Groom Style

5 month reminder email from TheKnot / Image via TheKnot.com

My email inbox was flooded the past few weeks with reminders from TheKnot, Martha Stewart Weddings AND Brides.com reminding me that 1) I've got about 5 months to go until the big day and 2) It's time to pick out the men's formal wear.  Now being the OCD planner that I am, I had already started discussing formal wear with FH over a month ago.  When I first brought it up though, I was very surprised by FH's response.  I had naturally assumed that I'd have a hand in picking what he and the groomsmen would wear.  In another wedding-related move that had caught me off guard, not only does FH want to buy his suit and get it custom made but he also didn't want me tagging along to the tailor's to pick out his suit materials and get fitted.  He's like "If I can't see what you're wearing until the wedding day, then you shouldn't be able to see what I'm wearing either!"  And you know what?  I really respect that he's so keen on doing this himself.  I had once again (incorrectly) assumed that this was a detail where he wouldn't take the initiative. 

FH has a pretty decent sense of style, and even more so when it comes to formal wear so I wasn't too freaked out by this.  I did however share with him some images I pinned on the Pinterest board I created dedicated to all things groom (I obviously created this well before I was told to butt out).  He checked out some of the styles I found as a reference point, but ultimately he is making his own decisions.  Because our wedding is formal and the bridesmaids will be in gowns, the only criteria I asked him to stick to was that his tux and the guys' tuxes be formal and that the guys integrate teal somehow within their outfits to match the bridesmaids' dresses (whether that be teal ties and/or teal pocket squares).  Here are some of the suits I sent him for inspiration;

Sleek Suit / Image via Bridal Musing's Pinterest page

Image via FreemanFormal.com

Various Bond tuxes.  Yum. / Image via Weddingbells.ca

FH actually really likes Mario Lopez' wedding tux / Image via UsWeekly.com

 FH's brother was in town last month, so he took him and another groomsmen to the local tailor shop to talk about the tuxes and figure out styles.  He has to go back to get measured since his suit will be custom, but he already picked out the suits that the groomsmen will be renting.  Also, he's not a fan of bow ties so I think he's going the skinny tie route.

What about your groom?  Do you have to dress him up or is he adamant about picking out his own style?

Freestyle Fridays - Les Miserables

Hope you all had a happy and safe holiday!  Today's freestyle selection is one that is near and dear to my heart.  Fair warning though--if you HATE musicals, then exit out of this post now and don't look back.

As for you non-haters out there, Les Miserables, one of the best musicals ever created has just been turned into a major motion picture (which I am seeing next week with my musical-loving friend Angela).  The first time I saw the Broadway play was when I was 12--it was the first Broadway show I had been to and it always stayed with me.  Some of the most beautiful songs ever written come from this show ("I Dreamed a Dream", "On My Own", "A Little Fall of Rain") and while I know the movie isn't a sing-a-long, my friend and I will totally make it one.  So apologies in advance if you happen to be in the same theater as us.

Below is a playlist of London's West End cast of Les Miz.  If this version of "I Dreamed a Dream" doesn't break your heart, you are dead inside.  Enjoy!

The Bridesmaids' Dresses

So for the bridesmaid dresses, I'm going the old school route and having the ladies all wear the same dress.  While I do think the trend of different colors/styles of dresses is really cool, I'm the type of girl who likes matching looks.  And since these girls are my leading ladies, I also want to make sure that throughout the big day, there is no question as to whether or not these girls are in the bridal party.

It took me some time to find the perfect dress for them though--I have such a diverse group of ladies that it looks like a U.N. summit when we get together, so I wanted to make sure to find something that would look beautiful on each of them (regardless of skin tone and body shape).  What I needed was a "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" type dress--something that miraculously looked amazing on each of them.

I had some dresses in mind when I begin my initial search so I stopped by a bridesmaid dress shop in Manhattan called Here Comes the Bridesmaid where I went looking specifically for the 2 dresses below;

Image via Dessy.com

Image via Dessy.com

 Before I saw these in person, I thought the first one was really fun yet still elegant enough for a formal wedding and the second one was pretty and classy for a formal affair.  But when I saw them at the store, the dresses didn't really wow me.  I was a bit disappointed so decided to browse through some more dresses, but didn't really see anything.  I figured it was back to the drawing board.  As I was literally about to walk out the door, I happen to look to my right...and saw this dress;

Alvina Valenta / Image via JLMCouture.com

I was stunned.  The dress was absolutely gorgeous.  The sweetheart neckline and A-line skirt matched the silhouette of my wedding gown and the style was elegant and classy.  The purple is pretty but since my wedding colors are teal and gold, I was worried it wouldn't come in the shade I needed.  And wouldn't you know, the woman in the shop showed me the color swatches and this dress comes in a teal called Peacock (fitting with the overall wedding theme)!  I knew this was the one.  My only concern was that the dress would be ridiculously expensive, but she also told me there was a discount if all the ladies purchased the dress in store rather than online.  And wouldn't you know it, the discounted price was just under the budget the girls were expecting to spend.  I was ecstatic and knew that the next step was to have the girls try the dress on!

All of my bridesmaids live in NYC except for one, who moved to L.A. with her hubby earlier this year.  And it just so happened that in September she would be in NYC for the weekend.  The stars aligned because all the girls were available that day as well, so I made an appointment for them to try on the dress.

Some of the bustier girls were a bit concerned about the dress being strapless, but being a rather busty girl myself, I had tried it on prior to everyone getting together and assured them that the dress held the "girls" in nicely.  So each lady proceeded to try the dress on, and it was the "Traveling Pants" moment I was hoping for;

These are all the girls in the dress style.  We added a belt and it looked even more fabulous! / Personal Photo

This is a different dress from the same designer, in the Peacock color / Personal Photo

Each girl beamed from ear to ear when putting on the dress because they all truly looked beautiful.  For the belt, I'm thinking of going to a fabric store and getting belts made--my sister (and MOH) will wear a gold belt and the bridesmaids will wear another color (we're still trying to figure out what that color will be).  As for shoes, they can wear any gold or nude shoe they want.  The girls have all ordered their dress so they should be coming in soon!  I'm so glad it all worked out and I can't wait to see how it all comes together on the big day.

How did you find the perfect dress(es) for your girls?

Avocado, A Cool App for Couples

Image via Avocado.io

 So a few months ago, FH told me about this free new app that was specifically designed for couples to privately communicate with each other on their smartphones.  Instead of utilizing regular text messaging, you and your boo download the app, create a password and from there have the ability to chat with each other in a private space.  Since downloading, they've added some awesome features over the past few months like To-Do Lists (which you both can virtually create and add to at any time--very handy when grocery shopping), but the best new feature is the Calendar. 

You can each create events (i.e. Holiday Party on 12/22/12, Doc Appt 1/15/13) and even set up reminders to alert both (or one) of you when an event is coming up.  The best part is that anyone couple who downloads the app before January 1st, 2013 will automatically be upgraded to their Unlimited account--anyone couple who downloads Jan 1st and after will be charged $19.99/year.

It's a great app for private communication--I highly recommend d/ling it before the new year so you guys can get it for free.  Enjoy!

Freestyle Fridays - It's the End of the World (As We Know It)

So, I'm not sure what time zone the apocalypse follows but so far Australia still exists so, yea.  But just in case the world explodes in the next few hours, here are some songs to guide you through the end of the world.  Oh and when if we wake up tomorrow?  We'll just have to save this playlist for the next Doomsday date that will inevitably be "predicted".  Enjoy!