theindependent--2019-07-19--aposA celebration of love between us the Earth and the animalsapos Meet the couple who threw

'A celebration of love, between us, the Earth and the animals': Meet the couple who threw a vegan wedding in Texas

Walk through the streets of any Texan town and you’ll be greeted by restaurants selling bowls of Tex-Mex meatballs covered in glistening melted cheese, steaming BBQ pulled pork and skewers of tender beef kebabs slathered in spicy honey-glazed marinade. Here, the world of veganism is as rare as the rump steak.  Unsurprisingly, Texas isn’t the first place you’d think of in which to throw a vegan wedding. Unless, that is, you’re blogger Molly Tuttle-Tranchin who threw her vegan nuptials in the small town of Fredericburg in the Lone Star State in 2017.  “Our wedding was the first time the majority of our guests had tasted a vegan meal,” the 34-year-old blogger says. For some, that might come as a surprise. Supermarkets across the world are now lined with meat alternatives, desserts and treats and fast food chains from KFC to McDonald’s are increasingly introducing plant-based options to their menus. Celebrities including Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway, and Miley Cyrus have all reportedly thrown vegan weddings in recent years, with Cyrus’ reportedly featuring vegan truffle mac and cheese, vegan fried chicken, and vegan biscuits with apple butter on the menu.  But the popularity of vegan wedding ceremonies isn’t a celeb-only affair. Last year, the UK welcomed its first vegan wedding package at The Green House Hotel in Bournemouth, which now offers bridal parties vegan wedding cakes and cruelty-free makeovers. “We'd noticed an increase in vegan weddings and had become so well-known among our vegan suppliers that we decided to create this Vegan Wedding Package,” Olivia O’Sullivan, the hotel’s general manager, explained. It’s a growing trend on social media too, with vegan dessert photographs seeing a 329 per cent increase on Pinterest and the hashtag #veganwedding currently appearing in over 34,000 posts.  It’s not entirely surprising that the wedding industry wants a piece of the action, given that the number of vegans in the UK quadrupled between 2014 and 2018, with close to 600,000 Brits now identifying as vegan, according to the Vegan Society. In the US, meanwhile, the number of vegans grew by 600 per cent between 2014 and 2017, going from almost 4m to 19.6m.  But it’s one thing to live a vegan lifestyle and another to throw a wedding focussed on excluding as many forms of exploitation, and cruelty to, animals as possible. After all, isn’t organising your big day with wedding invitations, flowers, food, and entertainment challenging enough without sourcing vegan-friendly suppliers and dealing with disgruntled meat-eaters?  Having been a life-long vegetarian, Molly turned to veganism in October 2014 after watching the documentary Cowspiracy. “It made me realise that the dairy and meat industry aren’t two separate entities as one can’t live without the other”. That month, she launched a vegan-inspired blog to share animal-friendly food, clothes, and beauty products online with her readers to inspire them to lead more vegan lifestyles. “I only use vegan cleaning products, make-up, featherless pillows, wool-free rugs,” she says. “We even have a vegan leather sofa.”  Molly and her husband Matthew briefly dated during high school and reconnected on Tinder in their late twenties. In 2016, Matthew proposed and Molly instantly knew she wanted to have a cruelty-free wedding. “I was so excited but none of my friends or family are vegan and I’d only ever been to one vegan wedding."  Molly says she a bit apprehensive about bringing up the subject of wanting a vegan celebration with her then non-vegan fiancé. “I became a vegan a year into us dating which I think shocked him at first.  “His parents often struggled to know what to make when we came around for dinner which I hated. I never want to feel like I’m being fussy, high maintenance or putting people out.” Fortunately, her groom was more than understanding. “As soon as we got engaged Matt said he knew I would want our wedding to be a meat and dairy-free affair. “He told me: ‘I don’t want you to be distracted by anything that might make you upset on our big day – I want it to be perfect’. It was so sweet.”  Despite her expecting some resistance, Molly wasn’t expecting so many people to take the choice of a vegan wedding as a personal affront. “It would irk me when family members would say ‘don’t you care that not everyone is vegan?’ as if we were being inconsiderate of others with our decision.  “We knew we were going to be paying £120 a head for 200 people to have all the booze they wanted and a delicious dining experience. I was convinced they wouldn’t even able to tell it was vegan food. My aim was to make sure my non-vegan guests were surprised and impressed by the possibilities of vegan food.”  With a blog bursting with advice and suggestions on how to live a vegan lifestyle, Molly admits she found sourcing eco-friendly and cruelty-free products for her big day relatively easy. “Once you get into the groove of being a vegan, it becomes second nature,” she says. “You could give me a menu and in two seconds I could have a list of what could be adapted to be vegan. It takes practice, of course, but it’s not as hard as you might think.”  When it came to finding wedding outfits, the blogger found a Ralph Lauren cotton tuxedo for her groom on eBay (“the alternatives to wool are ubiquitous”) and men’s shoes for the groomsmen from Wills Vegan Shoes in London.  As for her own outfit, Molly opted for a strapless off-white dress by Parisian-based bridal house Rue de Seine and reached out to Rebecca Mink – the founder of vegan luxury shoe brand Mink Shoes who designs footwear for celebrities like Miley Cyrus and tattoo artist Kat Von Dee. “Rebecca ended up making me a bespoke pair of wedding shoes which she made for one of Miley’s concerts,” Molly says. Meanwhile, the bride had her hair stylist and make-up artist use cruelty-free Charlotte Tilbury products.  On the day of the wedding, guests were welcomed with a small gift bag containing a variety of vegan goodies, including packets of sun cream, lip balm, vegan beef jerky, and macarons. They even had packets of vegan chickpea puffs, water in eco-friendly carton-packaged water, and their names written in non-toxic calligraphy ink on name cards made of recycled paper. “Each bag contained a note thanking our guests for coming and to remind them that the wedding was a celebration of love, not only between us but of the earth and animals,” she says.  Of course, the biggest task was choosing vegan food that would satisfy the taste buds of her majority carnivorous wedding party. With that in mind, Molly and her husband decided to take their non-vegan in-laws along to their menu tastings. “We wanted to make sure that we had approval across the board from meat-eaters which would hopefully please everyone at the wedding,” she says. More surprisingly, however, the couple reached out to non-vegan catering companies.  “Sometimes, vegan catering restaurants can be so excited by the fact that their food is vegan that they lose sight of whether it really can compete with non-vegan food,” Molly explains. “I like it when I can work with restaurants who do both vegan and non-vegan food as they can often have a more discerning attitude. I really wanted the meal to be delicious, filling, and have a lot of options so people didn’t think the meal was lacking.”  Finding a vegan-friendly wedding venue for their nuptials proved more challenging than the couple expected. “We turned up at a few and noticed that they had animals like horses and cows on site,” she explains. “We had to ask several places whether the animals were going to be sold and slaughtered.” In the end, Molly and Matthew asked the owners of their wedding venue to sign a contract promising them that all animals on the grounds were going to be kept and not sold for profit. “It immediately made me feel at ease with having our wedding there,” she admits.  On the day, guests were treated to a guacamole station, serving dishes of roasted Poblano peppers, mango haberno salsa, and pico de gallo. Appetisers consisted of a vegan cheese and a crudité board of tomato jam, avocado mouse, and black-eyed pea hummus. The main course included baby spinach salad, kofta cabbage rolls, grilled aubergine, sweet potato gnocchi, and a buffet of buffalo cauliflower steak, macaroni cheese and whipped Yukon potatoes. For dessert, there was a vegan almond and vanilla-icing covered wedding cake and hot S’mores made of graham crackers, kosher parve-made (“neutral” foods that don’t contain meat or dairy ingredients) dark chocolate and gelatine-free marshmallows.  “People like to poke holes in vegan weddings and suggest that they’re not able to experience everything they would usually at a typical wedding, but it’s not the case,” Molly says. “Texans were coming up to us during the wedding breakfast to say that they had been scared to eat vegan and that they thought they were going to starve but found the meal surprisingly delicious."  Reflecting on her wedding, Molly says that it cemented her belief that you should never feel you have to explain yourself to anybody for your life choices.  “If you’re planning a vegan wedding, whether people think it’s fair or not, people are going to be looking for things lacking in the food and experience,” the blogger explains, warning brides and grooms that they should expect to come across their fair share of vegan naysayers, especially among older guests.  “They might make comments like ‘well I guess I’ll have to order a cheeseburger to my room after the reception’,” Molly jokes. That said, she says it’s important to not worry about pleasing the people who are determined to be negative about the experience, and to not take their comments personally.  “A lot of guests who were negative about our wedding ended up being the ones who were drunkenly praising the vegan Mac n cheese and Tofu fried steak,” she says.  That said, the blogger adds that it’s important to recognise that everything at a vegan wedding is going to be the same as it would be at a non-vegan wedding, as long “as you take care in sourcing what you want”.  “I made sure to be careful to make it an amazing experience for everyone and paid extra detail to make sure there would be nothing to nit-pick,” Molly explains. From her own experience, she advises couples to go to several food tastings when deciding on which caterers they want to use for a rehearsal dinner and/or wedding.  “I know it can be quite a big financial investment (they typically will charge you around £80 for a tasting) but it’s worth it,” she says. “We were shocked at how much we didn’t like the food when we expected to from certain caterers, and vice versa.”  “You can’t presume everyone loves a vegan burger – you need to have enough options so that no one can say that something was missing from your big day or they left dissatisfied.  “We even heard some people went vegan after the wedding. We clearly showed them that a non-meat and dairy meal can be just as tasty and filling as non-vegan food.


theindependent--2019-08-03--Bindi Irwin pens emotional note to late father Steve Irwin as she prepares for wedding

Bindi Irwin has written a heartfelt note to her late father, conservationist Steve Irwin, as she prepares to walk down the aisle.  On Wednesday 24 July, Ms Irwin announced that she had become engaged to her partner of six years, former professional wakeboarder Chandler Powell, on her 21st birthday.  The proposal was covertly photographed at Australia Zoo by Bindi's younger brother, 15-year-old Robert Irwin, who will accompany his sister down the aisle.  On Friday, Bindi shared a post on Twitter and Instagram in tribute to her father, detailing how proud she believes he would have been to witness his son playing such an important role at the wedding.  "Dad, you would be so incredibly proud of Robert. He has been such an amazing support during this beautiful new life chapter," the 21-year-old conservationist wrote.  "I know you'd be beaming with pride when the time comes that he walks me down the aisle.  "I wish you could be here for these moments, but I know that your spirit lives on in us."  In her social media post, Bindi shared a photograph of herself and Robert as children with their parents, Steve and Terri Irwin.  Steve Irwin died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the heart by the barb of a short-tail stingray.  His daughter was eight years old at the time, and his son was just under three years old.  Several social media users commented on Bindi's posts expressing their admiration for her father.  "There's no doubt in my mind your dad's famous enthusiasm is entwined within each moment in the lives of the wonderful children he and Terri created," one person wrote on Instagram.  "I'm so emotional right now. Your dad's work was a huge part of my childhood," another added.  "He would be so proud of you and your family. Congratulations on your engagement! Your dad is smiling down on you."


theindependent--2019-12-11--Dwayne Johnson explains why his wedding to Lauren Hashian was held at 7.45am

Dwayne Johnson has explained why his Hawaiian wedding to singer Lauren Hashian was held during the early hours of the morning, describing the occasion as “magical”.  In September, Johnson and Hashian married on the island of Kauai, the fourth largest island in Hawaii, which is nicknamed “Garden Island”.  The Jumanji: The Next Level star shared photographs of the nuptials on Instagram, one of which shows him and his bride kissing against a backdrop of green cliffs, the sea and a pale blue sky.  During a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Johnson spoke to Ellen DeGeneres about why he and Hashian chose to wed at 7.45am, considering the bride would have had to have her hair and make-up done a few hours prior.  “We wanted to have an early morning wedding. That way we said the vows, get it over with, and then by 10, 11 o’clock we’re hanging, we’re having brunch with the family, and we had it done,” the 47-year-old said.  Johnson continued, explaining that the early morning is a “beautiful time” in Hawaii.  “It’s a beautiful time with us and my ancestors watching over us. It was truly a magical, magical wedding.”  The former professional wrestler added that his and Hashian’s wedding was “truly the best”, and was a small, private affair.  The couple’s two young daughters, one-year-old Tiana and three-year-old Jasmine, acted as flower girls during the ceremony.  Johnson has an elder daughter, 18-year-old Simone, from his previous marriage to producer Dany Garcia.  During his interview with DeGeneres, the actor joked that he and Hashian chose to get married at 7.45am so that he could get to his 8am workout in time.  The Independent's Millennial Love group is the best place to discuss to the highs and lows of modern dating and relationships. Join the conversation here.


themanchestereveningnews--2019-04-29--Adam Thomas and his wife Caroline on why they delayed their honeymoon after falling pregnant on thei

Adam Thomas and his wife Caroline on why they delayed their honeymoon after falling pregnant on their wedding night

Former Emmerdale star Adam Thomas and his wife Caroline have revealed why they postponed their honeymoon.  Adam, who played Adam Barton in the ITV rural soap, and dancer Caroline said "I do" in August 2017.  After returning from their 'mini-moon' after the wedding Caroline realised that she had fallen pregnant with their daughter Elsie on their wedding night.  Speaking in this week's issue of OK! Magazine she said they decided to delay having a honeymoon after finding out they were expecting their second child, who turns one in May.  "Mainly because Elsie was a total surprise for us," said Caroline.  "After our wedding we went to Italy for a few days on a mini-honeymoon and I felt really ill.  "It was only when we got home that I realised I fell pregnant on our wedding night!"  The couple have now enjoyed a 'magical' long-awaited honeymoon with Elsie and their son Teddy, four, in the Maldives.  Adam said: "‘We never really had a proper honeymoon when we got married, so this was our little honeymoon and family getaway rolled into one."  Adam, who left Emmerdale last year, and Caroline married at Delamere Manor in Cheshire.  Jointly sharing the best men duties were his former Coronation Street actor brother Ryan Thomas and his Love Island star twin Scott Thomas.  Teddy sprang a special wedding surprise on his mum by presenting her with a Rolex watch, a gift from his dad, as she was getting ready.  Adam shot to fame playing pupil Donte Charles in the Rochdale-based BBC One school drama Waterloo Road from 2006 to 2009. And he played farmhand and businessman Adam in Emmerdale from 2009.  Read the full story in this week's OK! Magazine out now.


themanchestereveningnews--2019-05-28--Wheatus turn up to wedding in Wigan - and they did not disappoint

A couple were amazed when their favourite band Wheatus performed a surprise gig at their wedding in Wigan.  Fran Barker and Sarah Barker-Mills have been huge of fans of the American pop rock band since their school days in the Noughties.  But their wedding day clashed with Wheatus' gig in their hometown on Bank Holiday Sunday.  Fran, 32, didn't want to miss out and messaged the band in secret on Instagram asking if they could do a one-off surprise gig at the ceremony.  To the bride-to-be's amazement, Wheatus and their tour manager agreed to do the gig FOR FREE.  Once the couple had exchanged their vows at the Old Courts in Wigan, the band appeared in front of the small congregation and performed an acoustic version of the 2000 hit, Teenage Dirtbag.  Fran's now wife, Sarah, 28, had no idea about the secret gig.  "We would have been at their actual gig had it not been our wedding day," says Fran.  "I just decided to message them beforehand. I said if you fancy crashing a big gay wedding that would be phenomenal.  "And to my amazement they were straight on the phone and said they would love to come.  "No one, including Sarah, knew this was planned. We exchanged our vows, had some prosecco and then they burst through the door.  "To us, Wheatus songs are our music from when we first started dating.  "Sarah couldn't believe it and was singing her heart out. They performed Teenage Dirtbag, obviously, and our other favourite, A Little Respect.  "Their acoustic versions were amazing. They just rocked it. If anyone gets the chance to go see them, definitely go."  Fran and Sarah arranged their wedding on a budget, making all their own decorations and serving up delicious savouries made by their friends at HMPasties.  After their wedding ceremony, the couple and their party of 40 guests enjoyed a reception at Greenslate Community Farm.  "We have worked so hard to create a cheap but wonderful wedding," added Fran.  "It was the epitome of what can happen when friends and family pull together to create something magical."  Wheatus play The Deaf Institute in Manchester on Wednesday, May 29 .


themanchestereveningnews--2019-08-07--Winning a wedding on the anniversary of our four year engagement was a dream come true

'Winning a wedding on the anniversary of our four year engagement was a dream come true'

A young couple who celebrated their four year engagement on Tuesday have won the wedding of their dreams, courtesy of the M.E.N.  Abbie Mather, 25, from Marple and Kev Prince, 30, from Woodley, were the lucky couple who scooped an incredible wedding package worth £12,000, after collecting the most tokens for our famous Win a Wedding competition.  Abbie and Kev, who have been together for five years, collected tokens from the M.E.N between June to 22 and July 20.  With help from their family, friends and even strangers, they collated an impressive amount of tickets and were invited to the Finale Event at Best Western Smokies Park Hotel, where the wedding will be held.  There were tears of joy as Abbie and Kev, alongside their two-year-old daughter Bella, were surrounded by loved ones as they were crowned winners of their ultimate dream wedding.  Carer Abbie currently lives with her two daughters Kaitlyn, 8 and Bella, 2 in Marple whilst fiancé Kev lives with his mum in Woodley.  The pair have been saving to buy a home together but with limited funds, Abbie and Kev had to postpone plans for their wedding to put their family home first.  Now they say the wedding prize is a 'dream come true' as they will tie the knot in January next year, much sooner than they had planned.  Abbie said: "We honestly didn't expect to win at all.  "We've always talked about our wedding but we knew we couldn't afford it.  "With trying to save for a house and providing for our two daughters, we had to push our wedding back. It wasn't in the pipeline for near future.  "Winning the wedding is just a dream come true and I can't wait to marry my best friend."  Just three weeks before we released our competition, Abbie had emailed the hotel to enquire about prices for a wedding.  "I contacted Smokies three weeks before I saw the advert to get some quotes as we loved the place.  "It's our dream wedding venue and I can't believe we're actually going to be getting married there."  Abbie had come across the competition whilst she was at work, and immediately entered herself and Kev.  Family, friends and strangers all came together to help the couple collect tickets from the M.E.N, in the hope of them winning the sensational wedding package prize.  Abbie said: "We had a lot of people involved - family, friends and even strangers.  "Marple news agents put a box in their shop for people to donate tokens to us.  "There were so many people we didn't know routing for us, it was lovely."  When Abbie and Kev were crowned winners at the Best Western Smokies Park Hotel on August 6 - they were in utter shock.  "Our friends and family were saying 'surely you've got to be close' but we didn't believe it," Abbie said.  "When I heard our names, I screamed, jumped up and ran over to hug and kiss Kev and Bella.  "It still hasn't sunk in."  On the same day they were announced as winners, Abbie and Kev celebrated the anniversary of their four year engagement which they say made the day 'extra special.'  "It was uncanny really, we couldn't believe it," they said.  "It was meant to be."  On Sunday January 11, 2020, Abbie and Kev will tie the knot in a special ceremony at Best Western Smokies Park Hotel.  The wedding package caters for up to 120 guests and includes a red carpet arrival, 4-course wedding breakfast, evening meal and a luxurious bridal suite.  Abbie and Kev have already set the wheels in motion for their big day, as they have been looking at rings and ideas for suits and dresses.  The package also includes a designer bridal gown from Alica Ada Bridal; two customised wedding bands with engraving from Diamond Heaven, a bespoke floristry package from Occasions, a wedding cake by Slattery, hair and makeup by Absolutely Flawlesss, a full photography package and photo booth from Tim Simpson Photography, chair covers, bows and centre pieces from Joyous Moments Venue Dressing, and a luxury vintage wedding care hire from Horgans.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news. We are on Instagram too. We'll also bring you live updates and notifications of breaking news on the M.E.N. app - download it here.


thesun--2019-02-28--Ed Sheeran and wife Cherry Seaborn to throw massive festival-style party this summer with A-list gue

Ed Sheeran and wife Cherry Seaborn to throw massive festival-style party this summer with A-list guests to celebrate their wedding

ED Sheeran and wife Cherry Seaborn are planning to throw a massive festival-style party this summer with A-list guests to celebrate their wedding.  The newly-married couple, who wed in a secret winter ceremony last December, are sending out invites to a wider group of pals including Taylor Swift and their royal friends.  Global superstar Ed, 28, and hockey player Cherry, 26, tied the knot in front of only 40 people in Suffolk shortly before Christmas as they wanted no fuss and for the day to be completely intimate.  But the pair were always going to host a big celebration for their famous pals including Jennifer Aniston and colleagues who did not know about the wedding – and it'll be a day to remember as they promise to go big on the festival-themed event.  Stars close to Ed that are likely to join him on the special day include the likes of Courteney Cox, Elton John and Princess Eugenie.  A source said: "Ed and Cherry are planning a festival-style party for a wider list to happen at the end of the summer.  “That will be all singing and dancing, and they’ll be able to invite Taylor and those who work with the record company and royal friends.”  The Sun revealed last night that Ed married Cherry at his country estate despite having his plans to build a wedding chapel on site rejected.  A source close to the singer said: "Ed got married a few days before Christmas. It was very quiet – just Ed’s oldest school pals, limited family and the priest.  “There were only 40 people – so no Taylor, record company executives or any royals or pop star pals.  "He wanted no fuss and for it to be something entirely for them – just a tiny winter wedding.  “It’s amazing that he’s the biggest pop star in the world but he was just able to quietly slide off and wed.  “Neither of them were that fussed about making a big deal about it. Cherry just wanted to get it out of the way without any problems or intrusions.”  Ed had been wearing an engagement ring made by Cherry out of silver clay since popping the question in December 2017 to avoid anyone knowing when he was hitched.  He told an Australian radio station last March: “We were both kind of wearing rings. It also means that nobody will know when we have got married.”


thesun--2019-05-28--Father of bride collapses at daughters wedding rehearsal dinner but no-one tells her hed died unti

Father of bride collapses at daughter’s wedding rehearsal dinner but no-one tells her he’d died until AFTER she was married

A BRIDE’S dad died after he collapsed on stage the night before his daughter’s wedding - but she wasn’t told until after she tied the knot.  P Vishnuprasad, 55, from Kerala, south India, fell while performing on a stage in front of shocked guests.  Vishnuprasad who worked for the police was rushed to hospital where medics said he suffered from a suspected cardiac arrest and pronounced him dead.  His daughter Archa was kept in the dark about her father’s passing with family members reportedly telling her he was recovering in hospital until the wedding was over.  She was told the day of her dad’s cremation that he passed away.  The family said it’s what he would have wanted.  The chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, said: “I deeply condole the death of sub-inspector Vishnuprasad.  “It is extremely sad to learn that he collapsed while singing on the eve of his daughter's wedding.  “I extend my condolences to his family members and relatives.”  We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thesun--2019-11-27--Mother of the groom horrifies guests by changing into TRACKIES at wedding – before the couple even s

Mother of the groom horrifies guests by changing into TRACKIES at wedding – before the couple even sit down for dinner

A MOTHER-of-the-groom has been slammed as disrespectful after she changed out of her dress into a pair of trackies for the reception.  The bride’s new mother-in-law ditched her frock and put on some baggy tracksuit bottoms, before the couple had sat down for dinner, cut the cake or done the speeches.  Guests were horrified when they spotted she had changed, saying she ruined the vibe of the “gorgeous and expensive wedding”.  The snap of the very casual mother-in-law was shared to Facebook group That’s It I’m Wedding Shaming, by one horrified guest.  She said: “OMG!!! Y’all I am in absolute shock that I just attended a gorgeous (And expensive) wedding which then turned into a WTF!  “Yes that is mother of the groom in sweats.  “She literally changed into a f***ing tracksuit as soon as dinner began.  “I’m embarrassed for her and feel so bad for the couple. No cake, dance, toast, and bouquet toss pics will be of a well-dressed wedding party.  “Her horrible daughter and son-in-law followed suit and left early.  “People are so s****y. Needless to say the bride’s family all thought it was gross and classless too!”  Her post has racked up hundreds of likes and comments, as the mother-in-law was branded 'selfish'.  One person said: “Her way of disrespecting the bride. She’s an a******.”  Another said: “She looks like a random person who just stumbled in from the street.”  A third added: “Seems like she’s selfish and truly does not give a s***.  "Hopefully someone can photoshop that into a dress with leggings.”  Someone else thought: “She should have just kept walking after she changed. Right to her car.”  While this person added: “That's one way to say you hate your daughter in law.”  Meanwhile, this bride claims she was "sl*t shamed" over her slinky wedding dress.  And this bride shed a whopping 7st to fit into her dream size 10 wedding dress.  Plus this wedding guest got roasted for turning up in a nude bra.


birminghammail--2019-05-20--Golden Tamworth couple celebrate wedding anniversary by donating to charity

A kind Tamworth couple celebrated their marriage milestone by giving donations to charity.  Golden wedding couple Geoff and Jackie Dawson, from Bonehill, tied the knot in St Helens back on May 10, 1969. But instead of presents, they asked for donations to Macmillan Cancer Support and First Responders at their Statfold Barn celebrations, raising hundreds in the process - £250 for Macmillan and £170 for First Responders.  Jackie said: “When you get to this age you have got everything you want and people do want to give so we thought we would ask for donations. We have never needed the charities but you hear so many good reports of what they do.”  Jackie, 74, and Geoff, 71 have a shared love of music, theatre and gardening and often take their motorhome to Scotland and France. But when they first met in 1966 Jackie was engaged to another man!  Geoff said: “I first met Jackie the day I started work at Pilkingtons in St Helens. I was shown into the computer room where I would be working and my eyes were immediately drawn to an attractive young lady. I remember my first thoughts were ‘I hope I will be working with her’.  “And so it turned out - we worked together operating the computer. Initial prospects for us were not promising. I was 18 and she was nearly 21 and engaged but we worked really well together, enjoyed each other’s company and laughed a lot. And, as you can see, it did work out.  “Our wedding, like most others back then, was a simple affair. You can see it was a long time ago because the pictures are in black and white! We got married at the local methodist church followed by a reception in the upstairs room of a pub. We only just fit into the room and Jackie had to make her entrance to the top table by crawling underneath it!”  Remembering how they got together, Jackie said: “It was a bit slow at first but it was inevitable. We knew after a few months really. We worked shifts together, mornings and afternoons, and we worked really hard so we could finish early.”  Their honeymoon was a three day stay in a hotel in Fishguard, south Wales, or so they thought!  Geoff recalled: “Unfortunately there was a mix up. The date I thought was our last night, they thought was the day we were leaving and all their rooms were booked by members of a visiting London orchestra.  “They took pity on us and found us a local B and B not far away which also had members of the orchestra staying. So on our honeymoon we were serenaded by musicians practising for that evening performance. Maybe that is where our shared interest in classical music first developed!”  The couple moved to Bonehill in 1987 and have lived there ever since. They have two sons, Phillip, 47 and John, 44, and four grandchildren, Rose, Natt, Connie and Joe.  And asked their secret, Geoff said: “There has always got to be love there but we also get on really well. We are each other’s favourite company.  “We still make a great team, we still enjoy each other’s company and we still laugh a lot and long may it continue.”  Jackie said: “We just get on really well. We are basically best friends and have the same interests. We don’t stop each other doing anything.”


cnn--2019-04-01--Buttigieg officiates wedding for young couple right before their baby is delivered

The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, ended up officiating a couple's wedding Monday morning -- and hours later, the couple's child was born.  The Democratic presidential hopeful posted on Facebook that the couple was on their way to the hospital for their 9 a.m. C-section appointment, and wanted to be married before their baby was delivered.  The couple, who Buttigieg referred to as Mary and Gabe without using their surnames, came to Buttigieg's office shortly before their appointment. Buttigieg said they had all the necessary paperwork and asked him if he would "do the honors," he wrote.  "I corralled a few staff members as they were trickling into the office, to serve as witnesses, and filled out the paperwork," Buttigieg wrote. "Their rings weren't ready, so one of my colleagues found a ribbon that would do the trick."  He wrote the couple "newly married, left my office with just enough time to get to the hospital. And a few moments ago, they sent Mark in my office this photo of Gabe with young Jade Katherine Jones, South Bend's newest resident." "It's moments like this that I'll miss when my term as mayor comes to an end," Buttigieg wrote, and congratulated the newlyweds and new parents. Buttigieg, who is 37, has formed a presidential exploratory committee, and if elected would be the youngest president in US history, the first candidate to go straight from a mayor's office to the White House and the first married gay president. Also on Monday, Buttigieg had announced he raised more than $7 million during the first quarter of this year. He has previously talked about how his presidential hopes are informed by his experiences as mayor. "Being a mayor of a city of any size, especially in the strong mayor system we have in my community where there's no one else to call when there's an emergency or major policy issue, is arguably the best kind of preparation you can have," Buttigieg said at a CNN town hall in March. He noted it is more "traditional" to run for president after serving in Congress or having a "background in Washington," but "I would also argue that we would be well served if Washington started to look more like our best-run cities and towns, rather than the other way around."


thedailyrecord--2019-07-24--West Lothian couple celebrate 60th wedding anniversary

David and Annie Nisbet met in Whitburn one night in 1957 and had their first date the following evening at the Regal in Bathgate.  The next year they were engaged and finally they married in July 1959 in the church at Harthill. They moved into their first home in Fauldhouse, where the rent was a princely sum of 50 pence per week.  Two sons followed: Robert was born in 1960 and John in 1962.  They live happily in retirement today surrounded by their four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you on our website.  Follow us on social media for news updates - on Facebook @WestLothianCourier, and on Twitter @WestLothianCour.


breitbart--2019-12-17--World's Oldest Couple Celebrates 80th Anniversary

John and Charlotte Henderson will celebrate their eight-decade partnership just before Christmas, on December 22.  The Texas couple are 106 and 105, and have spent the vast majority of the last century together. Their romantic epic began at a University of Texas zoology course in 1934, where John was seated behind his future partner. “I thought he was just a fine fella, and I didn’t mind his looking over my shoulder,” Charlotte told the Washington Post.  After a five year engagement — “it took her five years to make up her mind that she wanted to get married,” John laughed — the young couple were wed in front of just two guests on December 22, 1939. They settled in Baytown, Texas, and John moved from coaching to working for Humble Oil and Refining Co. until his retirement in 1972.  The couple credits the longevity of their lives and marriage to living in moderation, though John noted that they never had children, and “some people have said that’s really why we’ve lived so long!” They follow responsible diets, they don’t drink (much), and they exercise regularly.  And while the pair does not “argue,” that is not because of a lack of disagreement; they have a pact to always settle things before bedtime. At the beginning of their marriage, Austin had barely more than 50,000 citizens. Two million people, and nearly a century later, this love story is still going strong.


sputnik--2019-11-14--Bollywood Power Couple Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh Stun Netizens on First Wedding Anniversary

Kick-starting their anniversary celebrations, the couple, along with their families flew to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh from Mumbai to offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara at the famous Tirumala Tirupati Temple.  Both Ranveer, and Deepika took to Instagram to share the same picture of themselves, dressed in Indian ethnic attire, posing outside of the temple.  While Deepika looked breathtakingly beautiful in a bridal red kanjeevaram saree, Ranveer donned a traditional white and golden kurta-pyjama.  Deepika completed her look with exquisite gold jewellery and by wearing vermilion (sindoor) on her forehead, a traditional and religious symbol of married women in India.  According to media reports, the actors along with their families, are expected to travel to the Holy city of Amritsar to offer prayers at the holiest Sikh shrine - "Golden Temple".  The couple, who has worked in three hit Hindi movies together, is totally adored by Bollywood buffs in India.  Netizens took to the social networking platform to shower #DeepVeer with love and blessings.  The actors, who began dating back in 2012, tied the knot in an extravagant and intimate wedding ceremony in Lake Como, Italy last year.  The duo will dazzle the silver screen in their next movie titled ’83, which is a biopic based on the life of legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev slated for release in April 2020. While Ranveer will essay the role of Dev himself, Deepika will play his on-screen wife.


eveningstandard--2019-08-02--Declan Donnelly shares romantic throwback for fourth wedding anniversary

Declan Donnelly celebrated his fourth wedding anniversary with wife Ali Astall with an adorable throwback to their big day.  The black and white picture of the newlyweds, who married in 2015, sees the pair holding hands as they cut their wedding cake.  The Britain’s Got Talent host tweeted the picture and his thoughts at the end of their special day with Donnelly explaining to his seven million followers that their 11-month-old daughter Isla Elizabeth had played a very important part in making the day so memorable.  Donnelly, 43, wrote: "I can’t believe this was 4 years ago today. It’s gone by so quickly. Thanks for all the lovely messages. We’re having a lovely anniversary, our first with our beautiful baby girl ?? D&A x."  It has become a tradition for Donnelly to publicly mark their anniversary as he shares images with his fans almost every year.  In August 2018, however, the pair didn’t share a picture as they were busy preparing for the birth of their daughter, who arrived on September 1.  Back in March of that year, they shared another wedding snap to confirm the happy news that they were expecting their first child together.  At the time he tweeted: “Just wanted to say thank you for all the lovely messages. The news has sneaked out a little earlier than we had hoped but Ali and I are delighted to be expecting our first child.  “Thanks for all the love, we really appreciate it D x."  The couple have been together since 2013 and will celebrate Isla's birthday next month.


eveningstandard--2019-08-06--Holly Willougby shares rare wedding photo for 12th anniversary with Dan Baldwin

Holly Willoughby has shared an adorable picture from her wedding on her 12th anniversary.  The image appears to have been taken on their big day, where a happy Willoughby can be seen hugging husband Dan Baldwin closely.  The Instagram post was captioned: “12 years of [heart emoji]”.  The mum-of-three – who shares children Harry, 10, Belle, eight, and Chester, four, with her spouse – tied the knot on 4 August 2007, with a ceremony at St. Michael’s Church before hosting a wedding reception at Amberley Castle on the South Downs in West Sussex.  She wore a wedding dress she designed herself, which she wore again to celebrate Prince Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding in May 2018.  Reminiscing about her own big day on This Morning, she said: "I wanted the massive dress and the towering heels. But I regretted it and I ended up walking around barefoot for the whole day. It was fun, but the hem of my dress is ruined now."  Willoughby also paid tribute to Baldwin on Father’s Day with a special social media post.  She wrote on Instagram: “And to this one… the best Dad we could wish for… we love you so so much… our [world emoji].”  Having previously posted a picture of her and her own father, Willoughby later returned to Instagram with a lovely message for her co-star Phillip Schofield, who is also a dad.  Sharing a picture of the pair smiling, she wrote: “Talking of important men in my life on Fathers Day. Here’s another one.  “My partner on the telly and one of my best friends in the world… love you @schofe”.  Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford are currently covering for Willoughby and Schofield during their extended summer break from presenting This Morning.


theindependent--2019-07-04--David and Victoria Beckham share throwback photos to mark 20th wedding anniversary

David and Victoria Beckham have marked their 20th wedding anniversary by sharing a series of throwback pictures on Instagram.  On 4 July 1999, the celebrity couple married at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland, two years after meeting at a charity football match.  Two decades later, the Beckhams have celebrated their anniversary by sharing a collection of photographs taken throughout their relationship on social media, ranging from snaps taken on their wedding day to fashion faux pas.  On Thursday, David's posted several pictures from their wedding, the 2014 Met Gala and of the couple with their four children.  "WOW 20 years, look what we created," the former professional footballer wrote in the caption. "Love you so much."  Victoria, meanwhile, shared a video compilation of throwback pictures on Instagram, writing in the caption: "20 years today. I love you so much xxxxx Kisses x @davidbeckham."  On his Instagram story, David also shared a card he and Victoria were given by their seven-year-old daughter, Harper, for their anniversary.  The card features cartoon versions of the couple and their children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.  "You are the best parents in the entire world," the card reads. "We love making memories with you."  Several Instagram users wished David and Victoria congratulations on their relationship milestone.  "Happy Anniversary both," wrote Rebekah Vardy, who is married to England footballer Jamie Vardy.  To see all of David and Victoria's best fashion moments throughout the years, click here.  The Independent's Millennial Love group is the best place to discuss to the highs and lows of modern dating and relationships. Join the conversation here.


themanchestereveningnews--2019-06-30--David and Victoria Beckham celebrate wedding anniversary watching The Killers

They're celebrating 20 years of marriage, and David and Victoria Beckham were a picture of wedded bliss as they joined festival-goers at Glastonbury.  Fashion designer Victoria swapped the catwalk for Worthy Farm as she cosied up to Manchester United icon David to watch The Killers on Saturday night.  The couple watched the barnstorming set which saw the rockers joined on stage by the Pet Shop Boys and The Smiths legend Johnny Marr.  The Pet Shop Boys played their cover of Elvis Presley's Always On My Mind and The Killers' hit Human.  And guitarist Johnny was next up to team up for a version of This Charming Man 35 years after The Smiths played Glastonbury.  Posh Spice posted a clip of The Killers performing Mr Brightside on the Pyramid Stage, before panning the camera around to herself and David sharing a cuddle at the side of the stage.  "Amazing night watching The Killers," she wrote on her Instagram.   The Spice Girl also shared a  picture of the couple at the festival on her Instagram story and captioned it: "So much fun!!"   Meanwhile the couple's eldest son Brooklyn, 20, has also been enjoying the festival with his girlfriend Hana Cross.    The model has been sharing videos of the couple partying on her Instagram, but complained the couple had been suffering from the heat as the festival basked in temperatures up to 28C.   Sharing a photo of the pair frowning into the camera she wrote "We hot" with a sweating emoji.  David and Victoria, who have four children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, were married on July 4 1999 by the Bishop of Cork Paul Colton at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland.  David's United teammate, Gary Neville was the best man and the couple's four-month-old son Brooklyn was the ring bearer at the ceremony.


thesun--2019-04-10--Charles and Camilla share heartwarming photo to mark 14th wedding anniversary

PRINCE Charles and Camilla have shared a heartwarming black and white photo to mark their 14th wedding anniversary.  The couple – snapped gazing adoringly at each other – attracted plenty of plaudits from well-wishers, who praised them for being “great together” and looking so “natural” in the photo.  The image of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall was shared yesterday to the Clarence House Instagram account and was shot for Vanity Fair by Alexi Lubomirski, reports the Mail Online.  The photographer also took the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s engagement and wedding photos.  Prince Charles, 70, is wearing a pinstripe blazer, white shirt and patterned tie, the Mail adds.  Camilla, 71, is wearing an embroidered white dress, with pearl earrings and matching necklace.  Clarence House shared the image with the message: “Thank you for your warm wishes on the occasion of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s wedding anniversary.”  Lubomirski reposted the photo, saying: “Happy Anniversary to HRH Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall!! Photo by me for @vanityfair [sic]."  The couple spent their anniversary visiting the refurbished Hillsborough Castle, near Belfast.  While there, Prince Charles unveiled a new portrait of himself at the late Georgian house, which is surrounded by up to 100 acres and has undergone a £20million makeover.  He said: "For me, Hillsborough has always been a special place. A place whose many stories reflect the complex history of this island."


thesun--2019-07-04--Inside the Beckhams VERY lavish wedding as they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary including

Inside the Beckham’s VERY lavish wedding as they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, including gold crowns, apple bouquets and a fairytale castle

TODAY sees one of the world’s most iconic couples celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.  Victoria and David Beckham said their “I do’s” at what has become one of the most famous celebrity weddings of all time.  Their nuptials took a total 14 months of preparations with the help of wedding planner Peregrine Armstrong-Jones and reportedly set the couple back an eye-watering £500,000.  Now, two decades after Posh & Becks sealed the deal, Fabulous Digital takes a look back at their extraordinarily lavish big day from the Spice Girls guest list to the Robin Hood theme.  The duo began dating back in 1997 after they were introduced at a charity football match in Manchester, and just a year later announced their engagement.  David popped the question on January 24 1998, less than a year after they met and posed for an iconic photograph following a press call.  Victoria flashed her new rock – a marquise-cut diamond on a yellow gold band, thought to have cost an estimated £66,825.  David has since gone on to present his wife with a further 13 engagement rings throughout their marriage as a token of his love.  According to OK!, whom the Beckhams exclusively sold their wedding photos taken by Brian Aris to, the theme of the couple’s wedding was inspired by Robin Hood, achieved with hues of green, burgundy and dark purple.  The theatrical scene was set at Ireland's Luttrellstown Castle which was previously a weekend escape for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.  The castle is located in Clonsilla on the outskirts of Dublin and stretches over 560 acres.  It also holds historical importance having hosted Queen Victoria in 1844 and 1900.  The Beckhams' wedding raised the castle's media profile, having flown a flag with their initials VBD from the turret – something they claim was “tongue in cheek.”  Whether the tongue in cheek extended to cutting the wedding cake with a sword we’re not sure.  As they said their “I do’s” a single dove was released as a symbol of the couple’s love.  Victoria even carried apples in her bouquet rather than flowers, the creation of florist Simon Lycett who revealed that they had been pierced to release the smell.  To add all the more to the drama, the newlyweds had his and hers golden thrones to sit on at the altar and let’s not forget the bride’s crown…  Posh’s 18-karat yellow gold fairy crown was the creation of jewellery designer Slim Barrett who said that the bride was looking for a “regal” feel.  The headpiece was embellished with 300 diamonds and is estimated to have cost between £18,000 - £25,000.  In 2013 it went up for auction but it failed to meet the designer’s undisclosed reserve price with bids stopping at £14,000. It has also previously been exhibited at the V&A.    As one of the most extravagant celebrity weddings in history, the bride’s dress had to be something special – and that it was.  Victoria arrived five minutes late to the ceremony at the Folly chapel of the castle wearing a custom-made structured ivory gown by Vera Wang accompanied by flower girls dressed as angels.  Costing a whopping £77,000, the somewhat demure number came as a surprise to some fans as Victoria was well known for her skin-tight style.  But the departure was a conscious one on VB’s part.  She told OK! at the time: “A lot of people were expecting me to have a tight little number with a great big slit up the side, but I wanted to look quite virginal on my wedding day.”  And in a break from tradition David was also dressed head to toe in white – until he wasn’t  At the reception the husband and wife changed into matching purple ensembles with even a four-month-old Brooklyn, who had acted as ring-bearer, trussed up in a violet cowboy ensemble.  Considering how high profile the Beckhams are, it was no surprise that David's best man was his teammate Gary Neville.  The successful footballer probably also had his other teammates there, too.  Of course, Posh made sure to invite her best friends and Spice Girl group mates.  The full guest list has never been released and with the lack of social media in the 90s, fans couldn't follow a wedding hashtag to see who was there, but one thing's for sure; it was full of known faces.  The couple were keen to keep the event as private as possible, with the only media permitted to attend being OK!  The BBC reported at the time that Sir Elton John had flown in from Italy between concerts to sing and play for the couple.  Guests were also treated to a musical performance by jazz musician Ola Onabule.  In the no-expense spared celebration, attendees dined on £48-a-head sit-down dinner, an 18-piece orchestra and fireworks display.  Victoria said of her extravagant ceremony at the time: “We don’t care what people say, as long as we’re happy and our families are happy.”  In the years that followed the couple have gone on to have three more children Romeo, Cruz and Harper and have relocated to LA before moving back to the UK in 2016.  Both Victoria and David have seen their careers and brand name flourish and having attended two royal weddings together are more high profile than ever.  Despite being hit with split rumours last year, something dubbed a “crock of s***” by David, the couple remain strong and still one of the most iconic in showbiz.


disrn--2019-12-16--World's oldest living couple celebrates 80 years of marriage

Last Updated Dec 16th, 2019 at 10:35 am  On December 22, John and Charlotte Henderson will celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary. Guinness World Records has named the 105- and 106-year-old the world's oldest living married couple.  John and Charlotte married in front of only two guests on Dec. 22, 1939, before honeymooning in San Antonio at a seven-dollar-per-night hotel.  The couple, who met in a zoology class in 1934, credits their incredible longevity to moderation. They eat right, don't drink much, and still exercise; both are reportedly in excellent health.


breitbart--2019-11-09--Texas Couple Sets Record as ‘Oldest Married Couple’ in the World

A couple in Austin, Texas, was recently named the “Oldest Married Couple” by Guinness World Records.  John Henderson is 106 years old and his wife, Charlotte, is 105, which is a combined age of 211 years. John said one of the secrets to their long and happy marriage is being kind to one another.  “Live life in moderation and be cordial to your spouse,” he stated.  The couple met while taking classes at the University of Texas (UT) in 1934, when she was studying to become a teacher and he was playing football for the Longhorn team.  John is also the oldest living former UT football player and has attended games with his wife at least once every season for the past 84 years.  The Hendersons were married during the Great Depression on December 15, 1939, and said the hotel room they rented for their honeymoon only cost them $7 at the time. Next month will mark their 80th wedding anniversary.  Both John and Charlotte are in excellent health and spend their days together at Longhorn Village, a senior living community for former UT staff and alumni.  Social media users took to the Guinness World Record website to offer their congratulations to the Henderson’s on reaching such an important milestone.  “John almost looks the same. His early pictures show that little almost hidden forever smile on his face and it seems to always be there,” wrote Sophia Plummer.  “Thats his secret. There’s a smile. He just keeps looking happy and its worked 106 years. Shes beautiful. Congratulations to this wonderful couple. May God always bless them,” she concluded.  “They are the most amazing couple-both still very sharp. Congratulations Henderson’s!!!!!” wrote Kay Hollenbeck.  In October, a couple in Paris, Texas, who was recognized by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2018 as the state’s “Longest Married Couple” celebrated their 82nd anniversary.  One-hundred-year-old Johnnie Leroy Chaffin and his wife, Fannie, 97, said the secret to their long and happy union was simple.  “Love is all I know. Love is one of the greatest things in the world if it’s done right. And that’s the way it is,” Johnnie said.  “I did love you,” his wife added. “So much, that’s why we had a house full of kids.”


drudgereport--2019-11-11--Oldest living couple in world says secret to success is moderation...

John Henderson is 106 and his wife, Charlotte, is 105.  The Hendersons have a love story that has quite literally stood the test of time. On December 15, they will celebrate 80 years of marriage.  The two met in class at The University of Texas in 1934. Charlotte was studying to become a teacher, while John was a guard for the football team.  They married in 1939 during the Great Depression and spent just $7 on the hotel room for their honeymoon.  In fact, John is also the oldest living former UT football player . For the past 84 years, he's held a tradition of attending at least one Longhorn football game each year. Both are still very healthy, and John exercises every day. Ten years ago, the two moved into the Longhorn Village, a senior living community associated with a University of Texas alumni group. Hook 'Em! So what's the secret to a long life and happy marriage after all? Live life in moderation and be cordial to your spouse, John said.


drudgereport--2019-12-18--World's oldest married couple celebrate 80th wedding anniversary...

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Family and friends of the oldest married couple in the world helped them celebrate yet another major milestone on Wednesday.  There was no doubt about the celebratory atmosphere in the air as John and Charlotte Henderson, who call Austin home, celebrated their 80th anniversary.  The couple’s wedding day was all the way back on Dec. 22, 1939, months after the start of the Second World War – and last month, John, 106, and 105-year-old Charlotte were presented with a Guinness World Record for the oldest married couple.  But the celebrations were only starting, as Longhorn Village, the senior living community where the couple live, helped them throw a huge party for their 80th anniversary.  They pulled out all the stops – parked outside the building was a 1920s roadster, similar to the one that John used to pick up Charlotte for their first date all those years ago.  At the time, Charlotte was studying to become a teacher, while John was a football player for the Longhorns.  Jason Free, who helped his great-uncle and aunt claim the world record by alerting Guinness to their longevity, told KXAN what makes them so special.  READ MORE: World’s oldest couple lives in Austin; their advice for a happy life  “They are a wonderful couple, and an example of a very happy couple – glad to be around each other, travel together, and live life,” Jason said.  “They’ve always been very forward-looking people, always very positive about the future, looking forward to tomorrow and what the future holds.  “They’ll tell you the stories of the past, but they don’t dwell on the past – they remember it, but they look forward to the future, and they’ve always been that way.  “They’ve always been great to be around at the holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving. During the football season they would always come to Austin before they moved here. [John] was always an avid UT football fan, so we could definitely always catch up and talk sports.”  Jim Bissett, a resident at Longhorn Village who has been friends with the couple for the last 10 years, told a story about helping John buy a new computer monitor.  When Jim told John that it came with a three-year warranty, John joked that it didn’t matter – he wouldn’t live that long.  That was about five years ago.  John may have been wrong, but the story shows his sense of humor, Jim said.  “They’re just gracious, nice, kind people. They’re salt of the earth,” he added.  Guests at the anniversary party were treated to a huge spread of food, while photos of the couple from over the years were projected onto a wall.  A long line of people formed to congratulate John and Charlotte, who will officially mark 80 years together on Dec. 22. • Rudolph, not Santa, is coming to town!


trueactivist--2019-08-03--22-Year Wedding Anniversary Celebrated By An Unlikely Couple With Down Syndrome

Marital bliss is a wonderful experience meant to last “till death do us part.” Sadly, only a few marriages last longer than 10 years with the couple going their separate ways, what more a lifetime. This is especially true for showbiz marriages among celebrities. But, against all odds, a couple of “celebrities” recently celebrated 22 years of marital bliss. Maryanne and Tommy Pilling are the UK’s first couple with Down Syndrome to tie the knot.  You can just imagine the criticism and cynicism their decision to marry received two decades ago in a church in Essex. Many thought it was a bad idea, and that their marriage would not last. The idea of two people with the condition of Down Syndrome marrying and living together was unheard of. How can two people care for each other and even raise a family if they have difficulty taking care of themselves?  Well, “love knows no bounds,” as they say, and the couple proved just that after celebrating 22 years of marriage, and living together in their own home, although Maryanne’s sister Lindi Newman and her family live next door to help out in case they need assistance. And their love gets stronger. They thank those who believed in them, particularly Maryanne’s mother, who went through a lot of negative criticism when she agreed to the wedding.  “My wedding was the best day of my life. I was shocked when Tommy proposed but I didn’t have to think twice about saying yes,” Maryanne was quoted as saying. “Tommy and I never argue. I love my husband very much. He is my best friend,” she adds. The couple re-enacted from dirty dancing their first dance to celebrate their anniversary. Even with lots of people in attendance, it appeared the couple was oblivious of the guests and danced sweetly as if they were the only ones there.  Maryanne’s sister explains, “Maryanne had dreamed about a big white wedding since she was a little girl and that’s exactly what she had. It was a beautiful day.” She continues, “When they walk down the street holding hands they make a statement but in a good way. Some people stare, they assume people with Down Syndrome and learning difficulties can’t get married. But we also get so many lovely messages from people who are inspired by their story.”  A Facebook page dedicated to the couple is managed by Maryanne’s sister Lindi. It narrates the life of the couple with wonderful pictures showing them lovingly enjoying each other’s company. Lots of people wish them well. “People worried about their own children or grandchildren with Down Syndrome get hope from Maryanne and Tommy’s story, hope that their children can also fall in love and live happily ever after,” Lindi adds.  Truly one love story for the books. The adoration, patience, and understanding they have for each other makes you wonder why some “normal” couples can’t seem to cherish their own marriages. Unconditional love from a couple with Down Syndrome conditions.  What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!


sputnik--2019-08-28--Heidi Klum Welcomes New Family Member Upon Return From Italian Honeymoon

Heidi Klum celebrated National Dog Day on Monday by welcoming an adorable pooch named Anton to her family, having posted a series of cute photos of the puppy on her Instagram account.  While the supermodel did not reveal his breed, many commenters assumed by his grey muzzle and shaggy coat that Anton is an Irish Wolfhound.  The dog's adoption appeared to be one of the first things Heidi and her newly-minted hubby, Tom Kaulitz, have done since returning from their magical honeymoon in Italy. They have been dating since early 2018 and got engaged in December. The couple legally tied the knot in February 2019, but celebrated their marriage for the second time in a lush Italian ceremony earlier this month.  Although it's unclear what other pets the family owns, Anton has joined Heidi's four children: a 15-year-old daughter, Leni, from Flavio Briatore, the Italian managing dierctor of Renault's Formula One team, and three kids she shares with her ex-husband, singer Seal, 14-year-old Henry, 12-year-old Johan, and 10-year-old Lou.


theindependent--2019-12-26--Prince William and Kate Middleton release new family photograph for annual Christmas card

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been praised for releasing a "natural"-looking family photograph for their annual Christmas card.  The black-and-white snap was taken by Kate Middleton earlier this year in Norfolk, where the family have a home.  In the image, Prince William is captured kissing his one-year-old son, Prince Louis, on the cheek, while Princess Charlotte, four, gently rests her hands on Louis’s shoulders.  Meanwhile, Prince George, six, is pictured alongside his siblings sitting in a small woven chair.  All members of the royal family are dressed casually, with Prince George wearing a fleece and camouflage shorts and Princess Charlotte in a floral skirt and a puffer jacket.  Both Prince Louis and Prince William are pictured wearing jeans and a jumper, with William adding a flat cap to his outfit.  The photograph has been widely praised on social media, with royal fans praising the family for releasing a “natural” snap.  “A beautiful, natural photograph Catherine of your beautiful family, Merry Christmas,” tweeted one person.  Another Twitter user described the photo as “a proper family picture” while others praised Kate Middleton’s photography skills.  The photograph comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released their Christmas card, which was also a black-and-white photo.  The image was taken by Meghan’s close friend Janina Gavankar, who is an American actor best known for her TV roles.  The photo features the couple’s seven-month-old son, Archie Harrison, staring right down the camera lens while his parents laugh behind him with a Christmas tree in the background.


thesun--2019-02-17--Entrepreneur opens up about how a DNA test revealed her dad wasnt her father and how she discover

Entrepreneur opens up about how a ‘DNA test revealed her dad wasn’t her father’ and how she discovered her new family

SITTING at my computer, I froze. For weeks, I’d been trying to convince myself that my suspicions were wrong – but the DNA results were clear.  When I handed my parents vials to spit into in January 2014, I had no idea what the repercussions would be. My then-fiancé Kevin and I had taken DNA tests two months before as we were curious about potential health risks, and it made sense for my parents to be tested, too – especially as Mum was already suffering with severe dementia.  When I logged on to the DNA site two months later to find out their results, I didn’t see anything out of place. Then I read the section that explains how you’re genetically connected to others who’ve also taken the test. My mum’s name was there, but my dad’s was nowhere to be seen. Clearly it was a mistake, I decided. The company insisted there was no error, but I was in denial and asked Dad to do another test. The results, which came back two days after my wedding in June 2014, were the same. My mind started to whir. I was sure I wasn’t the result of an affair because I know just how loyal my mum is, so that left just one possibility: I’d been conceived using a sperm donor.  Of course I wanted answers, but Mum’s illness made asking her impossible and I didn’t feel I could add to my dad’s anxiety either, as he was dealing with her condition and at 86, he was pretty frail himself.  We didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but I was a daddy’s girl and we’d do so much together, like going to the movies or boating. So after speaking to Kevin, I decided to keep the news secret from my dad and not search for my donor until he died. But a month later, I was in anguish. I’d look in the mirror unable to recognise myself.  I talked it through with various people, but they found it hard to know what to say.  In February 2015, my dad announced that he knew I’d been looking for my biological father. He didn’t tell me how he’d found out, but it was clear how very hurt and upset he was. I didn’t know if it was just because I was searching, or because he hadn’t known about the donation at all. I felt so sad, because I loved him so much yet he was being so distant. Our relationship became strained, and I tried to speak to him about it again a few months later. I told him that no matter what, he would always be my dad, but he just said he couldn’t talk about it any more. I was heartbroken when he died a year later and we hadn’t managed to fully make peace with each other.  While Kevin offered amazing support, I wanted to meet others like me, so I set up a local donor conception group and we got together monthly to share our stories.  Although Kevin and I hope to have our own kids one day, I had been through so much and I wanted to give a child the experience I wish I’d had growing up: of knowing they were donor conceived and by whom.  I became an egg donor through a fertility website and helped a woman in Australia become a mum in 2016 – I still get regular updates from the family.  I then trained as a coach specialising in donor conception issues and loved helping others. By that point, I’d come to terms with the fact I might never know who my biological father was. However, in July 2017 I logged on to the DNA website and couldn’t believe my eyes. Someone called Peter* had taken a test and matched with me – he was my father. I cried with joy and sent him a message. We exchanged photos and I could see the striking resemblance between us.  Four months later, I flew across the country with Kevin to meet Peter. When I saw him at the airport, I couldn’t stop staring. It was like a piece of a jigsaw slotting into place. I discovered they had four daughters – my half-sisters – which was amazing. I’ve since spoken to three of them and met one. Peter explained he’d become a sperm donor after he married to make some extra money while at medical school. He also said he’d donated more than once, so we’re assuming I have more siblings out there who we’re currently searching for. With my mum so unwell, I’ll never know the complete truth about my conception. But I’m OK with that, because now when I look in the mirror, I truly know who I am and have more confidence than ever before.”


birminghammail--2019-06-01--Kim Kardashian links to British royalty revealed after family tree traced

Kim Kardashian is descended from British royalty and 'could have a claim to the throne', a researcher has revealed.  The reality star's family tree was traced and found she was descended from the first king of Scotland and related to hero Rob Roy McGregor.  A Scottish journalist made the surprising discoveries after carrying out research into Kim's ancestry.  She can trace her family lineage right back to the MacGregor clan and is related to the famous cattle thief and Jacobite rebel Rob Roy.  And that gives her a legendary link to the first King of Scots Kenneth MacAlpin, reports the Daily Record .  Journalist and researcher Craig Williams was spurred on to investigate after reading about Kim’s family being fond of Scottish names.  Kim’s sister Kourtney christened her daughter Penelope Scotland Disick in July 2012, in reference to her mother’s Scottish ancestry.  Craig was amazed when he found out that the Los Angeles-born socialite can lay claim to having Highland blood as a descendent of one of the oldest clans in Scotland.  He said: "This all came about because I had seen the name of Kim’s niece was Penelope Scotland Disick.  "I thought the family must be aware of a Scottish background. And sure enough, when I searched the historical records, there it was.  "I had no idea they would be linked to such a towering figure from Scottish history though.  "And as the McGregors claim direct descent from Scottish kings, maybe Kim could have a claim on the throne."  Folk hero Rob Roy was born in Loch Katrine, Stirlingshire, in 1671, and became famous after the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s novel Rob Roy in 1817.  He was also the subject of a 1995 Hollywood movie starring Liam Neeson. His clan, the MacGregors, have the motto 'Royal is my race' and always claimed a direct line to the throne.  The link was uncovered via a search into the history of Kim’s great-great-great gran on her mum Kris Jenner’s side, Margaret Elizabeth Magee, who was born in Mississippi in 1856 and died in 1940.  Magee’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather was Thomas MacGee, who was born in 1645 in Scotland.  The information is in a document called the Magee Family History, written by Leon Walker from Mississippi and compiled by Leslie Magee Jr in 1990.  Thomas Magee is believed to have emigrated to Virginia in about 1670 with his family. He was a relation of Rob Roy, who was born in 1671.  Magee is thought to have changed his name from James MacGregor, fighting in his father’s clan for the cause of King Charles I during the civil wars of the 17th century.  He did so at a time when having the surname was punishable by death as a result of an edict by James VI of Scotland in 1603, following the death of 200 of the Clan Colquhoun a year earlier at the hands of the MacGregors in the Battle of Glen Fruin.  Some members of Magee’s family who remained in Scotland are said to have later served with their relative Rob Roy MacGregor in support of the Jacobite cause in 1715 and in the battle of Glen Shiel in 1719.  Meanwhile, Thomas Magee’s grandfather, Patrick MacGregor, is believed to have been born between 1578 and 1621 in Scotland, and was said to have been an outlaw operating in the Highlands in 1636.  An 1883 book Americans of Royal Descent by Charles Henry Browning confirms the name change of James MacGregor to Thomas Magee due to his family name being outlawed and that he did indeed move to Virginia.

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Jennifer Hyland, David Bentley)


thesun--2019-02-07--Meghan Markles family tree from mother Doria Ragland and father Thomas to her half-sister Samanth

Meghan Markle’s family tree – from mother Doria Ragland and father Thomas to her half-sister Samantha

SHE has married into the British Royal Family and become the Duchess of Sussex.  While the famous family Meghan is now part of are famous around the world, here's what we know about Meghan’s own family tree.  Some of Meghan’s family are well-known and were incredibly vocal in the run-up to the wedding.  But her mum was her only close relative at her wedding after her dad Thomas pulled out last minute.  And it was left to Prince Charles to walk her down the aisle for her wedding to Prince Harry at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19.  After intense speculation Meghan was pregnant, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed she was expecting on October 15.  Rumours had been rife after the 37-year-old wore loose clothing to a number of engagements.  The news was broke on Kensington Palace's Twitter.  It added: "Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.”  Her dad is Thomas Markle Snr, a 73-year-old former Emmy-award winning television lighting director.  He worked on iconic US shows including Married with Children and General Hospital.  Born in 1945, he is of Dutch-Irish origin and currently lives in New Mexico.  Thomas Snr married Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland in 1979, but they divorced in 1987.  Meghan’s mum was her only close relative attending the wedding, after her father pulled out.  Doria Ragland is a yoga instructor and social worker, and Meghan, born in 1981, is her only child.  Her Facebook page says the 61-year-old works in social work at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services in California.  Thomas Markle Snr’s oldest child, Samantha Grant, sometimes referred to as Samantha Markle, is 53.  In 2008 she was diagnosed with MS and now uses a wheelchair.  Samantha has been very vocal on her views on Meghan’s marriage, giving multiple interviews to US and UK media.  The former actress and model lives in Florida, and is currently writing a memoir called ‘Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister’.  She was not invited to the wedding.  He is the son of her father and his first wife, Roslyn, as is Samantha.  The father-of-two has previously had run-ins with the law, and works as a window fitter in Oregon.  He was not invited to the wedding.  Meghan has two nephews, Tyler and Thomas.  Aged 25 and 26, they are the sons of her half-brother Thomas Markle Jnr and his ex-wife Tracy Dooley.  Tyler is said to work on a Cannabis farm in Oregon, while Thomas, known as TJ, is believed to be a manager at a Domino’s restaurant.  Neither they nor their mother were invited to the wedding, but the trio arrived in London to appear as ‘special correspondents’ on Good Morning Britain before being dropped.  Meghan has three uncles and one aunt.  She has two uncles on her father’s side, and the remaining two on her mother’s side.  One of her uncles, Michael, said in August 2018 that he was "surprised" he was not on the guest list, saying his exclusion was a "snub" by the Royal Family.  The 78-year-old enjoyed a 19-year US government career but while he now suffers from Parkinson's disease he said he would have made the effort to be there at Windsor Castle for the wedding.  His daughter, Trish Gallop, 58, said she was equally saddened to have been left off the list.  Michael and Thomas Markle Snr’s other brother, Fred, is a bishop.  The 72-year-old is said to work at Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel in Flordia.  On her mother’s side, she has uncle Joseph Johnson, 68, and Doria’s half-sister, Saundra.  None of them were invited to the wedding.  It turns out Meghan has a host of famous and infamous relatives.  According to genealogists, she is distantly related to both William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill.  Research found Meghan is the Bard's fifth cousin 13 times removed on her mum Doria's side.  And she is a sixth cousin five times removed of Prime Minister Churchill through British settler Zachariah Howe.  And she is also believed to be related to the notorious serial killer H.H. Holmes.  It has been claimed Meghan has the American medic in her family tree.  He confessed to 27 murders, and is also a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders which rocked London in the 19th century.


thetelegraph--2019-03-20--Royal family tree where will Harry and Meghans baby fit into the line of succession to the British

Royal family tree: where will Harry and Meghan's baby fit into the line of succession to the British throne?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will welcome their first child in spring 2019 - but what does that mean for the royal family tree?  Harry - once third in line to the throne - and Meghan revealed their happy news to the Royal family in October at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle, where the duke and duchess were also married earlier in the year.  Most family members moved down a place in the succession ladder in April last year, following the birth of Prince Louis, whose arrival made history when he slotted in as fifth in line to the throne.  The birth of Prince William and his wife Kate's third child meant the line of succession now sees the latest Prince of Cambridge...


freedombunker--2019-11-26--Death Rate of Middle-Aged Americans Rises for Third Year

In 2010, U.S. life expectancy stopped rising. In 2014, it actually began to decline. This reversal can be largely attributed to an increase in the mortality rate of Americans between the ages of 25 and 64, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. U.S. life expectancy rose from 69.9 years in 1959 to 78.9 years in 2014. Average U.S. life expectancy declined in each of the following three years and is now at 78.6 years.  The decline was greater for men (0.4 years) than for women (0.2 years). Life expectancy for non-Hispanic whites fell from 78.8 to 78.5 years; non-Hispanic blacks saw a decline from 75.3 to 74.8 years; and Hispanics experienced a decline from 82.1 to 81.8 years.  Rising mortality among Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 years accounts for the reversal in rising life expectancy. The study reports that, between 2010 and 2017, the all-cause mortality rate for middle-aged Americans rose from 328.5 to 348.2 deaths per 100,000 persons. Among Americans ages 25 to 34, the mortality rate increased from 102.9 to 132.8 deaths during that period.  While the focus of the article is on mid-life mortality rates, the researchers note that some "recent data suggest that all-cause mortality rates are increasing among those aged 15 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years (increasing from 44.8 deaths/100,000 to 51.5 deaths per 100,000 and from 83.4 deaths/100,000 to 95.6 deaths/100,000, respectively, during 2013-2017)."  Some good news is that mortality rates continued to fall at the tail ends of the age distribution. Between 1999 and 2017, the infant mortality rate dropped from 736 to 567 per 100,000 births while mortality among children ages 1 through 14 declined from 22.9 to 16.5 deaths per 100,000. Older Americans are living longer too: The mortality rate among adults between the ages of 65 and 84 fell from 3,774.6 to 2,875.4 deaths per 100,000.  The researchers report a striking geographic pattern in rising mortality rates, noting that the largest relative increases have occurred in the Ohio Valley and New England. For example, the mid-life mortality rate for both New Hampshire and West Virginia increased more than 23 percent. In New Hampshire, it rose from a low of 255.1 in 2010 to 314.7 per 100,000 in 2017. In West Virginia, it climbed from 424.4 in 1999 to 567.9 per 100,000 in 2017.  What is going on? The researchers point to rising deaths from drug overdoses, alcoholic liver disease, and suicides as the primary reasons for why mid-life mortality rates have been rising. Between 1999 and 2017, the mid-life drug overdose death rate rose from 6.7 to 32.5 deaths per 100,000; the chronic liver disease death rate from 6.4 to 8.9 per 100,000; and the suicide death rate from 13.4 to 18.6 per 100,000. In addition, the mortality rate from hypertension during that period rose from 6.1 to 11 deaths per 100,000 while the rate from obesity increased from 1.3 to 2.7 deaths per 100,000.  The JAMA researchers glumly report: "According to one estimate, if the slow rate of increase in US life expectancy persists, it will take the United States more than a century to reach the average life expectancy that other high-income countries had achieved by 2016."  Evidently more middle-aged Americans are drugging and drinking themselves to death, as well as deliberately taking their lives. Why? Among other things, the authors point out that "the largest relative increases in midlife mortality occurred among adults with less education and in rural areas or other settings with evidence of economic distress or diminished social capital." As one immediate cause, the researchers point the rise in the use of prescription opioids in the late 1990s. They fail to note the unintended consequences of the federal government mandate for an abuse-deterrent reformulation of prescription opioids that resulted in the massive rise in overdose deaths as users switched to street heroin and fentanyl.  What to do? A good start would be to end the drug war and adopt policies that enable folks to get out the local poverty traps in which they are stuck.


naturalnews--2019-04-18--CDC says US birth rates are down death rates are up

CDC says U.S. birth rates are down, death rates are up

(Natural News) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that U.S. birth rates were down in 2017 by more than two percent compared to 2016. The downward, depopulating trend has been observed in recent years. The CDC also said that death rates were up, with heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s becoming all too common.  This is all good news for Bill Gates and other eugenics cheerleaders who openly call for depopulation efforts. In a 2010 TED presentation, Microsoft mogul Bill Gates talked about combating climate change by reducing the world’s population. Gates, who spends hundreds of millions of dollars on vaccine development and deployment, argues that: “The world today has 6.8 billion people… that’s headed up to about 9 billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent.”  He presented a formula for reducing CO2 emissions: CO2 = People x Services per person x Energy per service x CO2 per energy unit. In order to get CO2 to zero, Gates said, “probably one of these numbers is going to have to get pretty close to zero.” Since the adoption of Bill Gates’ Common Core curriculum in public schools, textbooks have indoctrinated the next generation about the “problem of overpopulation.”  Some of the world’s richest and most powerful people believe that human population should be controlled at a level desirable to them (much like China’s one child policy.) Since then, the world has also witnessed the discovery of vaccines laced with sterilization chemicals, targeting African children.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  The CDC said deaths from “age-related” diseases are on the rise, even though conditions such as Alzheimer’s aren’t necessarily age-related. Alzheimer’s has been linked to the accumulation of heavy metals (such as the aluminum found in vaccines) passing through the blood and blood-brain barrier to destroy memory processes. In a cause and effect world, age isn’t a contributing factor to disease. Bad habits established over time cause chronic disease, but time alone doesn’t cause pain, suffering, and decimated cellular health.  Unfortunately, America doesn’t have the best healthcare system in the world. The increasing rate of disease came at a time when Americans were paying the most they ever had for healthcare. There are rarely any results — only a diseased, dying population. This is because true healthcare starts at the cellular level of the individual, with one’s relationship to the soil, its healthy microbes and minerals being most important. How can a population thrive if it is disconnected from the plants that spring forth from the ground, the plants that provide all the vitamins, enzymes, prebiotics, healthy fats, and antioxidants required for healthy development and a fulfilling quality of life?  Birth rates have fallen steadily since 2007 and were at their highest in 1990. Currently, the birth rate is 59.2 per 1,000 women. As Bill Gates said, reproductive health services (birth control pills) are slowing conception rates. Not to mention, there are now more endocrine disrupting chemicals in the environment than ever before, disrupting human hormones that govern human fertility. Atrazine and BPA are two examples of chemicals that compromise human fertility.  More men and women are infertile because of the amount of chemicals their bodies are exposed to, lowering sperm count and restricting their ability to assimilate nutrients needed for healthy reproduction. Sexual behaviors that discourage reproduction and gender change surgeries have become increasing glorified and promoted, also contributing to lower birth rates. Along with this, young adults are spending lots of time online, going to college longer, living off their parent’s dime longer, and are afraid to mature and start a family of their own.


newsmax--2019-12-30--Bloomberg Plan Targets Maternal Death Rate

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced a plan to cut down on the number of deaths related to pregnancy or childbirth, especially among impoverished women and African-Americans, The Hill reports.  "In the greatest and wealthiest country in the world, we cannot accept the disgraceful racial inequality in maternal health care that exists in Alabama and across the country," Bloomberg said in a statement while campaigning in Alabama for the Democratic presidential nomination.  He noted that research shows black women are three to four times more likely to die from something related to their pregnancy compared to white women. Bloomberg plans to combat this by boosting research into pregnancy-related deaths, increasing doctors' anti-racial bias training, and granting low-income women living in states that did not expand Medicaid a free public option health care plan.  Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of Bloomberg's rivals for the nomination, also has released a plan to cut down on maternal mortality rates.  "The hospitals are just going to get a lump of money, and if they bring down those maternal mortality rates then they get a bonus, and if they don't then they're going to have money taken away from them," Warren said at the She the People forum last April.


breitbart--2019-12-02--U.S. Birth Rate Drops for Fourth Year, Remains Below Replacement Level

The United States’ birth rate has continued to decline for the fourth consecutive year, newly released federal data reveals.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the finalized birth and fertility rates for 2018, finding that U.S. birth rates have been dropping since 2015. Last year, less than 3.8 million babies were born in the U.S. — a drop of two percent, or almost 64,000 births, since 2017.  “This is the fourth year that the number of births has declined following an increase in 2014,” the CDC report details. “Before that year, the number of births declined steadily from 2007 through 2013.”  Across major racial groups, the birth rate continued to drop. For example, in a year-to-year comparison for 2017 to 2018, the number of births for non-Hispanic whites declined by two percent. For Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks, the number of births declined by one percent, as well as a three percent decline in births for non-Hispanic Asians.  The total fertility rate, which stands at 1,729.5 births per 1,000 women, remains below replacement level — the number of births needed to at least replace a generation of Americans. Every year, there must be at least 2,100 births per 1,000 women to be considered at or above replacement level.  Since 1971, the birth rate has been below replacement level, according to the CDC. Birth rates across all major racial groups — non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks, and non-Hispanic Asians — were again below replacement level for 2018.  Political consultant Ryan Girdusky noted in his newsletter this week:  Girdusky said the U.S. could see an increase in the birth rate for the first time in years.  “The good news is that [the second quarter] of 2019 was the first quarter in several years where the fertility rate rose,” Girdusky wrote.  Despite a declining birth rate below replacement level, Republican and Democrat lawmakers have yet to lay out a national agenda to increase American births, fertility, and family rates.  Oppositely, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has implemented a pro-family agenda to increase his nation’s birth rate among similar rapid decline, as Breitbart News has reported. As part of that agenda, the government of Hungary gives a loan of $33,000 to eligible Hungarian couples after they marry. That loan is fully forgiven by the government so long as the couple has three children.  “What we need is not numbers, but Hungarian children: we’re not seeking to sustain an economic system, but Hungary, the Hungarian nation and Hungarian history; we want to encourage the continuation of our families for several generations,” a government spokesperson said in June.  John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.


eveningstandard--2019-08-01--Birth rate in England and Wales hits record low amid aposfalling fertility ratesapos

Birth rate in England and Wales hits record low amid 'falling fertility rates'

The birth rate in England and Wales is low as it has ever been in 80 years, new figures have revealed.  It is the third year in a row the number of live births have dropped, with levels not being this low since 2005, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) said.  There were 657,076 live births in 2018, a decrease of 3.2 per cent since 2017 and 9.9 per cent down since 2012.  The birth rate has hit a record low, decreasing from 11.6 to 11.1 live births per 1,000 people - the lowest since records began in 1938.  The ONS said falling fertility rates were mainly responsible, but added the fall could have been exaggerated by an ageing population, with a larger proportion of older people compared with those able to bear children.  The figures showed the stillbirth rate reached a record low for the second year running in 2018, with 4.1 stillbirths per 1,000 total births.  There were 2,689 stillbirths in England and Wales in 2018 - a fall of 6.4 per cent from the previous year.  The total fertility rate fell to 1.7 children per woman in England and Wales, a 3.4 per cent decrease compared with 2017. This continues a six-year trend, the ONS said.  Fertility rates fell in women of all ages except those aged 40 and over, where they remained the same.  Rates were highest in the east of England, with 1.81 children per woman, while the north-east remained with the lowest figure at 1.58.  For the first time since 1990, the percentage of live births in England and Wales to mothers born outside the UK decreased, from 28.4 per cent in 2017 to 28.2 per cent in 2018.  Kathryn Littleboy, of the ONS's vital statistics output branch, said: "Our analysis of births in England and Wales in 2018 paints a picture of decreases and some record lows. The birth rate was the lowest ever recorded, when births are measured as a proportion of the total population.  "The total fertility rate stood at 1.7 children per woman, lower than all years except 1977 and 1999 to 2002.  "The proportion of live births to non-UK mothers fell for the first time since 1990. The stillbirth rate reached the lowest level recorded for the second year running.  "There were 657,076 live births last year, the fewest since 2005 and a drop of almost 10% since 2012."  Clea Harmer, chief executive at stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, said: "This continuing downward trend in the deaths of babies before birth is very welcome but, until the figures can be seen alongside mortality rates for babies who die shortly after birth, it is too early to comment on whether we are on track to meet the English government's ambition to halve deaths by 2025."


jerusalempost--2019-12-20--Hungarian government takes over fertility clinics to boost birth rate

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newyorkpost--2019-05-21--Debt worries low birth rate ring alarm bells

Debt worries, low birth rate ring alarm bells

America’s baby bust isn’t over. The nation’s birth rates last...


prepareforchange--2019-06-01--US Birth Rate Plunges to All Time Low

U.S. Birth Rate Plunges to All Time Low

The U.S. birth rate has hit a record low of 1.7, well below the replacement rate of 2.1, as more women choose careers over having families.  According to figures released by the CDC, the number of live births in the U.S. dropped to 3.8 million last year, which is the lowest level in 32 years.  Tumbling fertility rates combined with women choosing careers over babies is being blamed for the decline, with only women aged 35-44 seeing an increase in birth rates.  Birth rates for all other age groups is in decline, most dramatically amongst teens aged 15-19, with the birth rate for that demographic falling to 17.4 births per 1,000 women, down 72% from a peak of 61.8 in 1991.  It’s really remarkable, not something that we’ve seen over the last century,” said Prof. Buckles.  Just by coincidence, depression levels amongst women have been continually on the rise ever since the cultural shift which sent the message that being a homemaker was an unfulfilling, boring life.  Stories of women who sink into depression because they have left it too late to have children are also becoming increasingly commonplace.  Disclaimer: We at Prepare for Change (PFC) bring you information that is not offered by the mainstream news, and therefore may seem controversial. The opinions, views, statements, and/or information we present are not necessarily promoted, endorsed, espoused, or agreed to by Prepare for Change, its leadership Council, members, those who work with PFC, or those who read its content. However, they are hopefully provocative. Please use discernment! Use logical thinking, your own intuition and your own connection with Source, Spirit and Natural Laws to help you determine what is true and what is not. By sharing information and seeding dialogue, it is our goal to raise consciousness and awareness of higher truths to free us from enslavement of the matrix in this material realm.