What Does "Island Chic" Mean for Men Anyway?

In advance of June, the most frequent question posed to Katie and me is, "What should guys wear to your wedding."  And we thought "island chic" was a completely intuitive concept for everyone... er, maybe not.  Apparently women have a much better grasp on the definitions of such things.  I'm going to work on finding photos to serve as examples for the gents; however, to start let's discuss what "Island Chic" is not.

Island Chic is not, the following:

1. Black-tie
2. Mandatory suits and ties (although, both are certainly welcome)
3. Leather-soled and polished shoes (we'll actually be married on the sand, so probably not a great idea anyway)
4. Anything uncomfortable or stuffy

Things to consider when choosing attire for the wedding:

1. It's going to be hot, probably 85 degrees, so try to wear light-colored and breathable fabrics (linen, cotton or tropical weight wool).
2. Choose footwear that you'll be comfortable exposing to sand.  As mentioned above, we're getting married on the beach, so all of you will be walking across the sand too.
3. Good times will ensue.  Don't wear anything you're overly concerned about sweating in.  Katie and I plan to tear it up, and we hope you do to.

Basic photos for ideas:

From our friends at Ermenegildo Zegna.  This chap is wearing various linen and cotton blends.  Understandably, guys may be uncomfortable working the white pants and white shirt look, but this guy's going to be pretty happy if it's mid-80's and humid.  I would ditch the chukka boots in favor of some loafers or sandals.

Also, no need to tote a suede duffle bag to the wedding.  Apparently one can't live without those in Italy.

Another take from the gentlemen of Brooks Brothers.  This guy might be slightly more comfortable at a wedding down the street at The Ritz, but if he ditches the tie and grabs a drink, he'll be perfectly at home at our wedding.

This jacket is a blend of linen and cotton.  The trousers are linen.

The Honeymoon Has Been Booked - Turks & Caicos

Katie and I are excited to announced that we've selected our honeymoon destination - Turks & Caicos.  Much to my surprise, and potentially to Katie's consternation, the decision was made in the final moments before our departure to attend my cousin Emily's wedding last week.  Quite literally, I pushed the "confirm" button while she dried her hair.

Our eventual destination, the Gansevoort Turks & Caicos, was really a serendipitous discovery.  Two birthday's ago, Katie and I spent an amazing weekend at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.  I recently received an email from Jetsetter.com, the travel subsidiary of Gilt Group - a collection of sites offering fashion and luxury brands at significant discounts, offering a great price on long-weekends at the afore-mentioned Ojai spot.  Unfortunately, that deal didn't work for us, but Katie happened to notice a remarkable deal at the Gansevoort.  That island destination was "top of mind" for Katie because every time we'd discuss honeymoon locations, I would quote a Jay-Z song advocating "private jets down to Turks and Caicos."  We're flying commercial, but I'm sure the rest of the stay will closely resemble a hip-hop empresario's vacation.

If you're interested, click on the photo to see more about the resort.

Honeymoon Ideas... Anyone???

Katie and I are now wading through the process of deciding what to do for our honeymoon.  At first we thought Cuba might be the right choice.  Interestingly, you can travel to Havana from Grand Cayman with virtually no problems... and no stamps on your passport... who knew?  Upon further consideration, the prospect of violating official State Department policy didn't seem to me like a great way to start married life together.  Now we're opening the discussion to other ideas... HELP!!!!

Please use the comments section of the site to suggest alternatives.  If you've been someplace and loved it, let us know.  If you've always wanted to go someplace, throw it out there.  There are a few places already crossed off the list: Grand Rapids, MI, Vienna, VA, Naples, FL, and of course, Santa Monica or Los Angeles in general.  We're open to everything else.

Thanks - Katie & Shannon

Alternate Lodging Options

While the festivities will all be at the Caribbean Club, we understand that many will elect to stay off property at one of the neighboring facilities. To that end, below are some of the closer options for people who do not wish to stay on-site.

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Luxury Hotel

It's about a 5 minute walk down the beach to the Caribbean Club. For all you duffers, this resort is also home to the closest golf course. If you elect to stay here, be sure to ask for a room on the beach side. The resort is fairly large, and half of the rooms are actually across the road from the beach - connected by a indoor pedestrian bridge.

Sunshine Suites Resort Grand Cayman

The most economically priced resort that's close to the Caribbean Club and 7-Mile Beach. It's about a 5 minute walk down the street (or 10 minutes if you cross the street and walk down the beach). The resort is home to a great little bar/restaurant, The Sunshine Grill, that offers the island's best fish taco's. For those know of my obsession with Wahoo's, you know that's a big deal. Katie, Tim, Joan and I ate there, so we can attest to the quality of the food - we also saw a few burgers as big as the average human head. Good times.

Casa Caribe, Grand Cayman
This resort is immediately next door to the Caribbean club, and features 2-4 room condo rentals. Most features balconies and ocean views. Staying here will allow you to stumble back to your room with minimal after any of the schedules activities.

Caribbean Club

Caribbean Club

Above is the link to the resort at which we'll be hosting the wedding and the majority of related festivities. To reserve rooms (3-bedroom condos), please contact Danielle Wolfe, the charming Club Manager. She can help make all arrangements; her contact information is below. If you have any concerns about filling out a three-bedroom condo, please contact me or Katie. I'm sure we'll be able to help match guests into fun groups.

Danielle Wolfe, Club Manager

Caribbean Club
P.O. Box 30135 Seven Mile Beach
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Phone: 1.345.623.4500

Fax number: 1.345.946.9954

Toll free: 1.800.941.1126

Danielle@caribclub.com

Planning from the Caymans - Life is Rough

Katie, her parents - Tim and Joan - and I are on Grand Cayman this weekend to do as much wedding planning as possible within a 48-hour span. Luckily, Katie is the furthest thing conceivable from a "Bridezilla," so completing the remaining plans via phone and email shouldn't be too onerous.

In the coming days and weeks we will use this blog as a space to communicate plans, recommendations and anything else newsworthy for the wedding. There's a thought that we might even use this site as a mechanism for matching guests with available rooms. We'll see if that's too ambitious a plan.

Katie and I are both very excited to share the weekend with all of you, and we've found accommodations and concocted some surprises to make the weekend worth the travel.

More news to come