Ask Abby…Wedding Flowers, Grooms Attire
I thought we would take a mini break from all of the real weddings that we have been doing for a much needed Ask Abby day. I have to admit, questions have been piling up in my inbox, as the days keep slipping past! So, I thought who better to ask for a bit of help than our readers! I am going to be posting questions throughout the day, then later this afternoon will add my own responses.
I know that each of our brides would LOVE feedback from you guys, so please don’t be shy!
Question 1: My partner & I are getting married on Saturday, the 12th of September 2009. The ‘look’ we are going for is vintage chic with a modern twist. The era we are mainly channeling is the 40’s, as we love the whole feel of the 1940’s.
My wedding gown is a Mori Lee dress in a vintage lace & tulle design, in Ivory. My bridesmaids dresses are floor length, silk evening gowns in a deep coral colour with a satin halterneck ribbon ( I hope you can envision them from my rather poor description). The have a very old school glamour feel.
Now this is where my problem starts…I am uncertain as to what flowers to use (I am thinking of picking flowers in very soft colours such as pale peach, soft pink and ivory). However, I still want the flowers to maintain a fresh modern feel?!
I am also unsure as to what I can put my H2B and his groomsmen in. I was contemplating black slim fitting suits but I am unsure whether this will look too dark against the soft colours of the flowers etc. My H2B will not wear an ivory suit and this is not really to either of our tastes…I have also been contemplating gray suits?! I would really appreciate your opinion.
What do you guys think? Flowers? Men’s attire with a vintage feel?
Answer 1: I have to say, this bride has it together. I love the combination of gray and coral, paired with a glamorous 1940’s vibe. I really didn’t have to think too hard to design this board, as I am already convinced that she is well on her way to perfection.
As for flowers, I would up the glamour ante and do tone on tone corals…different shades of coral from a peachy pink to a deep, pink-ish terra cotta. Go for soft, feminine shapes to add a feeling of laid back luxury to the look. To add a touch of modern charm, you could use sleek, lacquered white containers for your centerpieces. Might be a nice contrast to the vintage foundation.
Tip…if you love Peonies and your wedding is in August or September, have your florist source roses that have that same loose, fluffy style. If you are on a budget, go for monochromatic carnations. Sounds like third grade, but I swear, they are gorgeous when presented in one color in a huge bunch.
As for men’s attire, gray suits are a must. Pinstripes would be even better. Then, finish the look with a classic 1940’s Cadillac and man oh man….STUNNING.
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PS…check out Heather Fowler’s (the incredible photographer that we love here on SMP) recent wedding that we are debuting on the Little Black Book Blog. It is all about vintage charm!
I'm gonna vote calla lilies for the flowers. Not sure that they are era appropriate, but i can see them looking really good with the general design aesthetic. Good luck on the suits, maybe dark gray or brown?
I absolutely love gray suits. And with the coral! Oh my goodness it will be amazing. You might want to look into using gardenias as I think they have a era appropriate feel. Or, at least try using faux gardenias as hair accessories?
I agree on the gray suits with the ladies in coral. Stunning. I think whatever you choose for flowers, you should go for smaller bouquets. Petite, well arranged bouquets will lend themselves to the vintage/chic feel. Also, for arrangements on the table- think about the white (milk bottle style) vases with monochromatic flowers. There is something very vintage about this look and then you can "modern" it up with place settings. Good luck... I think you're much closer than you think!
For the flowers I would suggest going with the classics - in September a number of roses would be in season and match your color scheme. You could add a modern twist with accessories to the arrangements - feathers, metallic ribbons or even using modern containers. Table linens and your stationary are also another way to keep with your mix of modern and vintage. You can do a vintage flourish with a clean simple font on your table numbers and menus.
For the guys, grey will be a beautiful contrast to the coral dresses. What a perfect choice!
I see callas so often at every wedding. Do something different, I like Freesia, oleander, hydrangea, cymbidimum orchids and gardenia. You can tie in the peach with possibly some accent roses which come in a lovely salmon/coral colour. Something like a Maigold roses would look nice. http://www.classicroses.co.uk/gfx/media/home/rosem/maigold300a.jpg
I would have the bouquet mainly ivory with hints of pink from the hydrangea and hints of coral from the roses.
My husband chose to have the guys in our wedding wear stroller suits-- very classic, a little vintage. Ours were (and they usually are) charcoal with pinstripe pants. You can see a photo here http://www.promtoaltar.net/guys.jpg and here http://tinyurl.com/a5ddt2 as well as more on my blog, http://promtoaltar.net/blog
We used big open roses and hydrangeas in our bouquets to give them a vintage feel. My flowers ended up being much pinker than I envisioned (apparently "very light pink and cream" means something different to everyone), but that mix of flowers is pretty and timeless.
A great place for inspiration: http://vintageglamblog.com/
I've found tons of ideas there! They even have features about modern versions of vintage suits!
Maybe peonies would be nice for the flowers ? And I agree with dark grey suits...
I would also vote for gray suits. What about hydrangeas, or something else with soft elegance.
Here is a link to a wedding that seems to have a similar feel to what you're going for: http://mthreestudio.blogspot.com/2008/10/sarah-jim-wedding.html
A mixture of peonies, lisianthus will give a soft and vintage feel, while adding in some dahlias will blend well, but add some modern flair. Any good florist will be able to give you many, many more suggestions! Also, how about using lace or a brooch to accent the bouquet stem?
As for suits, gray would like nice, but I think a classic black pinstripe would add some vintage elegance...
i just looked at tuxedos with my soon-to-be, and saw some really nice options that could have a gorgeous, vintage vibe. a charcoal gray pinstripe suit or tux may look really nice, but i might also recommend checking out the charcoal gray stroller and cutaway jackets by Chaps by Ralph Lauren here:
http://www.mytuxedocatalog.com/pages/chapsmain.html (first two listed under 'Chaps Ralph Lauren Gray')
for flowers, i think that soft pink peonies paired with some classic ivory flowers (such as roses) would look pretty.
I agree - I think the gray suits will look amazing with the coral dresses! A softer hue of the dresses - a light peach or soft pink - would look beautiful as bouquets. Have the bouquets be monochromatic is definitely a way to keep it modern, use only one type of flower. There a great suggestions here on types of flowers, but I would steer clear of the calla lilies and go for a denser bunch of peonies, hydrangeas etc.
In September, there would be lots of chrysanthemums available, which definitely have a modern flair. Several comments suggested peonies, but they would cost a fortune in September (if you could even find them).
What about three-piece suits for the guys in pin-stripes, gray, or even another pattern like houndstooth or window-pane? That would be both vintage and au courant (plus guys look really handsome in three-piece suits!).
I think going with a gray color for the suits would definitely go nicely with your color palate. In addition I agree with the chrysanthemum idea.
for a wedding in september, go for dahlias! they are in season and will be so much more affordable than peonies. there are so many color options, you could do the coral/pink with varying textures as suggested by abby but probably at a better price. you could even mix with roses. i think they can convey a vintage look (the looser styles) or a modern look (the pom-poms). Mixing these textures is a great way to get both.
I would like to thank Abby and all those who have offered advice for the very helpful comments-it's really appreciated!!
We have decided on gray 3 piece suits for the wedding as I think the waistcoat adds an extra touch of glamour aswell as bringing in the vintage vibe.
The advice on the flowers has come in extremely useful and I just adore the coral centrepieces above!!
I was wondering does anyone have any ideas on glamorous updo's for the bridesmaids?! I am having trouble finding a style that will suit both bridesmaids. Any ideas would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
My friend got his and his groomsmen suits through this company called Evolution of Style. (www.evolutionofstyle.com). The owner Jonathan was really helpful and the suits fit and looked great. I am using his for my wedding this August. He can budge a bit on the price if you do 5 or more suits.
Thank you for the link Matthew.
Unfortunately I live in the UK so the suits will be unavailable to us. I had a look at the website anyway (out of curiousity) and they have some really lovely suits.
Thanks again.
Hello,
My h2b loves to maintain a collection of shirts, recently i purchased a en`s dress shirt for him from online store, i hope he will like it.
Regards,
sarah_9
http://www.customsuitsshirts.com/Mens-Dress-Shirts-orderby0-p-1-c-4.html