Mrs. Teacup, Santa CruzAge and Occupation: 34, Pharmaceutical SalesFiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Ditto! (For a different company)Engagement Date: October 1, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: ceremony in our family's Catholic church in Watsonville; reception at the Santa Cruz Beach BoardwalkAbout Me: I’m learning to embrace my true spirit as GIRLY GIRL after previous careers in the Navy and consulting for the government. My favorite hobby is SLEEP, with dancing HULA a close second. An INTROVERT in extrovert clothing, I’m questing to UNDO 34 years of TYPE A conditioning. Constantly processing the details of our upcoming nuptials, peek into this late blooming bride & groom's roller coaster ride to the altar. Giant Dipper required, sold separately.
I’m excited to share today’s post because it’s the first of many opportunities to gush over the greatness that is my future husband. You see, it’s Mr. Hot Tea who demonstrated how to make a wedding decision. With ease. And good judgment. And without changing it three times over. (Can you tell I’m a teeny bit envious of his natural ability in this department?)
After several months of struggling with venues (And color palettes. And themes. And flowers. And can you see how much I was not enjoying wedding planning at the time?!), I decided it was time to punt the planning over to Mr. HT. I thought for sure that dressing the men would buy me few weeks of sanity while he was in charge.
So on a rainy Tuesday in February, Mr. HT lovingly agreed to share our weekly date night with a third wheel. We trudged over to our local Men’s Wearhouse where I secretly hoped to meet this man:
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
Once upon a time when Mr. and Miss Pony started upon this wedding planning journey, Miss Pony told Mr. Pony that he could have full control over his wedding day attire. Knowing that Mr. Pony has solid fashion sense, she relinquished control over this decision and waited for Mr. Pony to show her some amazing fitted suits that would show off his long and lean figure.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pony made the lazy easy decision to rent tuxedos from a national chain store without so much as entertaining the idea of what the Pony wedding colors are or doing any form of research whatsoever. Read more…
Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NCAge and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, ResearcherEngagement Date: December 1, 2009Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Barn at ValhallaAbout Me: I’m a tall drink of water (5’10”!) and a Southern bride with an enormous appetite for Mexican food, good deals, anything French, and all things wedding! By day I am lucky enough to work with individuals with autism and their families. By night, I’m even luckier to be able to spend time hanging out with awesome friends, crafting, shopping, thinking about exercising, and kicking it with Mr. Magic and our two cats. I tend to have sudden, intense cravings that will not be denied (seafood enchiladas! new jeans!) and I’m prone to being a disorganized mess of anxiety and stress. After waiting (and waiting!) to get engaged, I am finally planning the colorful, fun, fabulously awesome Fall wedding of our dreams. In an effort to share the fun and craziness that is wedding planning, I’m gonna blog about it for y’all---the good, the bad, and the pretty!
I just had one of the most bizarre experiences of my lifetime. I went to Men’s Wearhouse with Mr. Magic to pick out a tux.
OK, wait. Yes, we did the whole suit versus tux debate. I basically had no opinion, and just wanted to check it off my huge Post-It note wall list. Many of the guys in our bridal party did not have black suits, and Mr. M thought it would be cheaper to rent tuxes than buy suits. Maybe this isn’t wholly true, with all the suit deals around, but since Yours Truly (you know…me) would have to hunt down the sales, I was fine with renting tuxes.
In my new, slightly reckless and increasingly impulsive
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout Me: I'm creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
We were just about squared away on the groomsmen’s attire except for the ties. While I have a soft spot for paisley, Macs can’t stand it. All the check patterns we found reminded me of Easter, so that left us with stripes.
This first one was pretty close color wise, but skinny ties just look funny to me on really tall men. Men’s Wearhouse had another Calvin Klein but it was an online exclusive and, at $60 a piece, I didn’t want to spend that much on something I couldn’t see in person.
Mrs. Parasol, San Ramon, CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 25, Non-profit writer, editor, and bloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Law school studentEngagement Date: December 19th, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Bent Creek Winery (Livermore, California); Reception: Family Residence (San Ramon, California) About Me: I am a California girl at heart. I love the outdoors, sunny days at the beach, and hiking in the woods and mountains. I also love good books and am fresh from completing my Master's degree in English and Comparative Literature in New York City. Living in NYC was an amazing experience, and while I'm glad to be back on the West Coast, I'm also thankful that my two years back East gave me an opportunity to explore new places, make new friends, and indulge my passion for Broadway shows. Oh, and I received a pretty awesome proposal from Mr. Parasol in Central Park. Above all else, Mr. Parasol is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. But even though I'm thrilled to be marrying him, I wasn't always totally on board with this whole wedding thing and at first, I wanted to run off and elope. I've finally been convinced to throw the wedding I never thought I wanted, and so now I'm busy planning an intimate September wedding filled with DIY details. Along the way, I'm slowly learning to appreciate, perhaps even love the wedding planning process.
This is something I have learned through planning our wedding. I used to think that all men’s suits were pretty much the same. I mean, a suit is just a jacket, shirt, tie, and pair of pants, right? How much variation can there really be?
The answer, as I quickly discovered, is: a lot.
First, there’s a plethora of colors to choose from. Suits aren’t simply limited to black; in fact, the time of day a wedding takes place can even dictate the most appropriate color (and style) a groom should wear. Here are just a few of the options today’s grooms have:
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout Me: I'm creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
In my head, I wanted Mac and the rest of the groomsmen to stand out. Not only are black suits too harsh for the soft and romantic look we’re trying to achieve, but I’m fairly certain it’s what more than a few of our male guests will opt to wear. (We don’t know many brown or navy blue suit kinda people.) A gray suit or tux was the clear winner. What’s not to love?
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
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:
I had no opinion whatsoever.
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.
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout Me: I'm creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
Macs has always been a french cuff kind of guy. It was one of the few stipulations he had about his attire. Macs owns several pairs of cufflinks already, but I wanted to get him something special just for the wedding. Since his boutonnière turned out amazing, I thought a matching pair of cufflinks would be perfect.
But the blog post in which I saw them was dated back in 2009 and the store they linked to no longer had them. I was so bummed, I looked through pages upon pages of search results before finally finding them in stock in a store in the UK.
I quickly placed my order with them, and according to their site I should have them within 7-10 business days. Well, ten days passed and then another ten. The cufflinks went MIA and the tracking perpetually said ‘processing’. I contacted customer service and they said I had to wait another 5 business days before reporting them lost. Read more…
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
So dear hive, I’ve shared with you about some accessories that are a must for me on the big day. But what about my, sweet, sweet Mister?
I told you that we nailed down a general idea of just what he and his guys will show up in on the big day… but I forgot to mention one thing. Well, Mr. Sweets…he likes his accessories manly!
Mr. Sweets is a sucker for watches, cologne, sunglasses, (baseball) hats (that he collects like a kid collects baseball cards!), Nikes, Phillies t-shirts, retro sports jerseys… OK, well maybe some of those aren’t accessories, although they are manly, manly things—but you get the idea.
So, Mr. Sweets has yet to decide on his exact attire for the big day (except that it will be a charcoal grey suit of some kind). But like me, he also loves accessorizing finding things to go with his clothes.
So he thought that these cuff links were pretty darn cool, and just like that, we ordered them!
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
I scoured the internet looking for inspiration for the most-important-thing-I-will-ever-wear (AKA: The Wedding Dress), ordered it, and crossed it off the list. (OK. Maybe it wasn’t that simple. But it is crossed off!)
But what about the Mister?!
Let me start off by saying that Mr. Sweet Cream isn’t the type of guy who needs help in the dressing-himself department. He is not a guy who will show up all wrinkly in ripped clothing to a family party, and he actually does get excited when we have a little cash to treat ourselves to some new duds.
So I was super excited that he was on the same page as me when it came down to wearing gray on our wedding day. (Mr. Sweet Cream can be very decisive about his wardrobe choices, so I surely thought that he would insist on an all black look for whatever reason.) Specifically, Mr. Sweets wants to wear “charcoal gray.” (I told you he’s decisive!)
He also liked the idea of forgoing the tux and having a very cool suit instead. I mean, do BBQ and fancy tuxedos go together? Well, I guess they can if we wanted them to. It’s our day, right?
But Mr. Sweets likes the suit idea (phew!)…so here are some of the ones that he’s been digging:
Lauren by Ralph Lauren Black & White Portly Suit / Image via Men’s Warehouse
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
Around the same time that he picked out the suits for the groomsmen, Mr. CA also found a suit for himself. He knew that he wanted to wear a slim-fit, light grey suit, sort of like this one, but a bit lighter. He also wanted to make sure he looked similar enough to the groomsmen. Mr. CA was also willing to shell out a bit more for his suit, because, duh, it is his wedding, and, since he wears suits every day, he was in need of a nice grey suit anyway.
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
You know one thing I don’t really care about? Men’s fashion.
Okay, okay, I suppose I do care that Mr. CA doesn’t leave our house dressed like a slob. But, I don’t really need to worry about it—I know he would never do that. Let’s be honest, he has way more style than I do. And because I bought him a subscription to GQ (you’re welcome, Mr. CA!) and he wears a suit every day for work, he knows what looks good, both on him and on other people. Well, I like to think so, anyway. Since I trusted him to do a good job with the boys’ suits, I happily handed over the reins for the groomsmen’s and groom’s outfits to Mr. CA.
Well, let’s be honest—I maintained right of refusal because at this point we all know how much of a control-freak I am, yes? Yes. But still. Trust.
We both knew going into the process that we didn’t want tuxes:
Mrs. Marmalade, Norwalk, CT/Raleigh, NCAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Army OfficerEngagement Date: December 31, 2009Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Old Cadet Chapel/Highlands Country ClubAbout Me: I'm a Tri-State area "lady," through and through. A big chunk of my life has been split between NYC and Connecticut, and I'm finally heading down south to live with Mr. Marmalade. Our long distance relationship has been one adventure after the next, we've spent time in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,and Georgia, thanks to his military career. Next to Mr. Marmalade, my loves include live music, useless trivia, shoes, design, and my crazy half-tiger kitty, Oliver. I have a passion for food and wine, and I've been known to travel long distances to get my hands on the best meals. I come from a tight-knit big fat Greek Ecuadorian family---we're loud, we talk with our hands, and we spend hours talking loudly with our hands over large meals. I'm going to miss them so much as I pack up and begin my life, far away from home. But with Mr. Marmalade by my side, I'm ready to take on whatever may come. Next up: our wedding!
All corny (and sad) jokes aside, boutonnieres are cool. No, not cool. Beautiful. And masculine. Right? I’m trying to sell this to the mister here. What I’m trying to say is that I see boutonnieres as an opportunity to get creative with flowers. And I love flowers.
Just look at these gorgeous, cool, beautiful, yet masculine bouts:
Mrs. Marmalade, Norwalk, CT/Raleigh, NCAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Army OfficerEngagement Date: December 31, 2009Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Old Cadet Chapel/Highlands Country ClubAbout Me: I'm a Tri-State area "lady," through and through. A big chunk of my life has been split between NYC and Connecticut, and I'm finally heading down south to live with Mr. Marmalade. Our long distance relationship has been one adventure after the next, we've spent time in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,and Georgia, thanks to his military career. Next to Mr. Marmalade, my loves include live music, useless trivia, shoes, design, and my crazy half-tiger kitty, Oliver. I have a passion for food and wine, and I've been known to travel long distances to get my hands on the best meals. I come from a tight-knit big fat Greek Ecuadorian family---we're loud, we talk with our hands, and we spend hours talking loudly with our hands over large meals. I'm going to miss them so much as I pack up and begin my life, far away from home. But with Mr. Marmalade by my side, I'm ready to take on whatever may come. Next up: our wedding!
Mrs. Bunting, Grand Rapids, MIAge and Occupation: 24, freelance illustrator & print productionFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, graduate of historyEngagement Date: December 3, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Spring Grove Park & St. George Banquet CenterAbout Me: I am a freelance illustrator and designer with a love of nature and a taste for adventure. Textures and color fuel my world, along with apple cider and noodles. I'll try anything once, especially if it involves heights or food. I've hiked the Grand Canyon, gone sky diving, cuddled a baby wolf, and now my latest venture consists of designing and planning a large wedding involving color, DIY details, love, and marrying my best friend.
Tuxedos never really fit in with the outdoor ceremony we’ve been planning, and though I was slightly sad I wouldn’t see Mr. Bunting all dressed up in one, I’ve never regretted our decision to avoid the tux. They do look snazzy, but there were several factors that turned us away from them and, honestly, they never stood a chance. (We really wanted to embrace the atmosphere of our park, and tuxedos were just too formal. We also had to consider the potential summer heat.)
In the beginning, I had told Mr. Bunting that he could choose what he and the groomsmen wanted to wear aside from a tux (unless he reeeeally wanted them). If they wanted to wear suit jackets, they could wear suit jackets. If they didn’t want to (and I was secretly hoping they wouldn’t), then they wouldn’t have to. Of course they didn’t want to wear jackets for an outdoor June wedding, so it was a win-win situation!
I stayed true to my decision of putting Mr. Bunting in charge of the groomsmen. I let him mull it over. He mulled it over a lot (or perhaps too little). I casually reminded him that we needed to start making decisions for their attire. He mulled it over some more. I began to wonder if he really was thinking about it, or if he even cared, so I started probing him more for ideas and answers. I thought maybe if I showed him some ideas, he’d find something he liked. So I started focusing my Google and blog searches on groomsmen attire.
Unique Wedding Favors
Image via Once Wed / Photo by Martha Manning for Missy Mclamb Photographers & Ashely Blencoe of Studio Blencoe
