How to Dress for a Wedding Without Outshining the Groom

There are plenty of opinions on how the bride and groom should dress for their wedding. Whether that’s a tuxedo, suit, suspenders, or matching pocket squares. However, what often gets overlooked is what to wear when attending a wedding as a guest. After all, it is a great excuse to dress up and look our best. Weddings are a great chance to show off your best suit and tie combo, your fashion sense, and your personal style. They come with the relaxation of a social event while embracing the prestige of formal wear. And, while the thrill of going all out on your wedding outfit can be enticing, it’s important to remember that the day isn’t your day. It belongs to the bride and groom. So, when choosing what to wear it may be best to be mindful of whom the day is meant for. The groom should be the sharpest dressed in the room and they should stand out above all others. But that doesn’t mean you can’t shine too.

Before beginning to think of your suit, hair, or even accessories, be sure to understand the dress code of the wedding, as well as the wedding party colors. If possible, it’s best to avoid using any of the wedding colors since typically the wedding couple will be wearing those. Next, consider the time of year the event will take place and where the venue will be. Oftentimes, time of day, weather, and the location can have a big impact on what to wear.

Keep It Simple

First off, we always recommend wearing a suit to a wedding. Whether it’s a beach wedding, destination wedding, or elopement, it provides you with multiple outfits in one as you can ditch the jacket as the evening goes on. We also feel that a suit provides the correct level of dress for an event such as important as a wedding.

While some of our favorite suits may have patterns and bold colors, we recommend simplifying your look when attending a wedding as a guest. It’s important to consider patterns and styles that don’t compete with the groom, such as stripes or bright plaids, as they can draw too much attention to you. And while you may want to show off your style, remember that wedding guests should be talking about the bride and groom when they leave and not necessarily those in attendance. Instead of attention-grabbing patterns, consider a solid-colored suit. You can never go wrong with a black, blue, tan, or even deep green suit. Selecting fabrics with textures are a great way to add visual interest to solid colors.

It’s All In The Details

There are plenty of ways to personalize and refine the look of your suit. The most important is to make sure you have a suit that fits well. Fit is oftentimes more important than fabric, styling, or other details. When it comes to custom suiting, you can choose between notched or peaked lapels on your suit as well as pocket style, buttons and even the lining inside the jacket.

A quality tie and pocket square are another way round out your outfit. To avoid potentially wearing a color that is part of the wedding, we recommend a solid-colored tie and a white pocket square. It’s a classic look that works well in any situation.

Another opportunity to express yourself through your wedding outfit is with your shoes. Shoes are often a piece of our outfit that gets forgotten about. We seem to let our shoes get worn and they don’t look as good over time. A quality pair of dress shoes will be sure to give your outfit a polished look. We recommend an oxford or wingtip, potentially with a bit of texture.

Accessorize

The final touch to make sure you stand out from the rest of the wedding guests while still staying out of the spotlight is through accessories. Things like jewelry and pocket squares are often the final touch to a suit, adding class, sophistication, and expression to pull an outfit together. Yet, while accessories are great additions it can be easy to overdo them. Avoid an abundance of bright jewelry, balancing a nice necklace with a unique complementary piece like a concrete ring. Remember, simplicity is key.

Start with your wrist. Decide between a bracelet or watch that best fits your personality and properly complements your suit. If choosing a watch, remember to consider the different styles available. Choices range from the elegance of a dress watch, the sporty allure of a diving watch, to the humbleness of a field watch and more.

Nothing says “attention to detail” like the addition of a pocket square to your wedding outfit. While they have fallen out of popularity the elegance and class that comes with wearing a pocket square can enhance any wedding ensemble. Remember to coordinate with the rest of your accessories and carefully choose which pattern and material would be best for your look.

Sometimes the occasion calls for the acceptance of certain accessories that we would usually like to avoid. Destination weddings tend to bring guests out to the elements, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo fashion for practicality. For instance, beach weddings can cause big adjustments to our wardrobe choices, allowing for accessories like men’s sunglasses to help protect your eyes while still enjoying the ceremonies. The right pair of sunglasses can be the cherry on top of an otherwise perfect wedding outfit.

Establish a Pre-Wedding Grooming

It’s best to start small. Self-care and hygiene should be your first priority. Small changes to your facial care routine can make sure you stand out amongst the guests without drawing attention away from the bride and groom.

First, before addressing your beard and hair, consider getting a facial a day or two before the wedding, or as close to the date as you can manage, to help you look younger and achieve a smoother shave. Although facials are less popular among men, they have benefits that can bring out your best, giving you an edge over the rest of the crowd.

Afterward, get an easy-to-manage haircut that won’t lose its shine after a few days. Take the opportunity to try a new hairstyle to help you stand out. Sometimes small changes to our normal look are all it takes to be noticeable. While getting your haircut don’t forget to get a close shave, preferably with a straight razor. If you have facial hair make sure to have your beard lined up and properly managed, and remember to avoid the number one grooming mistake that men make when caring for their beards.

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Most importantly, it comes down to wearing what will make you feel good. We believe that quality clothing can not only give you a solid outfit for any event, but also give you a sense of confidence that will allow you to shine. While the wedding day may be for the couple getting wed, it doesn’t mean that you can’t look and feel your best.