< PreviousLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide BRIDALWEAR 30 It may be a good idea to come with a concept of what accessories you’ll be wearing and how you’ll have your hair as well. Hair up and hair down can match different dresses, and while it’s perfectly viable to pick your dress first and decide on your hairstyle later, some people will know in advance how they like to wear their hair. If that’s you, then let the person running the boutique know and they might be able to steer you toward dresses better suited. In fact, engage with a wedding dress boutique in more ways if you can. Talk to them about your plans, your desires, your fantasy, and see what they can say. They’ll have helped hundreds of brides through their dress purchase and can do the same for you. © stock.adobe.com/Andriy Medvediuk Photo courtesy of www.sugarandspicebridal.co.uk Photo courtesy of www.sugarandspicebridal.co.ukwww.lincolnshiretoday.net 31 A dress for every love story www.theivoryroombridal.co.uk The Studio | Jubilee Farm | Fen Road Washingborough | Lincoln | LN4 1AE Tel: 07521 419 066 Email: sales@sugarandspicebridal.co.uk www.sugarandspicebridal.co.uk To make all your dreams come true… Beyond everything, though, you need to trust your instincts. If you fall in love with a dress then pick it. If you try one and it looks okay but doesn’t quite feel right, then say so. Don’t settle and don’t convince yourself that you’re being a bother to the person running the boutique or any friends that come with you. This wedding may well be a once-in- a-lifetime occurrence, and you don’t want to regret accepting a dress you were unhappy with so as not to bother people later down the line. Take your time, consider how you feel as well as how you look, and don’t be afraid to go home empty-handed a few times. And it probably goes without saying but don’t leave your dress to the last minute...Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide MENSWEAR 32 The bride may be the centre of attention but it’s important the man be dressed up as well, otherwise he risks ruining everything. T he most common and well-known of wedding suits is the traditional 3-piece suit, made up of the trousers, jacket and waistcoat. This is often followed with a tie or bowtie to round out the look, and the shirt and tie are typically chosen to match the thematic colours of the wedding. It’s a safe and stable option but it’s worth taking a little time to make sure the suit matches and flatters your body, as men come in all different shapes and sizes. You don’t want the jacket to look too long or too short or you will appear uneven, and a jacket too tight or loose can exaggerate weight issues. Similarly, the length of the trousers can make your legs look too long or too short if they’re not carefully measured, so picking out a suit is always going to require a proper fitting. That’s why men’s suit rentals have remained in fashion all Looking the part www.lincolnshiretoday.net MENSWEAR 33 © stock.adobe.com/ Лариса Лазебная these years instead of being replaced with supermarket alternatives. A clever trick you can pull off with a 3- piece suit is to use the waistcoat and jacket to mask other accessories. For instance, if you wear your trousers higher and use braces to pull them up, then these – and your high waistline – will be hidden by your waistcoat. This will in turn create the appearance of longer legs and a shorter body, which makes you look slimmer. You definitely don’t want to be showing any shirt or trouser waistband beneath the waistcoat as that will make you look messy, which is why braces are so popular in wedding suits. Another oft- unknown aspect is that trousers designed to be held up by braces are often slightly wider than those you’d typically wear, because they don’t need to grip your waist to keep themselves up. This not only makes them less tight around the waist but stops the appearance of your trousers “pinching in” to hold themselves in place, which again makes you look slimmer. Colours can be tempting to play with or leave alone and it’s important here to talk 34 ÁLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide MENSWEAR 34 with your spouse about what they will be going in. If in doubt (and you shouldn’t be as it’s your wedding as well) then a mid- grey colour is usually safe enough to go with anything. You may have seen celebrities in whites and other light- coloured suits, but those can wash out your colour and complexion and are best avoided unless you have a stylist helping you pick out the perfect look. A last thing to consider is fabric. Ideally, you want your suit matte rather than shiny because light reflecting off it can ruin photos and also make you look like a piece of metal. That said, if you’re having your wedding in the summer months where it can be much warmer, then you may want to make that clear to the rental and look for a lighter, linen suit that won’t leave you drowning in sweat or struggling to stay standing. Those with fair complexions may want to go slightly darker in tone as well, perhaps with a dark navy linen, to help off- set that and not look washed out. Don’t forget accessories and shoes as well. A well-polished pair of shoes are a must and be careful when using them! A lot of lovely wedding venues will have outside areas where photos will be taken, so make sure to be careful and to clean your shoes on coming back inside, as nothing will detract more from photos than dried mud. While men don’t commonly look to jewellery to round out an outfit, you may want to put some thought into whether you’re wanting a watch and if it’ll go with the look, as well as what cufflinks you’re choosing to go with. It’s always safest to go without a watch and to go with cufflinks a similar colour to your suit (usually darker than your cuffs) so as not to stand out. Avoid lettering or writing because those can draw the eye away from your face, which shouldn’t be what you want. © stock.adobe.com/Suleymanwww.lincolnshiretoday.net 35 PERFECTION BRIDAL & MENSWEAR 31 Silver Street, Lincoln, LN2 1EW www.perfectionlincoln.co.uk An extensive range of Bridal Gowns with prices to suit all budgets. Contemporary and traditional styles, accessories too. All alterations completed in-house. Bridal 01522 533615 Also one of Lincolnshire's longest established menswear hire specialists with over 40 years experience. All hire suits held in stock to try on before you order. Menswear 01522 533615 www.perfectionlincoln.co.uk Empire Formal Tailor 28a High Street, Grantham NG31 6PH Showroom 01476 578022 www.empiremenswear.com Book your wedding suits with confidence and ease With over 30 years wedding experience, we’re here to help with your wedding suit planning: •Hire or buy your wedding attire •Dads and sons in matching suits •Largest choice of suits in East Midlands •Tailoring and alterations are done in-house •Award-winning customer service and family business •Suits are in stock to try on There is more information on our website and Facebook. Interest-free payment plans available Weekend and evening appointments are available Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide OCCASIONWEAR 36 Every guest wants to look good but also fit in and stand out but not overshadow the main couple. It’s a fine line to walk and you don’t want to be on the wrong side of it. W hen it comes to occasion wear, it’s normally not the duty of the bride or groom to do any of the footwork, but it can be worth making your family and guests aware of certain things. The colour and themes of the wedding are a clear example, but it’s also a good idea to show people pictures of the dress and colours the groom and his entourage might be wearing. No one wants to upstage the bride at their own wedding, and many guests will Dressing for the occasion © stock.adobe.com/micromonkeywww.lincolnshiretoday.net OCCASIONWEAR 37 avoid wearing white for that reason, but many dresses nowadays are appearing in subtle shades of blues, creams and peaches as well, and it isn’t hard to imagine the horror on a guest’s face if they show up in that colour and match the bride. If you have a dress code then be sure to advertise that to people but be careful. There’s a lot of lingo for different dress codes so don’t get your “white tie” mixed up with your “black tie” with your “semi-formal” or you might be in for a mixed reception. When it comes to patterns, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t want to be too eye-catching. Floral patterns are very popular and fit the theme of a wedding, whereas pinstripes can draw the eye away from a more traditional bridal gown. Not a good look. A lot of “mother of the bride” dresses in particular focus on bold and clear Ispirato - photo courtesy of jane-young.co.uk John Charles - photo courtesy of jane-young.co.uk John Charles - photo courtesy of jane-young.co.uk 38 ÁIspirato - photo courtesy of jane-young.co.uk John Charles - photo courtesy of jane-young.co.uk Veni Infantino - photo courtesy of jane-young.co.uk Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide OCCASIONWEAR 38 colours, in pinks, blues, even greens. Some of these can be quite striking, but in a way that clearly differentiates the person wearing it from the couple being married. Hats are, of course, a popular choice here as well, and one that many people won’t have a lot of experience with – so it’s best to speak with someone working at a boutique and tell them you’re attending a wedding. They’ll have a lot of experience suggesting occasion wear and will be able to help steer you in the right direction. Wraps and midi dresses are common for women, while men can often get away with a slightly more informal look. Suit trousers, shirt and jacket will often do, but again make sure what kind of wedding this is, because you don’t want to show up sans tie to a white tie event. On the other hand, if you’re going with a partner or spouse then it can be an opportunity to match colours and themes yourselves and make it clear you’re with one another. Specialists in wedding and occasion wear 01636 703 511 | jane-young.co.uk With our exclusive personal shopping H[SHULHQFHZHFDQKHOS\RXĠQG\RXU SHUIHFWRXWĠW :HRIIHUDVSHFLDOLVWĠWWLQJDQGDOWHUDWLRQ VHUYLFHLQKRXVHIRUDġDZOHVVWDLORUHGĠQLVK &RPHLQDQGEURZVHRXUVWXQQLQJFROOHFWLRQ RUERRNDQDSSRLQWPHQWRQOLQH www.jane-young.co.uk/mother-of-the-bride/ &KDLQ/DQH0DUNHW3ODFH 1HZDUN1RWWLQJKDPVKLUH1*$8Next >