Unless he is the best man or a groomsman, the father of the groom will not actually be playing an active role in the wedding ceremony, so is it really necessary for him to dress like the groomsmen? Here are some tips on making sure your father-in-law looks the part in your wedding photos whilst still being comfortable with his father of the groom outfit.
If both your father and the groom’s father dress the same way it avoids any feeling of discrimination and creates a sense of unity in the family photos. If you don’t want them to be identical you could alternate colours, for example having one in a cram waistcoat and burgundy tie and the other in a burgundy waistcoat and cream tie.
Talk to your father-in-law about what he wants to wear to the wedding. Perhaps you are worrying about him feeling excluded from the wedding if he doesn’t wear the same as the groomsmen when he would actually much rather wear a simple suit. If you aren’t comfortable discussing this with him get your fiancTe to broach the subject.
Men’s wedding outfits are more complex than you might think, so you can always co-ordinate the father of the groom with the rest of the party without making him a carbon copy. For example if the groom and best man are wearing grey morning suits with tails, the father of the groom could wear a simple lounge suit in the same material. If they are wearing cravats he could wear a tie of the same colour.
If the father of the groom is responsible for choosing his own wedding outfit, it might be wise to ask your fiance to check on the colour and style. The father of the groom will be a key figure in wedding photos and he will stand out like a sore thumb in a cream linen suit if all the male members of the wedding party are dressed in black tuxedos. Choosing a smart suit the same colour as the groom’s as well as a shirt that doesn’t clash with the bridesmaids’ dresses will be a good start.
If you are hiring a wedding outfit for the father of the groom along with the rest of the men in the wedding party, don’t invite them all along on the initial shopping trip. Too many opinions can make for a very long and frustrating day. Ideally it should just be yourself, the groom, and his best man so that you and your fiancTe can see the outfit on a third person.
Although the main person to consider when you are choosing the men’s wedding outfits is the groom, you will have to take into account the body shapes and sizes of all the men. Long jackets can look a little silly on short men, and double breasted styles just emphasize large bellies. Again, you don’t need to have the same style jacket for all of the men as long as the material and colour is the same. If one style suits your father-in-law to be better than the one the groom is wearing let him wear that one.
