For his wedding day most men want to groom’s attire that is special, looks stylish, yet still lets his personality shine through.
I talked with Kat Finn with Folchi’s Formal Wear in Cincinnati about what she’s been seeing for the 2014 wedding season, and guys, you’ve got many options available.
For a formal evening wedding, if you prefer something traditional, a popular choice is a black tuxedo jacket with peak lapel (the lapel is raised and pointed toward the collar of the jacket), cummerbund, bow tie, and a pleated shirt.
If you’re having a semi-formal daytime wedding, any color tuxedo (Steel Gray and Heather gray are popular choices right now), with vest and tie, and non pleated shirt will be perfect.
Black, navy, purple, and charcoal are the popular vest and tie colors for 2014. Kat says “Bow ties have made a wonderful comeback! Windsor ties are still popular, especially in modern weddings.” A new trend she is seeing is “neither the vest or cummerbund, just suspenders with a bow tie.”
So, with all these different options available, how do you know what is right for your wedding? When you make that trip to the formalwear shop, keep in mind the time of day and formality of your wedding. This will help to steer you towards the choices that will be right for you.
Kat tells us, “Tuxedos were originally worn for formal evening events. If you’re having a formal ceremony at the church, followed by a formal evening reception (Black-Tie wedding), you’ll want to make sure your groomsmen are in cummerbunds.” She often suggests a cummerbund to the traditional wedding parties regardless of the time of day, saying “the vest is more modern, for the non traditional wedding, and has recently replaced the use of a jacket for outdoor weddings.”
Kat also suggests the following formal wear tips:
1) Shop around. Spend your money at the company who values your business. A great formal wear specialist is able to answer any and all questions you may have, be able to match colors, get to know you on a personal level, etc.
2) All measurements need to be in at least 1 month prior to the wedding, 2 months during Prom season (April-May). Ringbearers don’t need to be measured until 3 weeks prior to the wedding.
3) Traditionally the groom matches the bride’s dress color for his vest/tie. It is appropriate for a Black-Tie wedding that the groom is in a white/ivory bow tie/cummerbund.
4) Colors for vest/cummerbund/tie don’t necessarily have to match the bridal colors. More couples are choosing neutral colors for the guys while the ladies wear the color(s) in their dress. A lovely coordinating option is to put the bridal color(s) in the men’s boutonnieres if the couple feels that colored vests are too much.
Be sure to visit Kat and Folchi’s Formal Wear for your wedding formal wear needs.
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
If you have questions or are looking for ideas, contact me at jean@weddingsfromtheheart.net or at 937-581-3647.