You don't want to give the impression that you went straight from the office to church. It's a wedding, not a job interview.
OGGER DRESS THE MARRIING MAN
In the year of Covid-19 - a broken financial year from April 2020 to April 2021 - half as many marriages were concluded than usual. Normally, about a thousand happy couples get married every month; due to corona, an average of about five hundred of them remained. Fortunately, the end of the pandemic is in sight, so it will soon be possible to get married again in the presence of many friends and family.
But what do you wear as a groom? That is of course a personal choice, but realize this: the moment your fiancée steps down the aisle, she will see the man with whom she will spend the rest of her life at the altar. That is a sensation, not without an emotional charge. So make sure that the best version of yourself is at that altar. Then I'm talking about your appearance – chest out, proud of the choice you make – and the way in which you package that appearance: the suit.
The choice of the wedding suit does not start with you. It starts with your fiancé. The man's wedding suit is matched to the woman's wedding dress, without you being allowed to see the dress in advance. That sounds like a mission impossible, but just think like this: if you can solve this riddle, everything that comes after will be a piece of cake.
It is important to know what color your loved one's wedding dress is, so that your suit and tie (or bow tie) do not clash with it. But also ask explicitly about the style of the wedding dress. Suppose you plan to appear in a morning suit, i.e. a black tailcoat, gray trousers, a gray waistcoat, a gray tie and a shirt with a folded collar. That is a great, classic combination that unfortunately falls completely flat when the bride has chosen a dress from the boho-chic department, topped off with a bandana full of wild flowers in her hair.
The color and style of the wedding dress therefore indicate the direction. How far you go next is up to you, but don't put on the brakes. You don't want to give the impression that you went straight from the office to church. It's a wedding, not a job interview.
The most formal wedding suit is the aforementioned morning suit, commonly called a tailcoat. That morning suit is subject to all kinds of rules, a good tailor can show you the way. If you choose this option, in my opinion you should go all the way, including glacé gloves and a top hat.
Second in the formal hierarchy is the tuxedo. All kinds of rules also apply to this black tie dress code, and a tailor will also know what to do with this. You can also combine it. You wear a morning suit during the day, but never at dinner in the evening. So at dinner you could exchange your morning suit for a tuxedo.
But the most popular suit to get married in is the tailor-made suit. There is a practical advantage to this: unless you have opted for a gold or silver variant, you can still wear such a suit after your wedding. But the most important argument for choosing customization: it conceals all the imperfections of your body. Hardly any man owns a ready-to-wear size. There is always a low shoulder, a high chest or a thick neck. Ready-to-wear clothing that comes off the rack does not take this into account, it is made according to the largest average divisor. A bespoke suit is sculpted around your body, it enhances your good qualities and camouflages the lesser sides. For example, in most men there is a difference of about one centimeter in height between the left and right shoulders. With a ready-made jacket, this creates a crooked silhouette in the neck because the jacket 'pulls' down at the low shoulder. A tailor ensures that this is completely balanced.
Unless you have opted for a gold or silver version, you can still wear such a suit after your wedding.
The wedding date plays a role in the choice of fabric. If you say yes at the meteorological peak of summer, it is better to do so in an unlined, thin jacket or in an entirely linen suit. Etiquette dictates that a groom should not take off his jacket on the wedding day, even if the sparrows fall from the roof. So take this into account when choosing the fabric. A summer season also includes a cheerful, lighter color than in winter, a season in which you are more likely to opt for a thicker, dark-colored type of wool.
There is another option to get married, but this only applies to men who are military by profession. Then you can report to the altar in uniform. But beware: a woman is allowed to do that too. A female soldier is allowed to get married in uniform. In that case, the groom must wear a morning suit. Those are the rules, which I would certainly adhere to if your wife is a sergeant major in the Army.
Finally: the accessories. The most festive accessory on your wedding day is of course the ring. But a close second is the flower in the lapel of the jacket. In men we call that a boutonniere (the French word for buttonhole); for women a corsage. At a wedding, the flower is red or white in color. White is the most formal, red a bit more exciting. It is not forbidden to deviate from this (occasionally a blue cornflower passes by), but a red rose or white carnation is in principle jovial enough.
