Sorry for the title, but I guess I feel obligated to carry on Shannon's unflagging enthusiasm. Anyhow, I'm here to get some responses on the suits I've been looking at.
It turns out that brown tuxedos are not exactly the most popular things on earth. They seem to be getting a bit of a resurgence, but the pickings are still slim. So let me preface this post by saying that if you happen to run into a suit that I've missed in this post, please let us know about it. But let us begin.
The first option is from Men's Wearhouse. It's a Versini wool suit, so there isn't a lot of flash to it. Here's some pictures.
One thing I like about this option is the simplicity. It has a casual feel to it, which perfectly matches with the 50's courthouse vibe that we're looking for. It's not a tuxedo, which is honestly a draw for me, and it would pair with our chosen colors of orange, purple, and red (red for me) really well. The pinstripe is subtle but still noticable, and the color is perfect.
This suit would probably go without a vest, if we go that route, and would look good with the chosen footwear for my side of the aisle.
Problem is, I can't rent it, since it's not a tuxedo. They're only $175 a piece though.
Next up is a more dressed-up number, but still casual. This is from Fubu, apparently, and I do like it a bit. It's less reserved and a bit more flashy, but not excessively so. A big part of this decision hinges upon Shannon's dress, so if that side of the equation ends up being somewhat modern, this suit could work really well. Also, since it's an actual tuxedo, I should be able to find it for rent, unlike option 1.
This suit would be much better, however, if the lapel fabric matched the rest of the suit. For this cut and style a contrast lapel doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But despite that, it's still a front-runner.
And last we have the maximum fancy option. This one is nice because it blends a classic cut with a modern fabric, and the contrasting lapel works for me in this case. But because it's a little out there, it may call too much attention to my side of the aisle. I want to look nice, but I'm beginning to see why people gravitate towards black suits, because other colors really can pull focus from where people should be looking: at the bride. This is another actual tuxedo, though, so I should be able to track it down for rental. The website I found it on, however, listed it in their Diamond collection, so it may not be cheap.
I'm also concerned about this suit given our other elements. The groomsmen will be wearing Chuck Taylors in a burnt orange or deep purple, while I'll be wearing red ones. Each of us will have vests and pocket squares to match. But this suit gives me the idea to maybe make the vest a complementary brown color while keeping the ties and squares bolder to match with the shoes. In any case, a suit in this style may not blend with casual footwear.
So yeah, there's my first bit of legwork on suits. As always with this blog, feedback is not only encouraged, but necessary. Otherwise this thing's going to be a fiasco!
Also, Shannon posted the first picture of the ring and mentioned that I might go a little more deeply into the symbolism of it in one of my posts. This is not the case, because it feels corny and I'm shy about it. But I do need to dispense some ring props.
First and foremost to Shannon's mom for providing the accent diamonds. Julie was going to give Shannon a necklace with these diamonds, but the jeweler never got the job done. So thanks to that jerk-off, too! But in all honesty, the stone that my modest means could afford would have looked very insignificant without those, and they lend a personal connection to the ring that I think is really important to Shannon.
Next up is to
Paul Pape, for directing me to the jeweler, and then in turn to
Custom Gems. I went there initially just to get the stone, but they also do custom jewelry orders. They have in-house jewelers to complete these orders, but the owner also has partners in Hong Kong. One of the samples they showed me was essentially a finger-mounted pagoda made out of diamonds and gold. It was a little intense for my budget and tastes, but it was really stunning work. Also, while I've vowed that Shannon will never learn the price of her ring, they did the work for about 25% of the cost quoted at another establishment, I believe largely due to the fact that I purchased the stone there and then came back to get the ring made. I really value that kind of loyalty and consideration, and you will not get that kind of treatment at Borsheim's or a similarly impersonal jewelry store. I should also add that the only reason the ring wasn't done in time for the proposal was because I was too late in arranging it, so don't hold that against them. They did a phenomenal job and I strongly recommend them to anybody. The place is small and tucked away in a little corner of a strip mall, but don't let that turn you off. They work hard and work well, and I admire that.
