Hawkily Ever After: Groom Gets Ready

While I primped, focused on my details, and became a bride Mr. Hawk prepared to become a groom. Even though getting all done up was fun, I kind of envy the ease of his process! A quick jump in the shower and he was ready to put on his suit.

He also took a moment to open his wedding gift...

 ...and show Groomsmen R the inscription before getting back to business.

I have to admit, the photos of this next part are quite amusing to me. When we ordered the self-tie bow tie for Mr. Hawk, I immediately looked up instructions and practiced tying it several times. Although I encouraged Mr. Hawk to do the same, he continually put off watching any of the YouTube videos I had found. Naturally, he waited until that morning to try to figure it out.

GM R held up a cell phone while Mr. Hawk struggled with the bow tie.

I would like to call this my "honey, I told you so" photo montage. ;-)

Admitting defeat?

Luckily a close family friend and bow tie enthusiast was able to come to Mr. Hawk's rescue and lend a helping hand.

The only thing left was to add his vest and jacket.

Mr. Hawk was ready to make his way to our first look!

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
Miss Hawk becomes a bride
I share my bridal details

DIY Ribbon Napkin Rings

Months back, way before my wedding day when Momma and Sissy Hawk were in town I went on a DIY spree. Unfortunately time got in the way of my sharing this project until now.

First and foremost I must give credit where it is due. Momma Hawk pretty much took on this project all by herself. I had a vision, and she ran with it. (Thank you, Momma H!) Much like Miss Unicycle, I became obsessed with bowtie napkin rings featured on Martha Stewart Weddings. Since we were having a Southern wedding with dapper bow tie-clad groomsmen, they fit perfectly with our overall theme.
 

Image via Martha Stewart Weddings

Supplies:

Ribbon (we used 3/4 in.)

Fabric glue (Unique Stitch)

Bobby pins

Momma Hawk first cut the ribbon into strips. Since we were going the no-sew route, she folded one edge (about a quarter of an inch) of the ribbon strip and secured it with glue. To keep it in place and allow the glue to dry, she slid a bobby pin over the fold.

It took several minutes for the glue to dry, so Momma Hawk did a whole series of this step before moving onto the next fold.

Once they had ample time to dry, she glued the unfolded edge under the side that was already glued and folded. Again, she secured the ribbon with the bobby pin until the glue dried. (Who knew bobby pins were so multi-functional?!)

Since both edges were glued, we didn't have to worry about fraying, and the initial fold gave the rings a finished look. (Yay for no-sew projects!)

We ended up with just over one hundred of the rings, and it only took a few hours to knock them out in front of the TV.

Care for a preview of the rings in action from our wedding day?



Image via Valerie Demo

Although in the end we chose to go with white napkins over yellow, I think they turned our fabulously. Three cheers for Momma Hawk!

Anyone else jumping on the bow tie napkin bandwagon?

The Mr. Finally Has His Suit

I already shared with you the look Mr. Hawk and I were going for with the groomsmen and the adorable bow ties I ordered, but I am happy to report that now we finally have a suit!

Coming to a decision was a bit of a process. I knew that I wanted gray rather than black, and I was pretty determined to have a suit with a slimmer fit. A matching vest was also pretty non-negotiable.

When we initially started shopping around January, we found most of the suits available were a very dark charcoal gray. I was feeling a little lukewarm about such dark suits considering our wedding is in May and our ladies will be sporting bright, springy yellow dresses. When we visited Men's Warehouse I saw a couple lighter options that solidified my desire for lighter suits, but none of them were available with a matching vest.

Luckily our consultant at Men's Warehouse was willing to work with us to find other suits within the company. He made some calls and had several options shipped directly to our store. We waited several weeks for the delivery and even got antsy to the point of considering gray tuxedos, but in the end the wait was worth the perfect suit. One of the options hit all the marks: color, fit, and vested style.

The complete look. (Mr. H requests you forgive his hat hair.)

Because it took a while to come in, we're now in a bit of a rush to place all the groomsmen orders. Hopefully the process will go smoothly. I'm thinking positively since our experience with Men's Warehouse has been nothing but positive so far.

Anyone else going the gray suit route? Did y'all have trouble finding the right shade?

The Bow Tie Arrives

Finding bow ties in the perfect shade of yellow to match the bridesmaids dresses was not an easy feat. I spent hours online browsing before I conceeded that my old friend Etsy might be the best option. I stalked a number of shops before deciding on Tux & Tulle, which offered a vast array of yellow prints. The shop owner, Jane, was incredibly helpful. When I sent her several prints I was interested in, I also forwarded a picture of one of the dresses. Since she was so familiar with the fabric, she was able to steer me towards the best options.

I ordered just one to start to ensure that the color was close enough to the dresses. Recently the tie came in and I am super-pleased! So without further ado...

Here is Mr. H sporting the bow tie (with his running shirt no less, sigh...)

And here is the bow tie next to one of the dresses:

What do y'all think? I'm pretty darn pleased with the match. It may not be exact, but I think it's about as close as we're going to get. (And the print couldn't be more perfect.)

Anyone else struggle with matching the bridesmaid and groomsmen?

All photos personal

Dressing the Men

Another task we tackled while on vacation was solidifying the overall look for Mr. Hawk and the groomsmen. We discussed gray suits with yellow ties to coordinate with the bridesmaids, but we were also toying with the idea of bow ties. I really enjoy the look of bow ties, but Mr. Hawk had never worn one before. Fortunately for me, he had expressed interest in trying them out and this was the perfect opportunity.

We started by stopping by Men's Warehouse. We discussed with our consultant that we wanted a three piece suit in dark gray, and he directed us to the Pronto Uomo Charcoal Suit Separates, suggesting that separates would greatly reduce the need for costly alterations. We paired the Pronto Uomo's vest, flat front slacks, and slim cut jacket with a white shirt and yellow tie. Since Men's Warehouse didn't have any bow ties, Mr. Hawk didn't try anything on, but we were able to get a sense of the color combination. After seeing the charcoal suit with the first more golden yellow tie, we knew that we'd want to go with a paler version.

This second combination was our favorite. The pale tie offered a nice contrast against the darker suit.

We also made a stop over at Macy's, where they did have bow ties. Although they weren't any available in yellow, we were able to get an idea of the overall look. Mr. Hawk has on Alfani's Red suit separates in gray.

Mr. Hawk and I loved the bow tie. (I may be biased, but doesn't he look SO.DARN.CUTE?!) I'm really glad that I requested Mr. Hawk actually try on the full three piece suit and bow tie combination. It really helped solidify our decision.

We still have to go out and make our final suit selection and find the perfect bow tie, but we're one step closer to having the groomsmen look complete. Are your men wearing tuxes or suits? Would you ever consider bow ties?

All photos personal