Your Questions, Answered!

Last month, Martha Stewart Weddings asked me to be a guest blogger for “The Bride’s Guide.” I was very excited about this! I loved the idea that brides could ask me specific questions about their weddings and their fiancé’s look. I noticed that since I posted my answers, brides continued to ask questions and I wouldn’t want them to go unanswered, so I thought I would answer them here in hopes that it may help even more of our brides! Here we go...

Kristina asked:
How does my fiancé achieve a modern/contemporary look that is cohesive with his groomsmen who will need to rent their attire? Should my fiancé buy his suit/tux and have the groomsmen rent? Or should my fiancé rent as well? What is the most contemporary look? We were thinking about purchasing nice colored ties.

My advice:
Kristina, I absolutely believe your fiancé should buy his tuxedo! Did you rent your wedding dress? If not, I think he deserves his very own tuxedo, just as you deserve your very own dress. He is, after all, 50% of the reason for this wedding. For your fiancé’s tuxedo, I suggest a narrow lapel and a shorter jacket; this is very modern and stylish. For the groomsmen, colorful ties can look very nice (great idea!), provided they blend with the bridesmaids. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean match, but rather, they should compliment the bridesmaid’s dresses or overall color scheme for the wedding. If the groomsmen would like to buy their tuxedos so that they have a great tux on hand whenever the occasion comes up, then by all means let them purchase, but if they’d like to rent that’s okay too. Your fiancé should stand out from the groomsmen. He is the one you’re marrying after all! Take a look at this example...


Christina asked:
We are having a simple, modern urban wedding. We do not have a bridal party, but green will be our cohesive color. The groom is wearing a black suit, what color tie do you recommend? Something off-white to match me, green or black?

My advice:
Christina, seeing that you are having a modern urban wedding, I suggest ivory for your groom’s tie so that he stands out, we wouldn’t want him to simply blend in with the décor! I do love the idea of green though, and since you do not have groomsmen, it is nice to have your fiancé’s look pull in some of the elements of the wedding. How about a green pocket square to add a little color and make him cohesive with the ambiance? I put together three looks to give you some ideas, check them out below. By the way, a sleek black suit was a great choice as well!


Kat asked:
My fiancé and I are having a Black Tie New Year's Eve wedding (so excited!) All the groomsmen are wearing classic tuxes with pocket squares. What look can set my groom apart from his groomsmen? We were thinking maybe a white bowtie? Or a White jacket and black bowtie? Speaking of bowties - where do you suggest we pick one up? I'd like a really hearty bow tie, not one of those skimpy clip ons. (ps. I'm a Kleinfeld - can I look at your selection at my dress fitting?) Also, do his tux shoes need to be patent leather? His aren't, but they are a standard black leather dress shoe.

My advice:
New Years Eve is such a happy and exciting night for a wedding! I noticed you didn’t mention the groomsmen, and just incase you don’t have bow ties for them yet—silver would be totally chic. For your fiancé, I love the idea of an ivory dinner jacket with black trousers and a black bow tie. This look is very formal, dressed, and classic. (Ps- if you really want to pull in NYE to his look, a bit of sparkle in the pocket square, like a silver or gold could be just enough without being too much!) Regarding the bow tie, you have the right idea, Kat! We don’t even sell clip on bow ties! Finally, let me say that I am usually not a fan of patent shoes, but seeing as how it will be New Years Eve, and a dressy affair, patent does seem to be in order. After all, we wouldn’t want him looking perfectly polished from head to ankle, with dull leather shoes on his feet!

Seeing that you’re one of our brides, you should absolutely stop in to see me at your fitting. We will make sure we find the perfect look and accessories for your fiancé and his groomsmen!


Laura asked:
We are having a formal evening wedding and my fiancé wants to wear a more classic version of a tux with a bow tie, he doesn't want to wear a vest with it and favors suspenders over a cummerbund. Is it alright to wear a bow tie and suspenders?

My advice:
Absolutely! It is going to be a great look. In fact, you can let your fiancé know that foregoing a cummerbund and opting for suspenders or a vest is very much in fashion right now. The important thing then becomes fabric choice and combination. The fabric will make all the difference in whether his look is special or drab. Choose fabrics that compliment each other and I always like a little texture to add interest.


Gabrielle says:
Frank is the best and he knows best! We are working with him for my fiancé’s tuxedo and I pretty much told my fiancé to go with whatever Frank recommends. He's such a pleasure to work with and to talk to, and he's got the kindest heart too. I totally trust him, and he's got such great taste. Thanks Frank!

My thanks:
Gabrielle, thank you very much for your kind words! I hope that your groom will be as handsome as you expect and of course, that you will send photos of the big day so I can see how it all turns out!

Well, those are all of the questions for now. It’s been a pleasure to answer them all and I truly hope I’ve been helpful! It has been such a pleasure, in fact, that I’d like to continue to answer more of your questions here. Any questions, concerns, comments, or queries, just ask them in our Comments section and I will post another answers blog next week. Until then...