So, you’re getting hitched. Firstly, please accept our sincere congratulations. And secondly, what will you be wearing?

 While attire is not the most important aspect of your nuptials that spot belongs to everlasting love, etc. Weddings provide a unique opportunity to dress to the nines in our more casual present. But what exactly “dress to the nines” means will differ based on geography, venue, time of day and your own aesthetic preferences. 

 In the interests of casting a wide enough net to incorporate everything from “creative cocktail attire” to black tie and beyond, we’ve assembled a short guide to some of the more popular categories of wedding attire below. From bespoke lounge suits to dinner jackets, you’re sure to find something worthy of an “I do” below. 

Lounge Suits

The phrase “lounge suit” simply refers to the standard two piece suit that’s considered standard business attire today. While the get-up was considered to be radically casual when it first introduced in the late 19th century, hence “lounge”, it’s become the de facto choice for any formal occasion below black tie.

As such, a lounge suit is a fine choice for wedding attire. Selecting a lounge suit for your nuptials brings several advantages, not the least being that it’s a far more versatile option than a morning or dinner suit. Whereas those garments are specific to certain occasions, lounge suits can be worn to anything from a job interview to a funeral to the next wedding that requires your attendance, making them far more versatile.

If you wish to maximize that versatility, you may want to select a conservative solid like navy blue or charcoal grey, which can easily play in the office or at another special occasion. Conversely, if you wish to differentiate your wedding lounge suit from other 9 to 5 fare, consider a less corporate solid color such as light grey or bright blue, or opt for a subtle pattern.

Morning Suits

A more UK specific option, the morning suit consists of a long black coat with tails, contrasting waistcoat and striped trousers. While that contrast is in keeping with the morning suit’s more casual origins, i.e., formal dress for the daytime matching grey morning suits dubbed “morning grey” are acceptable for summer weddings. 

Dinner Suits

The dinner suit, or as it’s dubbed in the United States, the tuxedo, is a popular option in North America. That being said, it’s increasingly turning up on the other side of the Atlantic as well. 

As the name implies, dinner suits are meant to be worn for evening occasions. Consisting of a short jacket with silk lapels (also referred to as “facings”) and matching trousers with a same silk stripe, its strength lies in its elegance and simplicity.

In deference to that ethos, the safest best here is to hew to tradition and have it made in black (in particular, Cad & The Dandy cosigns the understated elegance of a black barathea dinner suit with grosgrain facings). Alternatively, dinner suits may also be made in midnight blue, which some argue more brilliantly captures artificial light in the evening time.  

Depending on the formality of the wedding, grooms might also consider wearing an odd dinner jacket instead, which can be paired to standard black dinner trousers. Some clients opt to make a dinner suit, and then add a dinner jacket in a color such as cream or even a bottle green velvet that can be worn with the standalone black dinner trousers.

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Seasonal Considerations

For good reason, summer is considered to be wedding prime time. And if you’re tying the knot during the hotter months, you might be drawn to season specific fabrics such as linen. 

Not to spoil the party but be advised that linen is expected to wrinkle, a lot. If you love that lived-in look, as many do, by all means pursue that linen wedding suit of your dreams. But if you wish to have something that will appear crisper for the wedding photographs to follow, consider a fabric made from either high-twist wool or a blend of wool, silk and linen, both of which will enjoy a high degree of breathability and lightness of weight without folding the moment you hit the dance floor. 

Shirting 

Whether you’re angling for a spread collar shirt to complement a lounge suit or a wing collar dinner shirt with a bib front, take this piece of advice: you may want two. That might sound excessive, until you find yourself wishing you had a fresh shirt to change into sometime between the start of the ceremony and end of the reception. 

Fabrics

Cad & The Dandy’s extensive collection of the finest fabrics sourced largely from the UK and Italy affords a treasure trove of options. But there are a few fabric books heartily recommend for weddings, including Piacenza First Class, Loro Piana Mare and Dugdale’s New Fine Worsteds.