Tips for Grooms:
Groom's Suit Tips
From Mickey Lambert
Wedding magazines always focus on the bride's dress, but make sure you don't forget to think about the groom's suit as well! After all, an uncomfortable man in an ill-fitting ensemble doesn't make for happy memories, or good wedding pictures.
MAKE SURE IT FITS.
Do you really want to remember your wedding day as the one where you split your pants doing the Electric Slide? I didn't think so.
To avoid this embarrassing scenario, make sure you try on everything a week before the wedding, to see if it still fits. That way, in case you're sporting a new pair of highwaters or you feel like you're wearing a straitjacket, there's plenty of time for last-minute alterations.
Another part of ensuring a good fit is getting it right the first time. Make sure you get measured for your waist size, inseam (the length between the crotch of your pants and the bottom of the leg), and jacket size. Make sure that you are measured around the upper arms and thighs as well, especially if you are a beefy or muscular guy.
More fit facts:
Your suit jacket should fit well and give you a full range of motion, both buttoned and unbuttoned. Remember that you will be dancing, hugging, and shaking hands. Make sure you are not constricted.
You should be able to fit one finger between the collar of your shirt and your neck, but no more than that. The shirt cuffs should not ride up when you stretch your arms. If you are wearing a button-cuff shirt, the cuffs should break exactly at the wrist; if it's a French-cuff shirt, the cuffs should break about 1/2 inch further.
Your vest should button comfortably and hit just below the waistband of your pants. If you are wearing a vest to a summer wedding, make sure it has a full back, so that you are still looking good when the jackets inevitably come off.
Pants should break over the instep, about 1/3 of the way down the shoe.
DRESS RIGHT FOR YOUR BODY TYPE.
You want to look dashing and debonair in your duds, not like a kid getting swallowed up in his dad's sportcoat. If you're a shorter guy, stick to single-breasted jackets – double-breasted jackets will give you that drowning-in-fabric look and make you appear smaller. If you're bigger around the middle, wear a lower-buttoning jacket rather than one with a higher placket. It will give you the long silhouette you're looking for.
STAY COMFORTABLE.
While this is a formal occasion, you need not spend your honeymoon nursing the blisters from your shoes, or spend a July wedding sweltering under heavy wool. Make sure you can walk around in your shoes, and pick a fabric for your wedding suit that matches the season and the climate. If you're a guy who sweats easily, consider getting a second shirt to change into halfway through the day. That way, you'll stay looking crisp and cool.
KEEP IT TASTEFUL.
Today's formally dressed man shies away from the frills in favor of a more tailored, classic look. You're going for Cary Grant in An Affair to Remember, not Tom Hanks in Big. With that said, you have plenty of opportunities to express yourself in your choice of suit. Depending on the level of formality and time of day of your wedding, you have a wide range of options. If you're having a formal daytime wedding, you may want to forego the standard tux for a dapper morning suit, with a cutaway jacket, gray pinstripe trousers, and an ascot. Or, if you're getting married in the summer, you could opt for a white dinner jacket instead of a standard black jacket. Let your formalwear dealer know what season and time of day you'll be getting married, and they'll likely offer you more choices than you even knew you had.
What Should The Groom Mention If He Gives A Toast?
Peter Post is a director of the Emily Post Institute and author of the New York Times bestseller Essential Manners for Men: What to Do, When to Do It and WHY, and Essential Manners for Couples.
Giving a toast has been known to leave otherwise manly men quaking in their patent leather shoes. So, if your bride-to-be tells you that a toast will be in order at the wedding, don’t try to wing it -- you’ll fail. Instead, plan ahead and you’ll shine like a star.
Juggling a microphone and talking in front of groups can be a daunting task. Add to it the adrenaline rush of your wedding day( and maybe a few glasses of champagne), and you could have a formula for disaster. So, take some time by yourself several days before your wedding, and jot down a few notes about what you want to say. Then, keep that piece of paper with you. Memorize it, or when it’s time for your toast take it out and use it to help you make the best toast ever.
Most important? Keep it short. Short is good. Long is deadly. Start by thanking everybody for coming. (You can even mention the people who came furthest by name -- a nice little tribute to them for their effort.) Then, thank her parents, and tell them how happy you are to be part of their family now. You should also thank your parents for all that they’ve done for you. Finally, turn to your bride, look her right in the eye, and tell her how proud you are to be her husband, how happy you are on this very special day, and how much you love her. That’s it.
Your toast can come anytime after the best man has made his own because the best man traditionally leads off the toast-making. Most likely, after the best man, the parents of the bride and groom will make toasts. Right after their toasts would be the best time for you to step up to the microphone.
Another occasion appropriate for a toast (although not required) is during the rehearsal dinner. Because the dinner focuses on the wedding party, this is a perfect time to direct your comments to the people who are coming together to help and celebrate your wedding. Traditionally, the host of the party (usually the father of the groom) first makes a toast. After that, the floor is open. You can start by thanking your parents for hosting the party. You can tell her family that you are looking forward to getting to know them all. Then, you can share a few short words about how you first met your bride-to-be, or a brief story about how you got engaged. Finally, it is the perfect opportunity to let everybody know how excited you are to be marrying such a wonderful person.
Remember, these people know you. They are there to celebrate with you. So let them see your excitement and your commitment to what you are about to promise. That’s the greatest gift you can give them through your toasts.
