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GIFs, Now? The Evolution of the Internet Proposal

yahoo shine
This article originally appeared on Yahoo! Shine

If you haven’t yet tired of viral marriage proposals, that’s good, because here’s a new one, and it's a GIF. On Wednesday, Redditor user DizzleStu proposed to his girlfriend by asking her to pose for a photo (he was secretly videotaping her), then captured her excited reaction when he handed her a ring. He then created an adorable GIF of the moment. By Friday, his post had racked up more than 1,000 comments and solidified its status as the next frontier of Internet proposals.

gif marriage proposal

Over the past several years, as social media progresses and oversaturates mass culture, love and how we express it, has changed right along with it. What started as endearing gestures caught on film has morphed into high-tech motion movies and animated graphics. Here’s how marriage proposals have evolved, for better or worse. Spoiler alert: All these women said yes.

Watch: Toddler's Adorable Reaction to Parents' Wedding Video

Do you get emotional at weddings? As it turns out, toddlers do, too!

A YouTube video starring a two-year-old girl welling up while watching her parents' wedding slideshow is melting viewers' hearts — as of publication, it's been viewed over 920,300 times since being uploaded four days ago. According to the video description, she can't hear the song in question ("Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk) now without crying. (Where's Yo Gabba Gabba or Dora the Explorer when you need them?)

Watch this adorable clip to brighten up your day:

Those sad puppy eyes get us every time! I can relate: When I was just a toddler myself, my mom said I would cry while watching her wedding video, too. But it wasn't because of the song — I was upset that I "wasn't invited," having been born after the event took place.

Plus, check out the Top 10 Proposal Videos That Will Make You Cry.

— Stefania Sainato

 

Little White Dresses We Love

Trying to figure out what to wear to the rehearsal dinner or the reception? You want to look dressy, feel like you can move around, and yet still feel wedding-day special. The simple answer: "The LWD" — the little white dress. The little white dress is wedding world's must-have basic. Here a few of our faves from Watters Encore, DB Studio for David's Bridal, and Monique Lhuillier.

short wedding dresses

—Naima DiFranco

Wedding Weight-Loss: Set-Backs and New Goals

I still have yet to get over my plateau, but I can’t blame anyone but myself. These past two weeks have been a little hard for me, and I definitely made some mistakes along the way. In every situation, there’s usually a good and bad side, which is exactly how I feel these past two weeks have gone for me. It’s time for me to cut out the bad and stick to the good!

jen and rene

The Negatives:
Two weekends ago, Rene and I made a last-minute decision to take a night trip to Atlantic City because his dad was going to be in town from North Carolina. We had a blast, but I did not think once about what I was eating, and it was a disaster. On Saturday night, I drank champagne and vodka, and I ate sushi, shrimp cocktail, and ended the night at 2 a.m. with potato chips. Gross, I know! Sunday morning, we ordered room service for breakfast, which consisted of pancakes, potatoes, eggs, and bagels — all stuff that I really did not need, and I felt so guilty after eating it that I literally did crunches on the bed because I was so mad.

jen in atlantic city

Couple Finally Gets Their Dream Wedding After 72 Years of Marriage

When Mira and Bob Graves tied the knot back in 1942, they did what many young couples of their generation did — they had a quick no-frills ceremony before Bob was shipped off to war. They'd only been dating for a few months, but they decided to elope right after witnessing their friends exchange vows in Reno. 

72 years later, the happy couple lives at Antioch's Quail Lodge Retirement Home, where they were named king and queen of the home's Valentine's Day celebration. The only problem: When asked to provide a picture of their wedding, they couldn't — because none were ever taken. 

Though the couple has never regretted their low-key wedding ceremony, they jumped at the chance for a wedding do-over when the home's director, Jennifer Noble, made the suggestion. Noble sprang into action, working with the local community to secure a gown, tux, cake, flowers, music and, most importantly, a photographer. 

Watch the sweet video:

—Kristen Klein

Watch: Birthday Party Turns Into Surprise Wedding!

When Karley was diagnosed with cancer, it immediately put everything into perspective and made her focus on what was most important: Her relationship with her boyfriend, Ian.

"What am I waiting for...He made me feel special, he made me feel like what I had to say was important, that he cared and he was really listening. I was blown away that there was this depth of emotion that he was showing me," Karley says.

With the epiphany that she wanted nothing more than to get married, she decided to plan a surprise proposal (and wedding!) under the guise of Ian's 50th birthday party at The Imperial in downtown Vancouver. We love that she included their children and all of their family members and friends in the secret.

Watch all of the action unfold, courtesy of this video from Fill in the Blank Studios:

Vancouver Wedding Videographer | Happy Birthday...Marry Me? from Fill in The Blank Studios on Vimeo.

Plus, check out this story of a groom who surprised his bride with a wedding based on her Pinterest board.

Tell us: Would you want to get married in a surprise wedding?

— Stefania Sainato

 

How to Break Through a Weight-Loss Plateau

woman on scaleFitness plateaus are very common — and very frustrating — for those who exercise regularly. Even the most dedicated of my brides encounters times when their workouts don’t seem as effective, and their progress seems to come to a halt. Making a few small changes to your fitness routine and diet should help you break through that plateau and have you on the way to looking and feeling great on your big day!

Change up your workouts, and you can change your body.
Have you been doing the same routine for months without change? Well, your muscles are bored! Because our bodies adapt quickly to exercise, variety is the key to continued success. Never stay committed to one exercise routine, group fitness class (unless it’s mine, because I mix it up all the time),  or cardio choice. 
Use the F.I.T.T principle — frequency, intensity, time and type —  to change your workout routine; this can be adapted for both cardio and strength training.

Frequency: Increase or decrease how often you work out.
Intensity: Increase or decrease the difficulty or level at which you work out.
Time: Increase or decrease how long your workout sessions last.
Type: Change the type of exercises you perform.

Say Goodbye to Strapless: See Our New Favorite Style

Gone are the days of only strapless gowns being available to new brides. This season, a slew of gowns featured delicate, dreamy lace sleeves. I love the lacy sleeve option, as it doesn't feel matronly; it still has a sensual allure. I also think the peek-a-boo lace gives a demure romance that is befitting your big day. Best of all, it gives the bride the comfort of not having to pull up her dress all night long. Following, three of my faves this season: Moonlight, Enzoani and Mia Solano.

wedding gowns with sleeves

—Naima DiFranco

Should You DIY Your Wedding Music?

In The Emily Post Institute's latest book, Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette: 6th Edition, Emily's great-great-granddaughters Anna and Lizzie Post tackle modern-day wedding questions that the original etiquette expert never could've dreamed about, from how to use (wisely) use technology, the rules for same-sex weddings, and much more. Here, the fourth generation of Posts tackle the big question of whether you should DIY your wedding music.

guests dancing at wedding
Photo Credit: Leah McCormick

There’s no question that the digital music revolution has made it possible to have great music at your wedding at a fraction of the cost of a DJ or band. The playlist can be completely tailored to the event: the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, after party — even brunch the next day.

Building a Playlist

What you won’t spend in dollars, you will spend in time to create your playlists. Check online for sites that offer suggested wedding playlists that can be downloaded — just be sure to edit out songs you don’t like or want.

Using iTunes or Spotify is easy and fast and allows you to add professional touches such as cross-fading songs so there are no long, empty pauses or abrupt song changes. You can also create a wedding playlist folder with subfolders for each different component: prelude, processional, ceremony, recessional, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing.

Christina Aguilera is Engaged!

Christina Aguilera certainly had a Valentine's Day to remember — the singer's boyfriend of three years, film producer Matt Rutler, popped the question! She shared a photo of the stunning vintage-inspired ring on Instagram, captioned: "He asked and I said......" 

christina aguilera engagement ring

The couple met on set of The Voice judge's first starring film role, 2010's Burlesque

"They're very much in love and are really excited to take this next step!" a source told People.

Aguilera's ring features nine hidden gems, each symbolizing something special for the couple. "Christina is very spiritual, and having the stones touch her actual skin will emit positive energies surrounding her at all times," a source revealed to People. "They represent things like love, protection and healing."

The band itself has a criss-cross pattern that gets more narrow at the base, reflecting how their paths have crossed and become closer over time. The groom-to-be had no doubts that Aguilera would love the ring  he based the design off of two of her favorite rings!

—Kristen Klein

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