The Groom’s Style Guide: Planning Your Wedding Suit

Your wedding day is one of the most photographed, most remembered, most emotionally charged days of your life. And yet, when it comes to what the groom wears, the conversation often goes something like: “Just get a nice suit.”

You deserve better than “just a nice suit.” You deserve something that makes you feel incredible when you stand at the altar, that moves with you on the dance floor, that looks just as stunning in the photos twenty years from now as it does on the day. This guide will help you get there.

Start Earlier Than You Think

The single biggest mistake grooms make is leaving their suit too late. If you’re having a bespoke suit made, you’ll need at least three months, and ideally four to five. That gives you time for a relaxed consultation, fabric selection, and three to four fittings without any rush or stress.

Even if you’re going made to measure, build in at least six to eight weeks. Last minute tailoring means compromises, and your wedding isn’t the day for compromises.

Put it in the diary as soon as you’ve set the date. Future you will be grateful.

Think About the Whole Picture

Your suit doesn’t exist in isolation. Before you start choosing fabrics and styles, think about the broader visual story of your wedding. Consider the venue, because a country house calls for different tailoring than a city hotel or a beach ceremony. Think about the season, because heavy wool in August will have you melting, while lightweight linen in December will leave you shivering.

Most importantly, coordinate with your partner. You don’t need to match, but your outfits should feel like they belong in the same story. If your partner is wearing soft, romantic tones, a sharp black suit might feel disconnected. A conversation early on about colour palette and overall feel will save you both from any clashing surprises.

Colour: Beyond Navy and Grey

Navy and charcoal grey are classics for good reason. They photograph beautifully, flatter almost everyone, and pair effortlessly with any colour scheme. But they’re not your only options.

Deep forest green, rich burgundy, warm camel, and soft stone are all growing in popularity, and they can make a groom stand out in the most elegant way. If you want to stay classic but add personality, consider a bolder lining, a statement pocket square, or a waistcoat in a contrasting texture.

Your tailor will help you find a colour that works with your skin tone, the wedding’s palette, and the season. Trust their eye. They’ve dressed hundreds of grooms and they know what photographs well.

The Groomsmen Question

Coordinating groomsmen doesn’t mean putting everyone in identical suits. In fact, the trend has shifted firmly toward complementary rather than matching outfits. Your groomsmen might wear the same colour family in a slightly different shade, or the same fabric in a different style.

The key is cohesion, not uniformity. You should stand out as the groom, not blend into a line of identical suits. Consider giving your groomsmen a simpler version of your suit, perhaps the same fabric but without the waistcoat, or the same colour in a made to measure fit while yours is bespoke.

Details That Make It Yours

A wedding suit is one of the few garments where personalisation truly matters. These are the details that turn a beautiful suit into your suit. Your wedding date embroidered inside the jacket. A lining in your partner’s favourite colour. Cufflinks that belonged to your grandfather. A pocket designed to hold your vows. Buttons made from horn, mother of pearl, or even a material that means something to you.

These aren’t extras. They’re the parts of your suit that will make you smile every time you wear it again. And you will wear it again. A well made wedding suit becomes your go to for every important occasion that follows.

On the Day: Practical Advice

Have your final fitting at least two weeks before the wedding. This gives you time for any last adjustments without stress. On the morning of the wedding, give yourself proper time to get dressed. Button the jacket, check the pocket square, adjust the tie or open collar. Look in the mirror and take a moment. If you’re not used to wearing suits, move around in yours before the day. Sit in it, reach for things, dance in your living room. Your tailor will have built ease of movement into the design, but wearing it in beforehand means you’ll feel completely natural when it matters.

Your wedding suit isn’t just clothes. It’s how you’ll look in the photos your grandchildren will treasure. It’s the armour that carries you through the nerves and into the joy. It’s worth getting right.

Book a consultation at the Shoreditch studio and start your wedding suit journey with a conversation about how you want to feel on your day.