Three Avoidable Groomsmen Suit Mishaps

The outdated adage, “boys will be boys,” while seriously flawed, can also, in very specific circumstances, be accurate. With a wedding party, there are usually four to eight (maybe more) groomsmen. That’s four to eight chances for boys to be boys. Someone will be lazy or forgetful or drink too much or have a complete lack of style. At least one of them may be the groom’s drinking buddy from college. Enough said.

It’ll be up to the groom and any responsible groomsmen to keep the boys in check during the wedding. Remember: on your wedding day, there are no do-overs. Everything has to be perfect. Including, but not limited to, the suits.

Avoid these fashion and wedding faux pas to ensure everyone arrives in one piece looking their best.

1. Last-minute pickup

Weddings are crazy. Your groomsmen need to be prepared well in advance to handle the day-of like a pro. Here are a couple of scenarios, one of which represents a solution that will considerably lessen the bride’s pre-wedding stress level.

Option One

Two months before the wedding, you order your wedding party outfits from a rental shop. After a trip to the rental store for uncomfortable fittings, you’re pretty sure they got everyone’s sizes right and ordered all the pieces you need. The suits will be ready for pick-up the day before the wedding. Plenty of time. Right?

The day of the wedding rehearsal come and some of your groomsmen are running late. They have to be there at 6:00 pm. Heavy traffic means they’ll get there by 7:00 at the earliest. The problem is, they had to pick up their tuxes first, only to find the store already closed. It opens tomorrow at 10:00 am. Wedding day festivities start at noon.

They get to the store by 10:00 on day of the wedding and head back to get dressed. That’s when the trouble begins. Everyone is praying that everything goes smoothly because now there is no room for error. Someone’s pants are two inches too short. Another is missing his tie. You’re toast.

They race back to the shop. The salesperson gives them a tie they “think is close enough,” but there’s nothing they can do about the pants in the 20 minutes you have.

So you return, take pictures. The wedding is romantic, the bride beautiful, the reception a blast. But someone’s pants are two inches too short and another’s tie is a shade darker than everyone else’s. It’s fine. It worked out. The bride hardly noticed.

Until she looks at her permanent wedding photos a month later and tears the groom (who was mostly innocent) completely to shreds.

Option Two

The bride and groom leave explicit instructions with your rental company. They know exactly what everyone needs, every piece of the ensemble and all the right colors. All the groomsmen have to do is order. No big deal. Easy as pie.

The guys send in their measurements and a few months later a box shows up on their doorsteps. They didn’t even realize they were coming today, two weeks before their best bud’s wedding.

They try everything on that day. All the suits and tuxes fit just right. Uh-oh, someone finds out his pants are two inches short. Okay, regroup. The rental company says no big deal and sends you a new pair in a matter of days.

The day of the wedding comes and everyone looks great.

If you chose option two as the better way to go, then you’re well on your way to looking great for this wedding. Getting your suit early is clearly your best bet; the way that best avoids disaster.

2. Wrong fit

Size matters when it comes to suits. Too often if you get a suit from a department store or from a rental shop, you’ll end up with a standard-sized suit that just doesn’t fit quite right. Maybe the chest of the jacket is fine, but the sleeves cover your shirt cuffs. Or the waist of your pants is perfect, but the inseam is too tight. Whatever the case may be, the best way to avoid the wrong fit is making sure you’re getting fit properly by a trusted expert in menswear. Not sure the difference between a perfect and horrible fit? Here’s a guide to help you out.

Not just size, but the material also matters when it comes to the fit of a suit. Polyester blends might be cheaper, but they don’t feel or fit as great as a 100% wool suit. Spending those few extra bucks really makes a difference. Going with wool is not only a great option for comfort, but it also fits so much better. No bunchy suits will show up in the wedding photos if we can help it.

3. Someone is Clueless

It’s hard making sure everyone gets every instruction exactly right. Especially when it’s not always as simple as “one, two, three.” Colors and styles are up to the bride and groom, of course, but a lot can go wrong between the choosing of suits and the day of the wedding. You’d think that men were born knowing how to wear a suit or tuxedo, but you’d be wrong. It takes a little extra thought to pull it off to perfection.

To make sure everything goes off without a hitch, Generation Tux allows you to set the whole outfit, tip to tail, so there’s no guesswork for your groomsmen. If they still need a little extra help, here’s a comprehensive list of every suit and tuxedo style tip you might need.

You also get full visibility into the progress of your groomsmen’s orders with our event dashboard and status update emails. Really, this is great practice if you ever decide to become parents. Maybe there’s an app that lets you see if your kid’s brushed their teeth?

If style-savvy and completely trustworthy groomsmen aren’t an option, you want to make sure everything is as simple as possible. Leave no room for error. They can do this. Your wedding will be perfect.

With Generation Tux, the wedding party will receive their outfits two weeks prior to your event—no last minute pickups and try-ons. If anything doesn’t fit to your liking, send it back within 48 hours of delivery and we’ll make it right. We’ll guide everyone through the entire process from fitting to placing their order. Plus, we’ll give you full visibility into their process with our event dashboard. No more stressing about your groomsmen. We have you covered. Get started today by building your look.