Suit Or Casual?

The suit is no-doubt the cornerstone of men’s wedding fashion. As a general guideline, if you’re in the wedding party, you’re going to wear a tuxedo. If you’re just a guest, you’ll be fine in a suit.

Having said that, beach weddings in Thailand usually call for more casual attire. The midday sun and beach atmosphere often has couples choosing to marry during the late afternoon or early evening, in less formal wedding attire.

This often spells good news for the groom, and other men in the wedding party, who may be able to loose the tie and don a comfortable blazer. Or perhaps shed all traditional western traditions to dress in light cotton shirts and ¾-length pants. Tailor-made Thai silk or light cotton suits are also a popular choice for the men of the wedding party, especially when wanting to embrace an air of formality.

If its all about the tux’, or a formal suit, no matter where the wedding location, there are some general rules you can follow to make sure everyone from the groom to the guests are wearing the correct attire.

• Black tie only – This is a formal wedding and you’ll need a basic tuxedo — even if you’re just a guest. Go with a black jacket with satin or grosgrain lapels, trousers (usually with a silken stripe down the side), a bow tie, and a cummerbund.
• White tie/full evening dress – Traditionally, this is a tux with tails, a top hat, an overcoat, a cane, and of course, a white tie. It’s the sort of thing Fred Astaire is known for wearing, and while it’s increasingly rare for weddings, this type of getup will sometimes be required.
• Black tie preferred – If you’re in the wedding party, be prepared to wear a white dinner jacket (in spring/summer) or a tux. If you’re just a wedding guest, a black or charcoal-colored suit is just fine.
• Black tie optional – This fashion style usually pops up on invites for daytime weddings. While party members may be wearing English day coats/suits, you’ll look sharp wearing a cotton, tweed or linen suit in an earthy color or a classic dark color.

Wedding Colors

As the groom you’ll have a hand in choosing the wedding attire. It may be that you have always dreamed of a fully-fledged church wedding, or you may opt for the less casual approach.

Whatever the case, the dress theme of the wedding must be a mutually decided concept possible for the whole wedding party and all the guests to follow easily. This also applies to your color scheme.

For example, if you’re planning a typically Buddhist wedding, there are many colors that couple be appropriate. If you moving away from traditional black and white, you’ll want to let your guests know in the invitation.

If you are having a beach wedding in Thailand and light cotton is your fabric of choice, you could even supply your guests with the appropriate attire.

As a guest your dress code should be outlined, but, if you have left everything till the last minute; the wedding invitation doesn’t outline a specific dress code, and you simply have to guess; looking at the type of invitation will usually help you. Of course its always better to double check, but here’s a pretty good rule-of-thumb:

• If the invitation is crafted in calligraphy on a thick, cream-colored paper, then formal dress will be your best possible wedding attire.
• If the invitation looks quirky, with a funny stamp, graphic, or comic wording, then casual should be ok.

Accessories

It would be a shame to ruin your wedding suit by wearing inappropriate accessories. If you’re attending a more formal wedding, here’s some guidelines:

• Ties – Tying your own tie is just as important as making the right choice of color and style. This means no clip-ons or ready-made bow ties. Speaking of which, a silk or satin bow tie in black with a cummerbund is the classic tux option, but a worthy alternative is a solid black tie and vest.
• Belts – Your belt should be thin, black and shiny. But for tuxes and formal wear, belts are unnecessary, as a cummerbund, waistcoat and suspenders (or some combination of the three) are the preferred option.
• Cufflinks – If you’re in the wedding party, cufflinks should be pearl or silver for daytime weddings, and black or gold for evening events.
• Shoes – Black, plain-toe oxfords are the standard (although browns can be worn during the day). Avoid wing tips, or the sort of shoe you might wear to the office.

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