There’s something quite lovely about the blending of tradition and individuality, and this was absolutely the case at Mel & Ronny’s Traditional Jewish Wedding.  Mel recalls the “surprise” she had in store for her groom!

“There were the shoes and Ronny’s tie.  I don’t like wearing all ‘normal’ clothes, so while I made a concession and went for a traditional dress, I decided to wear bright pink shoes.  Ronny didn’t know this.  He also didn’t know what colour tie he’d be wearing, as I had organised for the tie to be made to match my shoes, and he had to pick the tie up just before the wedding!”

Photos by Matt Reed

Colours Hot Pink | Groom, Groom Style | Comments 1

There is so much to love about bow ties at wedding, but who says they need to be black? Imagine the yellow polka dot one below paired with a pale blue shirt, the orange with cream elephants paired with a navy blazer and that floral number paired with a coral shirt. So much possibility!

1. Liberty of London print bowtie from pompandceremony  2.  Mix and match cotton bow ties from TangledTiesBowTies  3. Elephant bowtie from CCADesign  4. Pure silk bowtie with hexagons from VaVaNeckwear 5. Vintage circuit board silk screen bowtie from Cyberoptix  6. Floral cotton bowtie from KnotNowBowTies

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I just love a beach destination wedding, in particular when the groom shares his own highlights of the big day with us! It was all about the picturesque location at Jolene & Adrian’s Langkawi Destination Wedding, with Adrian advising that one of his top memories was “Getting to catch up with all our friends and family before the ceremony, at the striking, scenic beach side location – soaking up the atmosphere and having a beer  to calm the nerves before my beautiful wife to be arrived”

Adrian was also pretty proud of their moves, recollecting “Our first dance – we nailed it!!”. Congratulations you two!

Photography by Leigh Miller.

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Tangled Forest Mens Necktie – Screen Printed Microfiber Tie by Scatterbrain Ties by Mr Phipps

Back in the days of the high school formal (that for me was nearly 20 years ago… Big ouch…) we would go to one of a few shops in the Hay St Mall and look at ties. “That one will do,” and it was sorted. I hadn’t prepared myself for how this has changed. The world of tie-dom is now at your virtual fingertips via one word.

Etsy.

I would guess that most people who read such an esteemed site as Polka Dot Bride (or Groom, naturally) would already know of the trap that is Etsy. It’s the eBay for your creative artsy knick knacky needs. It’s almost impossible to visit the site without buying something – or at least leaving you thinking “I really, really need that for no specific reason”.

So my search for neckery started and ended on Etsy. From pre-made to hand-printed, microfiber to silk, American to Pakistani to Australian to Canadian. We had decided we wanted a tie with a vibrant or strong colour and a nice print. We didn’t want plain and we didn’t want dull.

And thus the search began. Some very notable tie companies I corresponded with included:

Scatterbrain Ties by Mr Phipps
Chipmunk Point
TieObsessed

After much to-and-fro, several Etsy conversations and many nights discussing colours and styles with Amber, we settled on a Cyberoptix design.

I was initially very taken with the multi-fabric concept by Chipmunk Point –

Men’s Necktie – Aqua, Turquoise, and Teal Collection by Chipmunk Point

– where they have laid out similar fabrics in one listing so that you can easily choose several like-minded ties. Perfect for the Hipster-mismatched-tie-wedding, if that be your thing.

But in the end we decided on a Cyberoptix design, though you’ll have to wait for the wedding photos to see it!

So if you’re struggling to find that perfect tie to compliment your wedding attire, look no further than Etsy. Though I take no responsibility for all the other stuff you buy that you don’t actually need.

Ms Gingham says: Well safe to say we love Etsy here on Polka Dot Bride! The hours and dollars you can spend!

Scott says: “My name is Scott. I’m a 35 year old guy from Perth, WA. I have been writing for a long time, primarily in the novel form. I’m most the way through a Post Grad Diploma in Journalism and mentioned to my fiance recently that I need to do some serious writing. She pointed me towards your website and I thought I’d sign up!”

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If there’s one event to take style direction from it’s the Oscars. Movie excellence aside, it’s all about the red carpet – the biggest fashion show in the world. And while the focus will always be on the ladies, the gents are increasingly gaining time in the spotlight. Nice.

The 85th Academy Awards was a particularly dapper event and here are five things I noted:

1: Daniel Day Lewis took home the Oscar for best actor, but that wasn’t all he won. His impeccable shawl collared midnight blue tuxedo won him the vote for best dressed man by both GQ and Esquire. I’d like to think my previous post inspired him and that his thank you card is winging its way to Bondi.

Image by Getty Images via Cupful Of Joy

2: Bond films are rarely Best Picture contenders but the soundtracks are always strong. Dame Shirley Bassey showed she still has it with a powerful live rendition of Goldfinger, and Adele deservedly picked up a Best Original Song Oscar for Skyfall. As in the movie in which Bond wore… a midnight blue tuxedo. Do you see a pattern emerging? And with Bond’s 50th anniversary celebrations extended courtesy of the Oscars special tribute, any association with the secret agent can do no wrong. In my opinion the ultimate Bond styling tip for your wedding day would be to rock up in an Aston Martin DB5. Good luck finding one 007.

Image via news.com.au

 3: Oscars host Seth MacFarlane was typically controversial with a loved it / hated it performance. But one thing can’t be disputed: the man knows how to wear a tux.

Image by Getty Images via Boston Bridal Lounge

4: Real men can sing. Who would have thought they would ever see the alpha male trio of Wolverine, Gladiator and, er, Ali G on the same stage singing their lungs out about the French Revolution? Well they did, and it rocked. So have a think about that. A few months of secret singing lessons can do wonders for a surprise wedding reception performance. Trust me, I’ve seen it.

Image: Forbes.com

 5: The delightful Jennifer Lawrence is scorching hot property right now and rightly so, but her slip in front of the whole planet was probably not her defining moment, bless her. However, it did serve as a comforting reminder that grooms should never be able to trip over their own trousers on the big day.

But if you do encounter a wardrobe malfunction try to handle it with effortless charm, Lawrence-style.

About Milton Gan Photography: Milton Gan combines his artistic flair, eye for detail, and passions for love, style and elegance to create a finely crafted photographic experience for each and every one of his clients.

Milton writes regularly for Polka Dot Groom as well as being a ridiculously talented wedding photographer. You can read his previous posts here.

Contact Milton here.

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