Ask Abby
Today I thought we could tackle some Dear Abby questions that have been piling up in my inbox! I would love your help with these, as I know that so many of you out there have great ideas and creative solutions.
The first round of questions is from Sharon…
Q: I am getting married at South Seas resort, Captiva Island in October. My fiancé really wanted to wear a khaki suit so he is wearing the jcrew wheat chino suit, and the girls are wearing the chocolate brown silk taffeta tea length dresses, all different styles.
My issue is, the guys can’t afford the full suit and want to wear the dress pants. What would coordinate with these dress pants for a wedding? Also, do they need ties to look pulled together?? And what colors can I pop off the chocolate brown to keep a beach chic vibe?
My linens will be white, and my chairs are white as well and the ceremony is on the lawn overlooking the water, with the reception inside the main dining room, very casual but still chic feel. I have a very minimal budget as we are spending most of our money on the food, but I love organic chic designs and I am having a hard time pulling it all together. My dress is a natural color strapless sweetheart silk duppioni mermaid style with a chapel train and no embellishments beyond a ribbon and bow detail under the bust and covered buttons. I was thinking brown, cream, white and green with pops of raspberry and pink? Is that all over the place?
Any ideas for either the men’s attire or the color palette that would help Sharon envision her perfect day? I’d love to hear your input, then I will post my ideas at the end of the day!
A. First of all, thank you all so much for your ideas…I think that we are all envisioning the same beach/chic kind of look. Sharon, my first thought is to embrace the palette that you are already thinking about…khaki, chocolate and touches of raspberry. I love that you have found inspiration in J Crew’s preppy chic style, so I think that you should look there when defining your palette…
Suit and chocolate dress by J Crew, Tie by Thomas Pink, Bouquet by Modern Day Design
For the boys, I agree with the no tie route…just the khaki slacks, a crisp white button down and a fun, playful belt with touches of pink. Very beach chic. If the girls carry a deep pink or raspberry inspired bouquet and the groom dons a pink/raspberry tie, the whole look will seem completely cohesive and stylish.
I also really love the idea of using peaches and corals, as some of our readers mentioned. Peaches pair beautifully with raspberry so you really could marry the two ideas. Regardless, I think that you should continue looking to J Crew for inspiration…scour their catalog, their website and their stores. The cheerful new look of their line is just perfect for your beach chic vibe.
As a side note, one of the comments for this Dear Abby question came from Tiffany (Tipperella), who recently had her groomsmen wear similar khaki attire. She offered a picture of her boys so I thought I would share! It’s also a lovely solution to this question!!
SO, SO pretty! Thanks so much for sharing Tiffany!
23 Comments about “Ask Abby”
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I would suggest adding some green into the color scheme by adding a touch of green to the bridesmaids dresses and green neckties for the men. I would also suggest that the men wear navy blazers with those kahki pants - something most of them already have in the closet. All of this put together should keep the outdoorsy, chic element that she is looking for.
I just came across a wedding on www.jessicaclaire.net that may inspire you. It was very exquisite, but was held in a tropical location and some of the details can be carried over to yours (like groomsmen attire, for instance). I love the idea of flower leis and it seems like the bride's bouquet featured the color scheme you mentioned. I think that palette would work beautifully! Good luck!
How funny. We're having a beach wedding and our bridemaids are wearing brown and our groomsmen are wearing (rented) tan suits.
We're having the groomsmen wear light green ties and all our flowers are antique blue, green and blue/green hydrangea. The muted blues and greens work perfectly against the neautrals for our pacific northwestern beach wedding. But you could use a punchy blue or green to really liven your pallet up.
What about having the guys wear crisp white french cuff dress shirts with white and green or raspberry striped ties, no jackets. Then with the french cuffs, they look a little more upscale, but sans jacket its still semi casual. You could also give them cuff links as gifts! Have you thought about adding green or raspberry sashes to the girls dresses to coordinate with the guys?
Your color scheme is mostly neutral and chic (brown, cream, white) and I think the green and raspberry will look good together and add that pop of color. If you're going to add pink, I'd keep it more of a berry pink so it stays close to your raspberry.
Have you thought about using a turquiose or aqua blue with green instead to mimic your beautiful beach surroundings?
My wedding is also going to have a beachy feel and I've decided on white with the different shades of greens and blues found in sea glass.
It sounds like you have a good start, so good luck and congrats! Can't wait for pictures...
Love your color palette. As for the guys, I think a light green (celedon) tie would complement the bridesmaid's dresses and tie your color scheme together. Although, if you're going for a casual fare, a tie or jacket isn't necessary, especially considering your beachy surroundings. A crisp white shirt can look just as chic and it allows you more freedom to experiment with other colors.
You can tie the raspberry and pinks in through your bridesmaid's flowers and centerpieces. I like the idea of using a playful color to pop against the neutral colors. Good luck!
At a wedding I went to on Cape Cod the bride went with a color palette similar to the one you're planning. The ceremony was on the lawn, overlooking the water, and the groomsmen wore light-blue button-down dress shirts (sleeves slightly rolled) with khaki pants, no ties. The guys outfits were casual but were perfect for the ocean setting. If you went with a blue, brown and cream color palette, with shots of pink and raspberry, you'd have a pretty classic color scheme that would fit a beach wedding. You could add in hints of a light green in the guys ties, or tie a patterned ribbon around the girls bouquets.
How about having the guys in casual white button-downs with chocolate brown ties to match the bridesmaids? Then bring in some color with the flowers. Some blues and greens would look lovely with the beach theme and with the brown.
I think if you are definitely not going to do a jacket for the groomsmen, you should also not do a tie. I kind of feel like a button down shirt and just a tie and no jacket looks too unfinished, and looks a bit too "middle school dance." If the look you are going for is that rustic, organic beachy look, I think crisp white shirts tucked into the tan pants with the sleeves rolled up (with NO tie) would look great. You could do a fun belt instead of the tie to give them some color and finish the look.
I agree with Tori on the no jacket no tie, it does look unfinished. However, mens vests are really hot right now, jcrew has an assortment and they do look really good with a tie. My husband is wearing one next week to a wedding in mexico rather than a sport coat. The vest doesn't even need to match the pants, blue vest with khaki pants and a punch of color in the tie would look great.
We got married a few months ago on the beach and our main colors were blue and brown with white and green flowers. My husband wore a khaki suit and tie. The guys wore matching khaki suit pants and a white button down shirt with cuffs and matching blue ties. I thought it looked really great and was cheap for the guys (and they can wear it all again!). I have pics if you're interested.
I was thinking that you might want to pull in some corals, and blush. Oh, and maybe a touch of gold. I think those colors would look lovely with the beach setting and the chocolate brown.... and they are a little softer and warmer than a raspberry and pink. I think the shirt and tie with no jacket will look both beach casual and dressed up enough... and let your man stand out as the groom. there are some cute ties on vineyard vines that are beachy themed and would work with your color scheme. I like the idea of a tie to give the guys some color but it totally is not necessary.
I agree that a vest is such a wonderful alternative! My fiance will be sporting a JCREW suit while our groomsmen will be going the vest route- dress shirt with rolled sleeves, and a tie... just the right amount of casual-chic for our wedding.
Being in Florida, I see so many beach weddings. I think that my favorite beach palette has to be blush, white-washed corals paired with brown and khaki... something that could easily fit into your wedding.... there is something very polished about it but still very airy.
Good Luck- I hope you'll share pictures!
For an inexpensive centerpiece, how about a collection of low bowls with floating flowers and small candles? Check out a similar idea at rebeccathuss.com, 4th row down in the tabletop section. You can find these dark brown bowls for cheap at Asian food stores or Cost Plus, often with aqua or cream interiors that make a nice backdrop for frilly floating dahlias or 'yves piaget' garden roses. Cluster a few sizes at the center of the table, perhaps with chunky pillar candles nestled in coffee beans in glass cylinders. Or, to emphasize the beach theme, low glass cylinders with a shallow layer of sand or coffee beans hold a single spectacular shell; pick ones that are mostly white and dark brown for a more cohesive look. Keep an eye out for great bags of mixed shells at Pottery Barn or search online--there are a ton of cheap shell websites. Keep your flowers simple and repetitive, such as sticking with shades of raspberry, and find a few interesting textures to incorporate for the chocolate brown, such as the Asian bowls and shells. And check out Rebecca's site, she has lots of ideas that can be done on a tight budget but are incredibly stylish.
I think the guys can get a crisp white shirt to go with the dress pants and that would be simple yet smart (tie not really needed). That's what we ended up doing at our wedding and I thought the guys looked really dapper.
You can check out the link to see how it looked.
http://lh3.google.com/jungwon.josh/R4T5DzKHvdI/AAAAAAAAAH0/El4HvpA1Cww/071103165013-K1-3974.jpg?imgmax=912 " rel="nofollow">http://lh3.google.com/jungwon.josh/R4T5DzKHvdI/AAAAAAAAAH0/El4HvpA1Cww/071103165013-K1-3974.jpg?imgmax=912 >
As someone else mentioned a colored belt is a great idea to bring it together. My husband wore navy blazer, white shirt, khakis, and a navy and cornflower blue striped belt. The groomsmen wore the same white shirt, belt, and khakis for our wedding that overlooked the beach on the NC coast. Everyone was comfortable and the belt gave them a little something that tied them in with the rest of the wedding (bridesmaids were in navy cotton JCrew sundresses). I found their belts for a steal from Lands End www.landend.com but Vineyard vines also has some (very preppy) options. www.vineyardvines.com Our goal for our wedding party was to find something that everyone would be comfortable and look good in for the day-but also something that they would/could wear again so it wasn't just a one-time-use purchase.
I know it sounds really lowkey, but since it's a beach wedding, I think those pants would look really great with a very nice white linen button down shirt for the guys, complete with cool leather flip flops. I could be off the mark, depending on how fancy this affair is, but when I read your question, that was what first popped into my mind. Good luck!
AmyD...that is one of my favorite looks for a beachside wedding. I think men look so handsome when dressed simply, particularly with the leather flipflops that you mentioned.
It seems everyone is suggesting some form of green, which I admit was my first thought... until I came across some stationary by Kate Spade that was kind of nautical inspired, in chocolate & various shades of yellow. I think this could be very fresh, young and lovely.
As for the guys, if they are not wearing jackets, they shouldn't wear ties either. If you were to go with the suggested color scheme, you could put them in pale yellow button downs, khaki chinos and a brown rustic leather belt and brown leather thong sandals (all available at J.Crew or Polo). Your fiance could coordinate with them by wearing a yellow flower of sorts on his lapel. Think nautical!
WOW! Thank you ALL so much for your ideas and inspirations! I loved that link to jessicaclaire.net, the grooms suit is SO chic and love his tie!
I feel much better about the direction that I am going in with all your your positive feedback. I think I will go with the no tie route for the men, and now its a matter of finding the ideal white shirt! I talked to my fiance and we will give them all matching leather belts as gifts!
You ladies are all so great, and I love the board and i am going to print it for my planning binder! I will post pictures after the event!
Thanks again to all of you who shared so many wonderful ideas!
WOW! Thank you ALL so much for your ideas and inspirations! I loved that link to jessicaclaire.net, the grooms suit is SO chic and love his tie!
I feel much better about the direction that I am going in with all your your positive feedback. I think I will go with the no tie route for the men, and now its a matter of finding the ideal white shirt! I talked to my fiance and we will give them all matching leather belts as gifts!
You ladies are all so great, and I love the board and i am going to print it for my planning binder! I will post pictures after the event!
Thanks again to all of you who shared so many wonderful ideas!
Hi!
Did you post the pics? I am curious as I am having a wedding on Captiva Island in June!!!!
Lara
You can email me at LaraG99@aol.com
Congratulations!Can’t wait to go through additional posts…Keep rockin’Have a wonderful evening, Jamie