Starflower
Blog Action Day: Fight Climate Change “twogether”
This year’s Blog Action Day is focused on climate change and blogs around the world are contributing their own view on climate change and what could be done to prevent it.
As a blog on love, relationships and matchmaking, we would like to look at the effects of people living as singles vs. living in a relationship on climate change. Living “twogether” in a relationship is far more eco-friendly than living alone, so any couple living together – even without much of a green attitude – is doing more to fight climate change than a single person with the greenest intentions.
Here’s how couples contribute to the fight against climate change:
- A shared home is more environmentally friendly than individual households. A couple requires less space than two singles, which means less building, less land claimed for residential development, less CO2 emissions from construction work.
- Couples can save on heating, as they share a living space that only needs to be heated once. Also, don’t overrate the effect of body heat when you cuddle up in bed
Who needs an electric blanket, when they have the one they love to keep them warm at night? Read more
Ready for Marriage? A Retro-Marriage-Quiz for Women
You want to get married? Are you still looking for the right man to marry? Or have you found the perfect guy, but are unsure if you are ready for marriage?
In the 70s that question was a topic for comics aimed at young girls. Below, we will show you a marriage quiz published in the 70s that was supposed to help young women find out if they’re ready for marriage. If you answer every question with “Yes”, you’re ready to say “Yes”. The questions fall into 3 categories:
1. Some questions are pretty sensible – even if you don’t answer “Yes” to all of them, it’s probably a good idea to think about some issues like finances and commitment before you take a vow that will change your life.
2. Some of the other questions aren’t useless, but today you should probably answer them the exact other way around if you’re ready for marriage!
3. Some questions feel like they came straight from the dark ages and make the questionnaire feel more like an employment form for housekeepers.
Either way, if you want to get married, you should take the marriage quiz! Whatever you answer – some questions will give you pause for thought, some will make you laugh out loud and in the end it’s still up to you to decide whether you’re ready for marriage!
So, are you ready for marriage? (You’re supposed to answer “YES” to all of the questions, else you aren’t!) Share your results in the comments – we’ll all laugh together 
Environmentally Friendly Weddings: 12 Tips for a Green Wedding
Environmentally friendly blog treehugger writes about all aspects of green living. This post about non-green weddings got us thinking: What would an environmentally friendly wedding look like?
These are the top tips for a green wedding:
- An environmentally friendly wedding begins with environmentally friendly wedding invites: Print your invitations on recycled paper or, even better, hand-write them. Don’t worry; recycled paper needn’t look horrible – these days it comes in any design or colour you could ask for.
- Bonus green points for handing the invitations to friends personally. That doesn’t just save you postage, but also the carbon caused by mail.
- When looking for the perfect wedding location, remember: a green wedding means minimum travel for a maximum of your guests. Read more
be2 Conquers Indian Dating Market
One year ago in the be2 office: Job interview. While my future boss lists several be2 countries, I can’t help but wonder that India isn’t on be2’s colorful world map yet. I am told: „The Indian dating market is very complex: arranged marriages, low purchasing power, a completely different culture and strong competition.“ As an Indian raised in Germany, I think to myself: “I know all that already, but still…”
How to get Hitched Around the World:
Wedding Customs in be2 Countries
Once you find the husband or wife of your dreams, you start dreaming about the wedding of your dreams. In different countries that can mean very different wedding customs. How are wedding customs celebrated in the be2 countries? What do people wear and which lucky charms do they carry? Below, we show you how to get hitched in different countries around the world. Maybe you can find some inspiration for your own wedding:
- Wedding customs in central Europe
The traditional bridal bouquet was originally made with herbs to keep away bad spirits. The veil used to be a symbol of the brides virginity and also a protection from evil spirits. 
The bridesmaids were another way of fooling the spirits as they would be distracted from the bride herself. Traditional lucky charms are…
… something old to symbolize her time as a single woman
… something new to take her into her life as a married woman
… something borrowed to show friendship
… something blue, the colour of faithfulness
- Wedding customs in Italy
The bride shouldn’t wear any jewellery, particularly gold, before the end of the ceremony.
- Wedding customs in France
There’s a big song and dance about the bridal garter. Men offer the bride money for each inch her skirt goes up. The women bid against them. When the garter becomes visible, the dance is over and the man who made the highest bid, gets it as a souvenir.
- Wedding customs in Mexico
The bride often carries a fan instead of flowers. Men often wear a mexican “wedding shirt“, ideal for the climate and beach weddings.
- Wedding customs in Belgium
Prime accessory are embroidered handkerchiefs. The name of the bride is stitched on and when the next single woman from the family is preparing to get married, her name is added and the handkerchief is passed on from generation to generation.
- Wedding customs in India
The bride’s hand and feet are decorated with henna. During the ceremony, she wears a coloured sari.
- Wedding customs in Croatia
The groom wears a small bouquet of rosemary tied with coloured ribbons. After the ceremony the bridal veil is exchanged for an apron to symbolize her new status as a married woman.
- Wedding customs in China
The traditional wedding colour is red, the colour of joy and luck. Many couples choose to marry western-style, but red is still a strong theme in decorations and gifts.
- Wedding customs in Sweden
By the end of the wedding, the bride wears three rings: the engagement ring, the wedding ring and a maternity ring. For financial luck, the bride places a coin from her father and one from her mother in each shoe.
- Wedding customs in Finland
The bride wears a gold crown. The unmarried female guests dance around her. With eyes closed, she puts the crown on one of the single women – she will be the next to marry
- Wedding customs in Norway
The groom wears a bunda, a hand made, wool suit. The bride wears a silver or gold crown which jingles when she moves her head – to keep evil spirits away.
>>>See all be2 countries at a glance here – and find out how to get hitched in your own country!
