We love diving fully into the fashion world now and then at Junebug to produce inspirational photo shoots for our Fashion Report section, and tomorrow we’ve got an awesome one we can’t wait to tackle! This time it’s all about the guys – men’s wear! We’ve partnered with the wedding team at Nordstrom to showcase their many looks for grooms and groomsmen, and our incredibly talented friends at J. Garner Studios will be capturing the magic all day long. Come follow along live tomorrow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@christyweber) for a behind the scenes look as we shoot all that manly fashion magic!
Here’s a little sneak peek at one of the looks we’re working with – a modern approach to a classic tuxedo. (Love those shoes and cufflinks!) Thanks Nordstrom!
Born 7,000 miles apart, Sirine (from the Middle East) and Ryan (from Arizona) began their search for a wedding location that would allow them to bring together a piece of both of their families. They chose the Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley for its Arizona location and Mediterranean feel. I love the dark wood, lace, lanterns, and decor elements they used to evoke the journey that had brought them to that moment, and the new one they were just starting on!
From bride Sirine:Nestled against the beautiful red sandstone of Camelback Mountain, our outdoor wedding ceremony was on a secluded lawn at the resort that was sprawling with white flowers and lanterns down the aisle. Keeping with classic vintage theme of the wedding, dark wood tables and lace runners held medicine bottle table cards, our parents’ original wedding pictures, and a puzzle guest book to round out the ceremony site. We also incorporated Spanish touches to tie in our honeymoon plans to Barcelona. Our signature drink was sangria; the menu cards had a Spanish touch and I wore a Spanish style veil with Chantilly lace.
How did you incorporate your personality into your bridal look? Both my veil and dress were by Monique Lhuillier, but my dress was truly one of a kind! I asked to change material on my bustier top to reflect more of a vintage feel with old lace and beading from another dress in Monique’s collection. I was granted permission after a lot of persuasion! My favorite accessory was a locket that Ryan gave me for Christmas with a picture of our grandparents in it. I carried it on the handle of my wedding bouquet.
What were some fun details you incorporated into your wedding decor and events?65 of our 100 guests were from out of town so we spent a lot of time on our guest bags. Among other things, our bags included cookies from our favorite local deli, pashminas, personalized cards, an itinerary for whole weekend, cava, sangria, pretzels, Ryan’s favorite snack (chips and salsa) and my favorite snack (packs of Nutella). Incorporating part of my Middle Eastern heritage, Myryka, a belly dancer, performed at the cocktail hour that was held at the ceremony site. Moving from a performance of the traditional wedding dabke folk dance with the groom, the dancer led both me and my groom from the wedding site to the reception hall where we were welcomed with an aisle-way of 100 guests holding sparklers for our entry.
Looking back, what are the moments, decisions or memories that you love the most about your wedding?The whole weekend was magical! Opening the 20 foot recovered wood doors my breath was taken away as everything we had planned for months came true. The room had dark wood floors and a Spanish cathedral feel with six-chandeliers; perfect for creating the intimate dinner we planned for our 100 guests. With rectangular dark wood tables, lace runners, and sprawling white flower table arrangements the guests were served a plated dinner, cava, and plenty of fresh sangria from local wines. As I was being twirled by my new groom to Ray LaMontagne’s ‘You Are the Best Thing’ during our first dance, I got to see all the little details that had come together to create that moment. Other favorite moments were watching my niece serve as the flower girl in her Hello Kitty rain boots and my nephew as ring bearer; having my best friend serving as the officiant; and all our brothers and sisters serving as the wedding party. But, the very best moment is when we were pronounced husband and wife! Simple words with such profound meaning.
Here at Junebug, one of the things that makes us fall head-over-heels for a wedding is great personality! We love to see a bride and groom’s personal style and interests incorporated into their wedding day celebration. For Dallas and Brian, this meant a wedding filled with retro-style, musical references, and to top it all off (literally) a little cameo by a T-Rex and a flamingo! Read on for bride Dallas’s description of their wonderful day!
The day after we got engaged, Brian and I were driving to our hometown for the weekend to share the great news with our families. During the six hour drive, we talked non-stop about what our wedding could be like. We started by thinking of all our shared interests and everything we collectively love. We are both photographers and writers, and love hosting parties. We’re also both musicians and big fans of music and movies, and the particular styles tied to the rise of Hollywood and popular music in North America. Technicolor films, rock and roll, classic cocktails, Motown – we love it all. We decided that the theme of our wedding would be inspired by the movies and music of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
We held our big day in Toronto’s beautiful and historic Berkeley Church, which was wonderful for all our out-of-town guests as it allowed us to host the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception in three different rooms within one gorgeous building. We settled on a color palette of navy, grey, turquoise and yellow, bringing in as many vintage and technicolor-inspired elements as possible. We chose to keep the decor rather simple in order to let the beauty of the venue speak for itself. My parents visited auctions and antique stores to collect dozens of vases, which were filled with lovely, simple arrangements by our florist, Coriander Girl. They were set upon layers of lace doilies over navy linens. Our seating plan was displayed on vintage records, and our table numbers were marked on 45s (small records) dug up from my parents’ basement. The tables were illuminated by vintage jars wrapped in antique lace.
My cousin Tara made our beautiful cake, which was adorned with a T-Rex and a flamingo, my husband’s and my favorite animals, respectively. Our invitations and welcome poster were designed by our best men (both artists) to look like a vintage movie poster, and was created with one of our engagement photos and some Photoshop wizardry. We couldn’t have chosen a better photographer; Lisa Mark did an absolutely stupendous job with our photos, and we will treasure her work forever. Our day was absolutely perfect. Highlights included laughing as one of our groomsmen serenaded our guests dressed as Elvis, and tossing my bouquet so hard that it smashed a bunch of candles and soaked my groom in hot wax! Mostly, it was wonderful to be with the love of my life, encircled by all the family and friends whom we treasure most.
For anyone planning a wedding now, I’d suggest you try your very best to enjoy every moment of the planning process. Incorporate as many things you both love as possible, so that your partner can enjoy and be equally invested in the process. Most importantly, don’t stress yourself out by thinking of your wedding as the “most important day of your life,” but rather as an awesome party with all your favorite people, and the beginning of an incredible new adventure.
Dallas and Brian, thank you so much for telling us about your wedding day! We love all of the personal touches and personality you infused the celebration with!
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