Tag Archives: groomsmen

My Groom’s Wearing Grey

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Sorry I’ve been a little MIA this week. It’s been one of those crazy work weeks where my head feels like it’s spinning all day! Luckily tomorrow is Friday and next week is a short one.

Anywhoooo, since my dress and the bridesmaid dresses are all picked out, I turned my fashion attention to what my handsome groom and his men will be wearing. I was surprised when Luke, who has a very classic fashion style, requested the guys wear suits instead of tuxes.

Since I’m all about doing something unique and different, we’ve been looking around for non-tux options that would look good for a Spring wedding. My eye was immediately drawn towards grey suits.

Burton Suit

Burton Suit

Banana Republic Suit

Banana Republic Suit

Don’t you think our bridal party would look great with the grey suits and bright yellow dresses? The problem with finding a beautiful three-piece grey suit is two-fold:

  1. Three-piece suits are expensive! The one above from Banana Republic was about $300. We just can’t stomach asking our groomsmen to pay that much for a suit they may or may not have chosen to buy themselves.
  2. It’s nearly impossible to find the right coat, pant and vest sizes for all six of our groomsmen. We spent an hour and a half on the phone with one sale lady trying to track them down and ultimately had to walk away. We felt terrible for wasting her time!

We were about to give up on the idea of a grey suit until a friend of mine (who’s planning her own wedding) sent me an email with photos from a wedding she recently attended where the guys wore beautiful grey suits. Here’s what they looked like (note: this is a model, not someone from the wedding) :

suit

It turns out this beauty is for rent at Men’s Warehouse! I was surprised, because honestly I always thought of Men’s Warehouse as only having junky tuxes. I was quickly corrected when we went to the store and saw that the suit is actually very high quality fabric and fits well.

Luke tried it on and looked very dapper. I can’t wait to see all our guys wearing it up at the alter!

I need your advice though. We’re trying to decide if we should keep the vest and thicker tie or go with just the jacket and a skinny tie. What do you guys think?

Fashion Tips for a Happy Bridal Party

Posted in Wedding Planning by

Since purchasing my wedding dress, I’ve shifted my attention to what the rest of my bridal party will be wearing from the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and mothers of the bride/groom. This can be a somewhat daunting task because not only do I want everyone to look their best, but I’m also thinking about budget, timing and personal preferences of the bridal party.

While searching for the right looks for everyone at bridal stores, online forums & blogs, and wedding websites, I’ve picked up some tips for making sure everyone is happy. These are not the “golden rules” of bridal party fashions, but just some guidelines I’ve been sticking to during the process.

Bridesmaids

1. Keep the cost reasonable- the most important thing for me is to make sure my wedding doesn’t become a financial burden for my ladies. Your maids will appreciate your efforts to keep more money in their pockets.

2. Include your maids in the process- while you ultimately have final say about the dresses your maids will wear, they will appreciate being asked their opinions. I’ve been taking mine to visit stores with me to try on dresses. It’s helped immensely to get their thoughts.

3. Look for styles and colors that are flattering for EVERYONE- while all your maids are surely beautiful, they likely all have different coloring and body types. When choosing the style and color of the dress, make sure it will look great on all body types and that the color will flatter pale to darker skin tones.

Groomsmen

1. Get your Grooms’ feedback- I know some grooms like to be hands-off, but this is really one area they need to be involved. Ask your guy what he’ll feel best in…a suit? A tux? Showing him some magazine or blog photos of grooms may help.

2. Again, think about price- This get’s a little tricky with groomsmen, because they have a higher likelihood of wearing purchased suits or tuxes again than bridesmaids do. It’s a good idea for grooms to ask their party if they’d prefer to rent or buy their attire. You’ll find guys will be pretty frank about their preferences.

3. Determine your desired level of dressiness- regardless of if you decide to go for a tux or a suit, both can be dressed up or down depending on the theme of your wedding. Since my wedding is in a catholic church, if the guys go for a suit, I may require it to be three-piece to fit the formal atmosphere.

Mother of the Bride/Groom

1. Be hands off!- when it comes to the mom’s dresses, I believe the bride should let them wear whatever they feel the most beautiful in. Let’s face it, by the time you have a daughter getting married, you pretty much know what style and colors look best on your body.

2. Put the moms in touch- start an email chain between the moms and let them discuss dress length, colors and fabrics so they aren’t clashing. This is also a great way for the two most-important women in you and your grooms life to get to know each other.

3. Tell your mom she looks georgous- even if she chooses a dress or color you wouldn’t have picked, bite your tongue and make her feel beautiful. This is her day just as much as it is yours. Let her shine!

So what do you think? Do you agree with my bridal party fashion tips? Do you have any to add?

Leave me some love!