Coordinated attire at wedding

[Soontobewed]

I need a second opinion. Here's the background:
I am getting married at the end of the month and have purchased a beautiful Armani, peaked lapel, midnight navy blue, two-button suit. I plan to wear this with black shoes and a tie (TBD). The wedding will be indoors in a cathedral-style church (read dark and big), and the reception will be inside in a large somewhat dimly lit venue. We will be outside for pictures and happy hour only. The bride will be in an ivory dress. The bridesmaids will be in navy blue, and navy was the color of our invitations.

My question: I have previously told my groomsmen to wear a solid black suit, black shoes, and white shirts, and that I would provide the ties. How will this look if I am the only man (albeit the groom) in the wedding in a dark navy suit (while they are all in black)? I found what I feel is the perfect suit (peaked lapels, no flaps on the pockets, perfect fit right off the hanger), but I'm having second thoughts because I fear that it looks uncoordinated or accidental.

Also: If I do go with this suit, should I open up the attire to my groomsmen to allow them to wear any dark, solid suit with black shoes in order to look formal, but a bit less coordinated? Similarly, should I do the same with their ties (i.e. allow them to choose their own)?

I'm waffling on my choice and, given the proximity to the wedding, am considering getting a black suit (which would be another expense and hassle before the wedding). Any help/second opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[furo]

How about some pics of this suit you're wearing?

I think you're second option is best: let them wear dark suits but no need for black and let them pick a conservative tie

I think that if you go with a black suit yourself you should just go the full 9 yards and wear a dinner jacket if the reception starts in the evening

 

[TheFoo]

I think you should go the opposite direction and make reasonable efforts to ensure your groomsmen's suits don't match. First of all, it looks really contrived when men wear matching clothes (as if they each bought or rented a suit just for the occassion--well, that's what you're doing, but you might as well not look it). Second, in your case, since the bridesmaids are already in a dark color, having all the men wear midnight blue and black will look way too funereal.

 

[Wes Bourne]

Foo, I recently went over your own wedding attire thread from last year... I managed to pick out a tie that will work for my suit as well as my 2 groomsmen's. I went looking for something that would work with either a grey or navy suit, since odds were high that our suits would be among the varying shades in those colors. The tie I picked is a navy/pink/white shepherd's check. Alternately, I have another shepherd's check in varying shades of pink I might choose to wear with a white shirt instead.

I had also decided early on that each of us would wear his own suit and that I'd look for accessories to tie everything together. The result is that I'll be wearing a charcoal mini herringbone, my best man will be in a PoW I helped him pick out on Monday and the other groomsman is wearing a solid black suit.

I got them each a white twill cutaway collar shirt from BB and purchased a lt blue one for myself. Picked up 3 different white/pink pocket squares from chorse123.

I was very fortunate in that my groomsmen were more than willing to wear whatever I would have told them to wear. However, I wasn't going to impose my personal preferences on them, not even for my groomsman who thinks a black suit is as stylish as it gets...

I'll admit that I was a bit worried that it'd all look a bit eclectic, especially for the pictures, but I believe you said it best here:

Originally Posted by mafoofan

But at the end, I picked them, not their clothes.

 

[amplifiedheat]

Originally Posted by Soontobewed

The bridesmaids will be in navy blue, and navy was the color of our invitations.

What color was the ink?

 

[TheDroog]

From a practical point of view, I say stick with the original plan.

You've got a suit that you love, so wear it. You told your groomsmen to wear black suits, and assuming they've already purchased them, they should wear them too; you don't want them scrambling at the last second for something else. (If they haven't purchased anything yet, you have more flexibility here). The weeks before a wedding are incredibly busy so I wouldn't sweat the sartorial stuff this late in the game.

 

[Soontobewed]

Thanks for all the advice. You've helped convince me that I should stick with the suit that I love, and work out what all the other guys (who really don't care) wear. We are thinking that we will encourage them to go with Black or Navy. My fiancee thinks that charcoal is too much of a variant and may not fit in. I haven't decided on that. Any thoughts on whether charcoal should be in the mix?

As for ties, my inclination is to pick a color (probably navy blue) and allow each man to play off that theme in keeping with his suit. The other option would be to buy matching ties that work well with either black or navy. There are 8 groomsmen (we have large families) and 2 ushers, so it's a big party.

Final question... pocket squares or no pocket squares? My jacket pocket rakes up at an angle a bit off of the lapel (and is, in fact, covered about 50% by the lapel). I think a white pocket square showing just a cm or so above the pocket might work, but I've never worn one before.

I'll see if I can get a picture in the daylight sometime tomorrow... Thanks everyone for the thoughtful style advice.

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by Soontobewed

I'll see if I can get a picture in the daylight sometime tomorrow... Thanks everyone for the thoughtful style advice.

I strongly urge you not to do this.

If you love your suit, just go with that. If you really want post it, do so after the wedding.

Given that you seem to have a lot of concern over how things look, the last thing that you need so close to your wedding is a bunch of strangers picking your look apart.

- B

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Soontobewed

Final question... pocket squares or no pocket squares? My jacket pocket rakes up at an angle a bit off of the lapel (and is, in fact, covered about 50% by the lapel). I think a white pocket square showing just a cm or so above the pocket might work, but I've never worn one before.

I like the idea of a barely showing white linen pocket square in a tv fold. What you've decided sounds nice. Have a great wedding.

 

[Wes Bourne]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I strongly urge you not to do this.

If you love your suit, just go with that. If you really want post it, do so after the wedding.

Given that you seem to have a lot of concern over how things look, the last thing that you need so close to your wedding is a bunch of strangers picking your look apart.

- B

+1 Words of wisdom.

 

[furo]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I strongly urge you not to do this.

If you love your suit, just go with that. If you really want post it, do so after the wedding.

Given that you seem to have a lot of concern over how things look, the last thing that you need so close to your wedding is a bunch of strangers picking your look apart.

- B

Good advice, but I say post the pics, and get your look straight. otherwise, you'll post em later, then whine and piss every time you look at your wedding photo album

Which would you rather have? Some pain now, or whenever you look at that photo album for the rest of eternity?

 

[thizzface]

go with the suit you love and feel confident in. i let my groomsmen all wear dark suits of their choosing as well as a red tie also of their choosing. the bridesmaids had dresses made of the same fabric with designs of their own choosing.

i think the all matchy matchy thing looks contrived and i think it was interesting for the guests to see the different personalities of our closest friend. the pictures also looked more "alive".