The Perfectly Suited Groom: Putting on the Ritz

Lauren by Ralph Lauren at Al's Formalwear

Your bridal gown will turn heads as you walk down the aisle on your wedding day, but the groom, waiting patiently for you at the altar, deserves his share of the attention, too. The groom’s attire will be dictated by the ceremony’s time of day, since that dictates the wedding’s degree of formality. Proper attire falls into four categories, each with their own distinctive traditions and styles: very formal, formal, semi formal and informal.

Putting on the Ritz:

Both very formal and formal men's attire are governed by long held traditions. Morning weddings are considered very formal, calling for long-jacketed "morning suits" with gray waistcoats and pinstriped trousers, top hats, gloves and spats. The distinctive morning coat tapers from the waistline button to one broad tail with a vent in back. The groom and groomsmen may also sport walking sticks.
Very formal evening weddings require that the men of the hour dress in what’s known as white tie and tails: black swallowtail coats and trousers, and white vests, shirts and bow ties. Black top hats and white gloves are optional. The traditional swallowtail coat is cut short in front and extends to two tails in the back.

A formal afternoon wedding calls for classic black tie and tuxedos for the groom and his men. White dinner jackets are worn at a formal evening ceremony with black pants trimmed in grosgrain or satin ribbon and a black bow tie, vest and cummerbund.

Proper footwear choices are opera shoes or formal lace-ups, always in black. In both very formal and formal weddings, while the men are dressed identically, the groom is allowed to distinguish himself from his groomsmen by a distinctly different boutonniere.

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