Southern Weddings

Since y’all enjoyed Kyle’s perspective on all things wedding last week, we thought we’d ask him back for another groom-centric post. This time, it’s all about what the men will be wearing!

From Emily: For a 6pm wedding that’s black-tie invited, there was only one option for the male half of the bridal party: a classic tux.

Image credits, clockwise from top left: J. Crew, The Knot, Todd Pellowe via Southern Weddings, The Parsons via Southern Weddings

Little did I know, however, that it’s not as easy as saying “tux” and crossing one more task off the to-do list.  We like to joke that Katharine is something of the wedding newbie in our office, since she doesn’t “know” weddings like Lara and I do.  But every so often, she busts out with some incredibly specific, incredibly detailed knowledge of a very particular wedding-related arena.  Like tuxes.

From Katharine: I may not know flowers like Emily or photos like Miss Lara, but I do know men’s wear.  (Coincidentally, I also know a lot about ironing, but Emily doesn’t think pressing + starching are really wedding blog appropriate, so I have yet to find a forum for my quirky domestic knowledge.  More on that later.) 

But now L + E are giving me my very own SW soapbox, from which I can share my love for men’s clothing.  (Weird, right?)  But let’s start at the beginning, with my father, the master of sartorial splendor. Here he is in all his Southern glory:

While most men take advantage of office-wide casual Fridays, my Southern lawyer father opts for “Bow Tie Fridays,” where he proudly dons one of his many bows.  Bow ties, in fact, are a wardrobe staple not just on Fridays, but on weekends and special occasions, as well.  That, friends, is straight from the (clothes) horse’s mouth.

Between the two of us, Emily + I had the fairer members of our wedding party covered (in stunning black gowns, I might add), but when it came time to outfitting the gents in the group, I had to turn to the expert.  Dad promptly educated me on the three types of basic tuxes, and the not-so-subtle difference (apparently) rests in the style of the lapel.  Would we go with the basic notch, the flashy peak or the ultra-traditional shawl?  The low-dipping shawl collar paired with my dad’s assertion that the u-shaped lapel was the most formal and most enduring of the three tuxedos was enough to sell us on the black tie classic.

A formalwear purist, my father also is a firm believer that tuxes should not be worn with either long ties or vests, so my groom + his attendants will be wearing basic black bows and satin cummerbunds.  Another dad quirk?  He prefers tux shirts with a ½ inch pleat to those with the thinner, rufflier ¼ inch pleat.  So there you have it: ½ inch pleats, gentlemen.

One thing you can count on?  I personally will be giving each of our gentlemen’s shirts a good pressing right before our ceremony.  Light starch, naturally.

Image credits, left to right: Jos. A. Bank via The Knot, The Deal Diva Bridal Guide, Tuxe Top

Luckily for all of you, the shawl collar tux is a favorite among leading men.  Take a gander at these lovelies, all modeling our chosen tuxedo style.

Image credits, clockwise from top left: Getty Images, The Image Architect, Just Jared, Just Jared Jr., The Fedora Lounge, The Urban Gentleman, The Oscars

Yes, yes we did include The Rock in our shawl-collar collage.

From Emily: While we’re on the subject of grooms and groomsmen, we thought we’d ask Kyle to share what he’s gifting his studly buds in thanks for their wedding day service.  Since we’ve gotten several emails from y’all asking for groomsmen gift ideas, we’ve rounded up a few more below, as well.  P.S. If you like these, just wait until V3!  We’re devoting a whole section to groom fab finds and groomsmen gift ideas.

From left to right: Bird Dog Bay silk quail hunt necktie; Forage bow tie; Terrapin Sunray Wheat beer, made locally in Athens, GA; power saw pizza cutter; and Happy Balls!  (That’s handmade bourbon balls, mind you.)

From Kyle: Wow!  Two posts in as many weeks must mean that there is a place for a groom’s perspective on wedding blogs, after all.  This week, I’m turning my groom expertise from (funfetti) wedding cake to gifts for those gents who stand beside you for emotional support when you say those two scary words: “I do.”  (I’m kidding, Katharine.  But seriously.)

Mr. Waterman was the inspiration for my groomsmen’s wedding look – not to mention 75% of my daily wardrobe – so it only seemed right that I ask him for help when it came to selecting a thank-you for my nine (count ‘em: 9) groomsmen. 

Mr. W (yes, after five years, we’re almost on a first name basis!) said I should complete the guys’ wedding ensemble with cufflinks that commemorated our special day.  Seemed like a safe and smart choice, but the challenge would be finding a way to keep basic links from being too… well… basic.  Never fear!  Mr. W had a fashionable solution.

After coming across the British-based Martin + Shirley Hewett who make custom cufflinks from international currency (quarters, nickels, six pence, and so on), Mr. W suggested we create our very own cufflinks out of 2010 crimson- and gold-plated dimes.  2010 because that is the year we’ll be tying the knot, and dimes because, like me and my bride, FDR also was a Harvard grad.   To make my pair extra special, Kat will be giving me a set with one 2005 dime to mark the year we met and one 2010 to celebrate the year we’ll wed. 

Practical?  Definitely.  One-of-a-kind?  Absolutely.  Awesome?  You bet.  Keep your eyes peeled for pictures of the finished product.  I’ll be the dapper gentleman in a tux!

Up next?  It’s back to the bride (for now!).  Veil, hair, makeup, accessories… plus a few VIV (Very Important Vendors, naturally).

Weigh in: What will your groom be rocking on his wedding day?

Previously:

Intros + Inspiration Boards // The Bridesmaid Dress // The Photographer // The Wedding Website // SW Goes to Kleinfeld // The Paper // The Flowers // The Cake