While the bride is clearly the star of a wedding, with many, many days, weeks or months dedicated to the search for “THE dress,” grooms are now starting to up their fashion factor. Plain black tuxes are out and new accessories, colors, and styles are in. Read on to learn about the top five tuxedo trends for weddings in 2010.
Long Ties are the New Bow Ties
The classic look of bow ties with tuxedo suits is being seen less and less in favor of long ties, with vests instead of cummerbunds. Many see the bow tie as “cheesy,” and long ties offer a more modern look. Paired with a vest, this look offers more color in a subtle, understated way. Many tuxedo shops now offer a wide range of colored and patterned vests and long ties so you can find a perfect look for both the groomsmen and the groom that complement the bridesmaids, as well as the overall wedding theme.
Accessorize with Personalized Groomsmen’s Gifts
This trend solves one of the biggest issues many grooms face: what to get for the groomsmen’s gifts? Well, if your groomsmen all wear suits at work or for business, a great idea is personalized cufflinks that they can wear with their tuxedo and later on with their own men’s suits. For the tech lover in your group, you can find computer key cufflinks and even iPhone cufflinks. For the music lover in your group, there are guitar cufflinks, music notes or old school 45 record cufflinks. Whatever you choose, your groomsmen will appreciate a gift that they can use apart from the wedding, and they will also appreciate the thought that you put into choosing each of their unique sets of cufflinks. These cool and trendy cufflinks also give a subtle and distinctive twist on the classic “groomsmen look.” If you are having a more casual, outdoor wedding, consider giving all of your groomsmen a nice pair of sunglasses. Not only will they protect their eyes, but your whole wedding party will look cool as cucumbers.
Butch Boutonnieres
Another idea for giving each groomsman their own accessory is special boutonnieres for each one. Matching is outdated. Instead, choose a special flower for each man’s boutonniere. You can even coordinate each individual’s boutonniere with the bouquet of the bridesmaid he will be walking with. If this seems like too much work, or you still want everyone to have matching boutonnieres, try making the boutonnieres a little more manly with herbs or leaves instead of flowers. If you’re on a budget, you can make your own boutonnieres out of crafty elements like buttons, wire, or ribbon in colors that complement your wedding theme.
Make it a Family Affair
Most fathers and grandfathers of grooms don’t play a role in the wedding ceremony. A great new trend in weddings is recognizing special male family members by getting them tuxedo suits that either match the groom or the groomsmen (or both). If you’d rather have a clear distinction between the groomsmen and your family members, have your father, grandfather, uncle, etc. wear a classic tuxedo with no vest while your groomsmen wear more modern tuxedos with vests, or have them wear different colored vests. For instance, if your wedding colors were silver and purple, you could have the groomsmen wear tuxedos with purple vests, and your male family members wear tuxedos with silver vests. They will feel that they are being recognized as important guests at the wedding while still remaining distinguished from the wedding party.
Don’t Be Afraid to Go Casual
If you’re having a day wedding, outdoor wedding or a more casual wedding (read: backyard affair), don’t be afraid to go tuxedo free. Instead of formal tuxedos, dress the guys in regular men’s suits with something the same in all their outfits like matching ties, pocket squares or boutonnieres. If you’re having an economy wedding and are looking to save money, have all the groomsmen wear black or gray pants that they already own and simply buy matching blazers. This not only saves money, but gives a unique look to your wedding party.
Don’t let the bride have all the fun dressing up for a wedding – let the groom dress up too. Follow these new tuxedo trends, and have a great wedding!
