For most weddings the focus of the ceremony is the bride. Because of this the majority of the energy, with respect to the wedding outfits, is spent on picking out the brides dress, while the grooms job for the most part is to be clean, and ready for the I do's. With that said one of the questions we are asked most often is should the groom wear a suit or a tuxedo?
The Groom, The Tux and The Suit
There are plenty of pros and cons for either a wedding suit or a tuxedo, weighing them out can help with the answer in no time.
Rule of thumb is, the more traditional the wedding the more you lean towards a tuxedo. Traditional means a religious service, big guest list, Plenty of grooms men and brides maids. Tuxedos become more necessary for large parties because they can be rented. Whether you are paying for them or your Grooms men are, renting a tux can help save some dollars. Suits in general can not be rented, requiring you and wedding party to fork out major dollars in order to match. A big negative with rented tuxes is that they have a tendency to look like rented tuxes. A great way to get a better fitting tux is to get the jacket one size smaller than you usually wear. A typical rented tuxedo is big and boxy, by going one size smaller you will get a much more tailored look.
If your wedding is less traditional- IE. on the beach with close friends and family- A finely tailored suit or even a custom suit is a great way to go. A suit matches the much more relaxed feel of a non traditional wedding. Unlike a tux asking your grooms men to buy a suit will, at the very least, have some carry over value as they will be able to wear it after the event is over.
Match the attire to what the bride is wearing. If she is wearing a princess like gown with a long train, if she has suggested a fairy tale theme a tux (maybe even with tails) is the perfect way to go. Again the more formal her attire the more formal you should be too. And even with tuxedos there are varying degrees of formality as well. vintage tuxedos and custom tuxedos give you the option to get the look to match the most "fairy tale" of gowns and this is something that translates well in the wedding pictures.
If the Bride is wearing a less formal dress, no train, no veil- a suit is definitely the way to go. This can be complicated because grooms aren't allowed to see the bride. Communication is key here and you wont have any issues come the big day.
Chris Vance is the senior trends and fashion spotter for Requisite clothing, a custom clothing design house specializing in custom suits, custom shirts, custom tuxedos and sports wear for both men and women. |
