groomal party attire, 1 step closer

Like I discussed here, we've finally had the time to crack down on what the "groomal party" will be wearing at the wedding. Mr. FP's suit is good to go and we were excited by the arrival of our ties from Etsy seller toybreaker.


Our communication with toybreaker was an amazing success and it was really helpful to be able to discuss some minor details before we placed our order, so I'd highly recommend them if you're looking for a great deal on some sweet ties. Or bowties. Or scarves. Yeah, I could have spent a fortune in that shop.

We love them so much that my previous concern about them being too graphic flew out the window once they arrived. In fact, because the design on Mr. FP's tie is printed on charcoal rather than solid black, the design is slightly less graphic; still awesome, but just a little more subtle. Hopefully the groomsmen will dig them too.

groomal party clothing

Like I was discussing in my last post, I would love to leave all wedding planning until my brain is a school-free zone. But, time sensitive issues are ... well, time sensitive. So as much Mr. FP insists I focus only on school, it just ain't happening. That's right, Mr. FP, too bad.

Obviously, clothing is another time sensitive bit of wedding planning. Last weekend, I was finally able to drag Mr. FP to a suit store to get his clothes for the wedding. And other than the shocked look on the face of the man who was helping us when we said we were shopping for wedding attire but that we didn't want to rent a tuxedo, it was a good time. I rarely get to watch him try clothes on (last time was for engagement photos) and it was fun to have his "best lady" tag along as well. We enjoyed mocking him together when he had to get felt up by the salesman. After a mere 30 minutes, he settled on a two button, charcoal suit with a subtle pinstripe which was on sale for $200.

Originally, we had no idea what we wanted to do for the groomsmen so I got Mr. FP to look through the photos of formal wear on The Knot's image galleries to get a better idea of what he wanted for them. He's a see it and like it kind of guy, not always the best at articulating a general idea, so this worked really well for us. As soon as he saw this picture, he knew that's what he wanted. 5 minute decisions are our type of thing.


To add some uniqueness and cool factor, we've also picked out some types from Etsy seller toybreaker. I found their shop months ago and have had it bookmarked ever since because I love them so much (silkscreen anything just floats my boat). Thankfully, so does Mr. FP. He decided the "Crash" design was his favorite, so we'll be ordering one for him in charcoal and 2 for the groomsmen in black. I cannot wait to see them. Although they're ever so slightly more than we had planned to spend, they'll pull double duty as groomsmen gifts so I'm not worried about cost at this point.


I was also originally a little worried about how graphic these ties were. Although we love them for their uniqueness, I was concerned about how they would work for more formal shots. We love them now, but in 20 years, we might think they look dumb. Obviously, this can be said about anything in the wedding, but my dress is a fairly timeless style so we at least have some hope to remain current for a few years. (Unlike my aunt's 90's wedding. I highly doubt the poofy sleeves and head-to-toe beading will ever come back. At least, here's to hoping.) Thankfully, Mr. FP decided to wear a jacket rather than just pants and a dress shirt like the groomsmen, so that should tone the tie down ever so slightly when we need it to. And for the rest of the warm (we hope) June day, its likely he'll be jacket-less, so the tie will be enjoyed in all its glory.

We were able to secure a dress for Mr. FP's best lady, which is a huge relief. We had originally hoped to get something local, but nothing in the city really worked, so we decided to just order a bridesmaid dress in black so she would match the guys. Ultimately, the day turned into a multitasking trip to the bridal store for a black bridesmaids dress and my sister's prom dress. A unique and interesting experience (is it just me, or have prom dresses gotten a whole lot sluttier since I graduated?). Unlike Mr. FP's 30 minute decision, this one took much longer but we did end up settling on a black, strapless, tea length dress for the best lady.

Plus, I got to see my sister get stuck in the doorway of the dressing room because the prom dress she was trying on was so poofy that she couldn't move around. Good times all around.

Herbal Boutonnieres

I've fallen in love. Again.

But this time, it's with these boutonnieres.



I found this tutorial on Once Wed and they seem fairly simply to recreate. I've always intended to make the boutonnieres myself. I have no desire to pay a florist a ridiculous amount of money for labor when I could do it myself. In fact, as far as flowers for the wedding goes, that's my intention across the board. I plan on making my own bouquet with a little help from my family, bridesmaids and DIY tutorials I've found online in a fresh-picked sort of style, so these should match it perfectly.

Another great feature of these boutonnieres is the opportunity to incorporate herbs and flowers which are unique to us as a couple. Case in point, if we settle on this type of boutonnieres, I'll be using rosemary because it's an ingredient in one of Mr. FP's favorite recipes (which came from this vegetarian food blog which I recently discovered) and lavender because it's the scent of the bubble bath Mr. FP bought me when we moved in to our first apartment together.

Not only will they be personalized, but they'll smell great. And if one of the groomsmen has really bad breath before the ceremony, he can just pull the mint out of his boutonniere and chew on it for a while. Okay, I'm joking, but the general sentiment is the same ... I love them.