Tag: weddings

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Fall Wedding Ideas: The Ultimate Groom Style Guide For Autumn

Menswear for Fall Weddings

Fall Wedding Basics

Fall is fast approaching, and with it, the Fall wedding season. Are you and your partner looking to have a wedding in September, October, or November? Does the idea of cooler weather, darker color palettes, or a rustic theme appeal to you? Late Summer is commonly accepted as the most popular time of year for weddings, but Fall is not far behind in popularity, and is also typically a little less expensive and a little easier to book. It is important, however, to make sure your wedding suits the season, from the decor to the color palette to the entrees offered to the venue.

Fall Wedding Themes

Ideal menswear for fall weddings with a rustic theme

To determine a theme, sit down with your partner and discuss what it is about the Fall that has made you two decide to have your wedding then. Are you fans of the Autumn holidays? Do burnt oranges, rust reds, forest greens, and denim blues appeal to you? Do you enjoy more rustic locations like old farmhouses and churches, lakeside cabins, or deep forests? Brainstorm with your partner what you both love most about this time of year and use that as a basis to determine what you want the focus of your wedding to be. Compared to the breezy, beachy, and carefree themes of summer fashion, popular fall wedding themes are rustic farmhouse, dark forest, and fantasy. Some even embrace the season head-on and do a macabre, Halloween-inspired theme.

Fall Wedding Colors

A man wearing a brown suit for a fall wedding

When you’re putting together a color palette for a Fall wedding, take inspiration from nature. The vibrant colors you see in the leaves as the season progresses are an excellent place to start. Deep oranges, rusty reds, mustard, goldenrod, ashy browns, and burnt umber are all great options. But don’t just take hints from the leaves. Deep, forest greens, royal blues, and slate grays are also great options. Read our Fall Fashion guide for more information about fall theme colors.

HARTTER | MANLY boasts a collection of suits in gorgeous fall colors. In addition, we can design virtually any style you can dream of.

Fall Wedding Venues

When it comes to wedding venues, your options are vast. The best way to pick a venue for a Fall wedding is to think about what would go with your theme. Rustic farmhouses, epic cathedrals with stained glass windows, old libraries, and any of the many types of museums are all great options for a Fall wedding, and it all comes down to the ambience and vibe you want the wedding as a whole to have. If you’re looking for suggestions, an expert wedding planner can help you choose the perfect place.

Fall Wedding Menswear

Fall wedding 3 piece suit

Think About Layers

The slightly cooler weather that comes with the Fall season means layers are in, so a Fall wedding is the perfect time to rock a three-piece suit. A three-piece suit in a brown or similarly red-based shade has an academic look to it that would suit a library or museum wedding, which you can complement by doubling down on the ‘professorial’ look by accessorizing with a pocket watch or some vintage cufflinks. For a more casual look, rustic weddings –  like those that take place in a farmhouse or even in a forest clearing – are great opportunities to rock suspenders and a bowtie instead of a jacket and tie.

Play With Patterns

If you want to stand out, try a pattern or a mismatched jacket/trousers combo. Patterns that are good for fall are houndstooth, large checks, and Glen plaid. If you’re going to go mismatched, keep in mind that you want either the jacket or the trousers to be the statement piece in your look, with the other half being of a lighter or more muted shade. 

Complete The Look

As always, don’t forget to accessorize. Watches are popular for all seasons. In addition, pay attention to your shoes. Flip through our Footwear Style Guide to find your perfect shoe for the occasion. Also, keep in mind that if your suit is in any shade other than black, you can amp up the Fall color theme by wearing brown shoes to accent your look.

Conclusion

There are a lot of fun things you can do for a Fall wedding. There are tons of options, styles, colors and themes that you can pick from – or, you can come up with something totally unique for you and your partner. These are just some jumping off points that can get you inspired to plan the perfect Autumnal wedding celebration. 

Have a fall wedding coming up? Book an appointment with our experts to see how we can turn your vision into reality with your very own custom suit. Our design bar is fully stocked with variety, quality, and durability. We can create the perfect look for every occasion, customized exactly the way you want it.

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Groomsmen Attire: The Ultimate Guide

10 groomsmen hands in a circle showing off embroidered cuffs on custom suits

Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, and you want everything to be perfect. A big part of that is making sure the wedding party looks great. And that includes the groomsmen attire! The pictures taken will be something you cherish forever. Here is HARTTER MANLY’s guide to ensuring your groomsmen party looks awesome on your big day.

Groomsmen in elegant groomsman attire

Groomsmen Attire Tip #1

Ask yourself what look you want

First, determine what direction you want to go in. That is, do you want a more formal and cohesive look? If you want the look to be tight-knit and styled to a T, you can choose matching groomsmen attire. This is the more traditional option in wedding attire, but it’s not required. Another option is to go for a look that’s more broken up. Doing so allows your groomsmen a bit of freedom to express themselves on your big day. 

How to pull it off

Give them a general guide including the theme of the wedding, color palette, and environment your wedding will take place in. Of course, you’ll want to have them run their final looks by you before they commit. That’s because you don’t want anyone looking straight out of left field. But it can be be a lot of fun to let your groomsmen express themselves. If you do want to go this route, consider including one element that is static for all of your groomsmen. For instance, matching shoes, cufflinks, or pocket squares can really tie the whole image together.
Wedding party posing on stairs

Groomsmen Attire Tip #2

What is the style of the wedding?

Consider the tone, theme, and style of the wedding. The days of requiring three-piece suits in weddings are long gone. What is your wedding dress code? Weddings can have a wide variety of themes, tones, and styles, from beach-themed to rustic to black tie. Considering the theme, you want your party’s attire to match the tone and season of the wedding.  Obviously your guys would stick out like a sore thumb if they wore tuxedos to a beach wedding!

Consider your options for groomsmen attire that go with your theme

While you do want your group to look formal, there are a lot of options for groomsmen attire for any theme imaginable. Doing a rustic theme? Consider forgoing the jackets and dress your guys in suspenders and a bow-tie. Getting married by the sand and the waves? Try lighter linen suits. Are you a country couple? Clean dark denim, a crisp white custom shirt, and cowboy boots look great.  That is, so long as they look neat and tidy. All in all, you want your party to fit in well with the style your wedding is going for.

Wedding Photo with men in vests

Groomsmen Attire Tip #3

Coordinate groomsmen attire with your better half

So you’ve perfected the look of your groomsmen so they blend with your attire. Remember, you need to be sure their look complements your partner’s party as well. Your groomsmen don’t have to match your spouse-to-be’s party perfectly, though. So long as they have similar elements here and there, or common colors, everything will look great. In fact, you do want there to be a little bit of variety between the two parties. All in all, you and your partner’s parties say a little bit about who you each are as people. 

How to do it

The most common way to tie the two parties together is to use elements with similar colors. You can either use colors from the same family, or you can have them use a separate color that is part of your wedding’s color palette. Those same colors and will be used throughout the ceremony in other elements, such as bouquets, seating, or decor. HARTTER MANLY’s customers often match their garment’s button stitch to either the bridesmaids’ dress color, or match the tie and/or pocket square.

Wedding party with matching themed bridesmaid and groomsman attire

Groomsmen Attire Tip #4

Keep the cost of groomsmen attire in mind

Typically, groomsmen pay for their attire themselves, whether they purchase the look or use a rental service. Your groomsmen might come from a different income level than you and even each other, and you want to be sure that you’re not throwing a massive unexpected expense at them. Keep the cost in mind as you’re building your look, and get your groomsmen’s thoughts up front on what they are comfortable paying.

How to manage the cost for your groomsmen

If the party can afford it, purchasing custom suits is always best to create the vision you are going for. You can often get discounted rates for larger parties and share the cost with your groomsmen as part of their groomsmen gift. If purchasing isn’t an option, avoid the boxy brands and go with a shop that understands fit.
A wedding party in elegant groomsman attire by Hartter Manly

Groomsmen Attire Tip #5

Remember every guy is different

Your groomsmen are probably of all different shapes and sizes. You want to pick a look that is going to look great on all of them. If you are worried about the look you pick being unflattering on certain guys in your party, consider giving them the basic parameters – color, fabric, elements like tie and pocket square – and then allow them to find a fit that works for their shape. In a situation where they are all of vastly different shapes, it may be a good idea to go with the concept we mentioned at the beginning: having them all wear different things with some smaller elements in common, or go the custom fit route.

Tying it all together

There’s a lot of work that goes into making your big day perfect for you and your partner. Every single element says something about you two as people and your relationship as a whole. Dressing the wedding party is one of the most important aspects of creating a wedding to remember, and there are many different approaches you can take when crafting your look. Sit down with your guys and your better half and talk about the style and tone you want your wedding to have, deliberate a bit, and use these guidelines to create the perfect look for your big day. If you are interested in renting versus buying, check out HARTTER MANLY’s Rental Options. Happy planning!

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The Ultimate Wedding Attire Guide for Grooms: Suiting Up on Your Big Day

Groom tying dress shoes

There are few events more important in a man’s life than the day he gets married. So of course, you’ll need to look your best. But where does a groom start when choosing wedding attire? There are so many factors, so many options, and, it seems, so many unspoken rules about wedding day attire. We’re going to break all of these down for you, to make suiting up on your big day a breeze.

Wedding party posing on stairs

First Step of Wedding Attire: Tux or Suit?

There are two standard clothing options for grooms on their big day: the suit and the tuxedo, and which one you choose depends on a large number of factors. Is it an evening wedding or a day wedding? Summer or winter? A more formal affair or more casual?

The most important factor is the dress code of the wedding itself. Are you tying the knot in a black-tie evening affair? Or is this a more relaxed wedding, maybe taking place during the day? What are your partner’s wedding party wearing? Bridesmaids in cocktail dresses typically call for a more relaxed suit, while floor-length gowns call for a tux.

And what exactly is a tuxedo, anyway?

There are two elements that are almost always found in tuxedos: satin detailing, and a shawl lapel. The satin details are often found on the lapel, the buttons, and in a stripe down the side of the trousers. The shawl lapel differs from peak and notch lapels in that it is one continuous panel that drapes in a curve up the chest, over the shoulders, and around the neck, rather than the sharp edges and separate pieces found in peak and notch lapels.

Posing in jacket near window

HARTTER | MANLY’s Tuxedo, The Hawkeye, is an example of a classic tuxedo. The Hawkeye is available for purchase, rental, or customization.

A Suit Means Options

If your wedding dress code doesn’t call for a tuxedo, then you’ll most likely be wearing a suit. This presents its own challenge, as suits come in all shapes, fabrics, colors, and patterns. In this case, you will want to consider more than just the general dress code. You’ll want to consider the time of day, the time of year, the weather, the attire of the wedding parties, and of course, thoughts your partner may have about your wedding attire.

The Color

For most weddings in most situations, a more neutral color in your suit, royal-blue or light gray, is perfect, and you can add color and patterns in your tie, shirt, or pocket square. You’ll want to wait on picking up these aspects of your suit until you and your partner have determined your wedding colors. You don’t have to match exactly, but it’s wise to stick with the same general color scheme for consistency. Here at HARTTER MANLY, we can match the suit accents like the buttonhole stitch and lining to bridesmaid dresses, to keep the whole wedding party looking cohesive.

The Location

If your wedding is on the beach and/or in the Summer, you can typically rock a look that’s a bit more casual. We see a lot of white button-downs, khakis, and linens. Whether or not you want a two-piece or a three-piece suit depends on event formality. A more formal wedding is an appropriate time to wear a vest with your suit.

The Wedding Party

While some still prefer to have the groom’s suit match the groomsmen perfectly, there has been more deviation from this norm in recent years. Grooms are standing out from their groomsmen by wearing different colors, styles, or details. You will want your party to look organized and put-together on your big day. We recommend not doing too much to stand out from your groomsmen. Instead, use smaller details to identify yourself as the groom at your wedding. A vest is a great way to stand out, and you can use a slightly different shade of the same color as your suit. We usually recommend going slightly lighter for the vest. A unique tie, bowtie, pocket square, or boutonniere can make you stand out as the groom without being too loud.

HARTTER | MANLY shoes beauty shot

Accessorize the Right Way

Accessories will take your wedding look to the next level, but there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about it. The only accessory you absolutely need is obviously your shoes. You’d look pretty silly without those, but picking the wrong shoes can make you look just as out of place. Our dress shoe collection is the perfect match for your wedding look.

The Right Shoes For Your Wedding Attire

The most commonly worn shoes by grooms on their big day are the Oxfords. But you can’t just throw on any old pair. Your shoes should coordinate with your suit, and there are some general rules that can guide your choice in footwear. For a black or dark gray suit, your best bet is a pair of black leather Oxfords. If you’re wearing a navy suit, or another lighter color, brown Oxfords are a great choice. Not only that, but brown oxfords are a little more modern than the traditional black. Want to really stand out? Try a pair of two-toned Oxfords, patent leather, or even a single or double monk strap. Each of those options add a touch of pizzazz.

Accessories to Complement Your Wedding Attire

For watches or other metal accessories, you want them to be the same color or material as the others. Typically, they should all match your ring. For example, if you’ve got the traditional gold ring, you’ll want a gold casing for your watch. Also, if you want to add cufflinks or a tie-bar, they should be gold too. The same goes for leather goods. If your watch comes with a leather band, you’ll want to make sure it matches your shoes and belt.

Wedding day accessories

Looking great on your big day doesn’t have to be a complicated process. The most important thing is making sure you’re comfortable and you feel good, and your look goes with the rest of the wedding party. You can design your dream suit with our 10,000+ customization options so that you look exactly how you want. Starting this year, we also offer suit rentals so you can look great without breaking the bank. 

We’ve got two of our top selling suit available for rent. Our royal-blue peak lapel suit, The Charlotte Spirit, and our stunning black tuxedo, The Hawkeye are both available. These are great wedding options, whether you’re going Black Tie or want to go a bit more bold. We’ve given you some basic tips here, but remember: it is your big day. Make your look your own for a wedding you’ll never forget. Want more pointers/tips for your wedding day? Book a free appointment with our style experts.