5 Steps to Determine a Man’s Wedding Attire

Deciding what to wear on the the biggest day of your life can be a daunting task.

This problem is compounded for those men that are not confident in their “Style” skills.

However the task at hand isn’t as challenging as one might think.  All you have to do (or ask your stylishly challenged fiance to do) is follow the five steps below to begin narrowing down the wedding attire choices to the one that fits your particular event.

Before we get started, let’s define a few words that are loosely thrown around in the wedding industry.

• Formal dress is “full dress”, including top hat, ascot, tails, etc. This probably isn’t a practical option for 99.999 percent of the world population and will not be discussed.  Just know it’s there.

• Next, we have semi-formal. Semi-formal is what most of us consider formal today. This includes the morning coat during the day and classic tuxedo after 6PM.

• Finally, you may choose an informal look for your wedding. The ‘informal’ category encompasses all other options available to you, including donning a classic suit, Hawaiian shirt and linen pants, or slacks with a classic dress shirt.  Obviously this is a wide range of clothing – and for the 95%  of you that choose this option it means you’ll have to weed through the thousands of options you don’t want.

Assuming we only have to choose between option two and three, ask yourself these questions to determine the level of formality for your wedding:

1. Where is the wedding going to take place?

Outdoor weddings tend to be less formal than indoor weddings and call for option 3 – however this isn’t always the case.

If you are getting married on the beach, a linen shirt and pants would work great!  You can also consider wearing slacks with a traditional dress shirt sans tie. This way you are still keeping the mood of your ceremony casual but look the part of the groom.

If you are planning an indoor wedding, particularly at a gothic or ornate church/building, you may consider formal or semi-formal dress.

If you tend to be up-to-date on current fashion trends, and consider yourself a “fashionable” kind of guy, formal dress may be an option for you. But, if you are more of a classical man, you may want to opt for semi-formal dress.

A tuxedo will never go out of style (it hasn’t yet in over a hundred years!), so you can’t go wrong.

2. When is the wedding taking place?

Traditionally, if your wedding is taking place before sun down (or 6 p.m., whichever comes first) it is considered a daytime event, and therefore less formal; tuxedos are probably inappropriate for a daytime event. Instead, opt for a more casual option like a suit. When you wear a black suit that fits well, the appearance can be as stunning as a tuxedo, while remaining appropriate for the event.

Weddings after sundown (or 6 p.m.) are considered more formal, nighttime events and are more conducive to tuxedos.

If your event straddles the day/evening timeframes, go with the option that suits your event most closely. For example, if your ceremony is being held at 1 p.m., but your reception will not be until the evening, you may want to opt for the slightly more casual suit. However, if your ceremony is being held at 4 p.m. with the dinner and reception immediately following, you may be able to bend the rules and wear a tuxedo. Go with your gut!

3. What is the general “feel” of the event?

Talk to your bride about this one! Ask her to share her vision for the event. Has she always wanted a romantic, fairytale wedding complete with top hats and tuxedos? Or is she dreaming of a casual ceremony at sunset on your favorite beach? Depending on her ideas and the theme of the event, you may be able to determine which style is best suited.

You should also ask yourself if you are you going for a trendy look, or would you rather keep your look classic? Think about it – brides from the 80s are probably kicking themselves every time they look at their wedding albums and see the sky high, teased bangs and puffy sleeves (no offense brides of the 80s!).

Just be sure to be mindful of being too trendy. The nature of fads is that they fade in and out. You don’t want to be left with “trendy” wedding photos long after the fad has faded.

4. What are you expecting your guests to wear?

Again, this is probably a great topic to discuss with your bride. Let’s say one of your close friends showed up wearing slacks and a dress shirt (sans tie). Would your first thought be ‘Wow, I’m glad he’s comfortable!’ or would you think ‘how inappropriate for my wedding!’?

Be sure to consider your bride’s feelings. Some brides are comfortable with their guests wearing clothes that they feel comfortable in, while other brides require their guests to attend in accordance with black tie dress code.

Whatever you decide, be sure that what you’re wearing coincides with the formality that you’d like your guests to adhere to. Communication is key!

5. What is your bride going to wear?

Even if you are a traditional couple and the groom will not know what the bride’s dress looks like until the wedding day, having an idea of the style and formality will help the groom to decide what he should look like.

Is your bride going to wear a short, cocktail length dress? Or will she be wearing a traditional gown with a train and veil? Knowing these details will help to determine the level of formality required by the groom.

Think about it – if you opt to wear a linen shirt and pants while your bride is wearing a gown with chapel train and veil, you may look a little odd – to say the least.

Conclusion:  Know Your Options and Your Goals

You can give your wedding any look you please, as long as you know your options.  Formalwear is elaborate (and expensive), black tie is elegant in the evening, and suits are always appropriate at any time of day.  More casual styles can be easier on the guests and the wallet.

So long as you and your bride take the time to look the options over, your wedding attire is nothing to fear.  Choose a style you both like and then look for good, quality clothing that fits it.  If you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing, you’ll have more of your mind free to think about the important parts of the day — your bride and your wedding!