Weddingbee Blog

Do you know how sometimes, you’re at a ball game, and you really enjoy ball games, but at this ball game someone who doesn’t really like ball games is there? And that person spreads his misery so that you can’t enjoy it either? Or do you know how sometimes, you’re out shopping for something important to you, but someone who doesn’t care as much about that something important is there, too? And that person really just wants a Mrs. Fields cookie and to go home? And then you don’t end up buying what you wanted?

Lambster and I were living those scenarios at the MW Tuxedo Rentals at the Southpoint Mall the other week. Guess which lamb was in which role.

Anytux, the outing starting out poorly because, apparently, there are not one, but TWO MW Tux shops at the mall. I had made an appointment at one of them, but did not know which one, so we walked to the closest one, which happened to be the one where we did not have an appointment.

Since the Lambster didn’t really know what he wanted, I started in with my list of three looks that I wanted to see in person.

1. Vest and tie.
2. Vest, tie, and pocket square.
3. Cummerbund and bow tie.

I was actually disappointed with the selection. I guess it’s really in right now to wear suits and the blogosphere has some really cool options. Men’s Warehouse has your good old standards, which we needed to go with for budgetary and geographical reasons. Still, I think he just kept trying on the same color vest with slightly varied patterns.

First off, the sales associate said that the guys should wear ivory shirts since my dress is ivory (since then I’ve read several bride’s experiences with ivory shirts here, here, and here). Then he suggested a champagne vest set, an ivory vest set, and a black vest set to start.

When my wooly counterpart tried on the champagne vest, I thought this would be the set we liked most. The color was nice and the pattern was subtle. Lamb lover was not thrilled with the fit of the ivory shirt though, as it was quite boxy and he prefers a slimmer line.

Here’s the ivory vest with the ivory bow tie. There is something about a man in a bow tie that I find irresistible. Lambchoperoo, unfortunately, finds bow ties completely resistible.

“Do you like it any better with a pocket square, honey?” I say. “Not really,” he says. Moving on.

Ivory vest, ivory tie, ivory pocket square, ivory shirt? Enough ivory for you? We think we like the champagne paisley that he tried on first with the ivory shirt and ivory pocket square. Good. Now he’s hungry and I’m tired. But we have groomsmen and fathers to consider. This is where our trip took another turn for the worse. I asked what charcoal gray vests they had (only one of the hottest colors this year, and a fabulous neutral). They had one option. ONE.

Since nothing can be too simple when it comes to weddings, it turns out that the one charcoal vest they had was in a different pattern than the champagne we originally liked. So we needed to rethink the patterned vest for the groom, but not before I made him try on another bow tie for good measure.

“Seriously? You still don’t like it?” I say. “I look like a waiter,” he says. OK, back into another vest you go then!

Thus, we had our winner. The Geometrics in Ivory with a pocket square and tie for him, and the same in charcoal (list as black, but the pattern makes it much more gray) for the groomsmen and fathers. We put down the deposit and walked out thinking we were done.

And we were done, for five minutes. Then we walked into Nordstrom, just to ask if they had ivory tuxedo shirts that might fit him better. “Hahahaha,” said the salesman. “No one makes ivory tuxedo shirts.” My brain instantly replayed Franck, “Hahahaha, Mr. Banks, Armani doesn’t make novvy-blue tuxados.” Right.

We mulled it over. We slept on it. I read the blogs. Something wasn’t sitting right and I completely rethought the look. He rethought the look.

Then there was a brilliant, happy turning point. We went to a wedding. The groom and groomsmen at the wedding were wearing exactly what we had chosen, down to the ivory shirt. And it looked great. Moving onward.

Was choosing tuxes easy for you and your groom? Or was it more of a chore?