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gotstyle weddings

Gotstyle Weddings Featured in Wedding Vacation Mag

July 12, 2016

Wedding Vacation Magazine Features the Many Experiences We Can Offer for Gotstyle Weddings

At Gotstyle, we are more than excited to celebrate any milestone with you, big or small. One of our favourites to share with you is your special day. We have a groom room ready to host you and your wedding party. You can hang out and let Mallory, our wedding stylist, guide you through our suit and tuxedo selection.

The groom definitely deserves the best and if you’d like to go that extra mile for your wedding, you should see our made-to-measure tailor Konstantine. With him, you can choose from a variety of colours, fabrics and makes so you can have the suit or tuxedo you’d like your bride to see you in when she walks down the aisle.

To see previous grooms who have gotten the Gotstyle treatment, visit our Instagram page.

Melissa and Phil’s Destination Wedding

Gift Ideas for Your Groomsmen

Gotstyle Weddings: The Groomsmen Experience

Visit Wedding Vacations for more articles
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What To Wear To Weddings

May 24, 2016

Deciding what to wear to weddings can be tricky. Weddings have evolved. It sounds ridiculous to hear that but like everything else, it’s no longer restricted by traditions.

Modern weddings are essentially giant parties. And parties have dress codes. The invitation usually indicates the general theme of the wedding but sometimes “Island Chic” doesn’t exactly translate as the same thing to every attendee. It also means you can no longer just throw on that same ol’ party suit (we know you all have one). We’ve taken the time to break down some popular dress codes so you don’t get lost in translation.

Dress Code: Casual
What to Wear: A party is still a party, no matter where it’s held so please don’t show up in jeans and a t-shirt. Casual is more like “smart casual” so throw on a pair of chinos or dress pants. Keep it laidback with a clean classic polo- tuck it in and wear a belt for a pulled together look. If you’re adventurous go for one that has a pattern. A blazer pulls the outfit together and can double as lightweight outerwear so it can be taken off if it’s too hot.

Outfit details: Strellson – Nolan Linen/Wool Blazer $598, Sand – Drake P Polo $150, Dimattia – Sanremo Textured Jacquard Pant $245, Anderson’s – High Shine Belt $165, Spitfire – Sunglasses $65

Dress Code: Garden Party / Dapper
What to Wear: There’s a good chance that it’s an outdoor occasion so most importantly, dress for the weather. Think lightweight fabrics and make sure your outfit works sans-blazer. This dress code is like one step up from casual and more on the dapper side. It’s the perfect opportunity to rock a bow tie, a funny lapel pin or a zany patterned shirt.

Outfit details: Sand Glen Check Linen/Cotton Blazer $695, Blue Industry – Circles Print Shirt $170, A. Christensen – Bow Tie $95, Doro – Lapel Pin $19, Blue Industry – Smooth Stretch Chino $145, Anderson’s – Pebbled Leather Belt, Gotstyle – Toe Cap Derby Leather Dress Shoe $295, Nixon – Leather Watch $180

Dress Code: Formal / Suit & Tie
What to Wear: Most men seem to be comfortable and familiar with this dress code. A suit in navy or charcoal works. Pair it with a dress shirt and tie. Ideally, it’s as if you’re going into a meeting with an important client. The only thing we suggest is to step out of that businesswear restriction. Feel free to go for a more colourful tie, pocket square or bold dress shirt (but please pick just one). It is a celebration after all.

Outfit details: Without Prejudice – Kilburn Tonal Check Suit, Gotstyle – Textured Shirt $165, Gotstyle – Burnished Double Monk Strap Leather Dress Shoe $295, Duchamp – Tie $145, Weber – Tie Bar $40, Jin Qun – Silk Pocket Square $15, Wurkin Stiffs – Lapel Pin $46

Dress Code: Beach Formal
What to Wear: If you don’t know, the formal part of the dress code means don’t show up in an oversized zany Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. It not what you wear to weddings. Since the weather is going to be blazing (or at least we hope so), make sure to keep your attire light and breathable. Look for a suit in linen or seersucker. This is also a chance to rock a tan, white, light grey or even pastel suit. Feel free to go without a tie but PLEASE do not wear socks OR sandals.

Outfit 1 details: Haspel – Gravier Seersucker Stripe Blazer $650, Oscar of Sweden – Floral Print on Check Shirt $225, Haspel – Bernard Seersucker Stripe Pant $195, Anderson’s – Stretch Leather Belt $198, A. Christensen – Pocket Square $45, Gotstyle – Double Monk Strap Shoe $225

Outfit 2 details: Haspel – Gravier Seersucker Blazer $650, Ordean – Solid Shirt $150, Haspel – Bernard Seersucker Pant $195, Gotstyle – Tie $105, A. Christensen – Pocket Square $45, Gotstyle – Double Monk Strap Shoe $225

Dress Code: Festive / Something Themed
What to Wear: Usually, this means to keep it fresh but with a twist. It gives you some freedom to express your personality. Go for a coloured suit. Wear a dress shirt with a bold pattern and if the atmosphere is right, throw on a pair of clean leather sneakers.

Outfit details: Phillipe Dubuc – Wool/Mohair Peak Lapel Suit $1100, Selected Homme – Micro Floral Print Shirt $85, Jin Quin – Silk Tie $45, Gotstyle – Double Monk Strap Leather Dress Shoe $295, Spitfire – Sunglasses $65

Dress Code: Black Tie
What to Wear: This one is the most straightforward and there’s no way around it. Black tie calls for a tuxedo and a bow tie. Tuxedos do come in a variety of colours so don’t feel restricted to a black one.

Outfit details: Hardy Aimes – Shawl Collar Wool/Mohair Blend Tuxedo $1195, Stenstroms – Slimline Tuxedo Shirt $245, Dion – Bow Tie $135, Prime Shoes – Basel Hi-Shine Oxford Shoe $194

the social modern grooms

Modern Grooms Segment on The Social with Gotstyle

March 16, 2016

Anything that involves weddings have generally been geared towards women. There are magazines, trade shows and tv series covering what to wear, what to eat and ideal wedding locations. Times have changed and the modern groom has become increasingly aware and more interested in being involved with the process. And why shouldn’t they? It’s as much their special day as it is the bride’s.

A recent segment on CTV’s The Social focuses on the modern groom. They send stylist Erica Wark with bride-to-be Kate McKenna to Gotstyle to check out some suits and accessories for her own modern groom! Black tuxes are classic but there are so many more suit options out there. Different colours, patterns, textures… Not to mention accessories like pocket squares, lapel pins, ties/bow ties, tie clips, socks. With such a selection, feel free to drop by Gotstyle and discuss with our wedding specialist Mallory Hood.

Watch the segment below to see which look Erica and Kate went with:

Visit here to see the rest of the segment about modern grooms that includes a panel discussion with Toronto Star reporter Rob Cribb.

Getting married? Follow Gotstyle Grooms on Instagram for daily inspiration.

Gotstyle x Wedding Open House

March 1, 2016

Planning a wedding? Come check out the Wedding Open House at the Fermenting Cellar (28 Distillery Lane) in the Distillery. Gotstyle will be there so you can learn what we can do for the groom and groomsmen. It will be taking place on Sunday March 6, 2016 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

You will be able to see The Fermenting Cellar, The Boiler House Loft, and Cluny Bistro’s Private Dining Room dressed for a wedding with all the bells and whistles. You will get to meet the best vendors in the wedding business; florists, planners, photographers, officiants, DJ and entertainment, stations, decor and more! All of our Event Coordinators will be in the space to answer any questions you may have, including an “Ask the Coordinator” Booth. Experience the ambience of a wedding in The Distillery District.

Register Here
Tickets are complementary

Wedding Open House Invite - Whole - Final copy

5 reasons NOT to get married… in the country

March 1, 2016

Wedding analysts predict that soon 1 out of 4 weddings will be a destination wedding.

For something that was once considered a novelty destination weddings are now the new normal. Having just come back from my own destination wedding, I would say it’s the only way to go!

Why? A couple of reasons, here are mine:

1. Not a wedding person

I was never one to dream about my wedding day when I was younger, like other girls did (I also thought that I would never get married). The thought of finding a venue, planning flowers, centrepieces, cake tasting etc. never appealed to me. With a destination wedding you don’t have to worry about the little details; to me the view is the decor and since you can’t take the flowers or centrepieces home with you, you won’t spend money over decorating.

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Photo by Kalen Hayman

 

2. It goes by so fast

One thing every newlywed person said to me is the day goes by so quickly, by the time you say hello to everyone you’re saying good-bye to them. The $20,000 (or more) that you spent on one day flashes before your eyes. With a destination wedding it’s not a wedding day, it’s a wedding week!

3. Let’s all be friends

With typical weddings, your friends and relatives might not know his friends and relatives, and they’re expected to mingle together all night. With a destination wedding your guests have a couple of days to hang out and get to know each other, so on the actual day of the wedding it’s one big party! New friends are made, and your folks get to really know the crazy crew you hang out with. Plus, when was the last time you went on vacation with your family anyways? Trust me, group vacations are the best!

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Photo by Kalen Hayman

4. You cut down the list

With a destination wedding, everyone knows that it’s going to be a smaller more intimate affair. You don’t have to invite every cousin, distant friend or obligatory “I invited you to mine” person. You can just invite the people that you really want to come and only the people that really want to go will come. One thing to note, you’d be surprised with how many people will come to a destination wedding. If you invite 100 people thinking only half will come, don’t be surprised if they all say yes!

5. It’s one big party

I may not be a wedding person but I am a party person (have you been to our epic Gotstyle parties?) There is something about being away from home, in another country, surrounded by sun, beach, good friends and family that brings a wedding party to the next level.

destination wedding

Here are 8 tips for planning a destination wedding:

1. Even if the resort is all inclusive, it doesn’t mean your reception will be!

You’ll be paying for the food and extra bar service for the reception, but it will still be considerably less than a wedding reception back home. We paid about $9,000 (US) total for the wedding day: $4,000 for food/booze, $3,000 for decor, $2,000 for DJ/sound. No one remembers the decor at the end of the day, but they remember the open bar and the music! (So don’t skimp on those). Other items we spent money on: A private boat cruise for all of our guests, private brunch the day after the wedding, and welcome bags. 

2. All inclusive does make other wedding events easier

All inclusive isn’t the only option for a destination wedding. It is the easiest when it comes to $$. It’s convenient to get everyone to meet up at a bar for drinks or plan a group dinner without having to worry about covering the costs. (You would be paying for the rehearsal dinner if it was at home). I feel that it’s especially important to entertain your guests for the days prior to the wedding day. You are taking their vacation time, and it also helps with getting everyone acquainted. 

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Photo by Kalen Hayman

3. That being said, make sure that you go to a resort that can accommodate large groups

When it comes to dinner, some resorts are only thinking couples stay and won’t let you come in with a group of even 6 people. I find the newer resorts (like the Riviera Cancun where we had our wedding) are starting to understand the market for destination weddings. They had separate rooms at each restaurant that could handle larger groups (10-15 people) and even a very extensive high end buffet that had a separate section to accommodate a group of 50 or more. They also had a variety of restaurants, bars and pools to choose from. Think bigger is better for a destination wedding to keep everyone entertained. I am usually more of a smaller boutique hotel person, but with a group of 50 people we would’ve overwhelmed a hotel and there would not have been the options to eat and drink. From talking to other people, with 40 or more people do it all inclusive and with less you could do a boutique hotel (or a castle or church in Europe) but it will be a lot more planning and work. 

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4. Don’t deal with the hotel directly

Personally I find it imperative to have someone local to help organize all the planning and logistics (especially if you don’t want to do all the work like me). We used Lux Destination Weddings and had Lizzie organizing all the flights and accommodations for our guests. Alexandre was my point person for all organizing and wedding logistics.  Make sure they have a wedding planner at the hotel that will be helping you the day of with certain details. Sometimes they may not be the best, so make sure you have a schedule worked out ahead of time. Pre plan things like: how the wedding party is going to walk in, how you want dinner to flow with speeches etc…

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5. Also look for a resort that has other amenities you can use

We did a Great Gatsby night at the casino and utilized the disco as the afterparty on the wedding night (at no additional cost). We also used another rooftop venue for a hangover brunch the next day (minimal cost). 

It’s important to think about where you’re going to carry the festivities on as most places have a no noise policy after 11pm. If there is no disco or lounge, look into getting one of the bigger suites to accommodate having guests over for drinks after (trust me they won’t want the night to end!)

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6. Spend the money that would’ve been for decor on kick ass welcome bags

They spent the money to join you so you’ve got to treat them right. Give them stuff they will use on their trip. For our guests we did a beach bag, Turkish towel for the beach, cool cover up for the ladies, hangover kit, sunscreen, bug spray, cute matches, candles (good for shared bathrooms!) and don’t forget an itinerary so everyone will know when and where they should be.

For a cool guest photo book, check out guesterly and expect Etsy to become your best friend. Yes, you will have to bring down a ton of stuff. You’re not be able to ship directly to most resorts but you should be given additional baggage allotments if you’re booking with a charter airline. We were allowed 46kgs each (versus the normal 20kgs each) and enlist the wedding party to help stuff the gift bags when you arrive. 

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7.  Don’t hire one of the resort photographers (they’re going to be shitty)

Do you have an acquaintance that is also a professional photographer? Think about paying for their trip and get them to shoot the wedding. They’ll get a mini vacation, and you have someone that you trust taking great pictures. This only works with people that are professional photographers and aren’t close friends. They need to understand that you are paying for their trip to work. You can also hire someone who is local but the resort may charge a ridiculous outside vendor fee (our charge would have been $800US plus the cost of having the photographer).

8. One last thing

Don’t think that because it’s a destination wedding you can get away with a linen shirt untucked or a bad looking beige coloured suit. At the end of the day you are paying good money for a destination wedding and you will want to have great pictures of you and your bride to look back on (and the groomsmen and everyone else). Nothing ruins great wedding pictures than a poorly dressed groom and wedding party! Trust me, beige does not look good on 90% of men! The formality that you would have had at home should extend to your destination wedding.

Do lighter weight fabrics or suck it up for 2 hours and take your jacket off after the ceremony and pictures.

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Don’t wear bad beige suits

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Parry Sound boys clean up nicely with a little Gotstyle

What should a groom wear to a wedding?

January 31, 2016

What should a groom wear to a wedding? How about a proper suit.

Guys should look to their bride for an idea of how casual or formal they should go. And when in doubt, a suit will always work. Whether it’s a destination or civil ceremony any stylist should be able to help you dress up or down according to your bride.

Check out some of our 2017 wedding trends here.

Should I wear a suit to my wedding?

Short answer, yes. If your bride is wearing a traditional wedding dress, and getting her hair and makeup done why should you get a free pass to not wear a suit on the most important day of your lives?

In case you didn’t know, a wedding dress is just as hot as a suit (trust me that sateen, lace, silk stuff does not breath). You only need to wear the full suit for a maximum of 2-3 hours (ceremony and pictures) then, you can take your jacket off!

Your pictures will look so much better and your bride will be so impressed with how handsome you look! (no one looks handsome in an untucked shirt, just saying).

At the end of the day you are paying good money for your wedding. You’ll want to have great pictures of you and your bride to look back on.

What should a groom wear to a destination wedding?

A destination wedding is the same as any other wedding – you’re just in another country with better weather. So remember this-  if wouldn’t wear it at home don’t do it at your destination wedding.  

Would you wear an untucked oversized linen shirt with wide leg linen pants? Didn’t think so. So don’t do it over there.

linen pants and shirts

Please Stop Doing This

Another myth is in the fabrication. The fact is a lightweight wool suit will breathe better than wearing linen or cotton. The classic lightweight fabrics are great too however linen and seersucker will wrinkle and not look as crisp in photos. (wool, linen, seersucker, cotton). 

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Your fabrication options: wool, linen, seersucker, cotton.

Go for a lighter color. Try light blue or soft gray. These colours will psychologically make you feel cooler. Avoid beige. Beige suits at destination weddings look corny. It doesn’t help that beige doesn’t look good on 90% of men– go light grey instead.

What should my groomsmen wear?

Stop dressing the same as your groomsmen. Your bride looks totally different than her bridesmaids – so you should look completely different from your groomsmen. You should stand out in those wedding photos! 

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If you want to do linen or seersucker, look for Haspel.

Our go-to brand for seersucker and linen is Haspel, the originator of the seersucker suit in 1901. We like them because they’ve kept the same quality while also upgrading their fit over time.

Linen and seersucker fabrics are naturally less stiff and will continue to wrinkle as you wear them. If you want something that will stay crisp throughout the day try a cotton suit instead.

What you should wear to a destination wedding

Haspel Gravier Seersucker Blazer $650, Oscar of Sweden Floral Print on Check Shirt $225, Haspel Bernard Seersucker Pant $195, Anderson’s Stretch Leather Belt $198, A. Christensen Pocket Square $45

What you should wear to a destination wedding

Haspel Gravier Seersucker Blazer $650, Ordean Solid Shirt $150, Haspel Bernard Seersucker Pant $195, Gotstyle Tie $105, A. Christensen Pocket Square $45, Gotstyle Double Monk Strap Shoe $225

For more information on wedding styling Mallory is here to help. You can also check our our Gotstyle Weddings Instagram. If you’ve been thinking of going custom check out our gotstyle custom website.