To Suit Up Or Tux It Out | A Guide For Grooms | Lovely Weddings

As a wedding photographer, I love when grooms enhance their style with a unique suit or tux that suits them and their wedding. When a man feel confident it truly shows in their photos, but most of all, it shows in their smiles on their wedding day. Yet a lot of grooms don’t know where to start. Should I wear a tux? Should I wear a suit? Bow tie? Regular tie? Vest? Cuff links? For most men, their wedding day is the fanciest that they will ever dress, which understandably leads to many questions about what styles work best. 

The simple answer is that you should wear what makes you feel like your most confident and handsome self. That being said, many grooms skip the tux when perhaps they should elevate their style because they have never worn one before. Don’t let that stop you. At the end of the day, both look dapper, but there are certain events that call for a tux over a suit and vice versa. The general rule is that a tux is more formal and a suit is more casual. Here are some simple tips to help you decide. 

You should wear a tux when. . . 

• Your wedding and your venue is very formal. 
• Your wedding is listed as “black tie.”
• The wedding takes place in the late afternoon or evening instead of earlier in the day. 
• Most of your wedding takes place inside. 
• You really want to dress to impress. 
• You prefer a bowtie over a long tie. 
• You’re a little nervous because you have not work a tux before, but you know it will really elevate your style on your wedding day. 
• Your bride will be wearing a very formal wedding gown (maybe you don’t know for sure, but she probably gave you a couple hints).
• You feel like a total boss in that tux. Step aside, James Bond. 

You should wear a suit when. . . 

• Your wedding is a little less formal and is more relaxed.
• You want to wear suspenders. 
• Your wedding takes place in the morning or early afternoon. 
• Your entire wedding takes place outside. 
• Your wedding has a country, bohemian, or another less formal theme. 
• You want to wear a vest, long tie, or other accessories that you cannot pair with a tux. 
• You do not like tuxes and will not feel good wearing one on your wedding day.
• You find a suit that really enhances your best qualities and makes you feel your best.

Accessorize. . . 

Afraid that a suit or tux will cramp your unique style? Incorporate elements of your own personal style by being creative with your shoes, tie selection, pocket squares, cuff links, or even your socks.