Suits have come a long way from the traditional tails the majority of grooms opted for years ago – there’s lots of options now for stylish grooms looking to make their mark on the wedding day! But admittedly it’s not as easy as just grab a suit and go. There’s a few things you need to think about when it comes to your Big Day attire so today we’ve got all the essentials in one place. Check out 14 great style tips for grooms…
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1. Stay True to Your Own Style
Photo from Denise & Andrew’s real wedding by Emma Russell Photography
There’s lots of fun to be had with wedding wear these days with suits in various cuts, styles, colours and fabrics. Black, grey and navy suits are still the most popular colour choices (darker suits are obviously more slimming) but adventurous grooms are also donning the likes of electric blue, burgundy and tweeds more and more. Slim fit suits are all the rage at the moment and the sharper tailoring can be very flattering. There’s also the option to mix things up and pair a velvet blazer with some slacks if you’re looking for something different. But remember, if you don’t feel comfortable in a bright blue suit, don’t don one just for the sake of it. You want to feel like yourself on your wedding day, just a more spruced up, polished version!
It’s also good to give yourself a bit of time to find what you’re looking for and remember, alterations need to be factored in as well. Experts suggest suits should be picked at least 12 weeks before the Big Day with measurements often taking place again 6 weeks before the wedding. The final fitting generally takes place the week before so you’ve got some leeway if you’ve been hitting the gym!
2. Make Sure You Stand Out
Photo from Karl & Grace’s real wedding by Couple Photography
It’s always pretty obvious who the bride is on the Big Day (white/ivory dress – bit of giveaway) but for grooms, it can be harder to be noticed in a sea of suits. If you’re looking to set yourself apart from the bridal party, mix things up and wear a completely different suit to your groomsmen or a different colour or fabric. The other way to make your mark is with accessories – think a a different colour tie, a patterned bow tie or colourful buttonhole, a stylish shirt or stand out with a waistcoat. Check out how our real grooms made a statement on their Big Day in our article 6 Stylish Ways the Groom Can Stand Out.
3. It’s All About the Fit
Photo from Niamh & Jason’s real wedding by Emma Russell Photography
Just like a wedding dress needs alterations to make it fit just right, the same goes for the wedding suit. The suit should fit perfectly so even if you buy it off the rack, it’s best to pop by a tailor for alterations. Here’s a few things to think about:
- Your suit should be the perfect fit – make sure the trousers sit nicely on your shoes (you might want to bring the shoes you’re wearing to the tailor so the length is just right – you don’t want too much excess fabric) and should feel comfortable when sitting and standing.
- There should be no gap between the collar of your shirt and your jacket collar.
- The suit jacket should hug your shoulders – too big and it will fall off them.
- Jackets come with vents at the back – if you’re looking for a slim fit, a ventless jacket is an option but word of warning, it can be restrictive when it comes to the dance floor! And it can crease that bit more easily. Both the single and double vent jacket are popular – a single vent jacket has one vent or slit in the centre of the jacket (and can expose your backside if your hands are in your pocket!). The majority of off-the-rack suits have one vent. The double vent has a slit on either side of the jacket, creates a nice shape and won’t crease as easy if you stand or have your hands in your pocket.
Top tip: Double breasted suits make you look broader while fitted suits nipped at the waist will make you appear slimmer!
4. Don’t be Afraid of Prints & Patterns
Photo from Philippa & Conor’s real wedding by Massafelli Photography
While a white shirt is generally the done thing when it comes to wedding wear, if you like your prints and patterns, wear them regularly and want to show off this stylish side to yourself, there’s always the option to make a bit of a statement with your shirt choice or a check suit.
5. Think About Your Neck Wear
Photo from Georgina & Joshua’s real wedding by Yes I Du Wedding Agency Dubrovnik
While the cravat was a popular option for years, modern grooms are oping for bow ties and ties more and more. There’s a huge array of prints, textures and colours available, making it easy to pick up something that suits your style. If you’re looking to have some fun with your neck wear, a print or pattered piece will set you apart and is a great way to let your personality shine through.
Another way to make yourself stand out is to let the lads wear the opposite to you – if you’re donning a bow tie for the occasion, kit them out in ties or vice versa. Or if you’re all wearing bow ties or ties, you can make your mark with a different colour.
Top tip: If you are going the bow tie route, make sure it fits snugly around the collar!
6. Will you wear a waistcoat?
Photo via WithaLoveLikeThat
A lot of suits have waistcoat options but it’s entirely up to yourself whether you don one for the Big Day. If you’re looking to keep the look more casual, you might be more inclined to go for a two-piece. If you do like the idea of wearing a waistcoat, there’a few things to consider: Do you want to rock one all by yourself or do you want the groomsmen to wear them as well? If you do decide you should all wear them, do you all want to wear the same colour? The waistcoat can be a dapper way to set yourself apart so you can either be the only guy wearing one, or opt for a different colour or pattern.
A new trend that’s also proving popular is to wear a waistcoat in a different colour or texture to your suit – create a dynamic look by pairing a sharp navy or grey suit with a waistcoat in the same colour as the groomsmen for instance a navy suit with a grey tweed mix waistcoat to liven the look up a bit! When it comes to buttoning them, the folks at Collar & Cuff stress the bottom button of your waistcoat should always be left open and it should sit just over your belt. And if you are wearing it as part of a three-piece suit, make sure the V of the waistcoat is small enough that it’s visible under the jacket.
7. Think Seasons
Photo by Love That Smile Photography via Rock My Wedding
What you’ll wear for a winter wedding may well differ to what you’ll wear in the height of summer. Groomswear has gotten way more casual so if you fancy wearing chinos and a short-sleeved shirt for a July wedding, go for it (but keep in mind the setting, it probably would look a bit random for a castle wedding). Fabrics for summer weddings are generally lighter whereas for winter, warmer fabrics and textures like velvet, tweeds and wool come in to their own. Grooms can experiment with colours as well with lots of burgundy, green and herringbone styles around during autumn and winter – check out some dapper looks for A/W grooms here.
8. Have Fun with Accessories
Photo from Ruth & Toby’s real wedding by DKPHOTO
Accessories will transform your look, they’re also a lovely way to let everyone know you’re the groom. Things like cuff links, pocket squares, and a nice tie or bow tie will set your look apart from the others and are pieces you can have some fun with. They’re also a good way to introduce some colour, pattern and texture – when it comes to pocket squares, opt for something different to the groomsmen to make a bit of a style statement or if you want to have some fun, don some quirky cuff links. They come in all sorts of styles from mini footballs to Lego men. Another accessory option is the pocket watch – this or a pair of braces will set you apart from the other guys (and if you’re wearing braces, ditch the belt as they do the job for you!).
9. Do a trial run – shirt and all
Photo from Niamh & Jason’s real wedding by Emma Russell Photography
Just like the bride, you should have your own trial run. That means trying on the whole shebang – suit, shirt, bow tie, shoes, accessories, the lot. And if you’re not sure how to tie a bow tie, now is the time to get practicing (always do it on the day, pre-tied is not a good look) so you don’t waste time on the wedding morning when you could be enjoying a celebratory beer with the lads. Make sure the shirt has been given a good press on the wedding day, fits you well and is a good quality fabric (have a back up if you’re worried about overdoing it on the dance floor or need a replacement once the speeches/grilling is over).
Top tip: Don’t forget to cut the threads on the pockets and vents! They’re only there so that the suit keeps its shape when guys are trying them on but should be cut before you wear it so the suits hangs as it’s meant to.
10. Buttoning your suit jacket
Photo from Julie & Sean’s real wedding by Michelle Prunty | Suit from Protocol for Men
Believe it or not there are some ‘traditional’ etiquette or style tips when it comes to buttoning your suit jacket. The general rule is ‘button up unless you’re sitting down’ – suits are designed to be closed while standing so that it looks sharp and fits you well (bit of an exception on the dance floor though if you want to pull some moves!). And depending on if it’s a one, two or three button jacket, there are some style rules you may or may not like to take heed of…
One Button: If you’re wearing a one button jacket, always keep it closed, except when you’re sitting (gives you more wiggle room and prevents creasing and the buttons from popping!).
Two Buttons: Close the top button and keep the bottom undone when standing (it falls better). Unbutton when sitting.
Three Buttons: Button the middle button (and the top one if you like) – always leave the bottom one undone. Unbutton when sitting.
With Waistcoat: If you’re wearing a waistcoat, keep the waistcoat closed (except the bottom button) and leave your jacket open to show it off. Of course some people prefer to close the jacket even with a waistcoat on, and that will work too!
11. Don’t forget about the Boutonnières
Photo by Brown Paper Parcel via Boho Weddings
It’s the little things like button holes that will set you apart from the others or if you’re all wearing them, it can be a handy way to bring out your personality. They’re also great for adding a pop of colour or letting peeps know what it is you’re in to whether it’s superheroes, music or cycling. There are so many creative options when it comes to button holes from rustic floral creations with golf tees if you’re a keen golfer to a lego man perched beside a posy if you’re a bit of a geek at heart. Check out 24 great ideas in our button hole round up here.
12. Keep things coordinated
Photo via Style Me Pretty
Don’t forget about little extras like your belt. The team at Collar & Cuff say it’s best to match your shoes to your belt so stick with the same shade. And if you’re looking to go all out, you might like the idea of donning some dapper braces.
13. Don’t Forget the Shoes
Photo from Niamh & Jason’s real wedding by Emma Russell Photography
Shoes can often be an afterthought but generally the rule is if you’re wearing a black suit, opt for black shoes; brown shoes work really well with navy and blue suits while grey suits will work with either colour. And just like the ladies, if you’ve some new shoes, make sure to give yourself time to break them in or there’ll be very little dance floor action later on. If you’re relying on some old favourites, be sure to give them a bit of a polish and check the laces are in good shape.
14. Have Fun with Your Socks
Photo from Niamh & Jason’s real wedding by Emma Russell Photography
This trend has been popping up in our real weddings the past few years and it’s great photo op for the guys! Stylish grooms and groomsmen are donning fun or patterned socks to bring some fun to their wedding wear – again, your options are endless whether you’re all superhero geeks or want something colourful and stripey!
And finally some handy styling tips the lads over at Collar & Cuff swear by…
- We advise to show half an inch of your shirt cuff peeping down beyond the sleeve, if in doubt it should be no more than the width of you little finger.
- When closing your waistcoat buttons ALWAYS leave the bottom button open.
- The bottom tip of your tie should fall in line with your nape (belly button).
- If you wear a tie bar make sure it’s in line with the breast pocket on your jacket.
- Always remember BROWN shoes BROWN belt or BLACK shoes BLACK belt, TAN shoes TAN belt etc etc…
- There are many ways to wear a pocket square but we believe that it looks best when it’s worn ruffled and unstructured as opposed to folded and placed in the breast pocket.
- Always wear a white shirt for your wedding day, a white shirt is a blank canvas and that allows the neck wear and suit to do the talking.
- Within the wedding party all the guys should be wearing the same shoes, we promote a ‘uniform’ look, nothing worse than sloppy photos with all the guys wearing different shoes.
- A great idea is for the guys to wear bright, colourful, funky socks. It makes for a fantastic photo opportunity.
- Hands out of pockets, and for that matter, keep your trouser pockets empty, nothing worse than bulging pockets and trousers will lose their shape.
Where to Shop
You can rent and buy wedding suits from the following Irish stores:
Collar & Cuff, Dublin, Moss Bros, Dublin, Suits You, Dublin, Dorian Black, Dublin, My Suit – Made to Measure, Monaghan, Aston Formal Wear, Dublin, Saville Menswear, Cork, McElhinneys Suit Hire, Donegal, AB Formal Wear Swords, Dublin, Tangos Dress Hire, Dublin, Dublin Formal Wear, Dublin, Protocol for Men, Dublin
