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Both items are expensive. Of course, the gown is 10-fold of a man’s tux but nevertheless an expense.
For our beautiful brides who have pictured themselves walking an aisle in a gown that will make everyone tear up and the groom become a blubbering mess the search begins.
So, here is my advice from having seen a few thousand brides in my career….
If you are getting married in the summer months in an outdoor venue keep in mind that weather is unpredictable. We had summer weddings in 75 to 105 degrees. We cannot guarantee what Mother Nature will do. Funny enough couples will ask me if it is going to be good weather. Like to think I have a close connection with God but not that close.
Check the weight of the gown. You will be wearing this dress for 7-9 hours and it becomes extremely heavier as the day goes on. More than once we had brides collapse from heat and heaviness of the dress.
No long sleeves or high collars in summer…. seen that to.
On any season…. if you are a well-endowed lady…been careful of strapless gowns. The entire day is watching them pull them up and sometimes perspiration on your hands starts making marks on your dress.
Be mindful of your comfort zone in low cut or body fitted. Test the gown when trying them on to see how well you can sit down. There are ways to do it without tilting backwards and having to be assisted.
Over time we have seen the stress of spending thousands of dollars on a gown that will be boxed away for the next 50 years. We started checking with close-out bridal stores and purchasing brand new gowns for less than you would buy a party dress. Give us a call if interested in trying them on…. nothing over $200.00 and they are gorgeous.
Now for my handsome groom and his men. Every man should own a good suit. So, my thing is instead of renting a tux (they never ever, ever, fit properly) Buy a suit. There are many places where you can buy one suit and half price on the second.
Most of the time groomsman are renting dark tuxes.…so why not just buy a suit that fits you and when your significant other says “Honey lets go to a 5 Star restaurant” you can go in style. We even have a company that is custom making suits for a little more than you can rent a mis- fitting tux.
In summer do not have men wear vest plus jacket. That can be another time for disaster. Big men fall hard so be considerate of their attire and do not have to many layers.
Over years we have lost wedding rings that were in pockets of the Best Mans tux because they usually have holes in them. So that has become a part of our ritual when assisting the groomsman before they walk the aisle. Put on the boutonniere, place the hankie in pocket, check Best Man for holes in pocket. Saved a few embarrassing moments when officiant asks for rings and they are not there.
Just offering a little advice for things that we have observed in this business and try to give you a less stress in making decisions. Everyone has advice and might be things that were hearsay…but what I am offering is sound…either have personally experienced or discussed with other colleagues in this business who I trust. Take some time to evaluate these options and in the end the decision is yours but at least you will make it intelligently.
When Mama T is in the house my couples and their entourage will look dashing when they “walk the walk”.