ASK THE EXPERTS
Advice from the best in the UAE.
Q I would like to get myself a suit. How can I add elements of my bride’s dress in my suit to match on the day when we enter as a couple?
A It has always been quite tricky for gentlemen to have a wedding suit that looks different than a work suit. Equally challenging has been the fact of making the groom’s suit blend in with the bride’s wedding dress on the day. Fortunately there are ways to have them complementing each other rather than it being completely divergent.
Increasingly grooms are opting to wear three-piece suits for their wedding. This is keeping in line the classical tradition alive and the formality of the occasion.
It also ensures the groom looks slightly different from the sea of other men attending as guests who could be wearing their usual two-piece suits. It is also quite common for the groom to go for a different colour for the waistcoat that contrasts with the colour of his wedding suit jacket and trousers.
The waist coat colour in this case could be one that coordinates with the colour of the bride’s dress. This showcases the oneness of the couple with elements of her outfit incorporated into his.
With even more subtlety and panache if enough extra fabric is left over from the bride’s dress and if it is of a permissible material, it can be used as the lining material for the groom’s suit. Even though it would be quite discreet, glimpses of it being inside could be seen when the gentleman walks in his suit once the button of the jacket is relaxed.
The suit jacket of the groom could have elements of colour that could be coordinated well with the bride’s dress. The first buttonhole of the sleeve from the bottom in the jacket could be matched to the colour of the bride’s dress. This could be accompanied with it being matched to the colour of the lapel hole in the coat where the flower or boutonnière would be placed.
Accessories in a gentleman’s suit can play a huge part in complementing the entire outfit with the brides dress. In a formal suit, the tie can lend that support with it matching the colour of the bride’s dress.
Alternatively, elements of the colour in the bride’s dress can be had as the colour of a motif or patterns on the tie. If the groom decides to wear a tie to match the theme colour of the wedding, then the pocket square can be used effectively to complement the bride’s wedding dress. There are times when braces or suspenders add an extra layer of formality to the suit apart from being a more classical way of holding the trousers in place than a belt. The colour of the braces if worn should be matched with the bride’s dress colour to maintain that uniformity in look when walking in together as a couple.
In a wedding, the aesthetic of thoughtfully pairing details of the groom’s attire with the bride’s dress remains completely unmatched solely because they are the focal point of attention on the day.