There isn't one wedding suit that's right for everyone. The best choice depends on your wedding style and dress code, the season, the fit you prefer and, ultimately, how you want to look and feel on the day.
Whether you're shopping for your own outfit or choosing wedding suits for the groom and groomsmen, it helps to know what to look for before you start trying things on. From choosing between a two-piece and three-piece suit to finding the right fit, planning for alterations and coordinating the wedding party, a little preparation can make wedding suit shopping much easier.
We've put together the key things to consider when choosing a wedding suit, with expert advice from Slater Menswear, who offer wedding suits, hirewear and accessories in stores across the UK.
What Should You Consider When Choosing a Wedding Suit?
Before deciding on a particular colour or style, think about the wedding you're dressing for and what you need from your suit.
Start with:
- Your venue and dress code: A black-tie celebration, traditional church ceremony and relaxed outdoor wedding may each call for a different approach.
- The season: Think about how warm or cool you're likely to be throughout the day and choose your fabric accordingly.
- Your personal style: Your wedding is a chance to dress up, but you should still recognise yourself when you look in the mirror.
- Comfort: You'll wear your suit through the ceremony, photographs, wedding breakfast and potentially several hours on the dance floor.
- Your budget: Factor in your shirt, shoes and accessories as well as any alterations that may be needed.
- Your wedding party: If several people need suits, consider different sizes, fits and availability before committing to one style.
It's also worth deciding how formal you want to feel. A wedding doesn't automatically require the most traditional option available. The right choice is one that suits both the occasion and the person wearing it.
If you're still deciding between different types of wedding attire, our Ultimate Guide to Menswear for Weddings explains the options in more detail, including lounge suits, morning dress, tuxedos and accessories.
Two-Piece vs Three-Piece Wedding Suit: Which Should You Choose?
A two-piece wedding suit consists of a jacket and matching trousers, while a three-piece wedding suit adds a waistcoat.
A two-piece suit can be a good choice for a relaxed or contemporary wedding and may feel more comfortable in warmer weather. Choosing a versatile style can also make it easier to wear your suit again for other occasions after the wedding.
A three-piece wedding suit creates a more formal, traditional look. The waistcoat also gives you another way to introduce colour, pattern or texture without changing the entire suit.
There's a practical reason three-piece suits are popular for weddings too. When jackets inevitably come off later in the day, the waistcoat keeps the outfit looking smart for the wedding breakfast, photographs and evening celebrations.
Think about the formality of your wedding, the weather and how you prefer to dress rather than assuming a wedding automatically calls for three pieces.
How Should a Wedding Suit Fit?
A wedding suit should sit neatly on your body without feeling restrictive. You should be able to stand, sit and move comfortably while the jacket, trousers and waistcoat, if you're wearing one, maintain their shape.
The shoulders are a particularly important place to start. Your jacket should sit cleanly across them without obvious pulling, bunching or dents.
When the jacket is buttoned, the fabric should follow your shape without straining across your chest or waist. The sleeves should also allow a small amount of your shirt cuff to show.
Your trousers should sit comfortably at your waist and fall neatly over your wedding shoes. If you're wearing a waistcoat, it should sit close to your body without pulling and should cover the waistband of your trousers.
Don't become too focused on the size written on the label. Different cuts and styles can fit differently, so trying more than one option is often the best way to work out what suits you.
Alterations can make a significant difference too. Slater Menswear offers free alterations on eligible tailoring purchased from Slaters, including selected adjustments to suit jackets, waistcoats and trousers. Eligible tailoring bought online can be taken into a Slaters store for alterations.
What Should You Look for When Trying On a Wedding Suit?
Don't judge a wedding suit by standing still in front of a fitting-room mirror. You'll spend much of your wedding day doing anything but standing perfectly straight.
You'll sit during parts of the ceremony and wedding breakfast, greet guests, pose for photographs, hug people and hopefully spend plenty of time on the dance floor. A suit needs to work for all of it.
When trying one on, use this quick wedding suit fitting checklist:
- Check the shoulders: Does the jacket sit smoothly without pulling or bunching?
- Button the jacket: Can you fasten it comfortably without the fabric straining?
- Sit down: Do the jacket and trousers still feel comfortable when seated?
- Move your arms: Can you move naturally without feeling restricted?
- Check the waistcoat: Does it sit neatly and cover the waistband of your trousers?
- Look at the trouser length: Check this with shoes similar to those you'll wear on the wedding day.
- Look from every angle: Check the front, side and back rather than relying on the front view alone.
- Take a photograph: Wedding photographs will capture you from every angle, and a quick phone photo can sometimes reveal fit issues that aren't obvious in the mirror.
Try to bring or wear a shirt and shoes similar to your wedding-day choices. This gives you a much more realistic idea of the finished proportions.
And don't ignore how the suit feels. If you're already desperate to take the jacket off after five minutes in the fitting room, it's unlikely to become more comfortable after several hours of celebrating.
When Should You Buy and Get Fitted for Your Wedding Suit?
Aim to start wedding suit shopping several months before the wedding rather than leaving it until the final few weeks.
The exact timeline will depend on what you're buying, whether alterations are needed and how many people you're dressing.
Slater Menswear recommends visiting at least 12 weeks before your wedding when arranging wedding suits through its stores. This gives the team time to measure members of the wedding party, check availability across the sizes required and complete any necessary alterations.
For a larger wedding party, starting early is particularly useful. Groomsmen may live in different parts of the country, work different schedules or need different adjustments, so organising everybody can take longer than expected.
Once alterations have been completed, try the full outfit on again before the wedding. It's much better to discover that something needs attention with time to fix it than on the morning of the ceremony.
How Do You Choose a Wedding Suit Colour?
Your wedding suit doesn't have to match your wedding colour scheme exactly. Instead, look for a shade that works comfortably alongside the rest of your styling and suits the setting and season.
Navy, blue, grey and black are versatile choices, while green, brown, stone, beige and lighter blues can offer a more contemporary look.
For spring and summer weddings, lighter blues and neutral shades can work particularly well. Deeper greens, browns, navy and charcoal can feel at home at autumn and winter celebrations, although there are no rules saying particular colours can only be worn at certain times of year.
Your venue may influence your decision too. A relaxed countryside celebration can lend itself to different colours and textures from an evening wedding with a formal dress code.
Rather than trying to match the suit itself to the bridesmaids' dresses, flowers or décor, you can use a tie, pocket square, waistcoat or buttonhole to bring a smaller amount of your wedding palette into the outfit.
How to Choose Wedding Suits for the Groom and Groomsmen
Choosing wedding suits for the groom and groomsmen isn't simply a case of finding one outfit and ordering it several times.
People have different heights, builds and preferences, so think about the wedding party as a whole before settling on a particular style or fit. It's especially important to check that your chosen suit is available in all the sizes you need.
You also need to decide whether you want everyone to match exactly or simply look coordinated.
Matching suits can create a very cohesive look, but coordinating outfits give you more flexibility. You might use the same colour family across the group, for example, while changing particular elements to distinguish the groom.
If members of the wedding party live in different parts of the UK, think about fittings and alterations early too. Having a clear plan for who needs to be measured, where and by when can prevent a last-minute scramble.
When wedding parties purchase suits through Slater Menswear stores, the team can measure those attending and check availability of the chosen style across the sizes required.
Should the Groom and Groomsmen Wear the Same Suit?
The groom and groomsmen can wear the same wedding suit, but they don't have to.
If you'd like the groom to stand out while keeping the group coordinated, relatively small differences can be effective. The groom could wear:
- a different waistcoat
- a contrasting tie or bow tie
- a different pocket square
- a three-piece suit while the groomsmen wear two-piece suits
- a distinctive buttonhole
- a slightly different shade within the same colour family
Alternatively, everyone can wear exactly the same suit and the groom can be distinguished through one or two accessories.
There's no requirement for a wedding party to match perfectly. What matters visually is that the outfits feel considered together.
Choosing a Wedding Suit That Feels Right for You
Wedding tailoring isn't only for grooms and groomsmen. Brides and other members of the wedding party may also choose a suit, tuxedo or tailored separates if that's what they feel most comfortable wearing.
The same principles apply: think about the style you want, how formal you'd like to feel and the silhouette you're looking for rather than choosing an outfit simply because tradition says you're supposed to wear it.
Slater Menswear welcomes customers looking for suits for all types of weddings. Women interested in wearing a Slater suit are encouraged to visit a store and speak to an adviser about the look they'd like to achieve.
Not every suit can be altered to create a feminine silhouette, and what is possible will depend on the particular garment, the individual and the desired look. Speaking to the team in person means they can advise on suitable styles and what alterations may be possible before you make your choice.
Ultimately, your wedding outfit should feel like yours. Whether that's a traditional three-piece suit, contemporary two-piece or another style of tailoring, feeling comfortable in what you're wearing matters more than following a rule about what wedding attire is supposed to look like.
Find Your Wedding Suit With Slater Menswear
Once you have an idea of the fit and style you're looking for, it's time to start trying suits on.
Slater Menswear offers two-piece and three-piece wedding suits alongside shirts, shoes, ties and other accessories, with 27 stores across the UK. For those considering more traditional formalwear, Slaters also offers hire options including morning suits, tuxedos and Highlandwear.
You don't need to make an appointment to shop for wedding suits in a Slater Menswear store. You can visit a branch and speak to the team about your wedding, the style you're considering, how many people you're dressing and any fitting requirements.
Slaters also offers free alterations on eligible tailoring purchased from the company, whether you're shopping for one wedding suit or coordinating outfits for a larger wedding party.
It helps to start shopping with an idea of what you want, but keep an open mind once you begin trying things on. A colour, cut or style you hadn't initially considered may turn out to be the one that feels right.
The best wedding suit isn't necessarily the most expensive, the most traditional or the one that's currently trending. It's the one that suits your wedding, fits properly and makes you feel ready for one of the biggest days of your life.