What to Wear to a Wedding for Men

If you are a man, then the decision regarding your wedding attire will most likely be pending until the last minute. You will then probably pick up the best looking suit in your wardrobe, and wear it without thinking about the formality of the event, the time and the season of the wedding, etc. All these things are, after all, for women to consider, right? Wrong! Men should pay as much attention to all these factors as women, if they wish to create a good impression about themselves on their hosts.

Yes, formality of the event is the first factor that one must consider while choosing dresses to wear to a wedding as a guest. Oftentimes, the invitation card to a wedding will mention the dress code for the event. In this case, half the battle is won.

If it doesn't say anything, there are still a number of ways in which you can know about the formality of the event beforehand. For starters, take a good look at the invitation card itself. Does it look too formal, with formal black font on a cream paper?

If yes, take out your best wedding dress or tuxedo out of closet and get ready for the ultra-formal event. Does it look laid back with fancy script and dash of colors? You might have a less formal or even a casual affair in this case.

If you cannot get any ideas by simply looking at the card, then look out for other cues. What date and time is the wedding slated for? Is it a summer, spring, or winter wedding? The time of the wedding, i.e., morning, afternoon, or evening also needs to be taken into account.

As a general rule of thumb, summer and spring weddings are less of a formal affair, while winter and fall weddings are much more formal. The same can be said about evening weddings, which have an air of formality about them. On the other hand, morning or afternoon weddings are more relaxed, and usually do not demand a strict dress code.

Now that you are well acquainted with the basics of wedding dressing, the rest should be easy. Given below are some permutations and combinations of clothing and seasons that should help you out.

Summer/Spring, Day: As mentioned above, you can dress up less formally for these weddings. Wear linen or twill suits in lighter colors such as beige, cream, etc. A tie isn't a necessity at daytime summer weddings. You can also wear a blazer in a light color or throw a jacket over a dark dress shirt.

Summer/Spring, Evening: Although you can still stick to linen or twill suits, switch to darker colors for your suit. Charcoal, navy, gray, and black are apt for summer weddings that take place in the evening. If the dress code mentions something like 'black tie must', then a tuxedo could be your best bet. For 'black tie preferred' or 'black tie optional' events, you can go for suits in dark colors.

Fall/Winter, Day: You can wear woolen suits in light or dark colors for daytime winter or fall weddings. Earthy shades also look nice for fall or winter weddings. Team your suit with a tie in bright color for a day wedding.

Fall/Winter, Evening: Dark woolen suits with a tie can be your safe option when the invitation doesn't say anything about dress code. For ultra formal events go for a full formal evening wedding attire with black jacket with satin or grosgrain lapels, trousers, a bow tie and a cummerbund.

Beach Weddings: Beach weddings allow you to dress up in your most relaxed and casual clothing. However, this does not translate to a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt as beach wedding dress for guests. Instead go for a dress shirt, dress pants and a jacket. One can also wear an open neck shirt and throw a sports jacket while dressing up for a beach wedding.

One good thing about being a man and attending the wedding as a guest is that nobody will really bother to look at you, as there will be many pretty ladies around to look at! The wedding party also makes for a pretty picture. Hence, you can just relax and enjoy the wedding without drawing too much attention to yourself.