Latest news with #weddingindustry
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
My partner and I don't want to get married, but sometimes, if we're traveling or there's a health emergency, it's easier to let people assume we are
I've never felt the need to define my relationship with titles or by getting married. Even so, I find it challenging not to conform to society's definitions. Language matters, and sometimes, I let people make assumptions. In Sweden, where my father's family is from, there is a concept called sambo. It is a word that means, loosely, partner, but more specifically it means to live or be together before or, importantly, instead of marriage. In Scandinavian culture, this is a very typical lifestyle choice. It's so usual, so mundane, there's a neat word just to describe it. Its definition is a sign that there's no need for superfluous explanation or justification of a decision to simply be together without the legality. My partner and I have been together for nearly 10 years and live unconventionally despite our monogamous commitment. We've overcome all of the usual hurdles of long-term relationships and have landed on a situation that works for us. I value that neither of us considers the paint-by-numbers, white-picket-fence-or-bust approach to love to define our story. We've never wanted to get married Despite their antiquated origin, the wedding industry is booming. For some, they make a lot of sense and are beautiful celebrations of love. While we never felt the urge, I do see the appeal. Everyone knows what the terms husband, wife, and spouse mean. They denote a certain seriousness, beyond reproach. When you veer from the conventional vernacular, people tend to require explanation. Our decision not to walk down the aisle doesn't denote a casualness about our partnership. It actually causes us to talk more about what love is without convention, and means we've had more conversations about what makes us, us. We've been able to forge our own path and build something unique to our circumstances, something that will stand well on its own without the foundations of societal norms. We choose each other, every day, not because of paperwork or the State of New York or taxes. With extended family, it becomes more complicated. My partner's mother is someone I introduce as my partner's mother, not my mother-in-law. My partner's son is his son, not my stepson, despite the love and length of our direct relationship. My sister is my sister, not his sister-in-law, and so on. Sometimes I mourn the directness, the cleanness of lines of those relationships. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to simply use the terms most familiar, the ones considered common denominators of definition that would link me to the people I now consider family. But to what end? And at what cost? Marriage has never felt like a natural step for me, nor an honest desire. Instead of adding to my life, I always felt like I would lose something by taking that step, some part of my individuality that I've always wanted to maintain. Sometimes, it's easier to let people assume That said, there are moments when people assume, and I don't correct them. When we've been faced with health emergencies or while we're traveling, sometimes I catch myself in an allowance that isn't quite a lie but is also not quite the truth. Last year, my partner and I went away for our annual autumn trip to the Hudson Valley. After checking into the hotel, I had a migraine but realized I forgot my pain medication. When he asked the front desk about a first aid kit, he said, "My wife has a migraine." I noted this linguistic choice but didn't need to ask about it; I knew why he made that choice. Wife holds more weight than girlfriend. Those terms, that relationship — they carry an importance, a seriousness that's so understood it doesn't need to be qualified. I wish that our commitment held enough of that weight, by the sheer nature of the fact that it's ours, but I understand that we're not there yet, societally. What is love without convention? Even if progressive society gives allowance for new rules, it hasn't caught up with new language, which still matters more than I'd care to admit. I hope someday we all allow ourselves — and others — whatever definitions feel right, and that it's palatable and can be translated outwardly as well. I'm proud that he is not my husband, and that I'm not a wife. I'm proud of whatever it is that we are because it's unique, specific, and just ours. But when I have a headache in the Hudson Valley? Sure, I'll let people think I'm a wife. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Luxury Wedding Planner Explains Why She Always Includes Drug-Testing Kits in the Bathrooms (Exclusive)
Alexis Alvarez is a wedding planner with years of experience who shares musings on her industry online Alvarez recently went viral for a video where she disclosed that she puts fentanyl testing strips in the bathrooms at weddings, including luxury events Alvarez tells PEOPLE about sharing her experience and the reactions to her common-sense safety measureOne wedding planner's explanation of a measure she puts in place to keep vendors and clients safe has gone viral. Alexis Alvarez, owner and lead planner at Burst Weddings, opened up in a TikTok on April 22 about the practice of including fentanyl testing strips in the baskets of personal care items that can be found in bathrooms at some weddings. "Hey, I am a luxury wedding planner, and I put fentanyl testing strips in the bathrooms at luxury weddings, and I want to talk about why," the initial video begins. Alvarez explains, "The reality is, I know, you don't want to think that your guests are going to, and maybe your guests are different, but I've been planning weddings for over eight years, and I know for certain some of your guests are using drugs in the bathrooms at your wedding." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Acknowledging that couples, their families and even vendors "can't stop them from doing that," Alvarez feels the measure is the best way of keeping things safe. "I mean, if I see somebody doing blow on the counter in the bathroom, I'm gonna have security quietly escort them out. But the odds are, I'm not going to catch them, so I want to protect us, all of us, from the experience of an overdose, if at all possible." Noting that she also carries Narcan, she explains that she wants to take both a preventative and a reactive approach to keeping everyone safe. "I got a lot of hate for when I post it on Instagram, but they're very easily accessible. You can get them from most libraries, police departments, and it could just save someone's life," the video concludes. Speaking to PEOPLE about the viral admission, Alvarez says that she shares these measures to let clients know that her brand is "pretty forward-thinking." "I've always pushed the envelope and been a values-run company. The way I came to be known locally was from speaking out after finding myself face-to-face with homophobia in the wedding industry. From there, my business evolved to being more values-driven," Alvarez explains. "Last October, I was working a wedding [where] there was a table that had very quickly caught on fire. Basically, a table number had blown over into a candle, and it was a paper table number, and so the table went up in flames quickly. We were able to get it put out and replace [the] linen. Everything was fine, and no one ever made it happen," she explained. The experience did get her talking with other professionals in her industry, "about general safety in the wedding industry, and how we go into events assuming that everything's going to be fine. But we have hundreds of people in one space where many of them are usually under the influence of some sort of substance or another." "The responsibility of making sure that we're hosting safe events, that we have safety protocols in place, which should be an industry standard, isn't one because the wedding industry isn't really regulated the way a lot of other industries are," Alvarez explains. "So this kind of conversation about drug use at events, even overconsumption of alcohol, really kind of evolved from those initial conversations about particular incidents to realizing there were a lot of unsafe practices at weddings, and we're not really taking the precautions that we should be to keep people safe. It kind of started there and then evolved into this particular safety precaution that I take," she continues. While she was "very nervous" to share her thoughts about this polarizing subject on TikTok, she was inspired by "seeing so many people open up about the losses that they've experienced in their personal lives from overdoses." "You never know. It could be active addiction or, like with other live events, just a recreational thing someone isn't doing very often. And then just like that, a tragedy happens." The video started a conversation on TikTok, where Alvarez went viral for explaining the practice. People were confused by her mention that guests would be asked to leave if caught using, though they were provided test strips to keep their use safe. In a subsequent video, she explained that "There are some very real consequences, from a legal standpoint, to venues and planners very specifically, if this sort of behavior is proven or caught being done on property." "Venues can be shut down for this sort of stuff. Caterers can lose their liquor licenses. Being a professional in the wedding industry, I do feel that I have a responsibility to the venues, to the caterers, to make sure that we're protecting them as well. It's this fine line that I have to walk between harm prevention, which is kind of the topic of the conversation here, but then also protecting those who are essentially my co-workers, and in many cases, small businesses as well." In another video, Alvarez discusses the test strips and how they're used. While some people think the conversation being brought into the context of a wedding is unbecoming in different respects, Alvarez sees it as being prepared for another "what if" moment. "Just like I'm the person who's asking, 'Well, what do we do if it rains? What do we do if these plants are damaged?'... I'm asking about how to handle it if the cake isn't delivered, or the cake is dropped or whatever. I'm also asking, 'What do we do if someone overdoses? What do we do if there's drug use?' " she says. "To me, that thought process makes me as effective as I can be in making it a great experience of an event for everyone. It kind of has to go beyond the fluff of a wedding and into the safety and caretaking of all the people who are there." If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Xinhua Silk Road: Integrated dev't of culture, sports and tourism ignites new consumption boom in E. China's Rizhao City
BEIJING, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new prospect for consumption and high-quality development is unfolding in Rizhao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, driven by integrated development of culture, sports and tourism, as well as policy support. During the May Day holiday this year, the 18 A-level scenic spots monitored in Rizhao received 2.7444 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 13.5 percent, with the operating revenue hitting 52.6205 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.66 percent. This year, the city focuses on attracting young tourists who are more energetic by holding beach music festival, DJ party, beach camping, food fair and other activities to cater to the preferences of young people. Relying on its beautiful scenery, the city also continuously spurs the consumption potential of the "sweet economy" by creatively launching products and scenarios related to wedding and love. At present, there are 36 systematic and large-scale wedding photography bases in the city, with more than 4,000 market entities related to the wedding and love industry, attracting more than 40,000 couples from all over the country to visit every year. Based on its rich natural resources, Rizhao has built multiple outdoor leisure destinations. Combining upgraded large-scale sports venues and the holding of many sports events, it has been actively exploring and cultivating "sports +" and "sports events +", creating diversified consumption scenarios such as sports events-related travel to boost consumption and high-quality development. In 2024, the city held 140 competitions of provincial level and above with 75,000 participants, bringing direct economic benefits of 800 million yuan and output benefits of 1.5 billion yuan. This year, on its preliminary "list of sports events", the sports events of provincial-level and above alone has exceeded 120. To activate urban consumption vitality, policy support is necessary. Rizhao is building a policy system through systematic planning to promote the integrated development of culture, sports, and tourism. A series of policies concerning tourism promotion, high-quality tourism development, and sports events have been rolled out to lay a solid foundation for consumption upgrade. Targeting peak tourism seasons, the city has also launched practical measures involving cultural and tourism events, food, catering, market governance, transport optimization, etc., in a bid to better serve tourists. Original link: View original content: SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NHK
16-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
June 16 NEWSROOM TOKYO Bangkok Live
Lineup: 1. Cambodia turns to ICJ over border disputes with Thailand 2. Albanese: AUKUS serves US interests 3. Thailand wooing India's wedding millions
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
32 Brides And Grooms Who Forgot Everything They Knew About Human Decency Once They Started Planning Their Wedding
person who didn't want their new fiancé's kids dancing with him at the wedding reception: person who sent these incredibly tacky and crass wedding invites: people who decided which food their wedding guests would be served based on the wedding gift the guests purchased: person who told guests not to wear pretty dresses so their bride would "stand out": person who asked their sister to be a bridesmaid, even though their sister went no-contact with them years prior: couple who had less than 20K Instagram followers combined, but felt they deserved brand deals for their wedding: people who asked a wedding planning group for dinner money to celebrate them being newlyweds: person who was furious that no one got them gifts for their upcoming wedding: person who demanded their bridesmaids sign a contract saying they'd pay a $100 deposit for the wedding: person who did not approve of her maid of honor getting a tattoo: person who needed to borrow a car for their wedding and rejected offers VERY rudely: person who thought a baker was an amateur because they couldn't make a huge last-minute cake: person who almost kicked bridesmaids out for not responding to her text: person who was looking for a wedding photographer, caterer, and dress designer who could be paid in — you guessed it — exposure!: person who didn't want her father-in-law to visit his dying father: influencer who was getting married and wanted to "pay" the florist by posting pictures of the flowers on their social media pages: person who basically asked a stranger to be their bridesmaid because they heard they gave good wedding gifts: person who required that their wedding guests purchase expensive wedding gifts: person's "no gray hair" policy for bridesmaids: couple who uninvited guests from their wedding but still asked for money: person who — and I kid you not — asked her maid of honor to change her first name: person who wanted guests to pay hundreds of dollars to attend their wedding weekend AND volunteered one of them to cook for everyone: person who wanted their caterers to buy clothes that matched their wedding theme: person who didn't want their friend to get married the same year as them: person who asked someone they hadn't spoken to since HIGH SCHOOL for money for their wedding: person who was mad at their sister for not wanting to go to a five-day-long bachelorette party and also for asking that pictures of her daughter wouldn't be put online: couple who posted a list of restrictions for their wedding: person who didn't want her bridesmaids to get pregnant: person who insisted her bridesmaids cut their hair the same: person who seriously wouldn't let her sister be a bridesmaid because she wasn't a size 2: couple who had a waaaay too strict no-child policy: finally, this person who contemplated kicking out a bridesmaid because she was losing her hair due to chemotherapy.
