Crossing the Aisle Vol. IX + Must-Do Contest + Good Heavens!

To kick off a busy Friday morning wrap-up: a huge THANK YOU to our friend, image consultant and groom savior, Julie Rath of Rath & Co. This week Julie lent us her design sense and expertise and a handful of invaluable groom tips. Check out our edition of Stump the Stylist (at Kmart, for chrissake) and the tour of the sinfully groom-friendly Michael Andrews Bespoke studio, where Julie unveiled three amazing rehearsal dinner looks.

Note how the yellow accents coordinate with my pocket square.

Two, if you haven't yet entered the #wedlux giveaway sponsored by our pal Chris at The Man Registry (along with our friends at Gigmasters, Greenvelope, SmartBride Boutique and Wishpot), then you should seriously consider having yourself committed. They're giving away $1,500 in merch and services, people! Brides, Grooms - click this link to get the full scoop, read about all the ways to enter, and do so before July 13th.

Go. I'll wait.

OH - and great news, men. GoodHEAVENS, crazy talented tie designer and manufacturer, has been getting all kinds of love from all of the lady blogs these last couple months. Unfortunately, until recently, they were unable to ship to the states. So my gift to you today, because I'm in a giving kind of mood, is a link to their Etsy storefront. Fifteen styles for sale, all for $33 (absurd price) + $7 for US shipping. $40 all together for an awesome tie. You deserve it, groom.

Do it. I'll wait.

Finally, let's jump into our weekly series: Groom-Friendly Designs on the Bridal Blogs. Here goes:

Men of the Wood: a new musical ... via Green Wedding Shoes

A WHIMSICAL WOODLAND WEDDING: TRISHIA + JUSTIN
via Green Wedding Shoes
There's a couple things grooms can appreciate about this wedding, and no, it's not the "whimsical" element. But it might be the raccoon love ... and the geek lumberjack attire (see above) ... and the fact that their "unity symbol" is a bottle of Jameson. These are my kind of people.

THE FRESH HUBBY ... IN PRINT!
via Broke-Ass Bride
Our good friend and fellow groom activist Hunter Stiebel, the one and only "Fresh Hubby," is now a contributing editor to Destination Weddings and Honeymoons magazine, providing a manly dose of advice in every issue. Congrats Hunter! Click the link above to read his first article on destination bachelor parties.

You know a groom sketched out these vows ... via Ruffled Blog

STOCKING THE WEDDING BAR: THE RIGHT WINE AT THE RIGHT PRICE
via Lovely Little Details
Honestly, I'm jealous I didn't think of this first. On Tuesday, Jacin at LLD invited the sales manager at Colene Clemens Vineyard to provide some insight and tell you everything you need to know about wine and weddings and wine at weddings. Read on, grooms.

And to close:

This was the vegetarian buffet ... via Southern Weddings Magazine.

Happy weekend, everyone!