Blue Valentine Wedding Fashion

My BFF and I saw the critically acclaimed Blue Valentine last night. I was totally charmed by Ryan Gosling's portrayal of Dean, a hopeless romantic and IMHO, harmless drunk.

And I adored both characters' thrift store wedding attire. Dare I try to find both these outfits for less than $250 for both?

Costume design by Erin Benach

To modernize things a bit, check out the sharp gray pinstripe suit Gosling's wearing on this month's cover of GQ.  Perfect for a groom's suit, it's Ralph Lauren Black Label.

Image from GQ.com

The Beard Club

I’ve been going back and forth about hair. Not mine, but Guitar Fred’s and particularly on his face! Guitar Fred can’t really grow facial hair in Tom Selleck fashion (thank God) but he loves trying to grow his mustache.

When he shaves completely, he’s too clean-cut for my tastes and since he can’t go full-throttle with a beard or ‘stache, I’m wondering that if he keeps his five o’clock shadow for our wedding, he’ll look unkempt. I think it’s sexy (thanks early '90s George Michael for illustrating!) but maybe not wedding appropriate?

I recently saw “The Beard Club,” a documentary about facial hair, masculinity, gender, and identity. The movie explores how “each day, every man must decide either to shave or not to shave. The act can be one of conformity, rebellion, laziness, or transition.”

The film gave me a broader perspective on men and their hair --many of the guys in the film said facial hair made them feel masculine and little rebellious. It's like a badge of pride!

Now, dare I ask Guitar Fred to shave his off for our wedding?

Will (or did) you?

How to Pin a Boutonniere

You'd think they would know how to pin one on after prom, but for many grooms and groomsmen, prom is a distant memory. Here's a quick and easy tutorial to share with the guys before the big day so they can pin on their boutonnieres without a hitch.

{Source: YouTube}

Inspiration #56: The Barong

Does your cultural heritage have distinct wedding attire? The most well known are probably the Chinese red dress or the Korean hanbok for brides, but what about for the groom?

{Photo by Gene Higa Photography, Destination Photography based in San Francisco}

I am incorporating my Filipino cultural heritage into our wedding byway of the dinner menu (e.g. lechon, or whole roasted pig), but I did briefly consider having Guitar Fred wear the traditional Filipino wedding attire, the barong. The barong is a lightweight, transparent embroidered formal garment worn untucked (similar to a coat/dress shirt), over an undershirt. It's made just right for the high humidity and heat of the Philippines!

According to Wikipedia, there are 3 different fabrics:

• Piña fabric - is hand-loomed from pineapple leaf fibers. And because Piña weavers in the Philippines are dwindling, its scarcity makes the delicate Piña cloth expensive and is thus used for very formal events.
• Jusi fabric - is mechanically woven and was once made from abacca or banana silk. Today, China is the main source of polyester Jusi.
• Banana fabric - is another sheer fabric used in formal occasions. Made and hand woven from banana fiber, it usually comes with geometric design details.

Here are two images of the barong from Gene Higa (who also happened to cover my sister's and a friend's weddings):

{Photos by Gene Higa Photography, Destination Photography based in San Francisco}

Also, check out this rockin' barong tagalog in gray, as photographed by Misha Media:

{Photos above by Misha Media}

Tied up.

Guitar Fred and I spent Monday night shopping -- not his favorite past time but it was all about him. After he spent 1.5 hrs buying a new pair of shoes (80% off of $169 -- good boy!), I dragged him to the Men's Wearhouse in the same shopping center to look at tux rentals (prices range from $89 to $150). MW has a deal that if 4 groomsmen rent a tux or suit, the groom's tux will be free OR if 5 groomsmen rent, the groom gets a $400 credit towards a brand new tux or suit. Guitar Fred liked the latter option, but we only have 4 groomsmen.

 

{Above: The styles Guitar Fred liked at Men's Wearhouse. Source: theknot.com}

He is going to ask the guys if they can wear their own black suits and we'll provide the ties. I'm not too keen on that since I had my heart set on him wearing either chocolate brown or gray, but I understand that since most of his 3 out of 4 of the groomsmen are flying in from the East Coast, we should watch costs. None of the ties at MW were agreeable to me -- the blues weren't peacock blue enough, and the orange selection was limited. A search on Google didn't turn up much. Then I went to Etsy.com and I found some possibilities, including an ascot (which midway through writing this post, he says he doesn't like.). I also liked the selection my sister's wedding photographer, Ann Hamilton, posted on her blog.

Short of heading to the stores, do you have any suggestions for finding stylish striped silk ties for under $40 online?

{Fred says no, but I think it's fun. Sapphire Blue Ascot Tie by ElegantAscot - $24.00}

{Only 1 of these Teal Paisley Silk Ties in stock at Rabbitstop's shop on etsy.com (guess it could be for the groom if the rest of the guys got solid ties? - $17.99}

{Peacock Blue Skinny Silk Tie at Rabbitstop's shop on etsy.com - $17.99 }

{Club Room Solid Tie - Macys.com - $24.00} 

 

{Jones New York Orange Paisley Tie - Men's Wearhouse - $49.50}

Etsy Loves Grooms

Being the budget bride that I am, I've been hopping on the contest bandwagon to cut costs on some major things, such as photography and save-the-dates. Our latest triumph was winning Soiree Design's giveaway from a cigar company. Eventually, my fiance and I came out on top with nearly 90 votes! (My friend, Evan, teased me that I'll end up on Oprah as the "girl who won her whole life!") Thanks to everyone who voted. Now that I've secured cigars for my honey, what else would work for a groom's gift?

I LOVE this from Droplet Studio on etsy.com:



or YougNeek's vintage mini-lighter:

Inspiration #9: Untraditional Boutonnieres

Another cool thing I spotted at the Ruby Press Bridal Soiree were Rosenow Floral's untraditional boutonnieres using found objects. They were fun and reflected the groom's personality/hobby. I'm posting some inspiration, and I hope to figure out how to do it myself in a bit. Will keep you posted! This is perfect booty to search for at the next Alameda Flea Market on June 7!