Monday, September 27, 2010
Why should us girls have all the fun? We get to pick the flowers, the colors, the food, we have our gorgeous gown, fun shoes, right down to the pretty cake. Lately bakers have upped the ante and shown that they can create a cake worthy of a groom's dreams just as well as they can give us girls our fantasy cakes. Grooms cakes have taken on fun shapes, inspired by favorite television shows, sports teams or hobbies. Our readers and the bridal community submitted the grooms cakes we're showcasing today, and I had so much fun look at each of them. Hope you like them too!
Signature Cakes by Vicki - SignatureCakesbyVicki.com
What red blooded groom isn't going to love a cake shaped like his favorite game console or a classic guitar? Or for the groom/couple that loves to travel, the vintage luggage bags are pretty amazing.
The Bake Shoppe - TheBakeShoppe.com
No cake sends good wishes that say "Live long and prosper" like The USS Enterprise from Star Trek. For the NBA fan, a replica of the Staples Center in Los Angeles shows his team pride.
Merging two loves in one for the U.T. fan who loves to canoe.
Submitted by Jennifer Hillen. Photographed by Carol Reach Photo.
The Sweetest Day - TheSweetestDay.com
This cake was submitted by an ABG reader and bride Lindsey Deweese Baldwin, made specially for her Indiana University fan husband.
Classic Elegance - Billie Mochow
.jpg)
Submitted and photographed by Gregory Byerline.
This was such a fun post to do, thank you to everyone who submitted photographs. Be on the look out for our next reader/bridal community submission for more of your favorite wedding details!
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Cakes & Catering, Grooms
0 comments »
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
If you haven't broached the subject of getting a tuxedo with your groom just yet, today's post may help you out a little. Gone are the stiff, old fashioned tuxedos your dad might have worn back in his day and now there are more modern, less stuffy cuts of tuxedos that will help your groom and groomsmen feel like the handsome, dapper men they are. I went to our source for tuxedo trends, Street Tuxedo, and got the scoop on what's hot for guys this fall and into the rest of the year.
Tuxedo Trends with Megan Ledbetter of Street Tuxedo
Start with a color palette, groom's style
Before we get into what's cool or trendy for tuxedos, it always pays to be prepared. The first thing Megan recommends you do is to have your color palette, namely for your bridesmaid dresses. "That’s a good start. Then come in and geta a sense for the different styles the grooms want. Are they more fashionable? Are they traditional? Do you have budget restrictions?" Also, visit Street Tuxedo's website because it is really easy to work with and you can see everything they offer. There you can look at the different styles and tuxedos they offer. Street lets grooms try on as many tuxes as they want unlike other tuxedo rental places so there's no rush and the process isn't painful in the least. The staff that works at Street has been there for a long time and they are extremely experienced, extremely passionate and aren’t typical sales people - they want to make sure you're comfortable and that your groom looks his best at your wedding.
That said, let's move on to some styles you could consider for your wedding!
Gray Tuxedos
Gray Tuxedos are making their way into fall and winter weddings. Megan recommends the Calvin Klein, two-button tux with a notch lapel and satin trim. It's a light weight material compared to some of the black tuxedos in a lighter shade of gray that goes with almost every color you might dress your bridesmaids in.
Gray complements a lot of color palettes. Lots of people loved it during the summer but it’s popular for fall as well. Gray Looks great with dark shades of colors – reds, purples. It goes with a lot of different looks. Most of the time, guys wear a matching gray vest and add a pop of color for the tie and maybe a pocket square.
Picture source: KateSchelter.com/blog
Picture source: Street Tuxedo
White Tuxedos
"For later in the fall and winter," said Megan, "The two-button, white shawl lapel is a great choice."
Picture courtesy of The Photographix (ThePhotographix.com)
"It's very Rat Pack looking, worn with a black tie or bow tie and cummerbund. Very classy, very humphrey bogart." I personally do think it's a sharp look for guys. White tuxes are slowly catching on, and I think it's a style most guys should embrace just to steer away from the usual black tux black tie look. Mix it up a little!
Going old school
Another cool look Megan mentioned is the tie/bow tie and suspenders look. Especially when worn with flat-front tuxedo pants, this look lends a very contemporary look that's flattering on most men.
Picture courtesy of jHenderson Studios
Picture source: GreenWeddingShoes.com
There are so many looks available for guys of all body types and tastes. It all boils down to what your vision is, the colors and what your groom would like to see himself in. Another cool thing about Street Tuxedo is they can help you match more than 100 shades of color so you could get something close, if not exactly like the colors of your flowers or your bridesmaids dresses.
I will tell you this much - it's always really fun to see the guy you love in a tux. Hot. Check out Street Tuxedo online.
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Attire & Accessories, Grooms
0 comments »
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wedding dress trends are everywhere - magazines, websites, blogs, we just love our gowns. What about our grooms? Don't we want them to look good too? For the longest time, we kept hearing one name mentioned from the mouths of brides whose grooms have looked sharp at their weddings - Street Tuxedo. We are really excited to shine our spotlight today on Street Tuxedo, a locally owned and operated tuxedo rental company whose goal is to make the wedding experience enjoyable and easy for your groom.
There are many reasons that I love Street Tuxedo (and invited them to be an ABG sponsor). They take care of Nashville couples. They have great inventory which is all available locally (so they can respond faster than places that have to order.) When you go to their stores, they take care of you like family because it's a family-operated business. They are accessible, with 3 Nashville-area locations: Cool Springs, Murfreesboro and Green Hills. Added bonus - If your groomsmen are not in Nashville, Street can also serve them - via their partners - from coast to coast. They should be your first stop for attire for your groom, groomsmen.
Company Name: Street Tuxedo
Website: http://streettuxedo.com
Locations: Cool Springs, Murfreesboro, Green Hills/Nashville
I love this photo by Joe Hendricks Photography. Disclaimer - this picture is from a real Nashville wedding not a party at Street Tuxedo, even though that would be one way to encourage him to go!
Ashley's Bride Guide goes one-on-one with Meghan (Murfreesboro location) of Street Tuxedo
Number of years in the business: 26
How did you get started in weddings? Mr. Street bought Kornman’s Department store in Madison, TN in 1984. He rented tuxedos there as well as sold mens clothes (jeans, underwear, etc.) He realized that a lot of the profit was coming from the tuxedo sales and rentals. So he decided to sell off all of the random men’s wear and focus solely on tuxedo sales and rentals. And here we are 26 years, 3 locations, and thousands of weddings later.
What do you like most about weddings? I love when the bride and grooms come in to pick out their tuxedos. The bride’s entourage watched her try on countless gowns now it is her turn to sit back, relax, and watch the groom model different looks until the perfect one is found. Another thing that we always enjoy is when all of the groomsmen and the groom come in to pick up their tuxedos. The camaraderie and fellowship with each other is so fun to watch. Everyone is so excited to be reunited for the happy occasion.
What’s your favorite wedding picture and why?
I love this picture because of the pure joy you see on both of their faces. They are a lovely couple.
What is your service philosophy? We have to remember that although we see multiple weddings done each weekend, the brides and grooms that come into our stores are doing this for the first time. And we have to stay excited and fresh about what we do. Each Groom has a different idea of what he wants to wear on his special day and we will try our best to help him find his perfect look!
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? First: We are family owned, therefore we care about what we do and treat our brides and grooms like family. Second: We have tuxedos in stock available for try-on. Why should your groom pick his tux out of a catalog? Third: We go above and beyond the call of duty when necessary (taking a set of studs and cuff links to the church just minutes before the wedding begins) Lastly, we have the largest selection of styles and colors in Middle Tennessee.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors? We work very closely with the ladies at The Bride Room and I think that the brides and grooms appreciate the convenience of the 2 stores being so close. We have so many photographer friends and wedding planners that we love working with that it is hard to narrow it down. I must say that the Nashville Wedding industry has some top notch vendors. Nashville brides are so lucky to have such fabulous people to choose from.
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit? If we do not have what they are looking for then it must be something really off the wall so I usually recommend GOOGLE!!
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends? I watch the awards shows - ESPY’s, Oscars, Globes. We may not always agree with what the celebs are wearing but they have a big influence on the current trends.
What trend do you love?
I love the grey tuxedo look…it is very versatile. It can be used in casual weddings as well as semi-formal weddings…and it looks great with all dress colors.
What trend do you hate? I don’t hate any of our tuxedos….but I am tired of BROWN! I have been there, done that….about a million times! We still get calls about brown tuxedos all the time.
Which trend are you glad to see go? Long tuxedo coats!!
Which trend are you sad is gone? I think the wedding industry has gotten away from formal weddings. We are seeing more and more neck ties, suits, even no coats at all. I miss the days of the ultra formal weddings…so classy.
What are your favorite wedding websites? I love to look at photographers blogs: Gray Photography, Kristyn Hogan, Jonathan Campbell, Evin Photography, Gambill Photography and of course Ashley’s Bride Guide!!
Neatest wedding find? Neatest wedding find is the new Fantastic Flipbooks, they were at a recent bridal show and after a long day of speaking with brides the Street Tuxedo crew went to their booth and made a flipbook, HILARIOUS!! It’s so much fun! Love this idea!
I KNOW! My niece loves the flipbooks. She makes me flip the books over and over. She likes the pictures and the nice breeze the flipped books provide on her face:).
For the platinum bride, what is the one thing you’ve always wanted to see? Being a tuxedo shop, we love when the bride and groom “make it formal”, meaning white tie and tails for the wedding party and all guests in tuxedos as well.
What is the biggest misconception about your industry? There are a few..COLOR! We have every color imaginable. Not everyone knows that you can also RENT SUITS, it’s not just tuxedos. Also, tuxedo shoes get a bad rap…the manufacturers have started making tux shoes more comfortable, we get compliments on the comfort all the time! Another misconception is if you have out-of-town groomsmen they can go get measured at any tuxedo shop across the country. It is a courtesy we all do for each other!
I'd also like to give a shout-out to Rachel Street (member of the Street family who serves grooms/brides at at the Green Hills location) who is engaged!! I love that her wedding will be intimate (15 people!) and all about what's important to her + her fiance. Kudos for sticking to your own priorities.
You can view more info on real Street Tuxedo weddings in our inspiration gallery or on their Grooms/Groomsmen Facebook photo page.
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Attire & Accessories, Grooms
1 comment »
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
For his birthday, your anniversary or wedding day, you could get him a tie, another DVD/video game/golf club/shirt even his favorite bottle of scotch. But let's face it, there's no better gift for your man than YOU! Better yet, beautiful, glamorous pictures of you compiled into an album for him to always enjoy when you're not around.
If that sounds like something you're up for, you'll want to contact Noelle McCoy of McCoy Made and schedule a Boudoir Session with her on July 17th.
If you're wondering what it is, Noelle has written a great post on what a boudoir session is like and how to prep for one:
So... You've been toying around with the idea of having a Boudoir Shoot, huh? Well, know that just about every girl I've worked with has stated, "I NEVER thought I'd be doing this!" In other words, you're not alone! So, I thought that from time to time I'd post an idea of how to prepare for your shoot!
One thing I can't stress enough, is to pay attention to the details and have some fun with your outfits! This is not your everyday photo shoot, so why not bring the spice level up a notch!? I worked with Mrs.B a few months back, and she brought along these FABULOUS red boots! Are they not TOTALLY amazing!??! My jaw dropped when I saw them, for real. I had so much fun at this shoot, and the beautiful Mrs.B's now-hubby LOVED his wedding gift.
I also spoke to Noelle and got a bit more helpful information for you!
How would you describe a boudoir session to a girl who's never seen or done one?
A boudoir session is a romantic, classy, sexy shoot - a supermodel shoot. It’s a personal and private gift for your husband or husband to be. The goal is to create this album that’s a classy piece of art to give to your husband/husband-to-be. It pushes confidence in women and hopefully it’ll be an exciting thing to give to your man. it’s a great way for a woman to come in and celebrate how you are today. I see girls get so excited and they end up wanting more pictures than what they get in their album.
Sounds like fun, I think I'd want to lose a few pounds first or tone up!
A lot of people think they have to lose weight first but you should do it as you are. I'll never make you pose where your least favorite "problem area" is showing. When girls sign up I send them a questionnaire to find out more about what they are comfortable with. There is no nudity - it’s really classy. I encourage girls to really think outside the box and don’t just show up with something simple. You’re never going to do a shoot like this again or at least not very often. Go get the most glamorous eyelashes! Had a girl come in with thigh high patent leather boots - not something she’d normally wear but it was like a fun costume just for the session.
We had a girl whose husband is a guitarist so we used a guitar as a prop.
So anyone can do this?
None of the girls on my blog are professional models, they're girls like you and me. They are brides-to-be or wives. All the girls on the blog have given me their permission to share their pictures but I won't ever show your picture unless you give me permission.
Every single girl who's come in for a session has been like, "I can't believe I'm doing this but I'm so glad I did." They come in really timid but leave really confident - I want girls to feel beautiful when they see their pictures and look as confident as they did when they left the session. I coach them through the poses, and I creat an atmosphere in the studio that's relaxed and so the girls feel comfortable.
To book your Boudoir Session with Noelle, give her a call or send her an email. After you confirm your session with her she will send a document your way with details on what to bring, how to visualize your session and she'll also provide a list of her recommended make up and hair stylists who are closer to her studio.
For more details and some gorgeous boudoir session pics, visit the McCoy Made Blog!
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Grooms, Guests, Gifts & Favors, Photography & Videography
1 comment »
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Jennifer of Reveal Events always knows the most fabulous and artistic people. For her wedding, she commissioned Otis James to create custom grooms and groomsmen attire to accompany their tuxes.
She told me I had to feature his work. Since there are so few surprises in life, I asked Cassandra to reach out to Otis and surprise me with what she found:). Hey - I like to wake up and read something new about Nashville weddings every once and a while too:).
Most brides {and people} stress over details. I know I do! And, what’s more important than wedding details?! There’s the flowers for the centerpieces, the color scheme, the garter, the time that everything will occur, the music playlist, the monogram, the debate of whose initial goes first for the monogram, etc. I could honestly go on for hours; maybe even days about all the wedding details people {mainly brides} fret over.
But! I bet you hadn’t considered customizing your groom’s and groomsmen’s attire. Am I right? I assume {and I could be completely wrong in this assumption} that most brides just get their groom and his men a tux and are done with it. Why not surprise him with a little something extra? Get the tie carrier - the little part that the tie is tucked into - customized. Have your names written on it, your wedding date, or both!
There are numerous options for this customization too! Why stop at a necktie? You could have the pocket square detailed with his name. You could have a specialized bow tie made. And, why stop there? Get something made for yourself, like a garter or a handkerchief. Whatever your heart desires could probably be created.
Who’s going to make these wonderful details though? Otis James! He stumbled into this career on whim, and he’s ready to go wherever it takes him. While at film school, he frequently need to take in the clothing he bought so that it would fit. At the time, he would ask girlfriends do it, but as months went by, Otis’ interest in the concept of sewing grew. He began to envision intricate designs for his clothing and a desire to create them!
After a bike trip across the country, Otis set up shop here in Nashville. He joined the team at Street Tuxedo in Cool Springs and has been creating beautiful works of art ever since! He is working on a website, and you can check it out at www.otisjamesnashville.com.
share
Posted by Cassandra |
Filed under: Grooms, Wedding Resources
0 comments »
