Choosing the Groom's Suit
Tuxedo or Suit
Your wedding day is your special day too, and you can choose a tuxedo or suit that feels right for you. The first step involved in choosing the perfect groom's suit is deciding between a suit or a tuxedo. This is a good time to check in with your partner and determine the style of your wedding. You want to complement your partner's style by wearing something that matches the formality of their wedding attire. Tuxedos are certainly more traditional and formal, while a wedding suit is more trendy and can be easily tailored to match different styles.
Buying Or Renting
You will also want to decide to rent or buy your attire. Buying is more expensive, but your suit can be individualized to your personal style. Renting is certainly the more economical option if you'd like all of your groomsmen to match perfectly. Wedding attire has become more casual and more bold recently, which means you can feel comfortable picking a wedding day outfit suited just for you. Men are now choosing bold colors and bright hues, which makes more of a statement on your wedding day.
The Traditional Black Tux
You can always keep it classy and traditional with a black tuxedo. This option is both formal and timeless. Despite the classic nature of the black tux, they can actually be tailored to your personal style with variations in lapels, lengths, and fabrics. For example, a black tuxedo in velvet is perfect for a formal winter wedding in a cold climate. In addition, a groom can wear a black tuxedo while his groomsmen wear black suits, thus making the groom standout with his formal tux.
Fun and Quirky
Modern groom style is moving away from the black tux and towards a fun and quirky style. The groom can also wear a white tux to match the bride, while the groomsmen wear traditional black tuxedos or suits. In addition, there are many funky bright colors now for grooms to choose from. One of our recent weddings had the groom wearing an emerald green suit, while the bride wore an emerald green dress to match.
A Jacket, No Tie
Some more casual beach weddings have included a groom with a linen suit and a button up shirt, but no tie. If that is more your style, then go for the laidback, warm, beach look. You will be wearing your wedding suit for many hours, so it's important for you to feel comfortable on your wedding day. And if no tie matches the wedding style, then go for it. Your wedding is a time to be yourself and have fun with your love.
Seasonal Suits
If you're getting married in the summer, you can easily opt for a linen suit, light wool, or cotton. Lighter colors are often fun and more comfortable in the warmer weather. For example, a seersucker suit reflects classic Southern hospitality. In the Northern winter climates, a dark tuxedo is traditional, classy, and a must for a black tie wedding. A winter wedding means velvet, wool, and a three piece suit will add some extra warmth to your wedding day attire.
The Lapel
There are three main categories of lapels; notch, peak, and shawl. It's important for the lapel width to complement the groom's size. So a larger man looks best with a wider lapel, while a smaller man is most flattered by a narrower lapel. Notch lapels are very popular and classic. The notch lapel got its name from the indentation (appearing in a V-shape) in between the collar and the lapel. Slimmer lapels are very stylish and trendy these days, as opposed to the extra wide lapels of the 1970's. When worn correctly, peak lapels can convey power and sophistication, and the width should be well balanced, typically falling between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 inches. The tip points upwards on a peak lapel, creating a bold, striking appearance. Shawl lapels are incredibly formal and originate from the Victorian era. They are highly formal and exclusive to black tie weddings and events. The collar tends to be a different material than the jacket itself, such as velvet or satin. Once you determine the time of year and the type of wedding you desire, then you can choose the top of fabric and style of your lapel.
Groomsmen
It's important to consider your friend's budgets when deciding on their formalwear. Your groomsmen may have very different financial backgrounds, and therefore different abilities to pay for their suits or tuxedos. Renting is typically much less expensive than buying formal wear, or you could give your groomsmen a guideline with a specific color and style, then let the men do the rest. Matching suits certainly look good, but contemporary brides and grooms are opting towards giving the groomsmen a looser guideline with simply a specific color in mind.