5 Style Tips for Grooms

Hey all, David here! As our couples are in the middle of wedding planning, I wanted to share my 5 style tips for grooms on their big day! It seems like a majority of the wedding planning falls on the shoulders of the bride, but, as I have been around a lot of weddings, I feel the more involved the groom can be in the process, the better the whole day goes! One thing guys can absolutely be responsible for is the way they look on their wedding day. I know that suits aren’t something we wear on a regular basis, especially if you’re in Idaho, but I wanted to share my 5 style tips for grooms that will help you look as dapper as ever when she is walking down the aisle.

#1 Pick a color, any color

Well, let’s limit it to a few. For 98% of guys, you are going to want to stick with one of 3 colors: black, grey, or blue. Black can be worn year round, while a really dark navy or dark charcoal grey may be better for the fall and winter months paired with fall and winter colors (burgundy, dark green, etc). A light grey or cadet blue will look great with the lighter colors for spring and summer! The lighter color may also help you feel a bit cooler in those hot months!

While I said the suit was one of the things that the groom can take control of and knock out of the park, I do think the bride may have some good input on suit color, as it should definitely fit in with the overall scheme of the wedding colors!

#2 Invest in your own suit! 

I know, weddings are EXPENSIVE. Every little thing adds up, and keeping it under budget can be really challenging! One place I think is worth it to splurge a bit is buying your own suit. In reality, you can find a pretty good suit for $500 or less. That is definitely a lot of money, but it is an investment that may help you down the road too!

Even though not as popular in the workplace anymore, every guy should have a good suit for a job interview, fancy event, or even a nice dinner out with your new bride! What better excuse to make a big purchase than for your wedding? For my wedding, I bought a suit at a local menswear store, and then found suits at Men’s Wearhouse for my groomsmen that were identical in color! I got to rock my nice new suit without breaking the bank on the groomsmen suits. Win, win!

#3 Find a good local tailor

The other benefit I see to buying your own suit is the ability to make alterations! One of the biggest mistakes I see guys making is wearing a suit that is just too big for them! Nothing takes you from looking red carpet ready to looking like you’re wearing your dad’s old suit faster than wearing a suit that is just too big! It’s rare to find a perfect fit off the rack, but a tailor can work wonders to make sure your suit fits great and compliments your body. From taking in the sides of the suit to making sure the length is on point, a tailor will be worth every penny and should be a relatively small investment on top of your suit. It’s well worth it to look like a million bucks!

If you still choose to rent a suit from a place like Men’s Wearhouse, make sure that you are picky about the way the suit fits! Regardless, one of the biggest things to keep an eye on is the length of the pants. Especially on a rental suit, they tend to be conservative on the tailoring on the legs and leave you too much fabric hitting your shoes. In suit pants, that creates a “Full Break.” In my opinion, this looks a bit sloppy. Especially over the last few years, it is generally recommended to go with a quarter break at MOST.

My personal preference is No Break, where the suit pant is just brushing the top of your shoes. This looks really sharp, and especially if you are a shorter guy, it can really make your legs look longer! Plus, if your bride gets you some cool socks, or you have a pair you can’t wait to rock, you get to show those off a bit when you sit down!

#4 Socks and Shoes

Socks and shoes totally boil down to personal preference! 
For a majority of guys, I say match your socks to the color of your suit! It is classic and really sharp, so you won’t look back in 20 years and wonder why you went with neon green! On the flip side, colorful socks can add some personality to an otherwise classic ensemble! My biggest piece of advice here is just to make sure the colors don’t clash with the wedding colors! Leave the hot pink socks at home if your wedding colors are dusty rose and navy!

My recommendation for shoes 99% of the time is going to be a nice light brown! It is such a versatile shoe, going with any color suit – even black! The only exception would be if you choose to wear a tuxedo and have a more formal wedding! In that case, definitely keep the black shoes. Regardless of color, I recommend either buying a new pair of fresh shoes (make sure you wear them around the house a few times to break them in), or take them to get polished somewhere so they look good as new. Nothing brings down your nice, perfect fitting suit like a cuffed up pair of kicks!

#5 Don’t be afraid to accessorize!

First off, choose a tie that goes with your wedding colors. I love to see the groom be a bit different than the groomsmen with the tie! At my wedding, I chose to wear a bowtie, while my groomsmen wore regular ties. You could also wear a different color tie than the groomsmen, which looks awesome too! Whether you choose to wear a tie or bow tie, learn to tie it yourself! Clip on ties are convenient, but they are also obvious. Nothing beats a well tied tie. Spend an hour on Youtube a few weeks before your wedding and teach yourself! Tying a bow tie is trickier than tying a normal tie, but it’s worth the extra time to learn if you go that route. This is the best youtube video I’ve found to help learn! 

Obviously, you’ll be picking up a ring at some point during the day, but adding a watch, cufflinks, tie bar, and pocket square can also add a lot to your wedding day get-up! Bonus points if they are a gift from your bride, or a family heirloom. As always, make sure to give your photographer any of those accessories you have for their detail shots! 

All of these things are great, but the number 1 most important piece of advice I have is to make sure you FEEL GREAT! This is going to be the best day of your life, so be comfortable, look sharp, and enjoy your day! 

If you enjoyed my 5 Style tips for grooms, you may also enjoy 5 Steps to Taking Better iPhone photos and 3 Things to Consider when Debating a First Look. Thanks for reading!

-David