With today's relaxed dress codes men are no longer required to wear a particular style of suit at a particular time of day or at any particular style of wedding. In saying that, the morning suit or dinner suit would look out of place at a beach barbecue or casual separates off-skew at a formal dinner and dance.
Stylish morning suits are once again showing strongly, thanks to the surge of interest in all things royal and the choices made by well-known sportsmen over the past couple of years.
Once again slimline three-piece suits that can be worn as a two-piece or teamed with a waistcoat or vest, are hot favourites.
These can be of matching cloth or in contrasting fabrics. Check the fabulous colour range of ties and vests, ideal if couples are seeking similar tones for their attendants.
Brocade and metallic options add glamour.
One-button styles remain high on the list, as do two-button designs. Most jackets are double vented and flat-fronted.
To add a bit of ``star'' quality, the groom can wear a different suit from his attendants and a white tie rather than a coloured option. Many grooms purchase their suits or have them custom-made by a tailor, treating them as an investment, while their attendants hire matching suits.
Remember that a suit can be dressed up or made more casual by the choice of tie or vest or whether the call is for an open-necked shirt. For more casual summer weddings jackets are discarded in favour of vests.
And don't forget the dashing kilt, which will always have a strong following in New Zealand.
GAY WEDDINGS
Gay couples have a great range of options to celebrate their marriage. Many will wear the same style of suit but maybe in different tones. Others will decide on totally different suit styles, shirts and accessories.
Again what they wear depends on the type of wedding. If it is a relaxed barbecue or beach affair dressy chinos and casual overshirts are a smart option. Kilts are another, particularly if the couple have different clan heritages.
TIP: It's always a sound idea for the partner to help with the sorting out of wedding-day threads, especially if there is a colour theme.
