Choosing Groom Wedding Attire

by Karen Watson
Updated January 15, 2011

There are only several cases in which the groom needs to wear something aside from a tuxedo. That is, if the groom serves in the military, he can wear his uniform on his wedding day.

If the wedding has a distinct theme, the groom may need to wear a knight’s armor, or groom beach wedding attire like a pair of casual draw string, loose-fitting linen pants complimented with a linen Oasis or Hawaiian shirt. This outfit would be perfect for a beach wedding just ad sandals.

However, for most weddings, the groom needs to choose attire that is appropriate to the degree of formality of the occasion, suitable to the season, coordinated with the bridal gown, and reflective of the fashion preferences of the couple. Here are some recommendations that may help.

The Logistics - Rent Tuxedo or Men's Formal Wear

Some grooms prefer to have their attire custom-made while others find it more practical and economical to rent a tuxedo. If the latter is the choice of your groom, it is best to investigate and compare shops to make sure that are reputable and customer-oriented. That is, they would be willing to re-size a tuxedo without charging exorbitant fees.

The groom must schedule the renting of the tuxedo at least three months in advance. It is also recommended to use the same rent shop for the tuxedos of the groomsmen. The day before the wedding, the groom should make sure that everything fits, including his shoes. After the wedding, the best man is usually given the responsibility to return the tuxedos to the shop, since the groom is busy with his honeymoon.

Customary Groom Wedding Attire Based on Formality

The formality of the wedding will largely determine the wedding attire of the groom. Here is a guide:

• If the wedding is informal, the groom’s customary attire is to wear a business suit with a white dress shirt and tie. The tie should match the bride’s dress. The color of the business suit can be black, white, or gray. But it is preferable to wear darker colors during fall and winter and lighter colors during spring and summer.
  
  
• If the wedding is semi-formal and performed during the day, the groom’s customary formal suit will have a white dress shirt inside, a cummerbund or vest outside and a bow tie. A four-in-hand can replace the bow tie.
   
  
• If the semi-formal wedding is performed in the late afternoon or evening, the groom must wear a dinner jacket with cufflinks and studs. He should also have matching trousers and a black bow tie.
  
  

• If the wedding is formal and carried out during the day, the expected attire of the groom may include a cutaway or stroller jacket, white wing-collared shirt, striped trousers and striped tie, a waistcoat with cufflinks and studs.
  
  
• If the formal wedding is done in the evening, the groom must have a black dinner jacket with a white tuxedo shirt and matching trousers. Bow ties and cufflinks should also be present. Alternatives can be the cummerbund, the vest, and the waistcoat.
  
  
• For a very formal wedding during the day, the groom must have a cutaway coat with a wing-collared shirt underneath. He should also wear striped trousers, cufflinks, ascot, and gloves.
  
  
• If the very formal wedding is an evening affair, the groom wedding attire should have a black tailcoat with white wing-collared shirt. He should have matching striped trousers, waistcoat, and leather shoes. He should also have gloves and cufflinks and studs.