My Forever Wedding Date, Featuring Bonobos

SHOP THE LOOK

full suit // suit jacket // suit pants // dress shirt // pink silk tie

Happy Wednesday Babes!

If you and your guy are anything like Colton and me, then you’re probably feeling like professional wedding guests these days. I kid you not, I can’t even count how many weddings we have been to since we have been together and this next year alone, we already have seven on our calendar. So I guess it’s a good thing we like weddings – lol!

The first wedding that Colton and I ever went to together, was his best friends brothers wedding. We were barely 20, he was so sweet, terrified to dance and his suit was two sizes too big… I mean, I knew it was too big but it wasn’t until after the wedding and getting ready for the next one that I learned how much it bothered him. He wanted something not only his size but also a slimmer fit and stylish. We tried to have all of this pants and suits tailored but they just weren’t getting it.

That’s until we found Bonobos.

If you have been reading LtoL from the beginning, then you know that I have been talking about Bonobos on here for years, which is why I’m really excited to partner with them today to bring you this wedding look. They are hands down the only brand Colton will wear and the obsession both Colton and my Dad have with Bonobos is unreal. Which, in all honesty is okay with me because it makes shopping for Christmas & Birthday’s extremely convenient – lol!

Not only are their clothes extremely stylish and of the highest quality, but they specialize in fit. So whether you’re ordering pants, a jacket or a shirt, your guy can customize exactly how he wants it to fit.

So after years of attending weddings and Colton’s suit not fitting properly, when we decided it was time to invest in a proper suit – there is no other place we would go!

ABOUT THE LOOK 

For this look, we chose the Lightweight Italian Wool Suit. While we were obsessed with its shade of blue, what Colton loved most about this suit was just how lightweight and comfortable it really was. Yes, we live in Texas, so it’s normally hot here and choosing something lightweight was a major factor when picking out a new suit, but also because, who wants to be in a thick and heavy suit at a wedding anyway? When Colton’s at a wedding, he’s mingling with his friends and dancing the night away, so being uncomfortable is not an option. He needed a classy, well-fitted suit, that was not only lightweight and breathable but flexible and comfortable too!

We chose the light blue color because it was different and a nice change from a normal black suit. Plus, we knew it would be the perfect suit for a spring or summer wedding. Then he chose an all-white dress shirt because it’s super versatile could easily be color coordinated any tie to match whatever I am wearing.

This Lightweight Italian Suit is definitely an investment and while it will come in handy if your wedding schedule is anything like ours (did I mention seven weddings?), if you’re not quite ready to spend the big bucks on a full suit quite yet, investing in a suit jacket to start you off is always a great option. Pair it with nice fitted pants and you’re good to go!

While you can always shop online, if you live in the Houston area, the River Oaks District has a Bonobos location where you can go in and be measured for everything! As well as try on anything in the store. They will save your measurements in your file and anything you order will be delivered to you in two days! Click here to find a location near you! 

Photography: Banavenue Photography

In honor of this Bonobos Wedding Look and the fact that we are almost at two months since saying “I Do”, I thought it would be fun to share a little Q & A with you guys on what “Life After The Wedding” has been like for us. Thank you to everyone who sent us these questions! Enjoy!:)

Life After The Wedding Q&A

Just how happy are you to finally be married after having to postpone it the first time?

SO HAPPY. I honestly cannot explain just how happy we have been. To finally be married and to no longer be talking about the wedding – lol. Nothing has felt more right or complete in my entire life.

Does it feel different being married, even though you lived together before? 

This has been my number one question from you guys and was my biggest worry about us moving in together before the wedding. So I’m excited to tell you guys that it does indeed, feel different. I didn’t think anything would be different, but I’m telling you, everything has changed and for the better. I can’t lay my finger on it but there has been a major shift in everything. It’s like a whole new profound level of respect and love coming from the both of us. I’ve especially seen the shift in Colton.

What has been the biggest difference since getting married? 

For starters, calling him my husband!! I didn’t think it would be a big deal, and while I sometimes feel weird saying it out loud, every time I do, I blush and get a huge smile on my face. Other than that, as I mentioned before, there’s been an overall shift that has been the biggest difference. We talk more about the future than we did and we are just in general planning more, wanting to save, setting goals and etc.

Has it been hard to adjust after months of all the wedding hype and people spoiling you? 

Not at all! I think it’s because we were so close to the wedding last time and had it pulled right out from under us, so by the time we were finally able to say “I Do” we were ready! I’ve had friends say they were somewhat sad/depressed once their wedding was over and I totally get that, but I think because our engagement lasted two years and I was so stressed to the point of having to get on anxiety medication that it was more of a feeling of relief. I was tired of people talking about the wedding, I think we both were.

Do you feel happy or sad that the wedding is over? 

Happy, Happy, Happy! While I wish we could replay the wedding over and over again and have all of our closest loved ones in the same place again, we are excited about this next chapter in our lives.

How do you keep surprises from one another? 

We haven’t had to keep any surprises from each other just yet, but since we have lived together for so long, it’s something we have figured out! We have separate closets so we hide stuff in there or in our cars. Then because our schedules are somewhat opposite, it’s easy to make phone calls and make plans without the other person knowing.

Did you change your last name and how did you deal with it? 

Yes and no… see what I did was weird. I haven’t changed my name on my driver’s licenses, nor at the social security office yet because of how much we have been traveling but we did change it on our marriage certificate. I had a really, really hard time changing my last name. Not because I didn’t love Colton or want to take his, but because “Lauren Smith” was my identity. That has been my name my entire life, so it was hard for me. Plus, Lauren Smith is what I am known as here on the blog and for my business.  I also didn’t want to get rid of my middle name (Ashley) because I loved my middle name too and I didn’t want to hyphenate so…… I kept all four.

My name is officially Lauren Ashley Smith Rando. I made both Ashley and Smith my middle name (so I have two middle names) and took Rando as my last name. This may sound weird to most, but it was a happy medium for the two of us.

Did Mister Bentley change his last name too?!?

Yes – lol. The day we got married Colton couldn’t wait to get Bentley a collar that said “Rando Family”

How are you budgeting as a married couple? 

This is a work in progress since we haven’t combined our bank accounts due to me not fully changing my name yet so… this one will have to be a whole separate post!

When will we get to see all of the wedding photos? 

SOON!!! I had to wait to get them from my photographer and I am currently waiting on the video because I really want to post them all together but I will be posting all the details from our Rehearsal Dinner next week!

Thank you so much for reading and thank you to Bonobos
for sponsoring this post!

xo,

Lauren

SHOP THE POST 

Photography: Banavenue Photography