Weddingbee Blog

One of the few areas where I relinquished control over every piece of fabric, doodad, color, and sheet of paper was in the menswear. Mr. Ladyfingers and his men, along with our dads, are free to wear whatever Mr. Ladyfingers feels they should wear. (I also let him handle the rehearsal-dinner arrangements, and I’m letting my BMs handle the shower and bachelorette-party stuff. And that pretty much sums up the extent of my “handing it over to somebody else”-edness.)

I won’t tell you a ridiculous, baldfaced lie, though, and say:

1. I had no opinion whatsoever.
2. I didn’t nag one bit.

Of course this is false. I told you all about it last week. But hey, the *incident* last Tuesday resulted in FI making an appointment at Men’s Wearhouse to try on a few tuxes and make his decision. Not that I’m pleased with how I handled the situation, but it’s nice to have it done!

I initially really liked the suit idea, especially the gray flannel numbers I was seeing crop up all over the spring and summer wedding events. Our wedding, while in November, is outdoors and in Florida. Our vibe is casual, as in, “dress nice, but don’t be afraid to cut loose.” So I really liked suits for their un-stuffiness and also their sophistication.

Image via A Suit That Fits

Image via Trendsetting Wedding / Photo by Red Ribbon Studio

Image via Elizabeth Anne Designs / Photo by Aaron Ingrao

Alas, Mr. Ladyfingers was totally committed to a tux. He felt that a suit was too informal and that he really should adhere to tradition on this point. So tuxes it was. The only thing I noted was that pocket squares in our wedding colors would be nice, since we hadn’t planned on doing boutonnieres—a white pocket square for him, gray pocket squares for his men.

So what did he end up with? All he’ll tell me is:

• Black tuxes with pinstripes
• Cream vests and ties for the dudes
• Platinum vest and tie for him
• Solid black for the dads

I can totally envision—and I love! Alas, we couldn’t find pictures of the precise tux he selected online, but I’m awfully proud of his choice. He said basic black was too boring. Yay!

Also, he told me I should be proud of him for not choosing the Converse they had to rent as shoes. I told him that would have been 100% A-OK with me. Grooms in Converse? Totally fantastic.

Image via Project Wedding / Photo by Boucher Photography

Image via Lake Jane / Photo by Mark Brooke Photographers

Image via Santa Barbara Wedding Chic / Photos from top to bottom: 1 & 2 Amelia Lyon, 3 Anna Kuperberg

“Why not?” I said. “It’s an outdoor wedding! It’s not even that formal!”

“SO WHY AM I WEARING A TUX??” he countered.

Sigh. Well, one more checkmark indeed!

Was the menswear an ordeal for you? Did the guys have full control, or did you step in with your thoughts? What direction did they go in? Tuxes? Suits? Other?