4

Jul

2013

Bridal Style – How to Dress Your Groom and Groomsmen

Men’s fashion isn’t something I cover very often on the Blog, after all my research has shown that it is mainly women who read the blog.  However I have been wanting to put together this  post for quite some time now as it is something I do feel strongly about.

Being a planner and a Blogger I get t see a lot of wedding outfits, some are good and some are bad and I’m not just talking about the bride and bridesmaids. I am talking about the men. Now I don’t want to offend anyone here, but I am going to put it out there and say that the traditional hired morning suit is one of my pet hates when it comes to weddings. The mix match of swirly patterned waistcoats and the satin cravat is something that as a blogger I really do try to stay away from featuring. You will notice that I very rarely feature weddings with such attire, and is the number one reason why I reject weddings when they are sent to me. Why? well because there are so many other options out there for men these days.

A few years ago when scatter crystals and organza chair covers were the norm at ever wedding it seems customary for the man to head off to Moss Bross and get him self kited out in a penguin suit and have his cravat match the bridesmaids dress. These days there is SO much more to offer the groom, with a decent 3 piece suit from M&S or next costing less to buy than a morning suit is to hire. Or if you want something bespoke there are so many options available for you.

Today I want to show you a few options.

3 Piece Suits

A classic and timeless option for the Groom,  and one that is super smart and can be adapted for his own style. These can be any colour, from classic grey, to burgundy, right through to pretty pastels or tweed. Mix it up with a jazzy tie or even better a bow tie, add in a pocket square and a pocket watch and your onto a winner!

3 piece suits

Royal blue suit with purple flower (photographer Shell De Mar) /  3 men in mixed suits (Photographer Sarah Morris ) /  dark grey suit with navy shirt / grey checked suit (photographer Chris Milner) / navy suit ( photographer Ellie Gillard ) / royal blue suit on bus (Photographer Marie Wootton)

 

2 Piece Suits

2 piece suits are a great option if you are looking for something smart with a casual twist, as they can be dressed up or dressed down. Dress up with a bow tie and a slim fit style, or dress down by losing the tie and adding trainers.

2 piece suit

grey suit with bow tie (PhotographerLove Me Sailor) / group of men together in navy suits (photographer Lee Scullion) / slim fit navy suit with checked tie (photographer Blush Photography) / maroon suit (photographer Andrew Billington)  / suits and trainers (photographer Rose Street Studio)  pale blue suit

 

Black Tie

Black Tie can be added to a wedding to make it super smart, and often when the ladies are to be cocktail wear. It adds an element of sophistication to any wedding and it’s a really easy option for a man to choose as there are no clashing colours going on, just pure class.

black tie

Bow tie undone (Photographer Malin Bornholm ) / black suit and thin tie top right (photographer Bayly and Moore) / black suit with orange flower (photographer Ryan Ray Photography) / black suit with pocket square  / group of men (photographer Raw Wedding ) / black suit against flower background (photographer Donna Newman)

 

Casual

I love the casual look, and it gives grooms and groomsmen the most amount of flexibility, from open neck shirts and no ties, to bow ties with cardigans. Mix and match your bridal party some with ties, some with waistcoats, put them in jeans or shorts, braces. basically anything goes!

casual

Grey tie and braces (photographer Christine Pobke) / suit not tie (photographer Louise Holgate ) / yellow bow tie (Photographer Michelle Roller) / 4 men in grey (photographer Ryan Polei) / 3 mix and match (photographer Alex Knight Photography) / 12 wedding party (photographer Simply Bloom Photography)

 

Bow Ties

I have to admit I am a little obsessed with bow ties at the moment, I just love them! They seem to g with everything and can really add to an outfit. They give a cute quirky feel to any suit, and can also be worn more casually with trousers or shorts.

bow ties

Pink/purple bow tie (photographer Joielala Photographie ) / checked bow tie (photographer Harper Point photography) / blue bow tie and pink bow tie (photographer Jonas Peterson) / grey polka dot (photographer Shannen Norman) /  mustard bow tie (photographer Maureen Du Preez Photography) / 3 men (photographer Richard Skins)

 

Accessories and Shoes

To finish off an out fit you have the right accessories, whether it be cuff-links, a stylish cravat or,  fancy socks, a pocket square , shoes or trainers. What you accessorize your outfit with will really pull the whole look together.

accessorise

pink socks (photographer Christian Ward photography )  / Frank shoes (photographer Emma Case ) / cravat (photographer Joseph Hall Photograph ) / converse multi (photographer Sweetwater Portraits) / cuff links I do (photographer Anne Brookshire ) / cuff links map (photographer Tux and Tales ) grey converse (photographer Sweetwater Portraits)

 

 

So there you have my selection of men’s wedding attire and not a swirly waistcoat or shiny cravat in sight! I hope it has given you some ideas if you are currently looking for grooms wear. Remember that the high street ca be your friend, there are so many amazing suits that you can buy off the peg now. You can pick up a decent 3 piece suit from Next or M&S for just over £100, or if you fancy spending a bit more try Reiss or Ted Baker.  And if you want something bespoke there are plenty of places to choose from, there is nothing finer than a suit made just for you and something that you will definitely be able to wear after the wedding!

 

I’d love to know what you think? what is your groom planning on wearing on your wedding day? Are you having anything to do with it? or is it going to be a surprise on the day?

 

 

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Comments

    Jaye Cole | Tux & Tales Photography

    Fab advice (as always) Kelly!

    I think menswear is frequently an afterthought and I really think that men should get an opportunity to look their best as well as the bride. The great thing about a dapper high street suit is that you can wear it again for special occasions.

    My advice for both brides and grooms…. if any part of your potential wedding clothes involves polyester ‘sateen’ (cravat….chinese made dress…etc) – avoid avoid avoid. You are much better off going for a high street option. :)

    Reply
    Rachel VK

    It was all about Paul Smith for my lovely groom, right from the get go, and he looked great. He didn’t look like he was in fancy dress, either, which is something I think you get with the morning suit thing!

    Reply
    Paul

    Great read Kelly. As a guy and photographer this is something I feel very strongly about too. Guys always seem to get thought about last minute and that’s not really fair is it? Brides spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on a dress that they will likely wear once where as a guy could buy a suit for the special day and wear it again and again for special occasions.

    A nice suit is definitely the future!

    Reply
    Yvonne Lishman

    Yay Kelly for doing this post. My heart skips a beat when I turn up at a wedding and all the men have lovely new suits or are dressed differently to the norm. It shows imagination and creativity and as a photographer I can get so much more inspired about the couples shots. Hooray for lovely suits and clever brides who let their fellas look as gorgeous as they do.

    Reply
    Nick

    3 piece suit all the way! I also hate the traditional morning suit. The long jacket makes it look like you’ve got really short legs from behind. I covered a wedding (as a photographer) where the groom was wearing a BROWN morning suit. Awful!

    Reply
    Lolly

    my groom is going for a penguin suit ,but where is the best place to get them in navy blue color

    Reply
    Mallory Newman

    My groom is more husky than all these models who look good in anything they put on. What can you do for an xl groom to make him look and feel handsome and special?

    Reply
    Cortni

    I love the casual. I want the best man in a purple shirt with gray suspenders. And the other groomsmen in grey shirts with purple suspenders so what to put the groom in?

    Reply
    Ryan David

    I could not find a bow tie for my husband for our daughter’s wedding that matched my dress. I found it online, finally, at skinnytiemadness.com, but we only had a week before the wedding. I ordered it on a Saturday morning with a pocket square and sent a note with it saying that if it could not be sent by Monday, I would cancel the order. Much to my surprise, I received an email confirmation that it had been shipped within two hours! It was received in NY, on Wednesday. Perfect. Great service, Perfect items also good Quality. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Reply
    Ryan David

    Excellent blog! Good information about Skinny Ties. I have used first time from Skinny Tie Madness and will definitely order from them again! Very happy with the color, price, and quality of the ties I ordered for my brother’s weddings. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Reply
    Julius

    I have a question for you: Does it make a difference for bridesmaid dress colours if I dress in a navy blue or black suit (I am the groom)? My fiancé was initially planning black dresses for the bridesmaids, but we are wondering if this would still be OK if I wear a navy blue suit rather than a black suit?

    Reply
    tariro

    Wow!dats lovely,getting married nxt year n I am buying my husband a suit, il definetely keep ur ideas in mind!

    Reply
    Melissa Page

    I’ve just had my fiance read this and he’s got this beaming smile because finally, he has an idea on what to look like on our big day! Plus, he’s now imaging his friends looking savvy in ties!

    Reply
    Phantom Hire

    Hi,

    Great looks. Definitely, some to use.

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    Reply
    Colton Lydia

    You’ve posted a great blog. you have said about the men fashion is good. Men do much more usual fashion. The information given to you is important for male fashion. Thanks for posting something worth reading. Great work.

    Reply

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