Tuxedo Tale: A Stylish Groom Shares His Tuxedo Shopping Adventure
Thursday, December 16, 2010
As women, we know exactly where to go to find inspiration when shopping for our wedding gown. There are magazines galore, websites and blogs, movies, TV shows, the internet... but for the guys, unless they're willing to browse through your girly magazines and sites, they're left with maybe movies or friends' weddings for references. Sometimes the grooms are left to their own devices and in the case of today's groom, he did a great job, but it wasn't without a bit of elbow grease!
Ken married his girlfriend Catherine on a beautiful Saturday this October. Knowing that her fiance dressed well, Catherine left the tuxedo shopping duties all to Ken.
Photos courtesy of Allan Williams Photography
As told to us by Ken, a Nashville groom...
(The views expressed in guest blog and interview posts are solely of the guest blogger or interviewee and not necessarily those shared by Ashley's Bride Guide.)
When I started looking I went to Men’s Warehouse to look at their stuff and they didn’t have a whole lot to show in person. I went through it with one of my groomsmen and there were one or two things that were ok but overall kind of lame as far as service and selection. Then I went to Bittners and they were a little bit better and had more to choose from but still not fantastic and I ended up at Street Tuxedo. I didn’t know what to expect and when I got there I saw several of their mannequins that had all the stuff on them and they had a lot of tuxes on hangers that you could see and try on. It was a smaller store and everytime I went there was someone available to help me.
I looked at the tuxedos they had but noticed that the only differences were the lapel shape or maybe there was a little satin trim here and there but it wasn't anything that grabbed my attention. I also saw a couple that looked like regular suits and thought, "What's the point?" Then I saw they had the silver ones sitting out and thought “That might actually work, it’s growing on me” so Rachael had me try them on to see what the different combinations would look like. As far as picking the silver tuxedos, I knew I wanted to be different but not loud different. I like dressing well and I like getting dressed up. Not in a super metro way but just slightly. I also like wearing bow ties. Not all the time but I do wear them some so that's why I chose a bow tie and vest combination. I knew the bridesmaids dress colors (lapis), and Catherine trusted what I was going to choose but I’m pretty sure she wasn’t expecting the silver.
Admittedly, after I’d chosen the silver, I wondered if Men’s Warehouse carried those tuxedos so I looked online and it turns out they did but the website didn’t show the prices. Then I thought that maybe the price difference would be worth going back there so I went back to Men's Warehouse and it turns out they were more expensive even though they’re a bigger chain! I also wanted a lapis pocket square and they didn’t have that so my decision was easy to make.
Street Tuxedo had a lapis vest and pocket squares and I went back two or three more times to look. I couldn’t quite decide on how to do the accessories like the vest and I didn’t know what the guys were going to wear but I knew I wanted them to have a three-piece tux. I didn't know what I was going to wear exactly but I knew Catherine had an ivory dress so I decided to do an ivory bow tie but wasn’t sure about an ivory vest.
It started to come down to the wire with the suits and my decision but they never pressured me to decide. Rachael and the people there were patient and so helpful. They even took pictures of me in the two different color combinations and emailed them to me so I sent that to my sister-in-law for her approval.
Considering how difficult I was being, I was impressed with how that was all handled. They never gave me any attitude or grief. A lot of our correspondence was via email which works for me. I should also mention that one of our ring bearers is from Wales and his mother had sent me the measurements in European sizes. I forwarded them to Rachael to see what she thought. She worked with what I gave her and helped us figure out the right size for the little boy.
At the end of the day, they gave me both my options and it was up to me to make up my mind on the wedding day.
I was very satisfied with their service, I never felt pressured, they were accommodating considering the circumstances and I would have been satisfied with just the selection and service but after checking up on prices elsewhere it made the decision very easy. The only set back is the limited hours compared to major chains but they make it easy to see it all in person and try things on to see what it looks like and to have a person there to coach you through it all is great. When I went in there, I didn't know what I wanted but I knew what I didn’t want and I wasn’t completely indecisive. They knew what they were working with and were really happy to help me.They gave me the impression that this is their business this is what they do and I felt like they were sincere and enjoyed helping me.
Thanks for taking the time to share this with us Ken, we're glad you had such a positive experience at Street Tuxedo. Whether you're dapper like Ken or whether your groom will need a lot of help picking, give Rachael a call or visit the Street Tuxedo website and see how easy and painless it really is to shop for a tux for your wedding day! And in case you're having trouble deciding if you even want a tux, check our our post on Tux or Suit - How to Decide?
All images courtesy of Allan Williams Photography (AWilliamsPhotograph.com)
(The views expressed in guest blog and interview posts are solely of the guest blogger or interviewee and not necessarily those shared by Ashley's Bride Guide.)
About the Author:
Tabitha
Blogging is something I’ve enjoyed doing for years. My interests lie mostly in lifestyle related topics like fashion, style, design, food and weddings. When I heard Ashley was looking to bring on new members to the ABG team, I jumped at the opportunity - I can’t think of a better way to stay involved in weddings than to write about them and to stay in touch with the trends and new ideas. Lucky for me, Ashley likes my blog and trusts my experience to bring me on and so far, it’s been a blast.
send
Posted on December 16, 2010 |
Filed under: Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Grooms, Groomsmen & Tuxedos , Real Nashville Weddings,
