Groom/ Usher/ Father of the Bride - What to wear for the wedding?

When you are planning a wedding its the bridal dress that costs the earth and is an extremely important part of any wedding day. Its not only the wedding dress that is important, the Groom's attire is equally important. There is no point having a bride in an amazing dress if the Groom looks like hes just rolled out of bed.

So, what does a modern day Groom need to think about when choosing what to wear?

Firstly, whether you want to wear a tailored suit, a tux or your jeans the most important part of your outfit is the shirt. Any suit will look a million times better if you have the right shirt on to compliment it. Its important to get your neck measurement right, so get out a tape measure and measure your neck - its usually around half of what your waist is, (e.g) If you have a 36 inch waist your neck measurement will be around 17.5. Don't just take my word for it - measure it! Or pop into any high street shop that sells suits, they can measure your neck for you (no obligation to buy anything!).

Think about the colour of the shirt, I happen to think that a crisp white shirt is the ideal accompaniment to any suit and wedding colour scheme. Remember to check that detail with your bride - she'll know what colour suits you and the wedding colour scheme. I would also recommend going for a shirt that you can wear cuff links with, it makes such a difference to how good the shirt looks.

You could always consider these as gifts your best man and ushers and give them before the wedding so they have matching or complimentary cuff links to you.

When you are looking at suits to wear, you really need to try them on to know how they look. Think about the colour of the suit you want to wear, a dark suit will match most wedding colour schemes, its the tie or cravat that you choose to wear that will match the wedding colour scheme (e.g. Lilac) as well as the waistcoat. Its a good idea to take your bride or Mum (or someone who will be honest) with you to try suits on so you get an honest option on how good you look!

Packages are available for Wedding Hire at www.mossbross.co.uk look out for deals on dress the groom for free.

When it comes to deciding on wearing a tie or cravat personal choice, but ask your bride ... shes likely to have a preference! Just make sure you know how to tie the cravat or tie properly.

Don't forget to buy new shoes, would suggest that you go for a stylish black or brown pair depending on the colour of suit you go for. An essential requirement are black socks .... this is one occasion where white socks just won't do! Try on your shoes with your suit to make sure the trousers sit on the shoes properly, the place that you hire or buy your suit from will be able to offer an in-house tailor or recommend a local tailor. Wear your shoes around the house to break them in otherwise your feet mat hurt on the day.

So what timescales should you be working to when looking for the Groom's attire?

* With 6 months Choose your best man and ushers.

* At 5 months to go decide what to wear. Try suits on in a shop offering a good choice and style.

* At 3 months to go hire suits (if you are hiring). Buy the suit if you are buying it.

* At 1 month to go finalise arrangement on picking up hired suits and collecting the suit you have purchased (if you are buying it) Ensure honeymoon and flights

*With 1 week to go collect wedding outfit and don't forget to write your speech

If you need to cut costs and minimise spend on this area of the budget, you can buy suits on a budget. This is a viable option if you are unlikely to wear your suit very often.

Don't forget to consider skincare when you are approaching your wedding. Looking after your skin, and shaving properly moisturising will make a world of difference to how you feel on the day and how good you look in the photos.

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