Groom’s Wedding Attire – It’s His Day Too!

It seems as though all attention goes into the Bride finding the perfect dress, the perfect train, the perfect veil, but what about the Groom? Shouldn’t he have a little attention lavished on his appearance too? After all, as the commercial for The Men’s Wearhouse says, “All eyes will be on her (the bride), but she’ll be looking at you (the groom)! There are accessories and styles for the groom’s wedding attire that he’ll select to make his appearance special.

The groom should consider these questions before selecting his wedding clothes:

Will he get a rental or a fitted tuxedo/suit made just for him?
What will be the colors for him and his groomsmen?
Will he get themed or designed cufflinks (e.g. sports, personalized, or based on color)?
What style of tie will he wear (ascot, bow tie, etc)?
Will he wear suspenders?
What style of collar will he choose (wing, banded or lay down collar)?
What type of lapel looks right (notch, peak or shawl)?
Does it matter how many buttons are on the jacket? (e.g. 1, 2, 3, or 6)

There are so many details and questions the Groom will have to figure. Usually the Bride tends to decide what style of dress is best for the Groom, but does he get to decide what she will wear? Just like there are different dress styles for different brides, so are there different style suits or tuxedos for the Groom.

Tip: There’s more to shopping for your wedding attire then going to a tuxedo rental store and picking the right size suit off the rack.

Get a feel for and try on different styles of tuxedos/suits. And, since the tuxedo isn’t right for every type of wedding, here is a list of etiquette rules for finding the right attire for your style wedding.

Semi – Formal Daytime: a dark suit is recommended, but in the summer you can select lighter fabric and colors – linen is suggested.
Semi – Formal Evening: a suit or black tuxedo with either cummerbund or vest, bow tie and white wing-tipped shirt would work best.
Formal Daytime: a black or gray jacket (e.g. tails, strollers, cut-away) is recommended with striped pants and striped ascot, cravat, or tie, and a vest.
Formal Evening (Black Tie: a black tuxedo, white shirt, black bow tie, cummerbund or vest.
Ultra – Formal Daytime: wear a black or gray cutaway jacket, with gray striped pants, gloves, cufflinks, vest, and ascot or cravat
Ultra – Formal Evening (White Tie): a black tailcoat, black pants, black vest, white wing-collared shirt, and white bow tie.

There are a variety of styles for jackets, ties, vests, cufflinks, pants, shirts and collars, so make sure to select a store that will take time to explain the difference and find the right look for you. Not all shops have experienced and knowledgeable personnel so be sure to brush up on your attire etiquette so you select the right suit for your wedding.

Tip: In addition to the time of the wedding, the groom’s attire should complement the formality of bride’s dress. (You don’t want to overdress or under dress)