Wedding Guides - Jim's Formal Wear

Traditional & Contemporary Wedding Guides

The attire you wear for your wedding will depend largely on the kind of wedding you and your fiancee' want to have.

The size of the guest list, how many attendants you'll have, the time and location of the event - all of these things will help determine how formal your wedding will be. There's a formalwear style for every kind of wedding, day or night, traditional or modern.

The guides below will give you a brief rundown of the two most common types of weddings - traditional & contemporary - and the men's formal attire that goes with each.

To illustrate, tuxedo and accessory examples can be seen by clicking the links within the Traditional and Contemporary Etiquette charts themselves. The examples shown are very helpful! Use your browser's back button to return to the chart.

Finally, use these guidelines, but remember your choices should reflect your own personal tastes as well - particularly when it comes to the use of color and themes...

A Traditional Wedding
Participant	Very Formal Evening	Formal Evening	Very Formal Daytime	Semi Formal Evening
Groom	Black Fulldress (tailcoat) with white wing collar pique' shirt, pique' vest and bow tie. May wear sprig from bride's bouquet as boutonniere.	Black Tuxedo, white pleated formal shirt, bow tie, vest or cummerbund to match tuxedo lapels. White dinner jacket with formal trousers for summer or tropical climates.	Cutaway coat, grey striped trousers, grey vest, ascot or striped four-in-hand tie. Optional top hat, spats, grey gloves.	Grey stroller, with striped trousers, grey vest, four-in-hand tie with white pleated formal shirt. Gloves are optional.
Best Man, Groomsmen, Ushers, Junior Groomsmen	Identical to groom with different boutonnieres.	Same as groom, perhaps with different boutonniere.	Similar to groom in style with possible variation in tie or shirt.	Identical to groom with different boutonnieres.
Fathers, Grandfathers	Identical to groom with different boutonnieres.	Same as groomsmen.	Same as groom or same as ushers.	Same as groom or same as ushers.
Ringbearer	Identical to groom.	Identical to groom.	Identical to groom.	Identical to groom.
Guests	May wear tuxedos or, if you specify 'White Tie' on your invitations, guests should wear fulldress identical to groom.	Should be formally dressed. Specify 'Black Tie' on invitations.	You may suggest 'Traditional Morning Attire' on invitations if you would like your guests to be formally dressed.	Formalwear optional.

A Contemporary Wedding
Participant	Very Formal Evening	Formal Evening	Very Formal Daytime	Semi Formal Evening
Groom	Black Fulldress or other color tailcoat applicable. Formal shirt, vest or cummerbund. If wearing black fulldress, wear white wing collar shirt with white vest and bow tie.	Tuxedo or tailcoat in range of colors - dark for fall/winter, lighter shades for spring/summer - or white for any time of year. Formal shirt should be white.	Cutaway coat, grey striped trousers, grey vest, ascot or striped four-in-hand tie.	Tuxedo or tailcoat in range of colors - dark for fall/winter, lighter shades for spring/summer or tropical climates.
Best Man, Groomsmen, Ushers, Junior Groomsmen	Similar to groom, or same as ushers, or in a classic tuxedo.	Similar tailcoats or tuxedos to groom. Choose colored vests to match bridesmaid dresses.	Similar to groom in style or can wear matching stroller coats with striped or matching trousers.	Similar to the groom. Coordinated in color with bridesmaid dresses.
Fathers, Grandfathers	Same as groom, or same as ushers, or in a classic tuxedo.	Similar to ushers or in classic tuxedo.	Same as groom or same as ushers, or in classic tuxedo.	Either similar to male attendants or own choice of tux.
Ringbearer	Same as groom.	Same as groom.	Same as groom, or wear stroller.	Same as groom or groomsmen.
Guests	Formalwear similar to groom. Consider specifying 'Black Tie Invited' on invitation; guests should wear black tuxedos.	Formalwear optional. Consider specifying 'Black Tie Invited' on invitations.	Formalwear optional.	Formalwear optional.