Hendricks Park provides free styling service for groomsmen via video chat. Photograph courtesy of Hendricks Park

If the idea of spending a day shopping for a wedding tux makes you more uncomfortable than the idea of spending an afternoon watching Toddlers & Tiaras, we’ve got a site for you to check out. Hendricks Park, a men’s clothing retail site that launched in December 2010, provides free personal styling service via video chat. Yes, that means you can find a designer wedding-day ensemble without leaving your house (or changing out of your fresh-off-the-floor T-shirt).

While the site helps men pick out clothes for work and all sorts of occasions, “we get such a rush dressing guys for their weddings,” says Lisa Bruckner, founder and CEO of Hendricks Park. “Quite a few of our clients have started out single, and then they get engaged—it’s such an amazing experience to be part of milestones in someone’s life.”

Here are some of Bruckner’s top tips for guys shopping for a wedding-day look:

Thursday, July 21
Hitched hosts a Styling Night featuring accessories by Enchanted Atelier. The lead designer will be on hand to answer your questions. Call 202-333-6162 or e-mail apointments@hitchedsalon.com to RSVP. 5 to 8.

Friday, July 22, and Saturday, July 23
Looking for the perfect rehearsal dinner ensemble? You may find it at the Bethesda Row sidewalk sale, where stylish boutiques like Ginger and Urban Chic have markdowns on retail through Saturday. Click here for more information on participating stores and restaurants.

Thursday July 14
Hitched hosts a Sample Sale Soiree, where brides-to-be can save up to 60 percent on gowns by Amsale, Oscar de la Renta, Judd Waddell, and other top designers. RSVP to info@hitchedsalon.com. 5 to 8.

Friday, July 15
Today is the first day of a Jack Robie pop-up shop at Sherman Pickey in Georgetown. The designer’s ready-to-wear men’s dress shirts can liven up a groom’s wedding day apparel. 

The summer/fall issue of Washingtonian Bride & Groom is now on newsstands, and boy, am I proud new mama! You know how when your best friend, sister or fill-in-the-blank gives birth, and they won’t stop talking about the kid or sending you pictures of the baby every single day? Well, that’s kind of where I am about this particular magazine . . . only (I hope) not so annoying. But our staff worked on the stories, features, and lists in this issue for months, and the results are just so darn beautiful that I’m going to insist that anyone who’s planning a DC-area wedding pick up a copy right now.

Some of my favorite things inside: A showcase of 13 of the prettiest local weddings our editors have seen in a long time; a totally fun beauty story that imagines what Hollywood A-listers would do with their hair and makeup on their wedding day; photos of yummy reception cuisine prepared by some of the area’s best caterers; and the definitive guide of the best wedding vendors in the Washington region.

But I’m in love with the 20-page bridal gown story, which we shot in March at Ladew Topiary Gardens just north of Baltimore during an insane spate of bad weather. Looking at these amazing photos, you’d never know that our crew battled driving rain, nasty cold, crazy wind, and a grumpy Russian model to bring pictures of a dreamy landscape to life. Lessons learned? Organize, organize, organize before the big event (the same principle of planning a wedding applies to large magazine photo shoots). And when models are involved, have lots of sugary foods on hand. ‘Cause girlfriend probably needs a donut.

We're always looking for new and better ways to help Washington couples with their wedding planning, so drop me a line at jhn@washingtonian.com—or reach out on Twitter (we're @WashBrideGroom)—with your suggestions. In the meantime, you can find the current issue at most bookstores and supermarkets across Washington. For a sneak peek at a few standout features in the issue, scroll down. Happy reading!

Best,

Jill Hudson

Editor-in-Chief, Washingtonian Bride & Groom

PS—Not already subscribed to our Bridal Party newsletter? Sign up with this survey and we'll send you a free copy of the issue! 

For years I thought Alanis Morissette was talking about the “cross-eyed bear that you gave to me” in her song “You Oughta Know.” It always struck me as an innocuous line in what is a pretty intense song, seeming somewhat out of place. When I heard rumors that the song was likely about Uncle Joey from Full House, who looked like a cross-eyed-bear-giving type of guy, I figured I was on the right page.

Not so much. The realization of what the line actually was about brought everything home for me with that song. Alanis wasn’t happy with Uncle Joey, bear or not.

Having bartended for a few years in midtown DC, I was privy to many a drunken rendition of songs where the lyrics took a back seat to the intensity of the performance. It gave me a new appreciation of how hard it is to fist-pump and keep your thoughts together. In picking the band for our wedding, I was reintroduced to this phenomenon at a recent talent showcase.

Anyone who has put together a wedding or a banquet has likely come across the name Chiavari.

Before Kristin and I began wedding planning, I’d never heard it before. Once we started getting into the details of our ceremony and reception, when it came down to picking chairs, the name Chiavari kept coming up over and over again.

Chiavari, we learned, is the “chair of chairs.” When you look for venues for your big day, wedding planners and event coordinators will speak of Chiavari chairs with reverence and awe—not to mention a surcharge. They’ll speak to the subtly of the design and the delicacy of the form—which they’ll tell you adds a whimsical nature to your setting.

I was fascinated by the power the Chiavari chair held over people. What I wasn’t prepared for was the mythical nature of the man who creates these chairs, a modern-day Paul Bunyan—or better yet, the heir apparent to Chuck Norris.

I was at a hotel bar when I overheard a group of three inebriated wedding planners laughing and drinking together. I heard one of them mention the name Chet Chiavari, and the following conversation ensued: