Weddings ought to be delightful. The champagne should be excellent and bubbly, and the happy couple should genuinely be satisfied. Weddings should be exciting, but it can be challenging to know what to wear. But sometimes, men’s wedding guest attire is underestimated.
However, wedding pictures are immortalized on social media, so it’s crucial to dress appropriately on your friend’s or relatives’ special day. And also, respect is shown by dressing following the bride and groom’s designated dress code.
Wedding attire for men is a delicate balancing act. You don’t want to look identical to every other gentleman in the room. Still, you also don’t want to draw attention away from the groom and turn the day over your outlandish tie. So, it is essential to know what to wear to a formal wedding as a male guest.
There are 5,000 weddings every day in the US. So believe me, we hear these questions all the time! And we have gathered some of the most popular ones in this article.
What Is Formal Attire for a Wedding?
To set expectations for wedding clothes, many couples decide to include a dress code on the invitation. Wedding dress code alternatives leave much up to personal preference, yet some are crystal obvious.
On the scale of wedding dress codes, formal wedding wear falls between cocktail and black tie. It is a little less formal than black-tie wedding attire and a little more formal than cocktail attire. Black-tie optional attire, also known as formal wedding wear, allows for more flexibility than a black tie. Fitted, darker-hued suits worn with a clean white button-down and tie are also appropriate.
When choosing formal wedding attire, keep the venue and time of year in mind. These two crucial criteria can help you get a sense of the atmosphere and the couple’s style and help you decide how to dress for the situation.
Read about the difference between casual and formal weddings here.
What to Wear to a Formal Wedding as a Male Guest
So, you got a wedding invitation saying you must wear formal clothes. You could still be unsure what to wear to a formal wedding and how it varies from other formalwear, such as a black tie or cocktail, even though this is one of the most common wedding attire on the dress code spectrum.
Tuxedos are optional for men at a formal wedding, and a black suit and tie are equally appropriate. Choose a suit that is dark but not black. A 2-piece is acceptable, but a 3-piece is also ideal. Excellent colors include dark blue, gray, navy, and charcoal.
You can also wear a dress shirt with a collar. And a safe choice is white shirts. Nevertheless, you can employ patterns, textures, and colors when choosing your dress shirt. A charming pastel or pinstripe can give some personality more than plain ones. Also, you can opt to wear a necktie or a bow tie. But none that are novel. Additionally, a formal wedding is an ideal occasion to wear cufflinks. Make sure your sleeve extends just a little above the length of your jacket so the cufflinks are visible, and pair them with a French cuff.
When it comes to footwear, dress shoes work well. Think about wearing Leather Oxford Dress Shoes with a suit or patent leather loafers with a tux.
Don’ts of Formal Men’s Wedding Attire
You already know many Black-Tie attire guidelines apply if the wedding dress code specifies formally. And the most considerable distinction is that formal wear does not always call for a tuxedo, but it occasionally does. You can always consider donning a black or dark-colored suit instead of a black or midnight tuxedo.
And now that you know what you should wear, you should also note what you shouldn’t.
Mix and match suiting separates.
You should wear a full suit, coordinating jacket, and pants when attending a formal wedding. But you should avoid mixing different colored suit separates when choosing formal wedding clothes.
Put on a floral boutonniere.
These are usually only worn by the groom and other wedding guests. Instead, think about adding a chic lapel pin to the lapel of your tuxedo.
Consciously want to outdo the groom or his entourage with your attire.
Keep your appearance simple, timeless, and clear of extraneous frills that might suggest you’re trying to steal the show from the Man of the Hour.
Things You Need to Know About Wedding Attires for Men
Getting the right fit matters.
No two males are built the same. Therefore, generic outfits rarely fit well. Don’tDon’t settle for the closest thing you can fit into and call it a day. This is where made-to-measure from tailor shops comes into play, as having your suit made by a professional tailor is the best choice.
Finding a color that suits you matters.
Think again if you believe you can pair a white shirt and a dark suit and call it a day. Suppose you take pride in always looking your best. In that case, you undoubtedly already know how important it is to choose colors that complement your skin tone, eye color, and hair color. And if there is a dress code, you may not always have many options for wedding apparel. And so, knowing how to select colors specifically for you, as opposed to just generally, pays off.
Knowing your limit matters.
You should think about your comfort zone as the absolute thing to remember. Remember that there is no need to overdo your fit t if the thought of donning a suit makes you cringe enough. No one will examine you in meticulous detail unless you are the groom. People will remember your general attitude more than the specifics of your attire.
Therefore, go for it if you feel confident and at ease with a short suit that matches the setting and dress code. Instead of giving in to your inner fashion-forward self, the goal should be to appear knowledgeable and respected.
The Bottom Line
You’ve come to the perfect place if you’ve wasted a good portion of a day trying to decipher a nonsensical jumble of terminology and attempting to determine what everyone else will wear to your friend’s formal wedding.
READ ALSO: What Do I Wear to a Formal Pool Party?