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Gorgeous Pictures From A 'Hunger Games' Wedding Photo Shoot

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katniss wedding

Hopefully the odds are ever in their favor.

Avid Hunger Games fan, and photographer Carmen Santorelli decided to recreate the magic of the insanely popular book trilogy and movie by commissioning a Hunger Games-themed styled wedding shoot.

For her dream to become a reality, Santorelli worked with a professional stylist, event planner, baker, florist, and of course, models.

"Katniss" was decked out in Monique Lhuillier and Lazaro wedding gowns, while her star-crossed lover "Peeta" rocked a tuxedo courtesy of Kleinfeld Bridal.

Santorelli was kind enough to share some highlights of the wedding shoot with us. Check out her full website here.

Click here to see the wedding shoot >

[via Buzzfeed]

Photography: Carmen Santorelli Photography
Planner: Stacie Shea Events
Stylist Assistant: Lauren Megerdichian
Photography Assistant: Caroline Frost Photography
Video: DMO Films
Makeup and Hair: Erica Ogawa
Wedding Gowns: Monique Lhuillier and Lazaro from Kleinfeld Bridal
Tuxedo: Hugo Boss provided by Kleinfeld Bridal
Shoes: Aruna Seth provided by Gabriella’s New York
Hair Accessories: Kleinfeld Bridal and Gabriella NY
Location: Horsefly Farm (Private Residence), North Salem, NY
Floral Design: AvaFlora
Paper: Jessica Haley Ink
Food: Pickles and Pies
Cake & Cupcakes: Sweet Lisa's
Vintage Rentals: The Vintage Rental Company
Female Talent: Flavia Barbat
Male Talent: Randall Harris

The star-crossed lovers are finally getting their chance at happiness.



The happy couple looks a little pensive. Perhaps they're contemplating their time in the arena?



On President Snow's orders, this wedding better quell the district uprisings. Or else.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

17 Celebrities Who Married Ordinary People

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Matt-Damon-Luciana-Barroso

Let's face it, when celebrities date each other, it often doesn't work out. 

We all saw the debacles of Ashton Kutcher vs.Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin vs. Kim Basinger and Kim Kardashianvs. Kris Humphries

But when celebrities date the normal folk, things sometimes end up better.

Just look at the 30-plus-year marriage between Jeff Bridges and his wife Susan Geston; or the love of Meryl Streep and her husband Don Gummer

Looks like us civilians have a chance after all.

Matt Damon married a bartender.

In 2003, "Good Will Hunting" and "Bourne" star Matt Damon met Luciana Barroso at a bar in Miami while filming his comedy "Stuck on You."

Barroso was working as a bartender. Damon was dragged there by friends from the movie set. The Oscar-winning actor now has four daughters with Barroso and the couple has been married since 2005. 

In an article for The Guardian, Damon stated, "My wife is my soul mate. I can't imagine being without her." And during an appearance on "Ellen," Damon also said, "I hit the jackpot with my wife."



Marcia Cross met this guy in a flowershop—and gave him her number.

"Desperate Housewives" star Marcia Cross was made the first move on now-husband Tom Mahoney. The actress spotted Mahoney, a stockbroker, at an L.A. flower shop in 2004 and left her number with the store owner. 

Two years later, the couple got married. 

When asked by People Magazine about her beauty regimen, Cross said her husband was her best product. "I think that beauty comes from being happy and connected to the people we love, and his love makes me feel beautiful."



Patrick Dempsey married his hairdresser. She still cuts his hair.

"Grey's Anatomy" star McDreamy, aka Patrick Dempsey, met his wife Jillian Fink when he scheduled an appointment at her salon with her. Apparently the hair stylist didn't believe it was the real Dempsey until he walked in the door. 

The two were immediately attracted to each other, Dempsey says, but they waited three years before going on a date because they were both in other relationships.

Dempsey still makes regular appointments with his wife at the salon. "It’s like our date night when we work together because we can talk and don’t have our three kids around."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Forget Spreadsheet Guy, Here's How One Woman Meticulously Ranked Bankers As Dates

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confused rich guy

There were a lot of mixed feelings in the office when we heard the story about the banker who organized his online dating prospects on a spreadsheet.

But then we remembered that back in the day, there was a story about a woman who had done something pretty similar.

In 2010, Ivana Takitall, the author of "Bankers, Bonuses and Big Divorce Settlements," spoke to"Here Is The City"  about which banks have the best men. Her answers are totally candid, just like Spreadsheet guy's, and she clearly put a lot of thought into them

So see if you agree with what she had to say.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch - intense and short relationships

"Keep to the guys who are based in the main financial centers, as the others can be a little rough around the edges. If you are looking for a life-long commitment, then these guys are generally not your best bet. The Merrill set, in particular, have been known to stray. Relationships can be very intense, yet of relatively short duration. These guys often have low boredom thresholds." - Ivana Takitali

Source: Here is the city news



Barclays Capital - the rich guys

"These guys are pretty smart, and are usually quite happy to splash their cash, bearing in mind uncle Bob Diamond is always happy to dish out big bonuses each year-end. Be a little careful, however, especially with the bankers who came over from Lehman - some of those guys had a lot of their net worth invested in that firm, and aren't now as well off as you might expect." - Ivana Takitali

Source: Here is the city news



Citi - your mother's dream

"Those Citi boys are really quite a decent lot. Your mother would like them. They are generally respectful and are into commitment. You'll know where you stand. The only downside, however, is that they can be boringly conventional."- Ivana Takitali

Source: Here is the city news



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See What 10 Old Couples Looked Like When They Were Young

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Here are Frank and Anita Milford in 2008, on their 80th anniversary. 

frank and anita milford

And when they married back in 1928:

frank and anita milford

Here are Gordon and Norma Yeager. They were married for 72 years:

ed norma yeager

Here they are when they first married:

gordon and norma yeager

This anonymous Reddit user who posted a photo of himself and his wife on their 50th anniversary:

couple old

And as a young couple:

old photo couple

Another awesome post on Reddit showed this couple returning to the church they were married in:

italy couple wedding church old

Where it looks the same as the original photo:

italy couple wedding church old

Here's a photo of Lynn and Sandy Dell celebrating 60 years together:

lynn sandy dell

And on their wedding day:

lynn sandy dell

This adorable couple looks just as happy today:

old people grandparents

As they did at their wedding:

grandparents wedding

Morgan and Maxine French recently celebrated 50 years:

morgan maxine french

Here they are happy on their wedding day:

morgan maxine french

This couple immigrated from Peru years ago:

grandparents

Here they are when they got married there 60 years ago: 

grandparents wedding

 This couple posed in front of the church where they got married:

couple older wedding

Here's the original:

couple church photo wedding

David and Rita Patterson of Denver renewed their vows for 50 years:

david rita patterson

Here they are celebrating their wedding in 1955:

couple wedding married

DON'T MISS: This Awesome Photo Of The Obamas On Their Wedding Day >

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This 24-Year-Old Chinese Popstar Is Dating A 12-Year-Old Model

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Zhang MuyiZhang Muyi, a Chinese pop singer and his girlfriend, Canadian child model Akama Miki, are the Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez of China.

The only difference is that while Justin and Selena have a two-year age gap, there is a 12-year age difference between Zhang and Akama—he is 24 and she is ... 12-years-old.

But despite the age difference being illegal, the couple are not trying to hide their love. In fact, they have made their relationship very public by flirting and posting photos on China's popular social media site, Weibo.

While the couple have around one million followers, they only follow each other.

Zhang MuyiJust after her recent 12th birthday, Akama wrote on Zhang's Weibo page, "Wait until I'm old enough to marry you, and then I'm going to say 'I do."

Zhang responded, "I simply can't wait for these next four birthdays of yours to pass, I'm counting down each one."

And they don't care if you think their relationship is odd, or inappropriate.

"There's nothing we can do about this, nor do we feel the need to prove anything to these people," Zhang wrote on his page. "All we can do is continue to persevere with our love, our life, and being together."

The couple first met when Akama was just eight-years-old and Zhang was hired to be her music coach.

After a year of working with Zhang, Akama won the 2009 National New Silk Road Modeling Competition's Children Pageant.

Four years later, the now-couple recorded a duet titled "Pretty Boy." Watch the emotionless music video below:

Watch out for the couple's next single "Courageous Love."

Publicity stunt or true love? You decide.

SEE ALSO: Meet Psy: The South Korean YouTube sensation taking the nation by storm >

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A Timeline Of Taylor Swift's Age-Inappropriate Romances

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Taylor swift

Today, Taylor Swift turns 23, but you would never know how old the singer actually is based on her love life.

From 18-year-old Conor Kennedy to 35-year-old John Mayer, Swift is no ageist when it comes to who she will date.

Young or old, British or American, Swift really doesn't discriminate in her love life.

But at the age of 23, Swift has already had at least ten high-profile relationships (some more flings, really) that have all ended the same way — in song.

In honor of her 23rd year, let's relive Swift's vast array of boyfriends, shall we?

2008: Taylor Swift, 19 & Joe Jonas, 19

Swift's first Hollywood romance was perfectly age-appropriate. While Swift was just emerging onto the pop scene, Jonas, along with his singing and dancing brothers, were at the top of their game.

Between concert stops and personal appearances, Swift and Jonas were spotted spending time together, but neither copped to a romance at the time.

Swift told MTV News of the relationship: "For me, in dealing with things that people write, I try not to let it affect my life ... He's an amazing guy, and anyone would be lucky to be dating him."

But the pair split months later when Jonas reportedly left Swift for his "Lovebug" video co-star Camilla Belle.

It's all good, though, because Swift says "I addressed it, and, you know, that's a chapter in my life that's closed now."

And of course she got a song out of the relationship: "Forever & Always."



2009: Taylor Swift, 20, & Lucas Till, 19

Swift's "You Belong With Me" music video co-star Lucas Till spilled the beans on the not-so-secret, brief relationship: 

"We just really both liked each other ... but most relationships work out 'cause you get along and then you don't, and then you make up and it's passionate. And with us I really just liked her as a friend. That's the only reason that didn't work out."



2009: Taylor Swift, 20, & Taylor Lautner, 17

And here's where she started to slide.

Technically, this relationship was possibly illegal in many states as 20-year-old Swift was dating a minor.

The two met after co-starring in the year's "Valentine's Day" and never publicly admitted they were dating, but were frequently spotted spending lots of quality time together.

In October 2010, Swift revealed her crush: "Taylor Lautner. It's always going to be Taylor."

It's believed that the song "Back To December" is Swift's apology to Lautner for their breakup.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

AD OF THE DAY: The Most Beautiful Love Story We've Ever Seen In 85 Seconds

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Kids shaking hands

A new ad for Getty Images uses video content in Getty's video bank to string together an 85-second-long love story worthy of a Lifetime special. The commercial is by BBDO.

The ad is comprised entirely of stock video clips. It follows a couple from birth through childhood, college, and beyond.

When the couple parts ways for a number of years, we see their development as individuals, their major life events documented by the stock footage.

Watch the whole video to see what happens and brighten your day:

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Read The Bizarre Love Letter Ernest Hemingway Sent Marlene Dietrich In 1955

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Ernest Hemingway

For at least $54,000 in an upcoming auction, you could be the proud owner of a flirty, oddly sexual love letter from American author Ernest Hemingway to German Hollywood starlet, Marlene Dietrich.

Hemingway’s letter, dated Aug. 28, 1955, begins “Dearest Kraut” and goes on to pitch the actress a bawdy theater act that includes her “foaming at the mouth,” while they “break into the Abortion Scene from [the French opera] ‘Lakmé’ ” and he even mentions a “giant rubber whale."

Marlene DietrichBut Hemingway didn't stop there. The imaginative author continued:

“It would probably have something novel like having you shot onto the stage, drunk, from a self-propelled minnenwerfer [sic] which would advance in from the street rolling over the customers,” Hemingway imagined. “As you landed on the stage drunk and naked, I would advance from the rear, or your rear, wearing evening clothes and would hurriedly strip . . . to cover you revealing the physique of Burt Lancaster.”

Then turning more serious, Hemingway writes, “Marlene, darling, I write stories but I have no grace for [bleeping] them up for other mediums,” and, “I love you very much and I never wanted to get mixed in any business with you . . . neither of us has enough whore blood for that."

"The duo reportedly met aboard a ship in 1934 and shared 30 flirty letters over the years, which were made public in 2007, and most are at the JFK ­Library in Boston," according to The New York Post. "But the passionate relationship was never consummated because, Hemingway had said before his 1961 suicide, that the starry duo had 'unsynchronized passion.'”

Read the letter in its entirety below:

SEE ALSO: Michael Douglas Used His Emmy Acceptance Speech To 'Question The System' Over Imprisoned Son

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Reddit Discovers The Most Beautiful Craigslist Missed Connection Post Yet

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nyc grand central crowd after buidling collapse march 2008

Reddit is going crazy over a New York City Craigslist "Missed Connections" post that went up over the weekend.

Called "The most beautiful NYC missed connection I've ever read," the post tells the brief love story of a couple who met at Grand Central Station in November 1973 and spent the evening together.

Now 40 years later, the 58-year-old English professor is trying to find the woman with whom he had a "true connection."

"I have been married twice since then — once divorced, and once widowed," the as-of-yet unidentified man wrote. "Against my better judgement, I haven't forgotten that day — and, at least once a year, while mowing the lawn, or reading a newspaper, the details come back to me."

The missive was posted to Reddit by user SXMGirl, who says she hopes to get the post trending so the man can find his lost love.

Below is the screenshot of the since-deleted Craigslist post via Reddit user LoveOfProfit.

grand central station missed connection post

SEE ALSO: 100 Years In The History Of New York's Iconic Grand Central Terminal

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14 Famous Movie Couples And Their Real-Life Inspirations

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the wolf of wall street

Valentine's Day is one of the best days of the year to watch a romantic movie. There are plenty of great love stories to choose from, but only a select few actually happened. 

And for many of these famous movie couples, sometimes reality can be stranger than fiction.

From "The Wolf of Wall Street" to Howard Stern's "Private Parts," see who got their happily ever after in real life  and who didn't.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie played Jordan and Naomi Belfort, who first met at a pool party in "The Wolf of Wall Street" ...



In real life, Jordan Belfort did meet "Nadine" at a pool party before he made her his second wife.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" would not be confused as a love story, but it did get a lot of the facts right surrounding Belfort's second marriage to Nadine Caridi, the "Naomi" character in the film.

The real Nadine was a model who starred in beer commercials, had an English aunt who smuggled money into Switzerland for Belfort, and was introduced to Belfort at a pool party.

The couple have two children together, but got divorced in 1998 after seven years of marriage.



In "American Hustle" Christian Bale's Irving Rosenfeld has to deal with not only conning politicians, but also his wife, Rosalyn, played by Jennifer Lawrence ...



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

It Takes An Inbox Of Absurd PR Pitches To Get The Point Of Valentine's Day

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hooters valentines day ad

Now that I'm a journalist, I get the point of Valentine's Day.

Call me cynical, but having one day a year to express my love to the people that I should express it to pretty regularly has always seemed more like a chore than a holiday. As a 4th grader, I recall purposely signing some Valentine's Day cards (the ones going to kids I didn't care for) with my non-dominant hand to make my signature uglier (I have excellent penmanship).

At my current stage in life, it just seems like a time to go through some pretty exhausting, predictable motions that end in overeating and passing out early.

But when you're journalist, the mystery of Valentine's Day becomes clear. About two weeks before the holiday your inbox fills with numbers and stats about love, dating, sex, relationships, breakups, divorce, and attraction. You get infographics and charts, and experts are clamoring to tell you what they know.

It's a data dump — a sex census  and it's all to let us know where we as a society stand on an idea that people don't often feel comfortable talking about: love.

Here's what I learned this week: Technology is totally taking care of long-distance relationships because there is now (finally) a bi-directionally app-controlled sex toy on the market called Lovense. And previously unbeknownst to me, the Hooters girls hand out Valentine's Day cards annually. Solid showing, girls.

More important than any of that, though, I got a better idea of what we think is "normal" these days. Not Hollywood Rom-Com normal — No, things like the fact that 10% of employees in Ireland have had sex in their office

Or on a sadder "normal" note, I learned that divorce lawyer and related information searches rise 40% on legal site Avvo.com in the week before Valentine's Day.

So yeah, if you're thinking about a breakup right now, you're not a freak.

Humans navigate the world through comparisons. We understand concepts by comparing what we see or who we are, to the way things are supposed to be.

Take a simple chair, for example. In your conception of a chair you see a thing with four legs. That's why when the bean bag chair came out, people were like hey — that's a different kind of chair.

Love, relationships, sex, etc., those are ideas too, and our society has conceptions of how they're supposed to be. When you compare yourself to that conception, you figure out if you're "normal" or not.

But the conception changes, and Valentine's Day is how we keep track of it.

So this is important stuff. A lot of it, though, is pretty predictable. For example, according to a survey conducted by men's lifestyle newsletter InsideHook, the two qualities men look for most in a woman are that she's attractive (51%) and smart (44%). Also, 43% of respondents said that they're most self-conscious of their stomachs when they have sex.

Boring (unless you're a guy who needs reassurance that all your bros secretly wish for a tummy tuck, too).

There's more value here in the outliers. Like in the fact that the number one factor that turns guys off (still according to InsideHook) is a rude woman — 81% of respondents said that.

And the real kicker from InsideHook's survey: 77% of respondents said that watching porn has no impact, or a positive impact on their relationship. Only 23% acknowledged that it could be a substitute for dating, or that it gave them unrealistic expectations of sex.

That's hilarious. Now I know we need to work on that.

You can check out InsideHook's data on men and porn below; the full survey is here. In the meantime, just know that you're probably not a freak unless we all are.

Inside Hook Porn data

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Lifelong Sweethearts Die Of Heart Attacks Within 15 Minutes Of Each Other

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Tom and Naomi Shirley

It's a love story with a final chapter that practically floats off the pages of a Nicholas Sparks novel.

After 45 years of married life, Tom Shirley and his wife Naomi both passed away of heart attacks within 15 minutes of each other on March 15.

They died separately at the same Florida hospital.

Mr. Shirley, 83, was taken to the Cleveland Clinic with heart problems Saturday afternoon, reports the Sun Sentinel. Mrs. Shirley, 75, "succumbed to a heart attack herself after being summoned from their Southwest Ranches home for what doctors said may be a last visit with her husband."

Their son Troy said Mrs. Shirley died on her way to the hospital to visit her husband.

"Dad didn't know that she had passed, and she didn't know that he had passed," Troy Shirley said. "I don't understand it, but it's beautiful."

This isn't the first story of its kind.

In February, New Jersey residents 95-year-old Olympia DeNittis and 94-year-old Michael DeNittis died just hours apart after a 60-year marriage. 

In August, a couple from Ohio married for nearly 66 years died just 11 hours apart in a nursing-home room they shared in their final days.

Join the conversation about this story »

'The Theory Of Everything' Trailer Tells The Incredible Life Story Of Stephen Hawking

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The Theory of Everything stephen hawking

Focus Features has released the first The Theory of Everything trailer for director James Marsh’s (Man on Wire) adaptation of the Stephen Hawking memoir Travelling to Infinity, written by his wife Jane Hawking

The film stars Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables) as Hawking, chronicling his budding relationship with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wide (Felicity Jones), heartbreaking motor neuron disease diagnosis at the age of 21, and groundbreaking scientific work in the field of time.  I really can’t decide if this looks painfully cheesy (there appears to be a scene with Hawking trying to claw his way up stairs) or somewhat moving.  I hope it’s the latter and the movie’s not going to go for cheap sentiment.

Also starring David Thewlis and Emily Watson, the film will have its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival next month and opens in theaters on November 7th.

Click over to Apple to watch in HD.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Theory of Everything:

Starring Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables”) and Felicity Jones (“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”), this is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of – time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed. The film is based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by Jane Hawking, and is directed by Academy Award winner James Marsh (“Man on Wire”).

 The Theory of Everything stephen hawking

SEE ALSO: FIRST LOOK: Ben Affleck As Bruce Wayne On The Set Of 'Batman V Superman'

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Controversial Founder Of 'Bang With Friends' Says His Life Changed After Taking The '36 Questions To Fall In Love' Quiz

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couple shadow holding handsThis is a post from Colin Hodge, the CEO of DOWN, formerly Bang With Friends. It was originally published on Medium and being rerun with permission.

Perhaps you’ve seen this click-bait article by now — Mandy Len Catron’s NY Times article To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This. It revives psychologist Arthur Aron’s carefully designed series of questions to make a couple fall in love. Spoiler alert: Mandy followed the guide herself and fell in love with her partner.

It’s simple: three back-and-forth sets of 12 questions, which are progressively revealing, followed by an intimate four-minute eye-staring sesh. Maybe after reading this, you’ll have the cojones or ovaries to give it a go yourself. The following is my true story from the trenches as the CEO of the dating app Down.

I met Hanna on a flight back to SFO from Europe. I was stuck in the middle seat and running on a tweaked-out sleep schedule. She was conked out hard, so I had hours to ponder about the face behind her mysterious sleeping mask, which I assumed (hoped) doubled as a 50 Shades of Grey foreplay prop. When she stirred awake with about two hours left in the flight, I was pleasantly surprised by the woman behind the mask. We would both later confess that we seriously doubted our own abilities to attract anyone during that flight: she wasn’t wearing makeup (actually a plus in my book) and my dimples were the only redeeming quality on a tired, sleepless face. We bantered for awhile and eventually came around to the defining moment: how would she react when I disclosed that I created “Bang With Friends” and still run the evolution of it, Down?

Airport

I could fill a hooker’s black book with the myriad of reactions I’ve had from that revelation, but that’s for another post (coming soon). It turned out, Hanna had a very mature, sex-positive point of view and totally dug my work. We were getting along well, yet she seemed a little distracted. Even so, I couldn’t help but think that it could finally happen — no, not the mile-high club (yet) — I could fall in love on a flight! Admit it: you secretly wish that the dreamboat strutting down the aisle squeezes in next to you in seat 18B. I have a theory that there are two types of people who are flying while single: those who are secretly hoping to meet that dreamy, serendipitous match…and those who are goddamn liars. The hopeful romantic in all of us flutters at the sight of a cute fellow passenger landing nearby.

Due to her beckoning post-flight burrito and an admittedly large dose of grogginess, Hanna rushed off the flight without grabbing my phone number. She stalked me down on Facebook easily though, we briefly exchanged friendly salutations, and then went our separate ways, diving back into busy-body SF world. As I do whenever I make a new Facebook friend who catches my eye, I swiped down on Hanna in my app. It’s a good habit to get into — trust me. Fast-forward a month and my phone tickles my thigh — it’s that glorious match notification on Down.

Texting

Our first date was steamy. Like a piping hot shower scene with Mila Kunis kind of steamy. We both felt extremely comfortable around each other and shared way more than usual for the typical first date. As the night wound down, she asked me to share my take on this ‘36 questions’ article knocking about. After both expressing some curiosity, we tipsily agreed to try the exercise ourselves on our next date.

Round 1

It began with a dirty martini drowning three olives, and a happy hour brandy. Set one of the questions seemed almost too abstract. From “Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?” to “If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?,” these whimsical questions are open to interpretation and are meant to loosen your collective panties. My answers would change depending on my mood. For example, my answer for #4 may become more grandiose: “What would constitute a ‘perfect’ day for you?” In that moment, I said something along the lines of gathering my best friends from around the world, playing soccer, drinking games, then delving deep into conversations while comfortably dressed in my pjs. Maybe I’m a basic b--ch, but that sounds f---ing lovely. We powered through the first 12 questions, finishing at 95 minutes, two nursed drinks, and a notch more relaxed.

Young love

Round 2: MEET UP FOR SOME KISSES!

With our drinks reloaded, we dove into set two of the questions. Here’s where they get deeper and some patterns start to emerge. Most answers added some great insight into each of our views on relationships with family and friends. I actually felt like I was repeating myself, especially with my answers on friendship. Still, we bonded on our similarities, like for #20, “What does friendship mean to you?” We both said that friendship means honesty and reliability: calling us out on fuck ups, celebrating successes, mutually dropping our guards to open up without pretension, and being consistently available — flakiness kills friendships. This round really built a strong bond between us in other ways, too: we alternated saying five positive characteristics about each other for #22, a great opportunity to stroke each other’s… egos. Plus, Hanna won some brownie points for taking great care with the question about my mom, as she knew that my mom passed away when I was just a lowercase g. By the end of this set, we weren’t able to resist sneaking in kisses in between answers, and decided to tackle round three at my apartment instead of the sleepy bar. Total damage for the second round: 85 minutes, two more stiff libations, and plenty of smooches.

Round 3: WRAP IT UP!

We walked hand-in-hand to my place and poured some more drinks; I slipped into my pajama pants, then instigated a visibly troubling dilemma for Hanna by offering a pair of PJs as well. In her own words, “I’m not sure I trust myself to go home soon if I take off my jeans…” She made the right choice and we sat face-to-face in our PJs on the couch in front of the delightfully cozy fireplace.

Couple pjs

Set three turned up the heat even more. The first sets of questions prepped us for some doozies, like #26: “Complete this sentence: 'I wish I had someone with whom I could share …'" Most of the questions in this set probe deeper than before and cement a level of trust. We shared embarrassing moments in our lives, the last time we cried in front of another person and alone, and what we would regret not saying if we were to die. Finally, we shared a problem we are currently facing and solicited each other’s advice. I’ve seldom felt so liberated and comfortable, despite the inherit vulnerability of my answers.

After these final dozen questions, we went for the finale — four minutes of gazing into each other’s eyes. We are both the type to make solid eye contact when talking anyway, but this was a whole ‘nother level. We expected the four minutes to feel like an eternity, yet the timer buzzed almost too soon. I could tell the exercise made Hanna uneasy and made it hard for her to concentrate. If you do this on your own, I recommend getting the initial minute or two of giggles, jokes, and funny faces out of the way, then starting your timer. Unlike the original article, I didn’t feel like I was gazing into Hanna’s soul (whatever the hell that means), but we definitely grew more and more anxious to end the exercise and get started on exercise of a different type…

So, what’s done is done. After completing the 36 question quiz and the staring contest, I’m happy to announce that I’m getting married! 

couple holding hands happy

… Just not quite yet. Most people tell me that they expect me to be a bachelor late into life, living the oft-assumed crazy lifestyle of the CEO of Down. The truth is that I’ve always wanted to get married, but I approach marriage with an abundance of caution. Take a large heaping of divorced parents fighting for years, add in a generous amount of cynicism from seeing peers’ marriages fall apart, and top it off with a pinch of doubt in monogamy’s place within Western cultures — What you get is the perfect recipe for matrimony skepticism.

Yet, I’m looking forward to forming a lifelong bond with an extraordinary partner: taking care of each other, growing with each other, and devoting our lives to becoming the best versions of ourselves, together. I am getting married — somedayFor now, I’m not sure where Hanna and I will take our nascent and undefined relationship. But, I’m already grateful that we shared so openly and deeply, with some help from this silly guide to falling in love.

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A new documentary about senior speed daters proves that in love, age doesn't matter


The 21 best romantic movies you can watch on Netflix right now

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16 Candles

You can't beat a great love story.

That was proven, once more, this past weekend when the Emilia Clarke-starrer "Me Before You" earned an impressive $18.2 million at the box office, exceeding all expectations.

The mixture of pleasant weather outside and falling in love can be quite a potent combination, so we thought we'd help out those who are smitten with a list of the best romance movies on Netflix.

From classics like "Sixteen Candles" and "The Princess Bride" to those unique love stories you probably haven't caught like "Beyond the Lights" and "Meet the Patels," here are 21 titles you can watch right now.  

SEE ALSO: Here's how much everyone on a blockbuster movie gets paid

1. "13 Going on 30"

Jenna (Jennifer Garner) wants to be "thirty, flirty, and thriving," and realizes once she magically becomes 30 that her boyhood best friend (played by Mark Ruffalo) grew up to be hot.



2. "Adventureland"

Before starting the rest of his life, college grad James (Jesse Eisenberg) works a summer job and puts the moves on Kirsten Stewart. 



3. "Amelie"

A lonely Parisian (Audrey Tautou) with a creative mind is in search for love. A garden gnome also has one hell of a trip. 



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This woman went on Twitter looking for a wedding date and instead found her husband

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The INSIDER Summary:

  • A woman shared the story of finding her husband through Twitter. 
  • She tweeted in 2014 looking for a wedding date and her now-husband responded. 
  • They didn't actually attend the wedding together, but three years to the date of the initial tweet, the two tied the knot. 


A woman is melting hearts everywhere after sharing the digital love story of finding her now-husband thanks to a single tweet. 

Llia Apostolou tweeted in 2014 that she needed help with a predicament that many find themselves in: She needed a date to a wedding and she had no one to go with. 

"Are you a man? Can I borrow you for a wedding next weekend?" Apostolou asked. "Bonus points if you can source a baby that I can pretend is mine, too."

A man named Phil Gibson replied to her tweet offering to take her, and the two proceeded to exchange witty tweets back and forth. "I can do this, I've got a suit and everything!" he chimed in.

 

 

 

 

 

The exchange didn't drum up too much attention at the time, but three years to the day of the initial tweet, Apostolou had some good news to share. 

 "Almost exactly three years later, I can say ... Reader, I married him," she tweeted.

Apostolou clarified that while she did not actually take Gibson up on his offer to accompany her to the wedding — she noted that her sister would probably not appreciate her bringing a complete stranger from the internet to her wedding — she and Gibson met up shortly after. 

Apostolou said that her initial wish to marry Gibson was a joke, and that it still blows her mind that the two actually did it. 

So, there's a lesson here kids — don't be afraid to shoot your digital shot. You just may find yourself at the alter IRL with your Twitter crush. 

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The real-life love stories behind 10 iconic films

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Salma Hayek Alfredo Molina Frida Kahlo Diego Rivera

Many of the best-told love stories feel at once unexpected and achingly familiar, capable of challenging the viewer's assumptions about love and resonating with their lived experiences all at the same time.

For this reason, it's no surprise that many popular movies are based on real love stories, romances that can be supplemented with memorable dialogue and touching moments (like the ever-quotable "if you're a bird I'm a bird") while still managing to keep the roots of its inspiration intact.

These 10 movies were all in some way inspired by – if not exactly true to – real-life romances.

"The Big Sick"

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon have made headlines for turning their whirlwind romance into an award-winning film. Gordon really was put into a medically induced coma after an unexplainable illness. The couple really did meet when Gordon heckled Nanjiani's stand-up set. Nanjiani's parents really did want him to be in an arranged marriage.

"I'm maybe a bit more private than Kumail so I was definitely like, 'Oh sh-t, if this all goes great, I'm gonna be on a red carpet being like, and yes, I was in a coma!'" Gordon told People. "That's kind of a weird thing."



"The Notebook"

Nicholas Sparks — the author of the book that was later turned into the now-classic movie — was inspired by his wife's grandparents' unusual love story.

"The way his eyes shined when he looked at her, the way he held her hand, the way he got her tea and took care of her," he recalled on his website. "I remember watching them together and thinking to myself that after sixty years of marriage, these two people were treating each other exactly the same as my wife and I were treating each other after 12 hours."



"Walk the Line"

Johnny and June's on-screen romance melted audiences' hearts in the Oscar-winning biopic "Walk the Line." June Carter Cash helped Johnny write "Ring of Fire" and "Jackson," and Johnny proposed to June on-stage in front of 7,000 strangers in Ontario – as is depicted in one of the more memorable scenes in the film.



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15 celebrity couples that met their soulmates when they were just teenagers

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While most people are dubious (at best) when people marry their high school sweethearts, sometimes it truly does work out.

These 15 celebrity couples met (or thought they met) their soulmates when they were just teenagers. Not all of them are still together — the story of Eminem and his wife Kim comes to mind — but all 15 couples shared their adolescent lives.

Read on to learn how these 15 high school sweethearts met, and how some were even able to keep their relationships afloat while navigating the pressures of fame and fortune.

Snoop Dogg and his wife Shante Broadus have been together for over 20 years, and even went to prom together.

Their first son, Cordé, was born in 1994 and they were married three years later in 1997. Snoop even shared an adorable throwback shot of the two at prom on Instagram. The ups and downs of their marriage were all documented on their reality TV show, "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood."

The couple filed for divorce in 2004, but reconciled and renewed their vows in 2008. According to VH1, Snoop told Queen Latifah in 2013 that "[he] had no understanding of how I was hurting her and how I was betraying myself, until I [realized] I need to love this woman who loves me and had my kids. [I needed to] put my life in perspective and let my music and my business become secondary."



Jeff Daniels and his wife Kathleen Treado still live in their childhood home town with their kids.

Daniels and Treado grew up in Chelsea, Michigan, and met in high school. They've been together ever since. Throughout his highly successful career, the couple still call Chelsea their home, and raised their three kids there.

In 2014, Daniels spoke about why he chose to stay close to home rather than move out to industry hubs Los Angeles or New York City, saying "[Chelsea] was home. Kathleen and I had both been raised here; good enough for us, good enough for them."



Robin Thicke and Paula Patton are no longer together, but their relationship began when they were 16.

Thicke told Essence in 2011 that their relationship began when they were both 16 years old and Patton was "the president of the Black student union and [Thicke] was just a silly White boy." But they had actually met a year prior at a teen club where, according to Thicke, he serenaded his future-wife with the Stevie Wonder song "Jungle Fever."

According to E!, they were together for 21 years and married for nine, before filing for divorce in 2014 and engaging in a particularly nasty custody battle for their son Julian.



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Two giant, moving steel sculptures in Georgia represent forbidden love





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