Stacy Solomon plans floral wedding

TV presenter Stacy Solomon, who recently gave birth to her second child, has shared her ideas on her upcoming wedding, which could include a somewhat unusual dress made of flowers.

Last week Solomon welcomed her new son, Leighton, a brother to her four-year-old son Zachary.

Her mind is now set on marrying painter and decorator fiancé Aaron Barham, who proposed as a surprise on a Christmas break to New York.

The X factor starlet, who currently presents Sky Living’s Love Machine, said: “I want to take a bit of time because of the baby and also I think it does take a while to plan a wedding properly.

“But I know I want loads of flowers at the wedding - I know they just die, but I love them.

“And I want my dress to be made out of flowers. That’s the only thing I’ve decided so far.”

Solomon also revealed that the wedding will be big, due to her large extended Jewish family, who she plans to invite every member of.

She added: “I can imagine myself crying. Although there’s a good chance I’ll giggle instead. One of the two.”

Angelina ‘planning ethnic wedding’

Angelina Jolie has apparently said she intends to “incorporate different ethnic traditions” at her upcoming marriage to Brad Pitt.

The two Hollywood stars have been together for seven years, and Salt actess Jolie wants the ceremony to incorporate traditions from various cultures around the world, especially their adopted children’s home countries.

The couple have three adopted children - Maddox, 10, from Cambodia, Zahara, seven, from Ethiopia, and Pax, nine, from Vietnam.

They also have five-year-old Shiloh and three-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne together.

One source claimed: “She wants to incorporate different ethnic wedding traditions from around the world into one alternative ceremony and event.”

However, Brad reportedly wants a more traditional wedding at their chateau in France.

The source, speaking to Closer magazine, also said: “They both agree on the essentials, like the fact they want it to be a big celebration with their family and friends.

“Brad is traditional, whereas Angelina can be alternative. Brad envisioned a traditional ceremony, followed by dinner, speeches and a party.”

The Hoff speaks out over proposals

Knight Rider and Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff says his British girlfriend, who he has proposed to many times, stops him getting into mischief.

The 2011 Britain’s Got Talent judge, 59, met former shop worker Hayley Roberts, 32, in Cardiff last year while he was working on the TV talent show.

Having been together for more than a year, Hasselhoff says he wants to marry Roberts as he gets lonely while travelling the world for his work, “and that’s when trouble begins”.

He has popped the question to Roberts many times all around the world - in such romantic places as Cape Town in South Africa and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe - but she still hasn’t given him an answer.

Explaining his many proposals to Roberts, the former singer and actor said: “My surprises are big - charging elephants and Sydney Harbour Bridge and Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe and Austria and Germany and Switzerland and France.

“And I don’t say that to try and be egotistical, I say it because I say, ‘Please share my life with me’.

“It’s a really amazing, great life which involves the whole world, which involves a lot of jet lag, but she’s chosen to go with me and I find that very romantic.”

Mariah Carey renews wedding vows

Superstar songstress Mariah Carey has renewed her wedding vows with husband of four years Nick Cannon.

The couple, who celebrated their anniversary on April 30, picked the Eiffel Tower in Paris as the backdrop for the intimate ceremony, travelling to France without their two young twins Morocco and Monroe.

After the vows were read out at the top of the 320m tower, the couple dined at the Michelin starred Jules Verne restaurant on the second level of the famous structure.

TV presenter, rapper and comedian Cannon, 31, was in his trademark good humour throughout the ceremony, combining a tailored white suit with a pair of multicoloured socks.

Carey, 42, who has sold over 200 million records around the world, wore a fitted white mermaid dress with swept back hair and a range of jewellery.

Cannon and Care, who dated for just six weeks before getting married, tied the knot at Carey’s private estate in the Bahamas in 2008.

ITV Ice star turns wedding planner

Matthew Wolfenden, winner of Dancing on Ice 2012, is so busy with his new status that he is struggling to find time to organise his wedding.

The hunky Emmerdale star got engaged in 2009 but is yet to even pick a date.

Wolfenden and fellow Emmerdale star Charley Webb have been engaged for more than two years and not only are they very busy on set, they also have their work cut out bringing up their young son, Buster.

In an interview with Hello magazine, Matthew said: “We don’t disagree about what we want to do for our wedding. But up ‘til now, we haven’t had a minute to plan it.”

The couple also expressed an interest in jetting off to wed, with Wolfenden saying they have not ruled out the idea of going abroad.

Despite a job which requires being in front of the cameras all the time, Webb, has said that she struggles with lots of eyes on her.

“The thought of having everyone focusing on me for the whole day fills me with dread,” she said.

West End star announces engagement

One of the biggest names in British theatre has confirmed she is to marry her boyfriend of two years, according to new reports.

Jodie Prenger, who rose to West End stardom after winning BBC talent show I’d Do Anything, accepted boyfriend Simon Booth’s proposal last month.

But Prenger told Hello! Magazine that her happiness took an early blow after her father died of kidney cancer just two days after Booth proposed, triggering “extremes of emotion” in the One Man Two Guv’nors star.

Prenger told Hello!: “I’ve never experienced the extremes of emotion that I have in the past weeks.

“I’m just so glad dad knew I was going to be taken care of. Dad loved Simon like a son and always said I’d be safe with him. Simon’s a good man with a good soul, just like my dad.”

Beauty queen’s fall from grace

The woman hailed Miss Dominican Republic earlier this month has been instructed to return her accolade after it was discovered she is married.

The beauty contest rules specify that competitors must be single, and organisers have belatedly discovered their winner, Carlina Duran, wed her boyfriend three years ago.

The crown has now been awarded to the first runner-up, 24-year-old Dulcita Lieggi, who will now represent her country at the Miss Universe contest in place of the disgraced beauty queen.

Mrs Duran, a 25-year-old spa owner from the town of La Vega, about 95 miles north of the nation’s capital Santo Domingo, has yet to publicly comment on the exposé of her marital status.

But Magaly Febles, director of the Miss Domincan Republic contest, confirmed Mrs Duran had privately acknowledged her marriage to pageant organisers.

Dominican newspaper Diario Libre said on its website that a marriage licence showed she was wed in June 2009.

Katie Price to marry for 3rd time

Katie Price is hoping it will be third time lucky as she makes plans to marry her Argentinian boyfriend, Leandro Penna.

Price shot to fame as ‘Jordan’, a popular Page 3 model, and has gone on to become a TV personality.

Her first marriage in 2005 was to ‘Mysterious Girl’ singer Peter Andre who she met on ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. The couple went on to have two children, Junior, six, and Princess, four.

Following the break-up of her marriage to Andre, she had a whirlwind romance followed by a Las Vegas marriage to cage fighter Alex Reid in 2010 but with her divorce now final she is free to marry again.

Her spokesman confirmed Price and Penna are engaged, and the model responded to messages of congratulation through her Twitter account, where she replied to fans by tweeting: “Thankyou for all your nice tweets! I’m gonna enjoy the sunshine where I’ve just landed x”.

Women consider style over marriage

A new psychological study has shown that women will spend more time deciding what to wear rather than whom to spend the rest of their life with.

Zurich Big Decisions has looked into how adults make important choices in their lives and how long they are likely to spend deliberating on them.

Will men be surprised to hear of this news? Probably not, any man who is married will doubtless know how long it takes for a woman to get ready!

The research concluded that one in four women (25%) are likely to accept an engagement proposal in less than 60 seconds - however, more than half (53%) spend up to 10 times longer simply deciding what clothes to wear each day.

It was also shown that, despite over 60% of people saying that picking a partner to wed is the most important life decision to be made, one in five men propose after just 10 minutes thought, maximum.

The other most important life decisions are thought to be whether or not to have children (17%), jobs and career choices (16%) and buying a new home (5%).

Mumford and wife - Carey Mulligan

British actress Carey Mulligan married folk rocker Marcus Mumford this week in a rustic-style ceremony on a farm.

There were 200 guests present including Sienna Miller, Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal and Oscar-winner Colin Firth as well as the couple’s family and friends.

Mulligan, an award-winning actress, and Mumford, frontman of Mumford and Sons, were married in a converted barn on a working farm in the heart of Somerset.

The bride and groom exchanged vows while the groom’s father John, a vicar, conducted the service inside the barn at Stream Farm in Bridgwater.

The bride was wearing a full-length ivory plain backless dress with V-straps, thought to be a Versace design. Eight bridesmaids accompanied her, dressed in turquoise knee-length prom dresses with matching blue high-heels.

As the couple, who have been engaged for a year, appeared from a large marquee which was attached to a cowshed, contemporary photographer Rankin was on hand to capture the moment.

The groom’s father arrived in style, in a helicopter while the groom himself was seen wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and driving himself to the venue.

Modern weddings choose better music

Britons are beginning to choose more modern tracks for their wedding playlist and drop the cheesy stuff.

Since the wedding season will soon be in full swing, Spotify analysed nearly 78,000 wedding playlists that have been created via the digital music provider.

The playlists show that more and more are ditching the family classics such as ‘Agadoo’ for hip hop and rock tracks.

The top three tracks chosen by loved-up couples and users of the social music service showed that it’s not about the romance of the song but just songs that you like.

For example, the third most popular track was The Killers - Mr Brightside, which is a song about relationship doubts, paranoia and cheating.

The huge hit Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon came second and the party track from Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling was the most popular.

Some classics still made their way into the mix though as Stevie Wonder’s floor-filler Superstition and Abba’s party track Dancing Queen made the top five

However, the romantic ballad singers such as Celine Dion and Mariah Carey tracks, often considered a staple for any wedding disco, were nowhere to be found.

Patsy in Caribbean vow renewal

Eastenders stalwart Patsy Palmer finally had her dream wedding - despite tying the knot with her husband Richard Merkell 12 years ago.

The couple, who married in 2000, decided to renew their vows on an idyllic Caribbean beach after their original wedding was rushed through due to the premature birth of her son, Fenton.

Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Palmer, who shot to fame as Bianca Jackson in the BBC’s flagship soap, said: “I’d just given birth to Fenton prematurely at 32 weeks and he had to stay in hospital.

“We went to register Fenton’s birth at Chelsea Register Office and out of all the gloom and worry we wanted to do something really lovely and get married.

“I was still big from my pregnancy so I didn’t wear a proper wedding dress, just a baggy cotton frock, and we never even bothered with wedding photos.”

The 39-year-old redhead described the recent service as a “celebration of our lives and love for each other” and even hinted at another ceremony in 10 years’ time.

“We wanted a simple but spiritual ceremony with lots of fun and laughter and to take away some really lovely happy memories, as well as make the children feel secure,” Palmer added. “It was exactly that and more. I feel really blessed.

“I think every married couple should do it every 10 years. It is so easy to get divorced now but much harder to stay married.”

Brangelina family snaps ‘$10m’

Magazines have long paid big bucks for celebrity wedding photos, but it seems they’ll be wanting something more when it comes to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s big day.

Key figures in the industry are saying it’s photos of the pair with their children that will really sell, Perez Hilton.com reports.

According to Scott Cosman, owner of Fame/Flynet, magazines would “pay a fortune” for a wedding photo with their brood. “Worldwide rights for a picture like that, with all the kids, I would say $10 million-plus,” he predicted.

And it won’t be the first time the media has shelled out for snaps of the Brangelina brood. In 2008 photos of their twins, Knox and Vivienne, sold for $14 million.

Cosman went on to explain that the chance of the photos being leaked is very slim.

“I’ve heard of editors going to an office in New York City, where the photos are just projected on to a wall and then they decide if they want to bid on the photos,” he said.

“They don’t email anything. You have to physically go in person and look at them. Obviously, because of the value of the picture, they don’t want them to be ‘out there.”

According to Perez Hilton.com, the money raised from the photos is most likely to go towards the couple’s charity, The Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

Star Ricki Lake elopes with fiance

Talk show host Ricki Lake tied the knot in a secret ceremony last week away from the glare of the public eye.

The 43-year-old is reported to have wed Christian Evans on April 8 in Southern California, opting for an intimate and private affair, nine months after announcing their engagement via Twitter.

“It was a beautiful moment I will never forget,” she told People magazine. “I wasn’t anxious or nervous. I was really relaxed and excited.”

Back in January, Lake hinted that her wedding would be small when she spoke to Rosie O’Donnell on The Rosie Show.

“I had a flash of me in my wedding dress shaking hands and meeting people for the first time,” she said.

“We both don’t want to do that. We want to do something that’s just for us.”

Hurley and Warne plan wedding bash

Australia’s hottest celebrity couple have lifted the lid on their wedding plans, as well as revealing their pet names for each other.

In their first joint interview, Shane Warne and Liz Hurley told Hello! magazine that they recognize they are an unlikely couple, but cannot wait to exchange rings in double ceremonies next year.

Warne, 42, who enjoyed a hugely successful career as an international cricketer, plans to hold wedding events in Aus and the UK with his fiancée, British actress Liz Hurley, so that both sets of friends and family can attend.

As well as outlining their wedding plans, the couple also told the magazine about their nicknames for each other.

“Elizabeth calls me a lot more than just the Big Blonde [Warne’s cricketing nickname] - she has dozens of names for me, all of them too embarrassing to share,” said Warne.

“I have a handful for her too, but I usually call her Luna as there was a terrible paparazzi picture of her once looking in to kiss me, which reminded me of the massive mouth at the entrance of Luna Park, the Australian theme park.”

West end couple wed in Barbados

Star Ricki Lake elopes with fiance

Talk show host Ricki Lake tied the knot in a secret ceremony last week away from the glare of the public eye.

The 43-year-old is reported to have wed Christian Evans on April 8 in Southern California, opting for an intimate and private affair, nine months after announcing their engagement via Twitter.

“It was a beautiful moment I will never forget,” she told People magazine. “I wasn’t anxious or nervous. I was really relaxed and excited.”

Back in January, Lake hinted that her wedding would be small when she spoke to Rosie O’Donnell on The Rosie Show.

“I had a flash of me in my wedding dress shaking hands and meeting people for the first time,” she said.

“We both don’t want to do that. We want to do something that’s just for us.”

Barbados was the setting for the marriage of Ray Quinn and Emma Stephens, who met when they appeared in Grease in the West End.

The pair, who wed on a beach, also announced they were expecting their first child together.

Quinn, 23, the X-Factor runner-up said to Hello! magazine: “I’m so lucky to have Emma. The dress, I had to catch my breath. I’ve never seen a more beautiful bride.”

The couple were “thrilled” by the news that they were to become parents in July, said Stephens.

She added: “We’re deeply in love and having a baby together feels so right.

“I saw other holidaymakers watching us - they gave us a round of applause. In his speech Ray vowed ‘I’m going to look after you forever and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you’. That really choked me up.”

And she added that their wedding had brought “tears of happiness”.

Webb uncertain of best man chances

Peep Show star Robert Webb is eyeing up a role as best man for his friend David Mitchell.

Mitchell recently announced his engagement to TV presenter Victoria Coren, while Webb chose Mitchell to be his own best man at his 2007 wedding to comedian Abigail Burdess.

Webb, 39, said he has not been asked yet about the role of best man at Mitchell’s event. He said: “We’ll see. I don’t know whether to say I’m on tenterhooks. I’ll find out sooner or later, but there are plenty of other good candidates so if it’s not me it’ll be someone terrific.”

He added: “He’s got plenty of friends and a brother, so I won’t be too heartbroken if it’s not me. But if it is I’d better start working on that speech.”

The comedians became famous in the award-winning Channel 4 comedy Peep Show in which they play hapless flatmates.

Baldwin to marry yoga instructor

Actor Alec Baldwin is giving marriage another shot after proposing over the weekend to his 28-year-old yoga instructor girlfriend, Hilaria Thomas.

They began dating last year.

His publicist Matthew Hiltzik made the engagement announcement over Twitter.

Baldwin, who once starred in a film called The Marrying Man, turns 54 on Tuesday, and an engagement, says Mr Hiltzik, is a “great way to celebrate”.

Baldwin was previously married to Kim Basinger. They have a daughter together named Ireland.

He published a book in 2008 called A Promise To Ourselves about his personal experience dealing with divorce and his battle with Basinger over custody of their daughter.

‘Magical’ proposal stunned Martine

Former EastEnder Martine McCutcheon has described how her fiancé asked her to marry him in a “truly magical” proposal on the banks of the river Thames.

The actress and singer will marry musician Jack McManus later this year and had her hen-do with six friends in Paris.

She told Hello! Magazine she had been scared of settling down until she met McManus.

She said: “If you’ve been abandoned by a parent or brought up by a single parent as I was, deep down you feel that’s going to happen again.

“Now, with Jack, I feel completely loved. In other relationships I’ve had to apologise for elements of who I am - ‘Sorry about the press,’ or, ‘Sorry it’s not glamorous 24/7.’

“With Jack, there’s no need for me to apologise or compromise.”

McCutcheon said McManus proposed to her last December.

She said: “London’s Embankment is one of my favourite places in the world and because it was snowing and there wasn’t another soul around, there was something truly magical about it.

“It was there, by Albert Bridge, that Jack got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”

Same sex TV weddings ‘a success’

Gay and lesbian couples celebrated getting hitched live on TV in what has been hailed as the “the first successful mass gay wedding” to be broadcast in Australia.

Love was certainly in the air - albeit in a crowded studio in Elsternwick, Melbourne - as Australian channel ABC rolled the cameras to record 41 same-sex couples walking down the aisle and declaring their vows to each other.

While the TV marriage was not legally binding, the idea for the show emerged after a survey which questioned prospective members of Gordon Street Tonight audience members, revealing that the majority would legalise same sex marriage if they were Prime Minister for the day.

The show’s host Adam Hills said: “And when I read one saying, ‘I’d change the same sex laws so I could marry my girlfriend’, I thought, ‘I think I know what I have to do now’.”

He added that he wanted to give the fans “something ridiculous”.

“Lets give you a TV wedding. And we haven’t had a big TV wedding for a while,” he said.

Jamie Bell sets off wedding rumours

Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell and his sweetheart have set tongues wagging that they have gotten hitched, after the pair were seen wearing tell tale rings.

The British actor and Evan Rachel Wood were spotted on a romantic walk in Venice, California wearing bands on their wedding ring fingers.

Jamie and Evan, an American actress, have not confirmed or denied the rumours, but Evan has tweeted a cryptic message to her fans saying: “A picture says a thousand words doesn’t it?”.

After a while she added: “Don’t be afraid that it won’t be perfect, the only thing to be afraid of really is that it won’t be.”

The tweets may have stumped observers but the star, who used to date rockstar Marilyn Manson, previously quashed marriage rumours between her and Jamie.

She said: “Sorry to disappoint, but I have been wearing that diamond on my left hand since I was 14. It was my aunt’s. Any engagement rumour is false.”

The pair made their relationship official in 2005 after they met on the set of a music video for Green Day but broke up a year later. Reports claim that they decided to get back together last summer.

Newlyweds honeymoon in Afghanistan

A trip to Helmand might not be what most newlyweds think of as a romantic honeymoon, but that is exactly how Squadron Leader Rachel and Lieutenant Commander Gareth Mawdsley began their married life last year.

Rachel, 35, who is from Newbury and works for the RAF, and Gareth, 32, who is from Liverpool and works in the Navy, tied the knot at a Georgian manor house in 2011 and were deployed to Afghanistan a short time later. They are currently stationed at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

However, both say they still find the time for a romantic evening - and recently they celebrated their six-month anniversary in a steak house surrounded by other soldiers.

Gareth said: “There’s no alcohol on base so we each had a can of pop instead of a bottle of wine.

“As we shared some nachos, we were surrounded by US marines and everybody was carrying weapons. But when we looked at each other it was possible to imagine it was a normal romantic night back home.”

Will and Kate retrace wedding route

Kate and William are set to take a ride on their wedding route for the first time since they married last April, it has been announced by the Palace.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will join the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on a trip through Westminster, making their way through the streets in a carriage.

They will retrace the route they took on that famous day last year, going through Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards and The Mall, then finishing at Buckingham Palace.

It is all in aid of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and will take place on June 5.

Thousands of well-wishers are expected to visit the capital to witness the glittering procession.

The vehicle which William and Kate used as they left Westminster Abbey after they had tied the knot will be used by the Queen and the Duke at the event.

It is a state landau, built in 1902 by Hoopers, ready for the coronation of Edward VII.

Princes Charles and Harry, Duchess of Cornwall and other royals will be joined by a Sovereign’s Escort, provided by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in their breastplates and plumed helmets.

Like at last year’s wedding, the family will step out onto Buckingham Palace’s balcony in the afternoon.

They will watch an RAF flypast and wave at crowds gathered in The Mall.

Hawn clarifies wedding comments

Goldie Hawn has taken to Twitter to deny reports suggesting her daughter Kate Hudson married in secret.

Speaking to the London Evening Standard’s ES magazine, Hawn was quoted as saying: “when my daughter Kate married an English rock star”.

This quickly led to reports of a secret wedding between Hudson and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy, who became engaged last year.

The actress was quoted as saying: “My kids are fantastic with their children, they have an amazing parental ethic and I’m very proud of them for that.

“When my daughter Kate married an English rock star it didn’t worry me; all that matters [is] that the relationship is a good one.”

However, Hawn has since taken to Twitter to clarify the comments. She wrote on the social networking site: “Once again [the media] twisted the truth. They aren’t married.”

McFly singer excited for wedding

Popstar Tom Fletcher from boyband McFly has admitted he is so excited about his upcoming nuptials that he can’t stop trying on his wedding ring.

Tom proposed to his girlfriend of eight years, Giovanna Falcone, last April and tweeted this week, “Just tried my wedding ring on again. Fits perfectly. Not long now!”

The pair met when they were 13 and studying in London at the Sylvia Young Theatre school.

Romantic Tom set up his proposal at the prestigious school by telling his girlfriend the couple needed to do some filming at the school for the band’s documentary.

But instead of the theatre’s hall being filled with cameramen and lighting equipment, Italian-born Giovanna was met by Tom on bended knee.

He will be the first member of the boyband to walk down the aisle and his cheeky bandmates have revealed he is in for a raucous stag do possibly involving “a bathtub, a bowling ball and eight gallons of sour cream.”

‘Clash of views’ over JT wedding

The women at the centre of Hollywood’s hottest celebrity engagement are at loggerheads over wedding plans, according to new reports.

Bride-to-be Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake’s mother, Lynn Harless, are said to be grappling with each other’s take on what form the hotly anticipated nuptials should take, with the bride more in favour of a low-key ceremony and the mother of the groom opting for a lavish wedding extravaganza.

The women are even split on venues, after Jessica reportedly suggested a private, secluded spot in rural Colorado while Lynn wants to roll out the red carpet at the plush Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara, California.

A well-connected source said: “Everyone thought Jessica might become a bridezilla, but instead it’s Lynn who’s turning out to be the villain.

“Lynn has become incredibly hands-on and pushy as planning for the wedding gets underway. Because Justin is her only child, she has dreamed of a huge, glitzy affair for him ever since he was born.”

Tory voters oppose gay marriages

Half of the Conservative Party’s voters oppose David Cameron’s plans to allow same-sex marriages, a new survey has revealed.

A study by ICM, which was commissioned by The Sunday Telegraph, discovered that around 50% of the Tory voters polled were against the Prime Minister’s idea while just over a third (35%) supported it.

A further 88% of the people in support of the party claimed that the new laws should not be the party’s first concern.

However, the figures also showed that the public in general were in favour by a margin of 45% to 36%. Another four in five of those surveyed felt it is wrong to hasten the policy in comparison to 14% who said it is the right thing to do.

Overall approximately 50% were against the idea of schoolchildren being that taught that same-sex marriages were equal to heterosexual matrimonies, while a third believed otherwise.

David Cameron is expected to announce that he wants the new scheme introduced by the 2015 general election at a discussion with the Government, which will begin next week.

Standing out ‘key to hooking up’

Experts have told people looking for the elusive “one” that standing out from the crowd is a key factor in e-dating success.

While more and more successful relationships and marriages are beginning online, internet dating can be nerve-wracking for people new to the game.

Putting together a profile on a dating website is one of the most important parts of looking for love online, and the sheer number of potential partners can be one of the biggest challenges both for pro-active searchers and those hoping to be found.

According to James Preece, dating expert at onlinedatingclinic.com, making yourself sound unique and different to the rest of the flock is a crucial factor in provoking people’s interest.

“Work out how to sell yourself, because it is all about you,” said Mr Preece. “If you just write something standard and boring, no-one is ever going to get in touch.”

Mr Preece suggested that a happy, smiling profile picture is the best formula to begin with, and that people should initially limit themselves to suitors who live within 30 miles in order to allow more time for careful searching.

Emily Blunt looks back on wedding

British actress Emily Blunt has hailed her wedding day as the number one event in her life which can “never be topped”.

Emily, known for roles in films including The Devil Wears Prada, proclaimed her vows to hubby John Krasinki in July two years ago in the midst of one of Italy’s historic villas.

She told OK! magazine: “Our wedding in Italy is still one of the most beautiful and romantic events of my life. It can never be topped. We were invited by George Clooney to stay at his villa in Lake Como and we were married at a very historic villa in the area, which was so heavenly. It’s something one never forgets.”

The star added that John, an American actor, can always lift her spirits when she is feeling low.

Emily said: “He’s a wonderful man and we are just so happy to have found each other. It’s also a great comfort to be with someone who is good natured and very pleasant to be around and won’t let me stay in a dark mood for very long.”

Natalie Portman marriage rumours

But despite wearing matching rings with her fiancé Benjamin Millepied, she has kept any possible a wedding or marriage a secret.

After wearing the matching diamond ring at the Academy Awards, the press has desperately tried to find out if the couple has finally tied the knot.

Despite attempts by the Daily Mail to find out if the couple has sealed the deal, the only information available came from a jeweller friend of Millepied who admitted she designed the rings specifically for the couple.

Jamie Wolf custom made two diamond rings, made to fit on either side of Portman’s engagement ring, and a platinum band for Millepied.

They were made with recycled materials and conflict-free diamonds.

The couple has been very discrete about their relationship, but wearing the matching rings at the Academy Awards might have outed their nuptials.

Pixie wowed by model boyfriend

Pop princess Pixie Lott has struck gold in the romance race, according to the singer.

The 21-year-old star, who has had hits with All About Tonight and Cry Me Out, has been going out with model boyfriend Oliver Cheshire for a year and a half and told Look magazine that she is very happy.

However, despite her new-found happiness she has no plans to take the relationship to the next level in the immediate future.

While not commenting on whether she and Oliver have plans to tie the knot, Pixie refused to rule out that her beau might be the one.

The romantic feelings are clearly mutual, as Oliver has pledged to take Pixie to Venice for her next birthday.

“I’ve always wanted to go there because I love Italy,” said Pixie. “He wrapped up a bottle of wine from Venice, a guidebook and a little gondola made out of penne with pasta figures of him and me on it. It must have taken him ages. It was so cute!”

More people marry in 2010 than 2009

The number of marriages in 2010 rose by the largest percentage increase since 2002, according to new statistics.

Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that the number of marriages rose by 3.7% in 2010, reaching a total of 241,100 ceremonies. Although the rate is still one of the lowest since records began in 1862, it represents the largest year-on-year increase since the 5.7% rise recorded between 2002 and 2003.

From the data, the ONS established that the highest number of marriages occurred between men and women aged 25 to 29. However, the largest increase in marriages involved men aged 45 to 49 and women aged 30 to 34, with both age groups rising by 6%.

The data also showed that civil ceremonies made up two out of every three (68%) weddings in 2010, slightly more than the 64% in 2000. However, the ONS data only accounts for marriages that take place in England and Wales.

Consequently the ONS said the increase in the number of marriages between 2009 and 2010 could be due to a reduction in the number of residents of England and Wales who are choosing to marry abroad.

Leap day proposal couple engaged

A historic steam train in Hampshire was the location for a surprise proposal as an Edinburgh civil servant used the leap day tradition to pop the question.

Fiona Boubert entered a competition with Mills & Boon one week ago and won, leaving her just a few days to plan her perfect proposal to partner Neil Kennedy.

With the help of romance publishers Mills & Boon, Miss Boubert set up the scene on board a steam train at Alresford railway station on the Watercress Line.

Thankfully for all involved the day was a success, with Mr Kennedy saying yes on board the vintage train. Miss Boubert said: “I would say I am a bit of a romantic. I do believe in gentlemen doing certain things but ladies only get a chance every four years so I thought why not.

“Obviously I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him but I was aware it was the February 29 coming up and thought I would just do it.”

Timberlake wedding rumours emerge

Speculation of a 2012 wedding between Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel has been fuelled, after alleged details of the event were revealed.

The couple became engaged at the beginning of 2012 and look likely to wed this summer.

A key component of the recent rumours is the wedding-dress maker chosen by Biel. The Illusionist star is said to have given the nod to Monique Lhuilier, who has previously designed gowns for Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba.

Pop star Timberlake, 31, and actress Biel, 29, toyed with their fans for more than six weeks after their holiday engagement, with the actress failing to wear her engagement ring until more than a month after the event.

If the rumours are to be believed, the couple are to be wed in a closed ceremony at a private estate later this year.

Valentines proposal for rapper

Rap superstar Lil Wayne chose the year’s most romantic day to get down on one knee and pop the question to his girlfriend, according to reports.

Lil Wayne asked his waitress girlfriend Dhea to become his wife on Valentine’s Day, according to music and gossip website Contactmusic.

The Lollipop lyricist announced the news on his Twitter page by telling fans “She said yes!”.

The couple have been dating for quite some time and Dhea is also expecting their first child. The wedding could take place this spring, it is believed.

The 29-year-old singer from Louisiana has been married once before and his first daughter, Reginae, was born when Wayne was only 15 years of age.

Getting hitched the Viking way

The idea of the perfect fairytale wedding is often ingrained in the minds of women from a young age, but this week couples were given the chance to experience something very different.

A special event which recreated the customs of a traditional Viking wedding took place at the 27th annual Jorvik Viking Festival in York Minster.

Re-enactors from the group Regia Anglorum performed, and the ceremony was followed by a musical show featuring Soundsphere, a four-piece known for their beautiful singing voices, and talented Sarah Dean who sings and plays the harp.

The festival, which is organised by the York Archaeological Trust, an independent charity, aims to commemorate the achievements made by our Scandinavian ancestors and celebrate its culture by bringing it to life at the fair.

Danielle Daglan, head of events and hospitality at the trust, admitted they did bend the tradition slightly by holding the re-enactment ceremony on a Wednesday.

She said: “Viking weddings were always held on Fridays or ‘Friggas-day’ to honour the goddess of marriage.”

The festival continues until February 19.

Couple to wed at Titanic centre

A young couple from Northern Ireland will become the first to get married at the new Titanic visitor centre in Belfast.

Lynsay Smith, 23, and Brian Evans, 26, said the soon-to-open attraction was the only venue in the province they deemed suitable for their wedding ceremony.

Speaking as the couple toured the £90 million centre, the bride-to-be from Lisburn, Co Antrim, said: “We looked at a variety of venues across Northern Ireland for our wedding reception, from hotels to golf clubs to art galleries, but just couldn’t find anything to suit our style.”

Ms Smith and Mr Evans, who are from Newtownards, Co Down, already booked the venue last year when the building was still under construction.

The ballroom in the Titanic-themed banqueting suite where they will tie the knot seats up to 1,000 people and is a replica of the original one, including the grand staircase.

The operators hope that other couples will follow Ms Smith and Mr Evans and also choose the centre as their wedding venue.

Talking ‘is key’ in relationships

The Saga survey of more than 10,000 over-50s found that nearly one half of people (49%) said talking was the best way of maintaining a relationship.

Laughter came second in the survey with 14% citing this, while never going to bed on an argument and having shared interests both polled 6%.

Just 2% of those asked said that romance was important in maintaining a relationship, with more men (3%) than women (1%) saying this was important.

Separating their finances was important for just 1% of those who were surveyed.

Saga Magazine’s editor at large, Emma Soames, said: “If you’re looking for a long lasting bond, talking to each other is the key.

“This does not mean that romance is dead, on the contrary, making a romantic gesture is one form of communication - the very element that appears to be the secret to ensuring a partnership will stand the true test of time.”

Weddings fees to increase by 40%

Weddings will become more expensive after members of the Church of England voted in favour of raising the fee for the service.

The current plan, which will be introduced from January next year, will increase weddings fees by 40%, from £296 to £415. The reason given for the price hike is that current fees do not accurately take into account all the costs of staging a wedding and that the new fees now better reflect the reality of the costs.

The revised fee now includes the costs of lighting and administration but couples still don’t have to pay for heating, vergers, organists or bell ringers. However, members of the General Synod have warned that the price increase risks making weddings too expensive for some couples.

The Rev Canon Simon Killwick, from Moss Side, Manchester, said the increase was badly timed. He said: “Such a fee increase seems hard to justify in times of financial austerity and even harder to justify in poor inner-city parishes.”

Alongside the increase in wedding costs, the Church of England also announced that fees for funerals were to rise from £102 to £160, a 57% increase.

Pre-prosal quality time ‘crucial’

When it comes to proposals it seems couples really should be two peas in a pod.

A poll has revealed that people who spend a lot of time with their partners are more likely to say yes to getting married.

Whether it’s the getting to know each other better or simply realising you can’t live without your other half, it seems spending time with your loved one is key.

The survey of 3,000 men and women who are in a relationship but not married found that the more often a man sees his partner the more likely he is to say yes to getting hitched.

Some 81% of men who see their partners seven times a week are likely to agree to marriage, compared with just 51% of men who see their partner just once a week.

And seeing each other six days a week is most likely to result in women saying yes when the big question is popped.

So according to this survey, absence doesn’t necessarily make the heart grow fonder.

Recipe for successful proposal

Food lover Paul Lumley surprised girlfriend Carla by proposing to her live on air while they appeared on a cookery show.

Carla Charalambous, 33, from Rotherhithe, and her fiancé had for a long time been attempting to get on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen, and when Paul found out they had been successful, he decided to pop the question during the show.

Paul, 28, originally from Stafford and his wife-to-be are now planning a church wedding during Spring 2013. Paul said: “We both work in the food industry and both love food, so had wanted to go on the show for a long time.”

After the viewer phone-in Saturday Kitchen presenter James Martin said to Paul ‘I think you’ve got a question too’ which was when Paul proposed.

Paul said: “Thankfully she said ‘yes’. It was a complete surprise to Carla, it wasn’t pre-arranged.”

Having made up his mind to propose on the Sunday anyway, Paul decided to do it on national television instead when he found out they were to appear on the show.

“I asked the producers if it would be all right to propose on air, and they said it would.”

Also appearing on the show was leading chef Francesco Mazzei, one of whose restaurants the couple had enjoyed a date at early in their relationship.

Tardis proposal for avid Dr Who fan

Certain couples have a romantic story which tells how the groom set the scene for a memorable proposal, but not many are as original as the one that took place in front of Doctor Who’s Tardis.

Matt Smith, a 22-year-old from Essex, proposed to his fiance surrounded by villains and gadgets from the popular BBC series.

Weeks of planning had gone into surprising his girlfriend, Stacie-Anne Dilkes, who is an avid fan of the Time Lord and his travels.

After being lured to London expecting a day of shopping in the capital, Stacie-Anne was taken to the Doctor Who Experience, where her future husband got down on one knee dressed as the Doctor in a tweed jacket and bowtie.

Following the proposal, which was accepted by a shocked Miss Dilkes, the lucky couple watched a special message from the actor Matt Smith, who plays the Doctor at present on TV.

Couples set for Valentine proposal

With Valentine’s Day imminent, ideas of marriage are running through the minds of many loved up individuals, and more than 75% of those in South East England are willing to accept a proposal, a new poll says.

Some 3,000 men and women were surveyed by Interflora, in an effort to understand relationships more.

The flower delivery firm described the results as “surprising and enlightening” and said that 77% of women who live in the South East were likely to say “yes” if their partner popped the question, in comparison to 58% of women in the North East.

In the South East, some 78% of men said they were likely to accept a marriage proposal, in comparison to 51% in the North East, and 70% of Scottish males.

The ‘Love Machine’ Facebook app has now been built by the company with the help of the results, which lets love birds decide whether their other half would say “yes” or “no” to a proposal.

A spokesman from Interflora said: “By answering a set of simple questions, would-be spouses will get a percentage likelihood of their partner saying yes and so will have an idea if it’s a sure thing or if they need to up the ante in the romance stakes.”

It’s a Big Fat Gypsy feline frock

Most women hope their wedding day will be just purrfect - but one bride on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding has gone that extra mile and had a cat embroidered onto her queen-sized gown.

Wealthy 21-year-old Dolores marries her man in the most extravagant service ever seen on the popular Channel 4 series.

The bride is from the well-off traveller town of Rayhkealie in Co Limerick, and says of the feline frock: “Everyone has flowers or stars on their dress, I wanted something different.”

The dress is the “most outrageous” ever made by dressmaker Thelma Madine, who thinks Dolores will end up with the nickname “Catwoman”.

But the pet isn’t the only unusual item to feature of one of Dolores’ dresses. At a party on the eve of her wedding, the bride-to-be and her sister Chantelle wore gowns graced with pineapples and palm trees.

On the wedding day itself, the bridesmaids too wore very colourful, eye-catching designs.

The programme makes a return on Valentine’s Day - February 14 - to bring yet more wedding scenes to its seven million viewers.

This series covers issues including education, money, crime, honour, family, heritage and punishment, along with the traveller relationship with non-gypsies - or “Gorja” - according to bosses.

A source at Channel 4 said the series “will be even more spectacular”.

“The size and scale of some of these celebrations is incredible - it seems like some brides are trying even harder to out-do each other,” the insider said.

Drew Barrymore enjoys being engaged

Actress Drew Barrymore may have appeared in the movie, The Wedding Singer, but the bride-to-be certainly hasn’t planned her wedding entertainment just yet.

The 36-year-old movie star said she is not going to rush into planning the details of her wedding as she’s happy to enjoy the feeling of being recently engaged for the time being.

The 50 First Dates star recently got engaged to marry art consultant Will Kopelman and the Hollywood A-lister told TV chat show Good Morning America that as far as wedding arrangements go, she is still trying to figure it all out.

She said: “I think everyone expects you to know right away what all the plans are. And I’m like, but it only just happened a month ago.”

Talking about her teenage years growing up in the spotlight, Drew said that while she used to enjoy the ups and downs, now she is just enjoying a calmer life.

The marriage will be Drew’s third, having previously wed Welsh bar owner Jeremy Thomas in 1994, although the marriage only lasted a month, and then again in 2001 to Tom Green, but that only lasted five months.

TV star opens her wedding mansion

A TV star has said her dreams have come true as she is finally able to open her 33-bedroom mansion as a new wedding venue.

Channel 4 presenter and property developer, Sarah Beeny, endured a hectic year as she went through the process of renovating part of her home to become a beautiful venue perfect for exchanging vows.

Rise Hall near Hornsea was a former convent which Sarah and her husband Graham bought in 2001 for £4441,101. The renovating process was featured in the Channel 4 show, Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare.

The plans did not go quite as smoothly as hoped, with Sarah clashing with the local council over the application to hold weddings, along with health and safety concerns. But she now says she has finally ‘realised her dreams’ after permission was granted to list the mansion as a suitable venue.

Sarah added: “We look forward to sharing Rise Hall with future couples.’

There’s a new baby in Hollywood!

A new baby girl has joined Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson’s family. The couple, who already have one child together, have named her Romy Hero Johnson.

Johnson, 21, and Taylor-Wood, 44, met when she caste him in Nowhere Boy in 2009. The age gap between the pair has caused controversy, but despite this they became engaged within months of being together.

Romy was born last week, when she joined a family already full of girls; her sister Wylda Rae, and Taylor-Wood’s older daughters Anjelica and Jessie, from her previous marriage to Jay Jopling.

A statement issued on behalf of the couple said both mother and daughter are well.

It read: “Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson are the proud parents of Romy Hero Johnson, who was born at home in London on January 18. Both mother and daughter are well.”

Kate still believes in marriage

It is no secret that finding some one with whom you can spend your whole life with is a challenge, but Kate Winslet has restored women’s faith in marriage by declaring that she still believes in its “beauty”.

The twice-divorced actress has had her share of relationship turmoils and heartbreak but despite ending two marriages, she still wants to find someone to share the rest of her life with. Could her current boyfriend Ned Rocknroll be the one?

She said: “I still believe in the beauty of committing yourself to another person and, at least, in the idea of marriage as an expression of that commitment.

“Living with someone will always be a challenge, but you hope to be able to find someone whom you can spend the rest of your days.”

Kate was married to Jim Threapleton for three years and Sam Mendes for seven, but she still keeps a relationship with Sam because of her children.

Despite a difficult break up, Kate and Sam are happy now they’ve overcome it and Kate is focusing on her work.

But it seems that Kate is ready for another ring on her finger - step it up, Ned!

Engagement event for Westlife star

Former Westlife member Brian McFadden and his new fiancé Vogue Williams celebrated the place they first met, with an engagement party for close family and friends.

The party was held in Harry’s Bar, near St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, where the couple met in April last year.

Among the 60 guests was presenter Brian Ormond with his wife Pippa O’Connor and members of the reality TV show Fade Street, Cici Cavanagh and Louise Johnston.

Since the festivities the couple have been spending time with Brian’s two daughters Molly and Lilly-Sue.

Brian was previously engaged for four years to singer Delta Goodrem and met Vogue just a month after his relationship with the singer ended.

Icy receptions ‘cut wedding costs’

Research by a department store has found that more couples are making savings by arranging winter weddings.

A survey by Debenhams looking at the costs of getting married found that the price of an average wedding can be reduced by 20% if it is booked for winter.

Bookings for gift lists have increased steadily for weddings between October and March, and these bookings reached an all-time high for winter 2011/12.

There was an 89% increase in the number of brides who were registered for weddings this January in comparison to the same month in 2011, according to Debenhams’ wedding gift list.

Michelle Dowdall, Debenhams’ spokeswoman, said: “We are seeing more and more couples tie the knot in the winter months, with a particular focus on December and January.

“Notable festive holiday dates such as Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are becoming as sought-after for weddings as any Saturday in June for brides looking to save money, as many venues charge discounted rates in a season they consider to be off-peak.

“For the two week period over Christmas and New Year we have over 1,100 registered brides - this is the equivalent to a week in July!”

Spears marriage details revealed

The details of pop star Britney Spears’ latest wedding have been released, as she plans to wed her manager Jason Trawick.

The couple, who have been dating for almost three years and engaged since December, are believed to be anticipating a small-scale, intimate service somewhere away from Los Angeles.

Talking to LA gossip website Perez Hilton, a source close to Spears said that the singer wants to go back to basics for what will be her third wedding.

“There is absolutely no drama with the planning of the wedding, and Britney will probably wear an off-white dress that will show off her killer bod”, said the source.

Among the guestlist, which is likely to be limited to very close friends and family, will be Spears’ two sons from her previous marriage to Kevin Federline.

Britney Spears, a former child star and member of the Walt Disney Club, had hits with Hit Me Baby One More Time and Womanizer.

Corden announces long engagement

Wedding plans have been put on hold for Gavin and Stacey Star, James Corden, due to his new starring role on Broadway.

Corden has said he and his fiancee Julia Carey, will be moving to New York this summer with their nine-month-old son, so that he can perform in the critically acclaimed One Man Two Guvnors.

The show enjoyed a successful run on London’s Broadway, and now the family have chosen to relocate to the Big Apple in the hope it receives a similar response across the pond.

Although there has been much speculation that the wedding will happen next December upon their return to the UK, Corden recently denied this, saying no date has yet been set for him to marry 33-year-old Julia.

The actor and writer proposed on Christmas Day 2010, just a few months before their first child Max was born.

Desperate Housewives star to marry

Jesse Metcalfe, who shot to fame in the hit show Desperate Housewives, must be hoping that real life does not imitate art after reports claim he has asked his long-term girlfriend to marry him.

According to US Weekly magazine Jesse, who shot to fame playing Eva Longoria’s hunky pool boy in the first season of the show, has asked his girlfriend Cara Santana to marry him.

A source told the magazine that the 33-year-old actor, who will play Christopher Ewing - the adopted son of Bobby Ewing - in the updated version of Dallas this summer, has been dating Cara for four to five years and they have been living together for at least three.

While the actor’s spokesperson has refused to confirm or deny the story, Jesse recently posted a picture of the happy couple on his twitter page as they flew to LA for the weekend.

Madonna says ‘love takes sacrifice’

Madonna revealed her feelings on love as she took to the red carpet for the premiere of her new film W.E.

The singer said that “all love requires compromise and sacrifice” as she attended the film’s premiere at the Odeon Kensington in west London.

The star, who directed, co-wrote and co-produced the film, wore a floor-length gown by designer Jean Paul Gaultier teamed with a feathered Dolce & Gabbana cape and plenty of red lipstick.

And her designer taste extended to her accessories as she wore Yves Saint Lauren heels, Van Cleef and Arpels diamonds and finished the look off with a Chanel clutch.

Madonna said: “This movie shows that there is no such thing as perfect love, that all love requires compromise or sacrifice.”

The film stars Andrea Riseborough, James d’Arcy, Richard Coyle and Natalie Dormer and looks at the controversial romance between Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII, which eventually led to his abdication of the throne.

Alongside the love affair between Simpson, played by Riseborough, and the monarch, d’Arcy, the plot also analyses a parallel modern-day relationship.

X Factor Cher to marry boyfriend

Former X Factor star Cher Lloyd is planning to walk down the aisle with her boyfriend of less than a year.

The 18-year-old singer, who shot to fame in the ITV talent show, has become engaged to her 21-year-old hairdresser boyfriend Craig Monk.

The pair, who got together in April last year, have been forced to deny engagement rumours after the singer was spotted wearing a ring last month.

Cher, from Malvern in Worcestershire, was signed by Syco Music after coming fourth on the 2010 series of the X Factor.

Following this her debut single went straight to number one in the charts with her follow up, With Ur Love, claiming the number four position.

Alongside her musical career the singer is also a regular on Twitter. She recently used the social networking site to call on the Government to tackle the issues of online bullying after she received a death threat.

Butler bares all in kilt mishap

Actor Gerard Butler was left red faced after a kilt-related wardrobe malfunction in front of hundreds friends and family at his sister’s wedding, he has revealed.

The 42-year-old was wearing traditional Scottish attire when he gave a reading to 300 people at his sister’s wedding in Paisley, according to mirror.co.uk.

But as the actor began it quickly became obvious that he was drawing attention to himself for a slightly embarrassing reason.

He told talk show host Graham Norton: “I wore a kilt in my sister’s wedding in Paisley, Scotland, and I had to go up and do a reading and my mother and family were in the front row.

“As you know in Scotland, there’s a certain rule to wear a kilt so I’m sitting like this (legs open) and everyone’s leaning forward and my mum’s looking at me and she’s doing this (puts hands together) and I think she’s telling me to pray… and then I realise everyone is staring right. So, I (cross my legs)… It’s always a disaster.”

Breast op before big day for Lloyd

Former Miss England Danielle Lloyd has revealed she would like to go under the knife before she walks down the aisle with her footballer fiancé Jamie O’Hara.

The Liverpudlian model, who has been engaged to the Wolves player since December 2009, wants to have her breasts enhanced for the second time before her big day in May.

The mother-of-two boys first had surgery in 2007, taking her from a 32AA to a D cup.

Danielle said: “I’d like to get my boobs redone before the wedding. They’re still in good shape, but they’ve stretched a bit due to breastfeeding

“I’m a D-cup now and happy with that, so I want to stay around the same size.”

The wedding will be a happy ending for the pair as Danielle said she has been through the “year from hell” after her second child Harry was born 10 weeks early and with a hole in his heart.

But Harry is now home and well after a five week stay in hospital, and will be able to attend the wedding with older brother Archie.

Peaches reveals pregnancy news

After recently becoming engaged to her partner, Peaches Geldof now has more exciting news as she has confirmed the couple are expecting their first child.

Only a few weeks ago the 22-year-old model and television presenter got engaged to Thomas Cohen. She is said to be “utterly thrilled” with the latest news.

Peaches, the daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates, is known in the press for her party-loving lifestyle but she has also fronted topical youth programmes like Peaches Geldof: Teenage Mind and A Beginner’s Guide To Islam.

Peaches spokeswomen commented: “Peaches Geldof and her fiancé Thomas Cohen are delighted to announce that Peaches is pregnant with their first child.

“Peaches is utterly thrilled and they have the full support of both of their families who are equally excited for the baby’s arrival.”

In 2009 the socialite married Max Drummey from the band Chester French in a secret Las Vegas ceremony held in a drive-through church, after just a 10-day romance.

The couple divorced six months later.

Aretha has pick of dress designers

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has the pick of three top designers to design the wedding dress for her summer beach wedding later this year.

The songstress, 69, is planning her big day after getting engaged to long-term friend William ‘Willie’ Wilkerson at the start of December, revealing that they hope to tie the knot on Miami Beach.

A spokeswoman for the singer said she was considering Donna Karan, Valentino and Vera Wang.

Aretha will be hoping the lucky designer makes her feel like a natural woman in her all-important gown, and sources believe Vera Wang is the singers top choice.

The respected Chinese designer has dressed an array of celebrities for their special day, including Jessica Simpson, Uma Thurman, Mariah Carey, Sharon Stone and Jennifer Lopez’s ruffled lace dress for her marriage to Marc Anthony.

Aretha said: “We’re looking at June or July for our date”, before joking, “And no, I’m not pregnant”.

The singer recently lost 85 pounds after suffering a health scare and undergoing emergency surgery which left her fans worried, but she has assured them the problem was not as serious as first thought.

Aretha, who released the album ‘A Woman Falling Out of Love’ last year, is planning on holding an exclusive reception after her beach wedding on-board a private yacht.

Holly Branson has ‘dream wedding’

Sir Richard Branson’s daughter Holly enjoyed an idyllic wedding as she tied the knot with shipbroker Fred Andrews on Tuesday, on a private island.

The ceremony took place on Necker Island, which is Branson’s beautiful 74-acre hideaway. Only close friends, family and exclusive guests were invited, including Hollywood royalty.

Sir Richard gave away one of his precious assets to Fred during the ceremony.

The billionaire married Joan Templeman on the same Island and on the same date in 1989 - on that day he had entered swinging from the bottom of a helicopter.

Although the feasibility of staging the wedding on the island became uncertain, as it had been destroyed by fire in August, the Virgin tycoon made sure it took place there

The occasion met Holly’s needs, as the bride wanted to have: “A small wedding with just family and a few friends each.”

Sir Paul releases his wedding song

Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney has unveiled plans to release his self-written song, which he performed on his wedding day.

The song, titled ‘My Valentine’, was written for his new wife Nancy Shevell and is due for release in February.

Sir Paul, 69, fell in love with New Yorker Nancy, his third wife, in 2009.

The lyrics of the song for their first dance after marriage include: “And I will love her, for life. And I will never let a day go by. Without remembering, the reasons why. She makes me certain, that I can fly.”

Speaking to radio station 6Music, the old romantic said he looks on his songwriting era with the Beatles as almost another life.

He said: “In a way, someone else did write them.

”It was a 24-year-old me.”

Sir Paul’s new album will showcase songs which he remembers his father playing at home. The album will include US standards.

Spears ‘engaged to her ex-manager’

Britney Spears has hinted on Twitter that she is getting married to her former manager, Jason Trawick.

The singer tweeted: “OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I’ve been waiting for. Can’t wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!! Xxo.”

Trawick has also confirmed to Access Hollywood that he proposed to the pop star for the second time on Thursday.

He said: “Yes, we are engaged.”

Spears, who has been dating Trawick since May 2009, is believed to have accepted the proposal during a romantic meal.

She was first married to Jason Alexander in 2004 but their marriage was annulled after 55 hours.

Britney and her second husband Kevin Federline have two sons, Sean Preston, six, and Jayden James, five, from their two-year marriage.

Trawick was rejected by the singer when he proposed to her for the first time in Mexico as he was said to have “popped the question as though it was a business transaction”.

A close friend said: “Britney’s mum said she wasn’t surprised she turned him down because she’s a romantic at heart, but the big issue for Brit was getting him to bond with her sons.”

Saturday’s Una reveals engagement

Saturday’s star Una Healy is set to walk down the aisle after her rugby star boyfriend popped the question.

The singer, who is pregnant with sportsman Ben Foden’s first child, announced the news at London’s Wembley Arena at the weekend.

The 30-year-old displayed her sparkling diamond ring on her left hand to excited fans at the gig.

Following congratulations on social networking site Twitter, she tweeted: “Thank you WEMBLEY!! Such an incredible night, so happy right now, :) xxx.

“Thank you so much for all the lovely messages for @ben_foden and I on the announcement of our engagement. Big love to you all xxx.”

The Saturday’s singer and her sportsman fiance, who have been dating for three years, are expecting a little girl.

But rugby star Ben, 26, admitted that the pregnancy was a surprise. He added: “We weren’t trying for a baby.

“But we’d talked about starting a family and we’re in a loving and committed relationship, so it wasn’t a massive shock. I was over the moon. I plan on spending the rest of my life with Una.”

Famous brides top Google searches

Two of the world’s most talked about brides of the year have topped the Google list of most popular searches for 2011.

The Royal Wedding was the most popular Google search in Britain while reality TV star Kim Kardashian was the overall most searched for celebrity of the year.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s April wedding even beat “iPhone 5” and “Fifa 12” in Google’s annual survey of the most enquired about new terms.

And Kim’s profile was given another boost this year after her three month marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries.

The Royal Wedding also helped to push Kate into one of the top UK celebrity search positions, beaten only by Adele and comedian Ricky Gervais was the only man to appear in the top 10 celebrity list.

The most popular TV show searches in Britain were The Apprentice and the X-Factor, while Google’s 2011 Zeitgeist also showed that people in Britain most wanted to know “How to revise”, “How to sleep”, “How to pronounce”, and “How to flirt”.

Unusual proposal for cat-lover

A man has proposed to his cat-loving girlfriend during a visit to the National Cat Adoption Centre.

Cat-lover Emma Parkinson, 38, could not have had a better proposal from her boyfriend Steve Tickner, 34, who is an IT consultant.

Surrounded by 200 homeless cats, Mr Tickner got down on one knee and popped the question to his girlfriend.

With the help of Cats Protection, the UK’s largest cat charity, Mr Tickner also picked out a 10-year-old stray cat, as Ms Parkinson wanted a black cat for their new home in Fleet, Hampshire.

Ms Parkinson, who is an accountant, was excited when she was introduced to the cat, named Soloman.

She said: “I was speechless. He introduced me to Soloman and said, ‘He’s coming home with us, but there’s a catch - will you marry me?’

“Of course I said yes straight away and was just over the moon. I had been working on Steve to get a cat for years but he’s always said the time wasn’t right.”

About the cat, Ms Parkinson said: “Soloman came home soon after and has settled in really well. He’s ever so affectionate and we couldn’t ask for a better pet to join our family.”

Seventh wedding for stylish Pippa

The nation’s favourite bridesmaid displayed her sought-after style again at the weekend at her seventh wedding of the year.

Pippa Middleton was among a number of guests who attended the wedding of Georgina Hewlett and the Honourable Benjamin Fitzherbert.

The couple tied the knot at a church in Melton, Suffolk, and Miss Middleton joined friends and family to wave them off as they left in a vintage car.

The bridesmaid of the year took inspiration from her royal sister when it came to choosing her wedding outfit.

She wore a cream wool coat with velvet detailing by Kate’s favourite designer Katherine Hooker, which was similar to the outfit her sister wore on her first royal engagement with Prince William.

For her suede accessories Pippa turned to London-based Emmy Shoes and finished it all off with a satin fascinator.

Despite her inimitable style, the 27-year-old arrived without a date following her break-up with financier Alex Loudon.

Irish singer marries in Las Vegas

Four months after advertising for a man on Twitter, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor has married for the fourth time.

The Nothing Compares 2 U singer wed Barry Herridge in a wedding chapel on the evening of her 45th birthday.

In her public advert posted in August, Sinead tweeted a list of requirements she wanted in a man and said: “I am in the peak of my sexual prime and way too lovely to be living like a nun. and it’s VERY depressing… Am in desperate need of a very sweet sex-starved man.”

Barry Herridge, a 38-year-old therapist answered her calls and got in touch with the Nothing Compares 2 U singer who described his email as ‘wonderful’ and it ‘took her heart away’ and after that she knew ‘it had to be him.’

After the ceremony Sinead posted a picture on her blog of the chapel and said the day was ‘too glorious for words’ and told her fans she would reveal more when she has settled into married life.

Wedding photo for royal greeting

An image from the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has been chosen by the Prince of Wales for his Christmas card this year.

In the picture Charles is seen standing next to the Duchess of Cornwall as he holds up his wife’s three-year-old granddaughter and bridesmaid Eliza Lopes.

They were photographed when the newlywed William and Catherine and all the wedding party went on to the Buckingham Palace balcony to greet the tens of thousands who had filled The Mall in April.

The picture was taken by the Press Association’s royal photographer John Stillwell, who said: “I’m delighted the Prince of Wales has chosen my picture from the thousands he could have picked.”

Printed on the outside of each card are the Prince of Wales’ feathers and the Duchess’ cypher.

Inside are the words “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year” with the photograph opposite surrounded by a small red border.

Stacy Solomon plans floral wedding

Angelina ‘planning ethnic wedding’

The Hoff speaks out over proposals

Mariah Carey renews wedding vows

ITV Ice star turns wedding planner

West End star announces engagement

Beauty queen’s fall from grace

Katie Price to marry for 3rd time

Women consider style over marriage

Mumford and wife - Carey Mulligan

Modern weddings choose better music

Patsy in Caribbean vow renewal

Brangelina family snaps ‘$10m’

Star Ricki Lake elopes with fiance

Hurley and Warne plan wedding bash

West end couple wed in Barbados

Webb uncertain of best man chances

Baldwin to marry yoga instructor

‘Magical’ proposal stunned Martine

Same sex TV weddings ‘a success’

Jamie Bell sets off wedding rumours

Newlyweds honeymoon in Afghanistan

Will and Kate retrace wedding route

Hawn clarifies wedding comments

McFly singer excited for wedding

‘Clash of views’ over JT wedding

Tory voters oppose gay marriages

Standing out ‘key to hooking up’

Emily Blunt looks back on wedding

Natalie Portman marriage rumours

Pixie wowed by model boyfriend

More people marry in 2010 than 2009

Leap day proposal couple engaged

Timberlake wedding rumours emerge

Valentines proposal for rapper

Getting hitched the Viking way

Couple to wed at Titanic centre

Talking ‘is key’ in relationships

Weddings fees to increase by 40%

Pre-prosal quality time ‘crucial’

Recipe for successful proposal

Tardis proposal for avid Dr Who fan

Couples set for Valentine proposal

It’s a Big Fat Gypsy feline frock

Drew Barrymore enjoys being engaged

TV star opens her wedding mansion

There’s a new baby in Hollywood!

Kate still believes in marriage

Engagement event for Westlife star

Icy receptions ‘cut wedding costs’

Spears marriage details revealed

Corden announces long engagement

Desperate Housewives star to marry

Madonna says ‘love takes sacrifice’

X Factor Cher to marry boyfriend

Butler bares all in kilt mishap

Breast op before big day for Lloyd

Peaches reveals pregnancy news

Aretha has pick of dress designers

Holly Branson has ‘dream wedding’

Sir Paul releases his wedding song

Spears ‘engaged to her ex-manager’

Saturday’s Una reveals engagement

Famous brides top Google searches

Unusual proposal for cat-lover

Seventh wedding for stylish Pippa

Irish singer marries in Las Vegas

Wedding photo for royal greeting

Countdown to National Wedding Show London Sept 2012

Newsletter Sign-up