Need advice - getting confused for daytime wedding

[alexaqui]

Hi all. I am getting married this July in NYC at a formal ceremony at a Catholic church at 10am. Our reception is on the waterfront from 12noon to 5pm and will likely continue on to an afterparty somewhere in the city.

I was originally set on purchasing a "special" suit that I could use for future events. Lately, I have been leaning towards a Tuxedo since I associate the formality of the tuxedo with weddings (apparently incorrectly). I have read quite a few posts here and it seems that the most "proper" piece of clothing for this type of event is not a tuxedo but a morning coat. Since the utility of a morning coat is questionable in the US, I'd like to stay away from this. Does this mean that I should focus on a suit instead since the consensus seems to say that the tuxedo is not the way to go for this type of wedding? Will I regret in 10 years that I did not wear a tuxedo for this special event?

My budget is flexible depending on the right suit ($2500 is okay, possibly more if the suit is right). I looked a grey striped Zegna suit the other day and it looked fantastic; except it appears etiquette says to stay away from stripes. I am going to consider also a Tom Ford suit in dark navy. Is this really the way to go? In addition, do I go for peaked lapels even though I am 6'2" and fairly thin (170lbs).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[scurvyfreedman]

Your budget gives you enough to enter the world of bespoke. You should be able to find a tailor in NYC to make a suit for you. Do a search for NYC Bespoke and find a well recommended tailor. If you were in DC I'd be able to give you recs.

Don't wear a tux for a morning wedding. It's after sundown attire.

 

[alexaqui]

Hi all. To follow up on this, I ended up purchasing a medium grey three piece suit. Any suggestions on the style of shoe I should go with? Is a wingtip appropriate or a fully polished shoe? I have two pairs of shoes I was planning on using; they are however more matte in finish. Any suggestions? Any styles I should consider?

Thanks.

 

[pvrhye]

Originally Posted by alexaqui

Hi all. To follow up on this, I ended up purchasing a medium grey three piece suit. Any suggestions on the style of shoe I should go with? Is a wingtip appropriate or a fully polished shoe? I have two pairs of shoes I was planning on using; they are however more matte in finish. Any suggestions? Any styles I should consider?

Thanks.

Grey suit is a totally blank canvas, but I feel like black balmorals would play up the formality.

 

[cptjeff]

Yeah, wingtips would be nice for day to day wear, but for your wedding, I would go with a black captoe. Possibly with a medallion and some brouging, but stick to captoe (or perhaps something like a wholecut) and balmoral lacing.

 

[aravenel]

A well polished black captoe oxford. Possibly some light brogueing on the toe, but that's up to you. One of the few sartorial questions in which there is a "right answer."

 

[mjphillips]

None of the SF vets will agree with me, but black monk straps could also be a good choice. They're considered less dressy than oxfords, but they're just as sleek. And given that they're somewhat rare, most people would probably think they're some super fancy dress shoes. http://www.shipton-usa.com/lowndes-b...ap-3224-0.html

 

[alexaqui]

Originally Posted by aravenel

A well polished black captoe oxford. Possibly some light brogueing on the toe, but that's up to you. One of the few sartorial questions in which there is a "right answer."

Thanks all for the responses. This is very helpful. I'm pretty excited about the suit that I picked up. It's a medium dark grey 3 piece by Tom Ford. I completely overspent except it fit me like a glove and it looked amazing on me. Since I travel a lot, I did not feel I had the time to find the right bespoke vendor in time.

Do you have any links to a sample shoe that you think would fit the bill?

Thanks again for all the advice/input.

 

[aravenel]

Originally Posted by alexaqui

Thanks all for the responses. This is very helpful. I'm pretty excited about the suit that I picked up. It's a medium dark grey 3 piece by Tom Ford. I completely overspent except it fit me like a glove and it looked amazing on me. Since I travel a lot, I did not feel I had the time to find the right bespoke vendor in time.

Do you have any links to a sample shoe that you think would fit the bill?

Thanks again for all the advice/input.

Well, that really depends on your budget.

Something like the Allen Edmonds Park Avenue at the "lower" end (though it's still a very nice shoe).

For a nicer shoe, you could go with a Crockett and Jones, something like the Bedford, Hallam, Westbourne, or Arden.

I'm sure someone could suggest an Edward Green or G&G that would be suitable as well, though I am much less familiar with those brands.

 

[chet31]

I agree with much of what has been stated thus far, except that as the groom (versus a groomsman or attendee) you are allowed more latitude to be the center of attention and do not need to limit yourself to a straight black captoe.

 

[Kurt N]

You will not regret taking a pass on the tux. That gray 3-piece suit will serve you well, for the wedding and on many occasions thereafter.

 

[alexaqui]

Originally Posted by chet31

I agree with much of what has been stated thus far, except that as the groom (versus a groomsman or attendee) you are allowed more latitude to be the center of attention and do not need to limit yourself to a straight black captoe.

What would you suggest? The suggestions by others seem like good ones.

I was originally going to use a pair of Prada oxfords that I have that are long and slender. Alas, they don't have quite the polish that I'm looking for.

 

[alexaqui]

Originally Posted by Kurt N

You will not regret taking a pass on the tux. That gray 3-piece suit will serve you well, for the wedding and on many occasions thereafter.

Thanks! I have to admit, I wanted to go for a suit from the beginning, except everyone in the US seems to always get married wearing a Tuxedo, regardless of the timing of the event. That made me seriously consider the tuxedo more seriously, despite "the rules". Despite the crazy price tag, the 3 piece just seemed "it" when I put it on vs. the standard (and very nice!) suit and the Aramni Tuxedo (I already ruled out a few other tuxedos such as the Tom Ford and a few others). I'm hopeful that my 3 piece will last me a long time. The tailoring should be completed this weekend so I actually want to wear it next weekend for a major event... I will have to wait as I want to save it for my wedding.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Gus]

I would take a pass on the grey and go for a solid navy or navy with a faint stripe myself (in fact I did). The dark contrast against a white wedding dress is great for photos. But I also see a lot of summer weddings where guys are wearing tan suits. Regardless, go for a color you like navy, tan or grey. Wear a white shirt, white linen pocket square and a classic simple tie (silver or silver houndstooth is nice). Go to the web site theknot.com for good examples of summer wedding pics.

What ever suit you choose, be sure the shoulders fit perfectly. Get it fitted without too much break and without the sleeves being too long.

Good luck!