It is easy for the groom’s clothes to be forgotten in all the busy preparation and planning of the bride’s outfit, but if she is looking her best it is important that she has a groom to do her justice! Also the groom sets the whole tone for the clothes of all the other men in the wedding party; if the groom wears a morning suit, so should the bride’s father and the groom’s father, the best man and any ushers. At a very formal wedding it might even be requested that all the male guests wear morning dress. If the groom and best man simply wear smart suits, that too will set the pattern for the other guests.

You will need to decide first of all on what kind of suit you will wear, and once you have done that you can choose accessories to go with it. For instance, with a morning suit you have a choice of a plain collar and tie or a wing collar and stock; you could also choose top hats, gloves, and a matching or subtly contrasting waistcoat. You will also need to think about shoes and socks; black is generally the best choice if you are wearing black, grey or blue, but these days there are also many attractive men’s styles available in grey and blue. If you are wearing a brown lounge suit, choose brown or beige shoes and socks to match. Think carefully about what kind of tie you want; it could be any colour from plain blue or grey to striped or quite brightly coloured.

It is important to check that the colour scheme you choose for yourself and the best man tones well with the colours for the bride and bridesmaids. With a little forward planning it is possible to make sure that the whole wedding party is well coordinated. For instance, the bridesmaids could be in a red and white print, carrying red and white flowers, or in pink with red trimmings, and the men could wear grey or blue with red buttonholes or red ties. Or the bride could be in cream, the bridesmaids in yellow, carrying cream, yellow and peach flowers, and the groom and best man could wear brown or beige morning suits.

You will need to sort out early on where you are going to get your wedding clothes. If you are wearing a lounge suit you have several options: you could wear one you already have; you could have a suit made; you could buy one off the peg; or you could hire one. Hire firms don’t just do very formal clothes. If you choose to wear a morning suit you will almost certainly need to hire it; it is unlikely that you would wear one often enough to justify buying one at great expense. Check with the hire firm when you can collect the suit, when it needs to be returned, and whether it has to be cleaned before being returned.

Use this list to check that you have got all your clothes and accessories sorted out and ready for the big day.

Suit
Tie
Top hat
Waistcoat
Gloves
Tie Pin
Shirt
Watch chain
Shoes
Handkerchief
Cufflinks
Underpants

At the weddings of the Hungarian Bessanyo people, the best man used to wear an evergreen wreath on his head topped by a doll This supposedly symbolised the bridegroom ‘s love for the bride.