a family celebration is common in Sicily
A wedding photographer in Italy has been shot dead after a gun accidentally went off while being used by the bridal party as props for the official snaps.
45-year-old photographer Calogero Scimea stepped in at the last minute to take the pictures at the wedding on the isle of Sicily after the original photographer fell ill. Mr Scimea suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head caused by one of the hunting rifles being used by the bridal party as they posed for photos.
Teenage sweethearts 22-year-old Valentina Anitra and 25-year-old Ignazio Licodia were having photographs taken at the home of the groom’s parents ahead of the wedding. Following the tragic incident, the bride and groom called off the ceremony immediately. The couple and their families who witnessed the accidental shooting were said to be distraught.
The groom’s parents could be prosecuted as the death occurred on their property, although the parent’s of the bride could also be in danger of prosecution as they supplied some of the firearms used in the photographs. It’s been reported that all of the guns were held legally. Ballistic experts have been called in to investigate the circumstances of the shooting.
In southern Italy, and especially on the isle of Sicily, it’s traditional for guns to be fired at special family events and also festivals. Many deaths have been reported in the past as a result of this dangerous practice.
Hotel’s refusal to refund wedding reception deposit after death of the bride causes upset
As the couple hadn't take out wedding insurance the cost of the reception cannot be recouped after the death of the bride
A hotel in the North East of England has hit the headlines this week after it refused to refund a deposit for a wedding reception after the bride sadly passed away.
35-year-old Annette Bainbridge had planned to tie the knot with Paul Teece in November but after suffering a severe asthma attack, the bride-to-be died suddenly at the end of May. Annette and her fiancé had already paid the full £2,000 for their wedding on May 1st.
The hotel was contacted by the grieving family to inform them that the wedding would have to be cancelled following the untimely death of the bride. Despite the tragic circumstances, the hotel asked for a cancellation fee of £1,500 be paid which was stipulated in the contract.
The establishment has since waived the cancellation fee however the cost of the wedding has not been recouped, as the couple hadn’t taken out wedding insurance. The family and fiancé of the deceased bride say that although the hotel is legally obliged to keep the money, they question the hotel’s moral integrity given the sad circumstances which forced the cancellation of the wedding.
When asked for their take on the situation, the general manager at the hotel in question refused to comment, stating that the matter was a private one between them and the groom, Mr Teece.
American beauty actress Mena Suvari wedding details revealed
Mena Suvari and Simone Sestito exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony held in a church inside Vatican City
Just as the first snaps of American Beauty actress Mena Suvari wearing her impressive wedding ring, designed by her new husband emerge, so do the all important details of their big day in Rome.
The 31-year-old actress married her Italian partner of three-years in what was described as a “romantic” and very “traditional” ceremony held in an 8th century church in Vatican City.
Rome was chosen as the setting for the nuptials as the groom, 25-year-old concert producer Simone Sestito, is Italian and his family live around the city.
Mena was described as looking “breathtaking” by one of the wedding guests as she walked down the aisle in an Alice & Oliver designed gown and a pair of Nova diamond earrings. Music for the religious ceremony was provided by a string quartet, organist, and also a soprano singer.
The wedding reception was held at the stunning castle in nearby Bracciano, Castello Odescalchi, the same venue where Hollywood couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes tied the knot in 2006.
The newlyweds took to the floor for their first dance accompanied by music from the Gypsy Kings and the night was rounded off with a magnificent firework display.
The couple got engaged in 2008 after meeting the previous year at the Toronto Film Festival.
Penelope Cruz marries in secret Bahamas wedding
Penelope Cruz chose a John Galliano designed gown for her wedding to Javier Bardem
Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz has married Javier Bardem in a secret ceremony held in the Bahamas. The Spanish couple are understood to have tied the knot at a friend’s house in the sun soaked Caribbean.
Only close family members and friends attended the wedding, according to Cruz’s spokeswoman, who also confirmed that the actress had chosen a John Galliano wedding gown for her big day.
The pair started dating back in 2007 when they played an on-screen couple in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona directed by Woody Allen. Cruz went on to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie.
Spanish actor Bardem is a fellow Oscar winner having picked up the gong for Best Supporting Actor for the 2007 film, No Country For Old Men.
Although Cruz and Bardem only started dating three years ago, the pair have been friends for 20 years after first meeting on the set of Spanish comedy Jamon Jamon.
Prior to their wedding earlier this month, rumours were rife that the pair had become secretly engaged, however both Cruz and Bardem declined to comment on gossip.
Previous to her relationship with 41-year-old Bardem, the Hollywood star dated actor Tom Cruise following his split from his first wife Nicole Kidman, and also Matthew McConaughley for two-years.
Rules relaxed on church weddings
Couples will be free to marry in a church where they have little connection
The General Synod at the Church’s parliament has voted to relax the current rule which prevents couples from marrying in a church where they don’t have a strong connection to the parish.
It is hoped the move will enable the church to claw back some of the wedding business which is currently being dominated by stately homes and hotels offering civil ceremony services.
Although the regulations will be significantly relaxed, engaged couples will still have to prove a “qualifying connection” with their chosen church in order to be permitted to marry there.
Church officials have admitted that the old rules were difficult to justify and excluded people unnecessarily. Now brides and grooms-to-be will have greater freedom to choose a church which best suits their needs.
It’s anticipated that the news will create a surge in wedding bookings at churches which may have been used for a celebrity wedding, or which have been used as locations for films or TV shows.
Some clergy with especially beautiful churches objected to the slackening of the marriage laws as they feared they would be unable to cope with the demand from couples wanting to tie the knot in their attractive buildings.
The number of church weddings has declined by 40% in the last 10 years while civil ceremony services held at specially licensed premises has soared. It is hoped this change in the rules may go some way to helping to redress the balance.
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski get hitched at Lake Como
Lake Como was the destination for Emily Blunt and John Krasinski's Italian wedding on Saturday
British actress Emily Blunt and star of the US version of The Office, John Krasinski, exchanged vows on Saturday in a private open air ceremony held at Lake Como in Italy.
Rumour has it the couple spent the week leading up to the big day holed up in George Clooney’s Italian mansion. The groom and Hollywood heartthrob Clooney are said to be friends after working alongside each other on the movie Leatherhead.
Wedding guests, including George Clooney and girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis, were photographed enjoying boat trip up Lake Como before the official ceremony took place.
Sources claim the Young Victoria actress wore a cream Marchesa gown with chiffon, embroidery and a sweetheart neckline for her wedding to Krasinski. The newlyweds were snapped leaving LA airport yesterday after returning home from their secret wedding with the 27-year-old actress sporting an impressive platinum and 3-carat diamond wedding ring.
The pair started dating in 2008 and became engaged last August after the American actor went down on one knee.
Although the couple kept the exact date and location of their wedding tightly under wraps, a US gossip magazine reported that the UK born actress had been spotted dancing the night away in an LA bar surrounded by a gang of girlfriends suggesting she was celebrating her hen do ahead of her impending nuptials.
Megan Fox marries in Hawaiian beach ceremony
Hollywood beauty Megan Fox married in secret beach ceremony last month
Hollywood actress Megan Fox has tied the knot with fellow actor, Brian Austin Green, in a romantic beach ceremony in Hawaii.
The couple, who’ve been dating on and off for the last 6 years, married at sunset on a deserted beach in a ceremony performed by a Hawaiian priest. The bride and groom stood side by side, along with Brian’s 8-year-old son Kassisus, as they exchanged their vows.
The wedding took place on June 24th however the newlyweds have only just confirmed the news and released a handful of official photographs. There was widespread speculation weeks earlier that the pair had married while on holiday as they were snapped wearing wedding bands.
The low-key ceremony at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai was a far cry from the typical Hollywood style wedding. However the bride did pull out all of the stops to look sensational on her special day.
The 24-year-old walked barefoot across the sand wearing a strapless Armani Prive gown with a sweetheart neckline and a billowing 16ft train which flowed out behind her. The bride carried a bouquet of big white blossoms.
The male members of the wedding party went for the casual look with white linen outfits and bare feet.
After meeting on the set of Hope and Faith back in 2004, when Fox was aged just 18 and Green 30, the pair started dating and have been together ever since aside from a brief separation in 2009.
Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton planning a beach wedding
Nicole and Lewis reportedly planning a beach wedding
Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton are reported to be planning a beach wedding after the Formula 1 star proposed in secret.
The pair have been dating since 2008 and despite a brief separation, the couple have got now got their romance back on track are said to be getting hitched.
According to a report in British celebrity magazine, Nicole and Lewis will announce their engagement at the end of November once the Formula1 racing season is over.
Earlier this year we reported on how Nicole Scherzinger had told a shop assistant in a Los Angeles boutique that she was shopping for a wedding dress, adding further fuel to the wedding rumours.
A source close to the Pussycat Doll singer says the racing driver has proposed numerous times, however the 32-year-old singer finally accepted after the huge amount of support Lewis gave her during her time on the US dance competition, Dancing With the Stars, which she went on to win.
Plans are now said to be underway for a romantic beach wedding in which the two will tie the knot. The ceremony itself maybe an intimate affair, however sources say the newlyweds will then throw a lavish party at one of their favourite haunts, the Dorchester Hotel in London, where they plan to hold a big wedding reception to celebrate their nuptials with all of their celebrity friends.
This Morning’s Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford marry in country house ceremony
160 guests joined Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to celebrate their wedding on Saturday
This Morning presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford were married on Saturday in a romantic country house ceremony in Hampshire.
The pair got engaged last year on St Patrick’s Day after the Northern Irish host popped the question via text-message.
However Eamonn described how many of the wedding guests were confused when they received their wedding invitations as they assumed the couple, who have been together for 13 years and have an 8-year-old son, were already married.
The wedding was held at Elvetham Hotel, in Hook, which enjoys a picturesque country setting with immaculate gardens and acres of lush parkland. The happy couple were joined by 160 guests for the nuptials, including a number of famous faces such as Jeremy Kyle, Sue Johnston, Gloria Hunniford, and Barry McGuigan.
In his speech Eamonn paid tribute to his “beautiful bride” who looked elegant in an ivory wedding gown by Italian designer Angelina Colarusso. The dress featured a wide scoop neckline which skimmed the shoulders and was tight fitting except for a flared train at the bottom of the gown.
The wedding had been kept tightly under wraps so the groom relayed the happy news to fans via his Twitter page. The newlyweds have jetted off for a sunshine break along with their 8-year-old son Jack.
The couple have signed an exclusive deal with Hello Magazine for the rights to the official wedding photographs.
Brides and grooms planning beach weddings in Florida cancel due to US oil spill
Couples call off beach weddings on Gulf Coast as a result of the US oil spill
Thousands of brides and grooms-to-be planning a beach wedding in Florida have been forced to cancel their arrangements due to the oil spill which is affecting much of the Gulf coastline.
The Panhandle area of Florida has been a popular choice for beach weddings in the States for many years. In fact, this part of the coastline has hosted so many beach nuptials that it’s been dubbed “the Las Vegas of beach weddings.”
However the US oil spill is having a detrimental effect on the wedding business on the Gulf Coast this year with some wedding industry suppliers reporting a 50% drop in the number of bookings for the peak wedding season.
Weddings are an important part of the local economy as they bring visitors and business to the Florida area. But with many brides and grooms fearing their dream beach wedding will be ruined by the oil which threatens to fall on the Florida beaches, many are calling off their seaside weddings.
Even when couples don’t cancel their Florida beach weddings, the planners are left with a headache. One wedding planner told recently of a bride who refused to give her wedding the green light until 48 hours before the big day so as to ensure oil from the spill had not been swept onto the beach by the sea.
The last-minute go ahead for these weddings is high risk as the planners have very little time to prepare the area ahead of the ceremony. For this reason, added luxuries like an arch of flowers looking over the ocean have to be scrapped due to time restrictions.
All stops are pulled out to ensure those who do proceed with their wedding on the Gulf Coast have a venue free of oil and tar balls as teams of workers are drafted in to clean the beach of any debris ahead of a ceremony.
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