groomsmen fashion Archives - Southern Weddings

Tag: groomsmen fashion

Say Howdy to the Newest Members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

by Kristin in Main, Sponsor Love on March 17, 2016

Talented, professional, compassionate vendors are the backbone of every smoothly running wedding day. When you hire people who are great at what they do AND good people to boot, your only job on your wedding day will be to act as a gracious hostess, love your family and friends well, and say “I do.” What a blessing! That’s why we’re passionate about our Blue Ribbon Vendors–because we want y’all to be worrying about those three things, and nothing else. Here are a few we’d love to introduce you to!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Caroline Parrone of Stella Plantation
Category: Venue
Where you call home: New Orleans
Favorite thing about weddings in the South? The couples are so sweet! It’s always a pleasure to help combine their two personalities to create a celebration that joins their families and represents them as a couple.

Megan & Marc // the Bride Film from BRIDE FILM on Vimeo.

Names: MaryClare and Chris Serio of Bride Film
Category: Videography
Where you call home: New Orleans
Favorite thing about weddings in the South? Food, music, more food…need we say more? Only at a Southern wedding will you indulge in shrimp and grits, gumbo, AND beignets, and then take your happy tummy out to the streets to dance the night away with the most fabulous jazz band and a drink in hand. Southern weddings have a charm and vibrancy second to none!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Ginger Cook Event & Floral Design
Category: Event Planning and Design
Where you call home: Diamondhead, MS
Favorite part of a wedding day? I have a bunch! But one of my top favorites is seeing the bride’s face when she sees her wedding ceremony and reception for the first time. I absolutely love the moment that she sees her dream wedding come to life.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Hannah Mayson Photography
Category: Photography
Where you call home: Austin, Texas
Best piece of advice you can give to brides and grooms? Enjoy your day! Trust the details to the people you’ve hired so you can celebrate. Above all, remember that your marriage is so much more important than you wedding!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Heather Kline Photography
Category: Photography
Where you call home: Any small town with a main street, oak trees, front porches with swings, and cold sweet tea!
How I got into weddings: My family and I went on vacation one year, and on the Blue Ridge train ride met this incredible guy with an impressive gear bag of photographic equipment. I was already looking for a creative outlet in my life, and that was the official impetus to begin the journey that began a reawakening of a talent discovered way back in my high school darkroom! A few more classes, some mentoring, and a lot of shutter clicks later, I knew that photographing weddings was it for me. The energy of the day, the emotions and giggles, all kept me on an adrenaline rush that I absolutely love! I love the couples and families I work with, the vendors I meet, and I wouldn’t want to do anything else in the world than what I’m doing now!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Judy Hill of High Cotton
Category: Fashion
Where you call home: Raleigh, North Carolina
Favorite thing about weddings in the South? I love the small details about Southern weddings the most: strings of lights, fragrant Southern flowers, grandma’s recipes on the pie bar, a beau tie bar with colorful bow ties, and the delightfully warm and carefree atmosphere that Southern weddings exude.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Jessica Lynn Hatton Photography
Category: Photography
Where you call home: Lexington, KY
Favorite part of a wedding day? My favorite part of the wedding day is listening to the vows and watching the newlyweds walk down the aisle after they are married and seeing their heavenly smiles.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Justin DeMutiis Photography
Category: Photography
Where you call home: Tampa, Florida
How I got into weddings: I started in high school with a passion for nature and landscape photography and a desire to preserve the most beautiful scenes and moments in a faithful way. My health teacher was also a wedding photographer, and when she saw my passion for photography she took me under her wing and taught me about portraits and weddings!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Sarah Ntouskas of Make It Posh
Category: Event Planning and Design
Where you call home: Mechanicsville, VA
Favorite part of a wedding day? The father-daughter dance. It gets me every time. I am not a crier by nature and can stay dry through the most touching of vows, but it’s all waterworks during the dances. I can’t help but think one day that will be my husband with our girls.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Name: Anna Stouffer of Urban Petals
Category: Floral Design
Where you call home: Greenville, South Carolina
Favorite part of a wedding day? Giving a bride her bouquet, hands down! I absolutely love seeing her expression and often tears of joy!!

Check out all of our favorite vendors in the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory! If you would like to recommend someone (or nominate yourself!), please send me an email!

Written with love by Kristin

1 Comment

Joanne Frey May 7, 2016 reply

Have seen many ofGinger Cooks weddings and events! Absolutely flawless! Can’t say enough about her talent and attention to detail!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post. And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads. We love hearing your kind thoughts!

Lisa’s Southern Wedding: The Gents’ Attire

by Lisa in SW Weddings on October 8, 2014

We’ve talked about what the girls will wear at my wedding, and now, let’s talk about the gents! The nuances of menswear baffle me, but thankfully, Dave has sharp style and super high standards, so I’ve been more than happy to leave this wedding planning ball primarily in his GQ-educated court.

When Dave and I started discussing what he and his groomsmen (consisting of my brother, his two brothers, two college friends, two high school friends, and one childhood friend–quite a group!) will wear, we quickly agreed on about what color they’d be in: navy. I’ve been secretive about our color palette so far, but navy is indeed playing a big role, and the gents’ attire is the perfect place to bring that shade into our wedding day fashion! Here are a few of the inspiration images we rounded up:

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Clockwise from top: Ashley Seawell via Southern Weddings, Rylee Hitchner via Once Wed, Michael Radford via Grey Likes Weddings, Brea McDonald via Grey Likes Weddings, Eric Boneske via Southern Weddings, Jose Villa via Once Wed

We briefly considered going the custom route to ensure perfect fits (I love Knot Standard for affordable custom suiting), but even with some reasonable prices that we found, it still felt like too much to ask of people who need to travel to our wedding. Dave also really wanted to stay away from rentals so that everyone could invest in pieces they’ll love and wear for years. On a spontaneous trip to J. Crew a few weeks ago, we fell in love with the Ludlow suit in deep navy–it fit Dave perfectly! In an effort to keep the costs down for each of the groomsmen, we decided that Dave and both of our dads will be the only ones in full suits. I love the two images below, and hope our gents end up looking something like them!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Top: Ryan Ray, bottom: Kaytee Lauren via Southern Weddings

To finish off the look, the gents will be in white shirts, brown leather belts, brown shoes, and ties–I know, a little surprising that we aren’t going with bow ties! Rest assured, there will plenty of other “Southern thangs” present :) As easy as choosing the rest of the menswear has been, Dave and I are stuck on ties…so we’d love your thoughts! Here are our options:

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Weigh in on your favorite in the comments–we’d love your help making this decision!

In case you missed a post…
I’m Engaged! / The Main Characters / Our Venues / Our Photographer / Our Videographer / Planning Our Engagement Pictures / Our Flowers / Bridesmaid Style / Our Save the Dates

Written with love by Lisa

lena October 8, 2014 reply

Love the look, and the gingham ties!
Ashley Relvas October 8, 2014 reply

Love tie bar and this look! Always a big fan of gingham ties :)
Kristin October 8, 2014 reply

Gah! They are all gorgeous. I think I vote for those sharp looking gingham ties but I don’t think you can go wrong!! xo.
Dana October 8, 2014 reply

seersucker <3 they are going to look so fresh!
Morgan October 8, 2014 reply

The gray seersucker is my top choice! You can’t go wrong with these options!
Stephanie October 8, 2014 reply

I absolutely love the overall look and feel you’re going for! My favorite is the blue gingham, but you can’t go wrong with any of these.
Jessica Leighanne October 8, 2014 reply

I’m really loving tie #1! I love that it has so much texture, while still being a solid. And I think the color would look wonderful with the navy.
Robyn Van Dyke October 8, 2014 reply

I love the navy gingham, #3!! :)
Laura October 13, 2014 reply

I’m partial to the gingham and I think that will fit in perfectly at your venue.

Southern Etiquette: What to Wear When?

by Emily in Expert Advice, Fashion and Style, Main, Southern Etiquette on February 15, 2011

Lori’s question from last week (about what to wear with bridesmaid dresses) started Katharine’s and my wheels turning about all of the different options out there for wedding day attire.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

In this day and age (which makes me sound like a grandmother, but oh well!), there are SO many options, from super formal to just-rolled-out-of-bed casual.

With all these options, we thought it might be nice to do a brief overview of the many possibilities. (Okay, we won’t be covering just-rolled-out-of-bed. But you know what I mean!) You can use our guide to heed sartorial etiquette, or to gain general awareness of which rules you’re breaking :) Let’s begin!

The most formal option for daytime wear (anytime before 6pm) is a black or Oxford gray cutaway coat, black or gray striped trousers, a pearl gray waistcoat, stiff white shirt, stiff fold-down collar with gray-and-black striped four-in-hand tie or wing collar with ascot, gray gloves, black silk socks, and black kid shoes. Whew! This is NOT a common look for weddings today, but we did manage to turn up a few examples:

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Image credit: Jen Huang. See more from this wedding here!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

The most formal option for traditional evening attire consists of a black tailcoat and trousers, a white pique waistcoat, a starched-front shirt with a wing collar, a white bow tie, white gloves, black silk socks, black patent-leather shoes or pumps or black kid smooth-toed shoes. Tuxedos are also acceptable. Not as elusive as the formal daytime option, and more popular in the South than other regions of the country, but still fairly rare.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

For a semiformal daytime wedding, the groom might wear a suit-style dark gray or black sack (straight-backed) coat, matching trousers, a soft or white pleated shirt, a four-in-hand tie, and black smooth-toed shoes. For all of you non-menswear experts, that’s basically your standard “nice suit.” A dove gray waistcoat was the traditional pairing with this look, but grooms are switching things up left and right these days. A very popular option!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

For a semiformal evening wedding, the attire options are split by seasons. For a winter wedding, a black or midnight blue tuxedo is most appropriate. Here, Katharine’s groom Kyle models the look with aplomb:

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

In the summer, a white dinner jacket and black cummerbund can be substituted.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

Either can be paired with a pleated or pique soft shirt with attached collar, a black cummerbund and black bow tie, and a pair of black patent-leather or kid shoes. No gloves.

For informal day or evening weddings, it really starts to get loose. Lighter-weight suits or jackets and trousers, white suits, seersucker suits, khaki suits, khakis and navy blazers, trousers and suspenders… the sartorial options are almost limitless. Just remember to keep whatever you do choose in good taste and in keeping with the ceremony and reception location and time of year.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin it

So, ladies: what will your men be wearing on the big day? Leave us a note in the comments!

Lastly, let’s have a big round of applause for Mr. Bryan Johnson! I turned to A Bryan Photo for the lion’s share of these images. If you’re ever looking for wedding inspiration (and great photography, of course), look no further than their galleries!

Written with love by Emily

24 Comments

Tags: bow ties, groom fashion, groomsmen fashion, Southern fashion, wedding day menswear

Elizabeth February 15, 2011 reply

I went to a 6:00 wedding once in the fall and the groomsmen wore black, but their shirts were off-white. It looked really handsome! I was thinking of doing the same for our fall wedding because my dress is more of an off-white too. It seems like an ok move, but I’ve only seen it that one time. Is that strange?
- Katharine February 15, 2011 reply
  
  Hi Elizabeth! If your dress is more ivory than true white, an off-white shirt for your groom could be a really nice complement, especially if you already love the look! Warmer tones are also a nice touch for a fall wedding. Just make sure the groomsmen also wear off-white shirts and that there aren’t too many other white-white details in the ceremony or reception. (Your pictures could look a little funny if there are different shades of white floating around.) Congratulations and happy planning!
Tweets that mention Southern Etiquette: What to Wear When? « Southern Weddings Magazine — Topsy.com February 15, 2011 reply

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Marissa Kloess and Katharine Waterman, Southern Weddings . Southern Weddings said: @EmilyAyer discusses what to wear and when in this week's Southern Etiquette + a special thanks to @ABryanPhoto! http://su.pr/22exSr […]
Natalie February 15, 2011 reply

My fiancee and I are getting married in a barn but we are still traditionalists and he wants to wear a tuxedo with the standard black tie. He chose his look and said he likes the classic look. Thank goodness I got a man who knows how to dress appropriately, ha. But I believe there is a lot of play with your attire on your big day because lets be honest it is YOUR day. You make the rules!
- Katharine February 15, 2011 reply
  
  Amen, Natalie! Tradition and formal etiquette are nice guidelines, especially if you’re undecided and looking for suggestions as you plan, but in the end the only rules you follow should be your own.
Erin February 15, 2011 reply

My fiance said he definitely wants to wear a tuxedo to our 5:30/6 (still undecided!) wedding in September 2012. Originally he was interested in a white tux jacket, but I said he’d look like a waiter…but now I’m changing my mind as it does look extremely handsome. My only concern is that our wedding is September 22, the first day of fall that year (but usually it’s still hot around that time in Northern Virginia)–does this mean a white tux jacket is out since it’s technically fall??
- Emily February 15, 2011 reply
  
  Hi, Erin! As Natalie said, it’s your wedding, so you make the rules! BUT, if you’re looking for etiquette guidance, I just checked Emily Post and she says tuxedos for winter and white jackets for summer. However, she doesn’t specify either for fall or spring. I’d take that to mean that you can use your discretion in choosing, which means that if you like the look of the white jacket, go for that! I can pretty much guarantee that your guests will NOT be horrified by the possible faux pas :)
- Erin February 15, 2011 reply
  
  Emily: Thanks so much for the response! It’s tough to find etiquette rules for seemingly ambiguous days/seasons/dates!
Lori February 15, 2011 reply

We are STILL deciding… Thanks for sharing more etiquette and options!
Jess February 15, 2011 reply

My fiance has requested to wear a collared, printed shirt, tie, gray vest, and nice designer jeans. We’re getting married on a deck in the woods with a picnic reception, so I think it’ll tie in perfectly with our wedding atmosphere.
- Emily February 15, 2011 reply
  
  Love it, Jess! (And Jess’s fiance!) Sounds perfect for your spot.
Lindsey Richards February 16, 2011 reply

Thanks so much for this post! My fiance and I are still deciding whether to go with the classic black tux or khakis with navy blazers. We’re having a traditional church wedding, but our reception is at a horse stable in VA. I feel like the navy blazer is more “him”, but at the same time this is the one day where he feels like he should definitely go all out in a formal tux. Our colors are navy, persimmon, and pewter, so navy blazers would look great in the big scheme of things. Too many options! What do you think?
- Emily February 17, 2011 reply
  
  Hi Lindsey! Katharine and I agree that the khaki and blazer combo sounds like the winner given your reception location and color palette. However, he’s the groom, so if he’s always wanted to wear a tux, he should go for it! And remember: as the groom in a tux, he’ll never stick out in a bad way.
Jennifer February 21, 2011 reply

We are getting married outside in May at the home of the groom’s parents which sits on a small lake in Perry, Georgia. We want to have the guys wear gray seersucker, but our problem is we can’t figure out the right shoes. White bucks would be traditional, but they are pricey and not everyone owns a pair.
erin March 3, 2011 reply

Hi, thanks for the post on men’s wedding attire! Our wedding is coming up very soon… it’s in the beginning of April, eeks!! It will be just outside of Chapel Hill , NC, with an outside ceremony (weather permitting) and barn reception. The groomsmen are all wearing charcoal gray suits. My fiance bought monogrammed light blue shirts as a gift for each of the groomsmen and we also picked them each out a different patterned tie in the same shade of green. My fiance will be wearing a charcoal gray suit with chalk stripes, a white shirt and another different green tie. I do have a question for y’all though… My dad is wearing a navy suit but he would really like to wear a bow tie. I think it’s a great idea and offered to find it for him… but now I can’t find one! Anyone have any ideas about where to find nice bow ties, preferably online? I am looking for a patterned bow tie in a moss green shade. Thank you!!
- Emily March 4, 2011 reply
  
  Hi Erin! Of course I have a few suggestions! :) For patterned bowties, I love Forage (http://www.forage.bigcartel.com/). The Tie Bar (www.thetiebar.com) has lots of nice simple patterns in a nice price range. Southern Proper or Vineyard Vines are great for a preppy look. And lastly, Pierrepont Hicks has some AMAZING styles right now — LOVE! (http://www.pierreponthicks-shop.com/category/bows). I hope that helps!!
Kyla June 4, 2011 reply

I am curious about a patchwork madras sports coat. I am from SC and it can be incredibly hot sometimes into October. My fiance asked if he could wear his favorite patchwork madras sports coat to our wedding. I think it looks quite nice on him and would work with a navy and yellow theme but I was planning on an October wedding. I hate being restrictive about what choices he has to make in the wedding but also don’t wanna change everything because his outfit of choice isn’t seasonally appropriate. I can’t really find any material online stating that at some point madras is not allowed but I have always thought of it like seersucker and wouldn’t think you could wear it after Labor Day. Any thoughts? Our wedding is going to be outside so summer would be unbearable! :) Thanks!
- Emily June 7, 2011 reply
  
  Hi Kyla! If there is a rule about madras (which I’m not entirely sure there is…), you’re right, it’s probably a “faux pas” to wear it after Labor Day. But I think the sportscoat option sounds lovely, and if it’s what your fiance wants to wear and you’re okay with it, then go for it! It’s so much hotter in the South than other parts of the country, anyway, that it almost seems like the Labor Day rule should become the Columbus Day rule :) Congratulations and happy planning!
Caroline Davidson August 7, 2012 reply

Hi Emily!
My fiance will be wearing a black tux (with a bow tie and suspenders) to our wedding and I want to wear my old boots with my formal dress. The ceremony will be in my hometown church.Is it appropriate for me and my bridesmaids to wear our boots or should we change into them for the reception? I also wonder if that would mean the men would have to wear black boots to match us? Thanks in advance! Your etiquette posts are just lovely!
- Emily August 8, 2012 reply
  
  Hi Caroline! Love that look! (That’s what John is wearing, as well!) Between the tux and the church, I would say you should change into your boots post-ceremony. I do not, however, think that the men need to wear black boots to match! Best of luck with your plans!
Jennifer April 4, 2013 reply

How faux pas it it to wear seersucker in late Feb on the beach as the groom?
charlotte January 12, 2014 reply

Is it appropriate to for men to wear tux with white dinner jacket for a 6 pm wedding in March?
- Emily January 13, 2014 reply
  
  I would say yes!
Meghan June 16, 2017 reply

Our bridesmaids are wearing long black dresses for a ski lodge wedding on September 15. My fiancé would prefer to wear a classic black tux, and originally we had planned to have the groomsmen in black tuxes as well. My seamstress suggested breaking up the black in the party by having the groomsmen wear white dinner jackets (and the groom keep his black tux). My photographer expressed concern that it will look off balance during the ceremony. I can only find photos of either all of the guys in white dinner jackets OR the groomsmen in black tuxes with the groom in a white dinner jacket. I think the groomsmen in white could look sharp, but I’m nervous bc I can’t find where this has been done before! Help! Advice? Thank you!!