Dashing Wedding Outfits for Men

2 years ago / by Melanie Fourie
Image credits: Nimble Made via Unsplash

A series of factors may influence wedding outfits for men. Some of these include location, whether it’s a fall, summer, winter or spring event and whether the wedding has a specific theme. Just like brides, men want to look their best too, especially for those wedding photographs, which serve as captivating memories long afterwards. That being said, here are a few ideas on wedding attire for men, based on individual wedding types.  

Wedding Outfits According to Dress Code 

If your wedding is a black tie event, be sure to pack in your black tuxedo, black bowtie, a crisp tailored white shirt and a pair of black or white leather formal shoes. You may also wear a white tuxedo with a short white shirt and white bowtie. If you cannot find a white tuxedo, simply buy or hire a white formal pants and jacket, and wear a white shirt underneath that. 

Remember that a tux should not be oversized, as this looks very unflattering. It’s therefore important to plan your wedding attire for men shopping spree well in advance. That way, if there are any alterations that need to be made, it can be made timeously. For added elegance, be sure to add wedding attire for men like a cummerbund, vest and a pocket square. 

You don’t have to wear a white bow tie only. You can wear a black bowtie with black socks and formal shoes. There is however a new trend with tuxedos though too. This is when the tuxedo pants are short enough to reveal the groom’s ankles, as grooms sometimes prefer to toss socks. You can also wear a white tuxedo blazer comprising black lapels, with a pair of black slacks and black dress shoes. 

Wedding Outfits for Men
Image credits: Twinkle Arora via Pixabay

If your wedding is a cocktail event, you could wear a dark suit, a pair of leather formal shoes, a necktie with a pattern that complements the color theme of the wedding and a dress shirt in a complementary shade. You may also wear a navy blue suit, white shirt and necktie to a cocktail wedding. 

For a casual wedding, you could wear a suit other than a black one, your formal shoes, a patterned or non-pattered shirt and if you want, a tie. One of the more elaborate wedding types are white tie weddings. These wedding outfits for men include a wing-tipped tuxedo shirt, a black tailcoat, black tux pants, a white or ivory bowtie and a pair of black formal shoes. 

For weddings that don’t have a formal dress code, you’d still need to try to keep things as formal as possible, as this will look dressier. After all, a wedding is a special occasion, so having free dress code reign doesn’t necessarily mean you’d have to wear a jeans with sneakers and a t-shirt. Note that some groom ideas for weddings at the beach may allow a dressed down look. However where there is no dress code, it’s best to maybe opt for a grey or brown suit, a pair of cufflinks, a dress shirt, a tie and a pocket square that coordinates well with the wedding’s color theme.  

Choosing Groom Wedding Attire by Season

If you’re getting married in the fall, temperatures could range from 45 to 85 degrees. With this drop in temperature, it’s best to opt for layering. You could wear a suit with a vest, a bowtie, a shoestring pocket square and a belt. Suede shoes that complement the wedding’s color theme are also a good idea for a fall wedding. If you do this, try matching the suede shoes with a suede belt in the same color. 

For a winter wedding, perhaps wear a polo neck and layer a shirt of your choice over that. Then drape a jacket over that, and perhaps add a pocket square in a color that matches your shirt. Wear a pants that matches your shirt too and perhaps some grosgrain loafers. 

The weather in spring could be cold or warm. If it’s warm, you could opt for a light-colored suit. If it’s a bit colder, try adding a blue or grey suit to your wedding attire for men. Other men’s wedding attire ideas for spring include a pink shit, a banana-leaf pocket square, brown shoes and a brown belt, and a grey tie. Some additional groom attire ideas for spring include a charcoal pin-stripe suit, grey suede shoes, a grey necktie and a pink shirt. You may also opt for a white shirt with a navy blue pants and necktie, and then drape a navy blue belted trench coat over this for some extra flair. 

For summer perhaps choose a light suit. If not, a black pants with a white formal jacket will do. Adding texture is also important with wedding outfits for men. You can therefore add a lightweight material tie or linen pocket square to your wedding attire for men. 

Wedding Outfits for Men
Image credits: Narcis Ciocan via Pixabay

Cladding Yourself According to a Theme

Most weddings have themes. These include mainly color schemes or specific ideas. For a beach wedding, you may want to go for nautical wedding attire for men. This applies to a boat wedding and reception as well. Try opting for a light grey pinstripe suit. Match this with a light blue shirt and a necktie a few shades darker than your shirt. You should also try to match a pocket square with a similar shade as your necktie. 

You could also opt for a timeless or older era look when it comes to wedding attire for men. These men’s wedding outfit ideas could perhaps include a black and grey checkered suit with black buttons along the sleeves. Add a fresh white shirt and a black and grey bold patterned necktie to accentuate this classic look. You may also add a black belt with a tie pin to help secure your cravat fold. You could also secure a black fabric flower to your lapel. Then top your look off with a black stack bracelet. 

If you’re getting married in the countryside, and want more rustic men’s wedding attire ideas, try a more laid-back look. For instance, wear an oatmeal colored Stetson. Match this with an oatmeal colored pants and shirt. Then drape a light brown dinner jacket over your shirt. You may also attach a flower or two to your lapel for that rustic effect. 

Complete the countryside look with a pair of wooden cufflinks, instead of the metal variations. You can also add a pair of cowboy boots to your wedding outfits for men. This is especially ideal if you’ve chosen an outdoor wedding. Another great rustic inspired idea includes a cream dress shirt and black pants. Wear this with a brown tweed waist coat and brown studded buckled belt. Tweed definitely has what it takes to put you on top of your fashion game with its dapper retro appeal. You may also add a pocket watch to help complete this look. 

Accessories that could add to a countryside look are suspenders. For a classic-meets-rustic aesthetic, try matching a gray formal pants, white shirt, brown suspenders and a pink bowtie. 

Now while most grooms opt for formal slacks, a rustic wedding is one where you can wear your blue jeans. Dress the jeans up with a black shirt and formal jacket, and a black Stetson. You may also wear a pair of earth-toned cowboy boots. Wearing a jeans is most appropriate if worn to a backyard or outdoor wedding like one on a farm or at the beach. When choosing your denim jeans, it’s best to choose one without all the latest styles, like ripped jeans. Also, try to wear a proper fitting jeans, as a super baggy jeans will look untidy. If you’re getting married in the countryside, you may want to avoid selecting traditional groom attire ideas. You could then try to wear a dark shade suit that fits the body, with a floral or gingham necktie and tie pin. 

Cultural Groom Attire Ideas 

Some of the best South Asian groom’s outfits include the sherwani. This traditional men’s piece comes in an array of trims, designs and enhancements. These ornate Indian wedding sherwanis are worn with a pair of matching slacks. It can also be matched with pearl and metal necklaces. You may also wear dress shoes with this look. 

South Asian grooms can also wear a traditional or jodhpuri shirt. Pathani kurtas are another way of dressing if you want to stick to South Asian culture. Then there’s the Nehru jacket, which is usually worn with complementary slacks.  

South Asian grooms can also wear traditional head gear like a safasand turban to complement their Sherwani. For some ceremonial finesse, opt for an ethnic stole, as this looks traditionally rich. Ethnic cufflinks are also all the craze with South Asian grooms. These cufflinks are usually derived from enamel, and comes in a variety of designs and vivid colors. To complete the Indian groom look, choose a pair of mojaris. 

FAQs 

What are the types of wedding outfits for men?

Wedding type outfits for men are largely dependent on the theme of your wedding. Where you are having the wedding, as well as the season its held largely determines men’s wedding outfits too. For instance, what you wear to a rustic wedding is different to what you’ll wear to a winter wedding. Grooms may wear a polo neck and jacket in winter, or a cream shirt, brown tweed waistcoat and belt for a rustic wedding. Many grooms also opt for wooden cufflinks, instead of metal ones for a rustic-themed wedding. If a wedding is on a farm or in the outdoors, grooms often wear a blue denim jeans.

What would be the best wedding attire for men?

For South Asian grooms specifically, some of the best must-have wedding attire includes ethnic shoes like mojaris, ethnic cufflinks, safasand turbans and sherwanis. South Asian grooms also wear Nehru jackets with matching pants, as well as pathani kurtas. These grooms often shine in traditional jodhpuri shirts. Most traditional grooms wear accessories like a groom necklace too. These are usually made of silver or gold rodium, or sometimes stacked pearls.