Justin Theroux and Nicole Brydon Bloom's wedding celebrations featured stilt walkers, a bonfire on the beach and "mermaid" swimming. The couple - who got engaged ast summer after two years of dating - tied the knot over the weekend at the Hotel Esencia in Xpu Há, Mexico, where they had previously enjoyed a weekend away, and wanted their guests to enjoy a "taste of [their] dream weekend in the Mayan Riviera paradise". The guests spent Thursday (13.03.25) night on the beach with a bonfire, before the couple held their rehearsal dinner the following evening. Those celebratios began with cocktails on the roof terrace before toasts from friends and family by the pool. Nicole told Vogue magazine: “Many tears were shed and we were overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who have made such a huge impact on our lives, both as individuals and as a couple." They then enjoyed more drinks, using local vendors and entertainers, and "got the party started". The 30-year-old actress noted: “Our band for the night, The Cubanismos, really got the party started. As did the stilt walkers!” The wedding ceremony took place at 5pm on Saturday (15.03.25), but the weather meant a slight change of plans with the venue. Nicole - who wore a custom gown by her friend Victoria Beckham - explained: “We had initially wanted to get married down by the water, but when we woke up on Saturday morning, the wind was incredibly strong and sand was whipping around. We pulled the ceremony back into a tucked away cove. The ocean was still visible but we were protected under a canopy of palm trees.” The 'Paradise' star's sister sang 'Moon River' as she walked down the aisle. Nicole said: “It was so moving to hear her beautiful voice wafting over the soft waves as my step-father Dan McNulty and I made our way through all our family and friends toward Justin at the end of the aisle." The pair have opted to keep the contents of their wedding vows private. Justin said: “All I’ll say is, it was wonderful. Ceremonies with vows are about the words contained within them. And they are better left un-described here. That being said, the officiant said some wonderful things, and my wife was just… well, incredibly touching. I was very moved.” Nicole added: "I kept saying I felt so at peace and so loved all weekend. "Our officiant and my brother-in-law, Patrick McQuade, had us take a moment at the top of our ceremony to face our guests and really soak in the moment. I was overwhelmed with gratitude, love, and joy. "To see so many faces smiling back at me from so many different walks of life and generations felt incredibly grounding and magical. Looking into Justin’s kind, hazel eyes during the ceremony made me feel very safe and loved.” After saying I do, the 53-year-old actor and his new wife took 10 minutes to themselves before kicking off their celebrations. Nicole said: “It was the greatest little reset before rejoining our favorite people for cocktail hour on the lawn." Eliot Sumner opened the reception with two songs before speeches came from Nicole's stepfather and her two sisters, who were joint maids of honour. Nicole said: “All three speeches moved me to tears. Justin’s best men were fantastic and had all our guests belly laughing by the end of their toasts.” A mariachi band played while the couple headed to the floor for their first dance to 'I've Told Every Little Star' by Linda Scott. Justin said: “A first dance and an homage to David Lynch." Nicole added: "We danced for three hours straight with all our guests beneath a canopy of disco balls. My 93-year-old grandma, Laura Bloom, was the life of the party.” The guests who celebrated until the end found themselves inside a little speakeasy within the hotel. Nicole said: “It was rowdy with great music—and Patrick, our officiant, just kept yelling ‘This is the best night of my life!’ "A few mermaids ended up swimming in the pool above. It was the perfect celebratory way to end a fabulous weekend!”

By Joseph Ax

Experiencing joy in wartime might sound like an impossibility, but members of the LGBTQ community in Ukraine are proving it’s not only achievable, but even a form of resistance.

Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

Halle Berry wants women to celebrate the menopause by throwing a "shiesta" party. The Hollywood actress, 58, has revealed she will officially enter menopause on March 21 - the date which will mark 12 months since her last period - and she is convinced the date needs to be acknowledged like "every other milestone" in life. According to New York Post column PageSix, Halle explained her ideas during an upcoming appearance on 'The Tamsen Show' podcast, saying: "When a woman realizes that she’s in the menopause - you know, 365 days, and you know you’re in it - it is their duty to give that woman a ‘shiesta’ to celebrate her, like we do every other milestone in our life." Halle went on to confess she thought she would be able to "skip" menopause because she has spent so many years prioritising healthy living. She added: "There was a feeling of: ‘Hey, I can do pretty much anything I want to do if I eat right and exercise, and prioritize my health and well-being'. "I thought whatever menopause is - I don’t know much about it - but I’m sure I’m going to skip it, because I’m too healthy! I’m on top of everything." Halle launched her own wellness platform Respin in 2020, but she recently repurposed it to focus on menopause and women’s health issues. The actress has also been campaigning for more research into the menopause and more funding for treatments. She recently told Women's Health magazine: "As women, we've been told that's it's just what happens when you get older - you just have to white-knuckle it, grin and bear it. Well, no, that's just not good enough." Halle recently revealed she was sent into a spin after a doctor misdiagnosed her perimenopause symptoms as herpes and she then spent 72 hours with her partner Van Hunt playing the "blame game" trying to work out how she had contracted the sexually transmitted infection (STI). During an appearance on 'The Drew Barrymore Show', Halle explained: "I tried to go to the bathroom and I couldn’t go. It was so painful when I tried to let a little bit out. I couldn’t go. It took me almost 10 minutes just to empty my bladder because it was so painful. "Substances were down there that I had never seen before. And I thought, ‘What is this?’” After seeing a doctor, she was diagnosed with a "really bad case of herpes", and Halle added: "We spend the next 72 hours doing the blame game, trying to figure out who gave it to me, who gave it to him. And then a couple of hours after that, my doctor called me and said, ‘You do not have herpes'." Halle went on to do some research and discovered her symptoms were linked to perimenopause - which hits prior to menopause.

By Kanishka Singh