Having a Mod Wedding: Part I

 

Having a 21^st century Mod wedding for me didn’t mean recreating a scene from a London club circa 1964. It was more about the subtle details. Although the preparations might have been stressful at times, my wife and I were in sync about how we wanted things to look.

First, the venue. Our initial plan was to have the ceremony where my parents got married 42 years ago. It was in a small wooden log chapel overlooking Lake St-François in Port Lewis, about an hour’s drive outside of Montreal. Still standing, the place is truly magical and certainly has a sentimental connection. But when Nikki contacted the parish priest, it was strictly out of the question that we have a secular ceremony there. 

My parents at the beginning of a 42 year old love affair

After visiting a few other places that were simply “not us”, Nikki stumbled upon La Vieille Brasserie while surfing the web. Built in 1861 along the Lachine Canal, the stone building housed the Dawes Brewery. It was perfect! A century old building where they made tasty beer? Now THAT is us! It’s when we learnt that the building, now owned by the city of Montreal, could be rented at a discounted price to its residents, that we really started getting excited. But it’s when they told us that they charged a rate of 39$/hour for the entire building that we burst out dancing!

The first floor has an enclosed room where we held the ceremony, a cocktail area, a kitchen and restrooms. The second floor is a large loft space that can accommodate around 100 guests. It has a bar and a large cement terrace with a stunning view of the Lachine Canal. With beautiful stone walls and exposed wooden beams, there was no need for elaborate decorations. Plus, we are not the big balloons and large bows kind of people.

The wedding was a large friends and family affair. The officiant was one of our dearest friends. He’s actually the man responsible for introducing us to each other over 20 years ago. So instead of asking him to be my best man (like I was at his wedding), he agreed to ask the government for a one-time permission to serve as an official legal celebrant.

Gonzo sharing his own unique interpretation of the civil code and marriage vows

Gonzo fulfilling his duties, making certain it's official

Catherine was our charming hostess and bouncer boyfriend Guillaume managed the velvet rope for our red carpet event.

Our caterer was our good friend and renown chef, Stelio Perombelon from Restaurant Sinclair. He did double duties as he supervised the kitchen and attended the ceremony. I believe the verdict on the food was unanimous. It was absolutely delicious! Sometimes I just can’t believe how blessed we are to have such talented friends.

Our photographer was Emily, a personal friend, who was doing her first wedding. I think she was as excited as us and had concepts planned in her head for a long time. From what you’ll see on this blog, she has a bright future.

Thanks to Jean-François and Olivier from Scootart, we had a recently restored Vespa GS160 Mk1 for the photos. The owner of the shop, Jean-François, was kind enough to lend us his personal steed for a popular photo session. Judging from the results, it was well worth it.

The cake was baked by a family friend and was basically a gift. Not only was it exactly how we imagined it but it was also scrumptious! And to give you an idea of how tasty it was, not a single piece was left by the end of the night.

For the seating arrangements, we used vinyl records to identify each table. The band names were selected with the people sitting at the table in mind. For example, the only table that had kids had a Small Faces 45.

The wedding favors were small jars of jellybeans that had a familiar color theme and a mixed CD of our favorite Soul, Ska and Garage tunes. As a secret bonus track, my friend Daniel, guitarist for Le Chelsea Beat and I recorded a song we had practiced for months and performed for my wife as a surprise, later in the evening.

Friends graciously donated their time and provided the night’s entertainment. Three bands played and my mates Ben, Eric and I shared the spinning duties. They all did such a wonderful job that they deserve a blog post all of their own. To be continued…

Having a custom Mod suit made for a wedding

I didn't have a tailored Mod suit made for any wedding. It was actually for MY wedding. And why have only one suit made when you can have two made at the same time, right? I figured that I could have one for the ceremony and another one for the reception. It's not written anywhere in any secret Mod handbook that you need two outfits for your wedding but it was recently added as rule #216 of the Parka Avenue code.

So off I went with a bunch of mates of mine and my future father-in-law to meet with M. Sethinamvong from Prince Henry Tailors to have our measurements taken. To get an idea of what Prince Henry Tailors are all about, you might want to check this earlier post on Having a bespoke Mod suit made.

My mate Jonathan having his first bespoke suit made

My friend Eric and fellow blogger from The Vermodernist followed suit

Every time I have one made, I try to improve on my previous design just like the original Mods from the 60s would often do. I was ready to go the extra mile and have some unique features and details added. First, I had to decide on the color. I thought that a more conservative light grey would be appropriate for the ceremony and a funkier color palette would be acceptable for the evening festivities. I had my eye on a really bold and wild blue color until I saw my future mother-in-law's reaction when I showed her. Her face said it all. It's when she politely said: "You know Patrick, it's your choice" that I reconsidered. So I went with a slightly less audacious burgundy color. It wasn't as adventurous but it would still make a statement.

Crucial decisions to make

Most of my suit jackets are of the 4-button kind because you simply don't see them as often. For this occasion, I took the more traditional route with a 3-button jacket. I had the buttons covered for that extra Mod touch.

Most off-the-peg jackets these days usually don't have working cuffs. I thought it was one detail I wasn't going to let slip by.

The back of the jacket's collar was inspired but some of DNA Groove's stunning dress shirts. The downward point was also added to match the shirts I had made specifically to go with these jackets. A detail that his certainly not commonly seen but I'm sure a true Mod fashion aficionado would appreciate.

Another elaborate feature that might be out of the ordinary is the tapered "step" pant leg with decorative button. The 60s Mod would sometimes add these types of details simply to have something different and innovative. In this case, I simply think that it's a wonderful way to accentuate the boots or the shoes without the trousers being too short.

All the traditional features associated with the Mod suit were part of the overall look: narrow lapels, short jacket, slanted ticket pocket with flap, etc. To complete the look, I had a matching narrow silk tie and pocket square made at the same time. A new pair of Loake Chelsea boots was also in order. With an elegant watch, nice pair a vintage cufflinks and tie clip, the picture was complete.

To give you an idea of the intricate details that went into the suit, have a look at this video that was inspired by a Ross Jardine short film I saw on Youtube called Maximum Mod. My accomplice Veronique and I shot this on your basic digital camera, all in 2 days. I did the editing on my Mac in a couple of hours, a few days before the wedding. Let’s face it, it’s not professional by any stretch of the imagination but considering I had never edited a film before and wasn’t even familiar with the software, I’m very content with the outcome.

The film was shown right before my big entrance at the ceremony. The premise is simple. My dog Jedi comes up to me and warns me “Lassie style” that I’m going to be late for the wedding. And in true Mod fashion, I get ready while listening to the sweet sounds of Booker T and the MG’s Green Onions. Then it’s off to the ceremony by foot with Edwin Starr’s 25 Miles to Go as the soundtrack.

It was also meant as an ode to our fair city, Montreal. You’ll get a quick glimpse at some of downtown's most iconic spots like Chinatown, Palais des Congrès, City Hall, Old Montreal, Habitat ’67, the Atwater Market and the Lachine Canal. The final destination being, of course, La Vieille Brasserie, where the guests were awaiting my arrival...

Curious about the bride's dress? Coming up real soon...

Preparing a Mod wedding

Did I marry the right lady or what? I can’t say that my beautiful wife has ever been a Mod but when she suggested we have a target on the top of our wedding cake and a Vespa beside the  tiny  bride and groom, I knew that I was going to wed the perfect girl for me.

I wasn’t planning on having Mod nuptials but when she opened the door, who was I to say no to the bride? In fact, after my unconventional proposal (expect a future post on that story), I was prepared to say yes to all of her demands.

I noticed that she started doing Google searches with  “Mod”, “Vintage”, “Retro” and “Wedding” often being used in the search bar. You might find it hard to believe but I didn’t pull in any favors for this one. Yes folks, she is that wonderful! So we settled for a retro themed wedding. One thing we both agreed on is that we didn’t want a dressing up, costume party. We all know how a medieval or civil war type wedding can sometimes turn tacky and into a mockery. If you’re going down that road, you better make sure that all your guests are into it.

That’s why we didn’t put any restrictions on the dress code. We still wanted it to be Mod-ern. The personal twist we added was that we wanted the guests to feel like they were coming to a rock concert and that we were the main event. Both being huge music lovers, it suited us to a T. Plus we had planned to have 3 live acts play at the celebration. Simply put, music was going to take center stage.

I am proud to say that I designed our wedding invitations. Inspired by a 60s concert ticket, guests were invited to send the stub back as their RSVP. On the back, the "disclaimer" informed our guests of the different formalities. You could read such useful information as: "The use of cameras, audio or video recording devices are strictly encouraged. The management reserves the right to ask for doubles."

At the same time, I came up with a logo. Every star duo has one, right? It was going to be used mainly on our guest's favors. As I was working on its simple design, I realized that my wedding date was the 9-10-11. Now I have absolutely no excuse for ever forgetting my wedding anniversary!

I also commissioned a poster from a very talented American artist friend of mine. Ashlea did an absolute fantastic psychedelic / mod masterpiece of Nikki and I ridding a Vespa. My wife's resemblance is uncanny. But the real feat is when Ashlea actually succeeded in rendering me attractive. Now that takes a truly skilled artist! Bravo!

We had a 24' X 36' version printed on foam board and a few smaller versions to scater around.

Although getting married is stressful, the preparations went pretty smoothly, a testament to our relationship. The next step was to have my wedding suit done. But I don't consider that a task. That's just fun! Read all about it in the next post...

The Incomplete Guide to Finding Northern Soul and Garage in Boston

It’s hard for me to visit an American city without searching out a few record stores. But with a very limited amount of time, I could only visit the two record shops that were near the venue I was spinning at that night.

I had to settle Cheapo Records and Weirdo Records on Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge. Don’t expect me to say good things about Cheapo Records because I won’t. I’m not big on negative reviews because when I don’t like a place, I avoid the subject. But this is different. I didn’t find any good records at Cheapo. Instead, all I got was attitude from the owner. I know that record shop owners are a particular breed and are sometimes an eccentric bunch but in this case, the guy was plainly rude and arrogant.

First, don’t expect to find a listening station because there are none. But that’s not a problem since I always carry my trusty Sound Burger with me.

Second, they have an impressive 45rpm inventory (in the thousands I am told) but you don’t have access to it. No crate digging here my friends! What you do is give a list of what you’re looking for and an employee goes searching for you in the basement. They do have a couple small boxes of singles behind the counter but that’s it.

The problem is I like to discover new artists and unearth new titles. Nothing is more exciting for me then to stumble upon a label I’ve never came across before. It’s the thrill of the hunt baby! But when in Rome, do as Romans do. So I gave the owner a few rare titles from my wish list. I had nothing to loose.

-    Do you have Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by the M.V.P.s?
-    What is that? Never heard of it before.
-    It’s Northern Soul.
-    I hate Northern Soul. Can’t stand it. I don’t get why people like that crap.
-    What about Melvin by The Belles?
-    The 50s Pop group? I’ll check.
-    It’s actually a 60s garage/soul group. You might be thinking of the Blue Belles. The Belles do a female version of Gloria by… [He interrupts me]
-    No, no, it’s a sugary pop group from the 50s.
-    Well if you find any title by The Belles, you can bring them up and I’ll have a listen.
-    I don’t think you understand. (In a very condescending tone) I’m not doing 20 trips, if I go get a record, it’s because you want to buy it.
-    I’m… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…
-    Anything else?

I was so taken aback by his lousy attitude that my mind drew a blank. The only other title I could think of was Since I Found My Baby by The Metros. A few minutes later he came back empty handed. He asked me if I knew what label the M.V.P.s were on.

-    I don’t know. But I have it on my iPod if you want to listen to it.
-    I told you I don’t like Northern Soul. I’m just curious to know what label they recorded under. Where are they from?

Again, I was a bit flustered. English being my second language and with his Boston accent, I wasn’t certain what he had asked me.

-    Are you asking me where I’m from?
-    What, are you the M.V.P.s?
-    … Euh…I’m sorry… I… They’re American…
-    If you ever find out, can you call me and tell me?
-    I could email you.
-    I don’t do email.

Maybe there’s something about the Boston sense of humor I’m not familiar with me but is this white bearded 60 something guy pulling my leg? He actually thinks that after one the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced that he’s going to receive a long distance phone call from me? He really believes I’m going to do him a favor? You have to be kidding me!

Weirdo Records is a few blocks down the street and was a lot more pleasant. The place might be the size of a large walk-in closet but it offers a wide selection of indie, alternative and punk music. Their 7” selection can be summed up to a box of a couple dozen records of newer releases. Not exactly my type but Jonathan managed to find a few good Freakbeat compilations on CD. It was the perfect remedy for a long car ride back.

My record collecting addiction was at least satiated thanks to my DJ accomplice Ty Jesso who had brought a box of 45s to trade. I knew it would make up for the unsuccessful foray into Boston’s record stores. I have to say that I did hear good things about the In Your Ear!  shop. I regret not having had enough time to visit the place.

Here’s a list of some of the incredible tracks I got from Ty.

Tell Me When – The Applejacks – London

Indian Giver – Chuck Bernard – Satellite
My Baby Changes – The Victones – Front Page
Backwards And Forwards – December’s Children – World Pacific
Yield Not To Temptation – Bobby Bland – Duke
No Ifs, No Ands, No Butts – Mae Young – Karate

Don’t Want To Cry – The Buckinghams – U.S.A.
I Don’t Need No Doctor – Ray Charles – ABC
Keep On Running – Jimmy Bailey – Colombia

Na –Na, Hey- Hey, Kiss Him Goobye – Dave Carroll – Pan-Vox
Just A Little Bit More – The Stuarts - Ascot

On the way back to Montreal, we stopped at the Pionner Valley Flea Market in Holyoke. A few hours out of Boston, it might be worth checking out from time to time. Once again, my mate Dan Baker came through with another solid recommendation. I suggest you check out The Relic Shop. All the 45s are a buck apiece. Looking for that Motown classic or a Stax hit? Chances are you’ll find it. The conditions of the records are remarkably good.

I had a few dollars to spare but only about an hour to do the spending. So I only had time to flip through the A’s and B’s.

I snatched up less common singles at another vendor’s. He asked a few dollars more per record but the prices were perfectly reasonable.

What You’re Doing To Me – Roscoe Robinson – Wand
The Jolly Green Giant – The Kingsmen – Wand
Searching For Love – The Kingsmen - Wand

I didn’t hit any goldmines in Boston but given a bit more time, I’m sure I would’ve dug up a few more nuggets.

Vintage vs. New: Shopping for Mod threads in Boston

I've been to Boston only once before. It's hard to believe since it's only about a 6-hour drive from Montreal. I would venture to say that it's probably the American city that reminds me the most of home. Packed with great restaurants and boutiques, it's a shopper's paradise.

Being there for only a long weekend, I had to plan my shopping schedule carefully. Luckily, my travel companions Cynthia and Jonathan are seasoned bargain hunters.

Our first destination was the trendy Newbury Street.

A stop at the Ben Sherman store (154 Newbury St.) was in order to have a look at the new fall collection. There was nothing to get overly excited about but I did end up leaving with a classic red polo that had sleeves a lighter shade of red. At 70% off, it was going to make the trip back with me. I was disappointed they didn't have their fragrances in stock. Being an eau de cologne fanatic, I wanted to add one of their scents to my collection.

 

I have to give them credit for their stunning decor. A lot of thought went into the design of this 2-storey store.

Speaking of great looking shops, Goorin Bros. is well worth a look. This company is one of the few hat makers that make a short-brimmed trilby and porkpie. I bought one in New Orleans last year and can attest to their quality.

Jonathan looking dapper.

A few doors down you'll find the English clothing brand Barbour. Not typically Mod, they have a small selection of smart button-down shirts that would fit perfectly in any Mod wardrobe. 

But if you're looking for a wide range of high quality shirts, all you need to do is to walk a few blocks more to the impressive Brooks Brothers store (46 Newbury St.). Enter the Ivy League side of the Mod spectrum with 3 stories of my favorite American clothing label.

 

I was attracted to a very Mod looking tie pin displayed on a mannequin. But when I learnt of it's 120$ price tag, I resigned myself to living without a pure silver tie pin for a while longer.

Another shop worth seeking out is Hootenanny (36 John F. Kennedy Street). Situated a stone's throw from the prestigious Harvard University campus, it offers all your Mod friendly brands: Fred Perry, Ben Sherman, Levis, etc. I passed on an affordable 35$ pair of tan Warrior dessies. I'm a snob when it comes to my desert boots and only wear Clarks. Although they looked very close to the Clarks, I'm partial to the originals. I didn't leave empty handed. A fine pair of charcoal slim fit Levis made it's way into my suitcase.

The next day, we took the vintage route. Boston being the quintessential Ivy League town, my hopes were high. Under the guidance and expert recommendations of local Ace Face Dandy Dan Baker, we had a few addresses to visit. He first suggested we check out Bobby from Boston (19 Thayer Street).

Nestled in the hip South End neighborhood, the shop is not a place for sore eyes. It's like stepping back in time. The attention to detail would satisfy any Mod's highest standards.

Like any vintage store, you need a bit of luck and a good eye. It's hit or miss. If you happen to find something you can't live without, it's usually not your size. A vintage boating jacket had caught my eye but it was too small and the 495$ price tag was simply ridiculous.

Cynthia modeling a pink Baracuta Harrington

 I had better luck at the The Garment District. Less high end, they must survive on sheer volume. The place is huge! It's one of the biggest vintage clothing stores I ever been to. The prices are a fraction of what you would pay at Bobby's. The discovery of the day had to be this navy 3-button Brooks Brothers jacket. The golden buttons alone were worth the 11$ price I paid for it.

On the first floor, you can buy clothes by the pound.

Cynthia bought this great Ben Sherman jacket

 I also found a vintage piece I had been looking for, for a while now. This well-preserved satin smoking jacket would make Hugh Hefner proud.

 
I can already picture myself sipping a martini while lounging around listening to a Mose Allison record reminiscing about the wonderful time I had in Boston.