Obviously, the proper dress code at your forthcoming marriage is going to depend very much on the type of wedding you want to have. If, on the one hand, you and your bride want to have a ‘themed’ wedding, then you’ll need to make sure that both you and the other Groom’s attendees, such as the ushers and best man, wear attire that fits in with the theme you and the bride have decided upon. If, on the other hand, you and your bride have decided upon a traditional morning wedding ceremony followed by an evening reception, knowing what the proper Groom’s dress code is couldn’t be easier – you simply follow an age old tradition that the millions of Grooms before you have made famous.

The morning suit

Traditionally wedding ceremonies were a morning affair and were promptly followed by the wedding breakfast. While the allure of early morning weddings from days gone by may have lost its shine, if you and your bride want to have a traditional wedding ceremony then really you need to make sure that the ceremony takes place before 3 o’clock in the afternoon. In such circumstances, you, the best man, your father, the ushers and the bride’s farther will all need to wear morning suits to the wedding. Sometimes also know as ‘top hat and tails’, a morning suit is the coat that looks like it has a penguin tail, with either plain or pin-striped grey, black or blue matching trousers. The shirt worn should be a wing-collar shirt, with a covering waist-coat and a cravat. Literally topping off this display of grandeur is the Ascot top-hat, which you can chose either to wear or not wear, and white gloves, which are not worn.

As anyone who has attended a wedding where the Groom’s party worn morning suits can testify, it is difficult to cut a more dashing figure than walking down the aisle in ‘top-hat and tails’!

Black Tie evening reception

While there is no rules that you follow a traditional morning suit wedding with a formal black tie evening reception 9after all, it is your day!), most newly weds who have made the effort to have a formal morning suit wedding ceremony like to keep with the theme of the day and close things off in the evening with a formal black-tie wedding reception. Now, the big question with black-tie weddings or wedding receptions is whether you wear a black tuxedo jacket or a white tuxedo jacket. The truth is, it doesn’t really matter and you should wear what you feel more comfortable in. That said, the more traditionalist will tell you that you should be wearing a black tuxedo jacket to your formal evening wedding reception! What you will need is a single or double-breasted jacket with ribbed silk lapels that has no vents or covered buttons.

You’ll need to have an evening formal shirt. Traditionally this shirt needs to be a pleated shirt, to cater for your black bow-tie, but more modern form will allow you to wear a collared shirt if you feel more comfortable with this. Finally, your trousers will need to be pleated, with one row of braid, and suitable for braces wear. If you really want to push the boat out, you can wear a Cummerbunds waist-band. Again, however, more modern use has been to favor a colorful waist-coat.

Finally, if you and your bride decide that the idea of wearing formal wedding attire on your extra special day attractive, do make sure that you begin the process of either hiring or buying your Groom’s dress at least 3 to 4 months in advance of the big day, as these will need to be adjusted to suit your measurements and you certainly do not want to be leaving this important task to the last minute.

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