Groom’s Dressing: Wedding Guide for Men
Dressing up for the Wedding
Your wedding day is the most important day of your life, so it should be fitting to be well-dressed as well. It may be a small and intimate gathering or a grand celebration, but one thing’s for sure, your wedding definitely warrants your best look. In most cases it is a must to coordinate with your entourage about the smallest details so the event goes off without a hitch. Since you will be the main subject in all your wedding photos, it’s best to wear the finest suit or tuxedo within your budget.
You have plenty of options for your wedding suit or tux, but these simple steps will certainly enlighten you on how to best present yourself on your wedding day.
Best-Dressed Man
The goal on your wedding day is to look the best you can be. This is your moment to truly shine. Your attire should be classic with a touch of your personal style. In this regard, a carefully fitted tuxedo should be adorned with a boutonniere. Classic doesn’t mean your great grandfather’s suit, but a style that remains timeless or which you can re-use for another important formal occasion.
The Two-Piece Suit: Timeless Elegance
The two-piece suit is the most subtle yet classic suit choice for a groom. Tuxedos and morning coats can be rented in the United States and should be worn accordingly.
If you need your groomsmen to look their best, but you’re working on a strict budget, it’s safe to stick with a single-breasted suit. It’s not necessary for you to buy a new suit, especially if you have one in your closet that you can already use. Something in a solid color such as navy or grey will do.
Formal suit colors are perfectly acceptable for your wedding day and men with their own suits can wear a similar suit so long as they’re comfortable with it and the suit is in great condition. Wear it with a light-colored shirt and tie, a dark colored suit provides a subtle elegance to a man that works well most styles of bridal fashion. However, if a new suit is necessary, make sure its well-made and versatile enough to wear even after your wedding.
Two-Piece Solid & Colored Suit
The finest wedding suits are the classic colors such as navy blue and charcoal grey. The lighter hues such as khaki or light grey are best reserved for summer and other perhaps a beach wedding. Try not to wear anything too vibrant as it may appear out of place for a wedding event. You don’t need to exactly match everything, such as your tie, pocket square or boutonnière, but you should at least complement what your bride is wearing. Look for key elements in her dress so you’re coordinated yet not too matchy.
Finally avoid wearing a heavily patterned suit which can be quite distracting to the observers and may eventually clash with the bride’s gown. So save your pinstripe for a business event, and opt instead for a solid dark suit for classic style.
Black & White Suits
As wedding attire, a black suit is often regarded as a lighter version of a tuxedo. However this may be misconstrued since its dark color and association with tuxedos can be inappropriate for a wedding event. Black’s dark contrast may also be unattractive in photographs since it can easily overpower other colors in the background. Traditionally, the groom doesn’t match the color of the bride’s gown and most definitely should not wear a white suit, save the white color for your bride. Since the bride is already wearing a white gown, the groom should wear something colored so they won’t look too washed out in the photographs. Now unless you’re sure to wear a black suit or even white, you’re best choice would be something grey or blue instead. These are the most versatile colors that can easily match with your entourage and are still wearable long after your wedding day.
Men’s Wedding Suit Styles
A wedding suit should simply be a single-breasted and two-button jacket.
The wedding suit does not have to be strictly a single-breasted and two-button jacket. You can certainly wear something more extravagant like a double-breasted suit which is regarded as highly-formal and should always be worn with a formal shirt and tie. An open collar should not be your choice with a double-breasted suit and they may be a bit uncomfortable when worn for a long period.
Another alternative formal suit is the three-piece suit which is an elegant choice and best worn with a vest. Matching vests are removable yet fill its purpose to double-breasted jackets. Photographers at the wedding like to shoot photos of the groom in his most comfortable state and just wearing his vest and shirt, with the jacket casually thrown over the shoulder. So be prepared to pose with or without the suit jacket.
Wedding Dress Shirt
For your wedding day, you need to get all the details perfect. A crisp solid white dress shirt is a formal choice, and while patterns are good for the guests and groomsmen, but a solid colored shirt is considered more formal. Off-white or lighter shades of blue are appropriate so long as it won’t clash with the gown of the bridesmaids and of course the bride’s gown. Don’t forget to make sure your shirt collar fits well as you are a major focus in your wedding photos. If you wish to remove the tie just make sure your dress shirt’s collar stays put, in this case, a medium spread is ideal.
Wedding Necktie
Your preferred tie is also essential as it is the closest piece to your face. As with your shirt collar, your tie color and pattern can also attract attention as much as the suit itself. So keep the colors subtle, nothing to vibrant, as it can look too overpowering in the photos and videos. Try to get a tie with one strong base color such as blue, green or other earth colors with a somewhat subtle pattern. Don’t wear red ties as they are more business appropriate.
Wedding Dress Shoes
Dressier shoes for your wedding such as the oxford balmorals are the traditional one to wear. Choose a balmoral that will complement your suit’s fabric. Bluchers are also appropriate if you’re thinking of wearing a light colored suit, and without wearing a tie. Just make sure your shoes are shined and it matches your belt or at least complements the color.
Matching Suits and Groomsmen
Matching all suits with that of the groomsmen depends on you but there is no standard style or strict guide that says your groomsmen’s suits should exactly match. Try looking for certain details that complement your suit and not necessarily match.
Black Tie Formal Weddings
Weddings in black tie are very popular especially in the U.S. where couples prefer more formal wedding attires but don’t want it to seem too old-fashioned.
However, to be clear, black tie should only be worn after 5 PM as it is considered evening wear.
If you and your bride are determined to have a black-tie wedding, you have to dress up accordingly. You need a traditional yet timeless black tie. Although a black tie can sometimes be more expensive than a suit, it is easy to wear as the rules for it is very clear. To classically wear a tuxedo is to follow all the guidelines also followed by your father.
It is recommended that if you do follow a black tie wedding you need to have your tuxedo. Improper fit and renting a poorly made clothing can make you feel uncomfortable all day and that’s not a good way to celebrate your wedding day.
Keep in mind that not all men own a black tie so they should have at least a couple of months to purchase a custom tuxedo or rent one. If planning on going the rental, make sure your groomsmen have enough time to try on their tux at least 2 weeks. Lastly, avoid too vivid colors for the tuxedos or those that are clearly just an imitation. You style needs to be distinct on your wedding day and not a poorly made imitation.
The Morning Suits
Morning suits are characterized as having single-breasted tailcoat with vest in contrasting colors. Morning suits also have a high turn-down collar or wing collar with the acceptable neckwear, with either checked or striped pants. It has the formality of aristocratic occasions although it was initially regarded as casual wear during those settings. Currently it is considered a very formal and rare style and rarely seen in the United Kingdom and United States. The morning dress is an exact attire and needs key pieces that rarely any man owns and very few tailors would be gladly make. If you’re planning on purchasing it, it should be done by a skilled tailor.
Here Comes the Bride
The outfit of the bride should outshine your attire in every way possible as this is called for. Remember that your outfit must complement hers instead of clashing with it. Don’t be scared to consult with the bridal entourage so it’s easy to find complementing details for your outfit. You can also show your tailor some images or sketches of the bride’s dress before getting anything done on your outfit especially on your wedding and your bride should do the same as well.
Make it Simple
Weddings tend to be an limitless showcase of details so try choose the right suit or tux for you and make it simple. Dressing well doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be extravagant. Check all the details you need to complete all your outfits, such as your budget, and the list of guests that are attending, and ensure that you make the final decisions several months prior to your wedding date.
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Light Grey: A Classic Suit Color for Men
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Discovering the Perfect Tie for Men
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3 Factors in Choosing Men’s Ties
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Matching Tie Knot with Shirt Collar
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Matching Men’s Ties with Colors and Patterns of Dress Shirts
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The Art of Folding Men’s Pocket Square
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The Variety of Pocket Squares in Colors & Patterns
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