It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about collecting silver for our wedding! We’re pretty much done, thanks to some kind family members and friends who heard about my mission — whoo! — but are still searching for a few key pieces. I have more vegetable dishes and trays than I can shake a stick at, but would love one or two larger champagne buckets or trophy cups.

In the meantime, though, I thought I would share some of the images that are inspiring me on my silver pilgrimage!

Jessica Claire (flowers by Flowerwild) and Picotte Weddings

Katie Stoops (flowers by Merriment Events via Southern Weddings) and Meredith Perdue

Charley Star (flowers by Bash, Please via Style Me Pretty)

Michael + Anna Costa (flowers by Florette) and Lisa Lefkowitz (flowers by Ariella Chezar via Snippet & Ink)

Steve Steinhardt (flowers by Holly Flora via Inspired by This) and Thuss + Farrell

I haven’t decided yet what the tarnish level of the pieces will be, but I’m thinking not see-your-reflection polished, and not dull as a doornail, either. Somewhere in between. I want the overall aesthetic to be clean, not vintage, so I think erring on the side of more polished is probably a smart decision. Time to break out the rags!

P.S. Want to catch up on the silver hunt? I’ve posted about it here, here, and here.

Yikes! I meant to post yesterday, but between my first wedding gown fitting (yahoo!) and an impromptu mother of the bride shopping trip on the way home (where we were very successful!), it slipped through the cracks. Never the less, here I am, and here are my ideas for personalizing a groom’s formal look :)

While a classic tuxedo leaves less room for personality than, say, a suit and tie combo, there are definitely still ways to make one your own.

John isn’t wearing a cummerbund, but for those who are, I like the idea of embroidering initials on the edge:

Embroidering initials and your wedding date on the inside jacket pocket – so sweet!

For groomsmen, you could tweak the inside-pocket-embroidery and leave clever messages like “rings go here” or “toast goes here.”

My favorite might be these embroidered, initialed cuffs – such a small detail, but it looks so sharp!

Which one would you pick? Also, does anyone have any suggestions for great embroidery resources in the Triangle? :)

Images from top to bottom: Studio222 via Southern Weddings, Lisa Poggi, A Bryan Photo via SW, Ali Harper via SW, and Maggie Harkov via SMP

I think I’ve mentioned before that John and his gents will be wearing tuxedos on the big day. Unlike some ladies, this required no arm-twisting on my part: a tuxedo was what he wanted to wear, so a tuxedo is what he shall wear. Yay!

Erin Hearts Court

We decided early on that we wanted to buy instead of rent a tuxedo for John for three main reasons:

1) Buying means you can tailor, which means a better fit.
2) We already know John needs to wear a tuxedo twice this summer, which means it begins to make more sense financially to buy instead of renting multiple times.
3) It can be hard to match a specific aesthetic when renting.

A Bryan Photo

We also decided fairly quickly that we didn’t want the gents to wear a vest (too prom) or a cummerbund (too annoying), but suspenders, instead. And a basic black (self-tied) bow tie, of course. The other specifics, like a shirt with a point collar, a two-button jacket, and a peak lapel, we chose based on this oh-so-stylish advice, and on examining the J.Crew tuxedo, which is out of our price range but undeniably handsome.

Charlotte Jenks Lewis

But where to find this stylish-but-reasonably-priced gem of a tuxedo? Happily, Marget’s fiance, Seth, had already done extensive research on this very topic, and pointed us in the direction of the Tommy Hilfiger tuxedos at Macy’s. He had purchased one for himself previously, and vouched for the quality and fit. On the day we cruised over to the Macy’s site to check things out, the tuxedo that caught our eye just so happened to be 66% off! With free shipping and free returns, we didn’t hesitate to snap one up in John’s size (after much confusion over measurements – fingers crossed it fits!). For those that are curious, we bought this jacket and these pants, and this shirt. We’re planning to pick up the bow tie, suspenders, and shoes at a later date. Macy’s runs sales ALL the time, so if you like the look of this guy, check back often!

Jen Huang (left) and Jose Villa

We’re still waiting for everything to arrive in the mail, but maybe John will let me snap a pic for you once the whole thing comes in! In the meantime, I’ve been collecting some fun ways for grooms to personalize their look, and I’ll be sharing those tomorrow.

Speaking of future sisters in law, Marget and I hit up my local flea market during her visit to NC last weekend. It was a pretty meager day, but I did come home with one thing – this pair of vintage pin frogs, for $8 total.

Pin frogs, or floral frogs, are meant to be used in the bottom of vases to hold flower stems in place while arranging.

Clockwise from top left: Erin Hearts Court via 100 Layer Cake, A Bryan Photo, and Chad Wadsworth via Camille Styles

We might use them at the wedding, to hold some sort of signage, but right now I’m enjoying using them for a few favorite photographs. The teeth are perfect for holding them upright!

Yes, that is a bonafide senior prom photo :)

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, friends!