help pick my wedding attire

[ziggyosk]

Originally Posted by The Thin Man

Manton's excellent speech covers all of the bases.



this is a great article....is there on describing night-time formal attire?? I really could use one as I am in a wedding in 2 months, we are wearing tuxes

 

[TimelesStyle]

Originally Posted by JFisher

I also need help picking wedding attire:

Particulars:
Early March Formal wedding in Florida. Ceremony around 4, Reception around 6.

My fiance likes the idea of White dinner jackets, and I am inclined to agree, particularly since it can be anywhere between 25 and 85 that time of year. But I've heard that the white dinner jacket thing is more a summer time thing, and also a before 5 PM thing. Also, I'm in the unenvious position of having to be extremely budget conscious as most of my groomsmen are not financially well off, so rentals are mandatory.

So my questions are the following:
1) can I pull off the white dinner jacket in March?
2) is this the sort of thing that can be rented?

Who's footing the bill for the rentals, you or them? If you are ok with them not all being the same exact jacket (within certain specs), then you really should at least give them the option of going out and getting their own. Sometimes places like JAB will have their Buy 1, Get 2 Free special, so could make it no more than a rental.

 

[The Thin Man]

Originally Posted by ziggyosk

this is a great article....is there on describing night-time formal attire?? I really could use one as I am in a wedding in 2 months, we are wearing tuxes

It's all in the same speech (quoting Manton):



The jacket can be single or double breasted, with peaked or shawl lapels. Shawl is less formal, and for a wedding, I recommend peak.

The sharpest black tie outfit a man can wear is a single breasted peaked coat, a white vest (identical to the one worn with white tie), wing collar shirt (ditto) and black bow tie.

Image
That's as close to white tie as you can get without renting tails.

But again we bump into the problem of the impracticality of the wing collar shirt (because, again, the attached collar versions sold in department stores are to be shunned).

So we're back to the turndown collar shirt, with either a pleated or a pique front"”the latter being a bit more elegant. Shoes: same as white tie. Tie: always black, no matter what. Boutonnière: cant' go wrong with a red carnation. Groomsmen: let them wear, or rent, their own. Matching is not desirable. Let a thousand flowers bloom: SB, DB, peak, shawl, wing collar, turndown collar, pleated front, pique front, etc. Just please, only black ties and no long ties. Just because they wear them to the Oscars doesn't mean you should. If Tom Cruise jumped off a bridge, would you?

 

[TwentySomthing]

Sorry to hijack the thread, and I think this was partially described before.

What is the 'rule' about the groom and groomsmen matching in terms of style of dress (not it terms of ties db vs. sb, et al.). For instance, would it be acceptable to have the groom wear morning dress and the groomsmen to be in stroller or lounge suits?

 

[Unregistered]

Originally Posted by TwentySomthing

Sorry to hijack the thread, and I think this was partially described before.

What is the 'rule' about the groom and groomsmen matching in terms of style of dress (not it terms of ties db vs. sb, et al.). For instance, would it be acceptable to have the groom wear morning dress and the groomsmen to be in stroller or lounge suits?

As far as I'm concerned, the only one unbreakable rule is that the groomsmen don't outdress the groom. I've seen weddings where all are dressed at the same level of formality, but I do find it more common for groomsmen to dress one step down.

 

[koolhistorian]

Yes, if the bride is not bridezilla! A stroller is a more flexible piece than a morning dress!

 

[Mr. Lee]

The Prince's look is awesome. Good luck finding it if you live up here (Upstate New York, where I also live.) I assume you are headed for NYC for it at a minimum. Wedding sounds lovely: Geneva on the Lake, perhaps? Congratulations and best wishes.