Although the majority of brides buy their wedding dresses, grooms are far more likely to hire their outfits. This may well be because the bride’s gown is a one off, whereas the best man, the ushers and possibly even the fathers of the couple, will want to dress in a similar way to the groom.
Here are eight tips on hiring a wedding suit:
Find a reputable stockist that has a contemporary range of suits, takes specific measurements, and offers an initial fitting as well as a final fitting when suits are collected.
Hire all the suits from the same shop to be sure that they are exactly the same colour and material. If your fiance’s best man lives out of town and you are using a national supplier, it is better to have him go into his nearest store for measurements and have these sent to your local store, than for him to pick up the suit locally himself.
Have some input into your fianee’s outfit if possible. While it is more common these days for men to take an interest in fashion, many still don’t have a clue about what suit to wear to what occasion. Pick up catalogues from a few hire companies on the premise of checking out costs, and then show him a few that you think would suit your particular wedding style.
Check whether the hire shop can supply accessories such as shirts, ties or cravats, waistcoats, and even shoes. Perhaps you can get a discount on these items if you are hiring a number of outfits for the wedding party. See whether it is possible for the groom to have different or contrasting accessories to make him stand out from the rest of the men. For example, if the group are wearing gold ties and dark red waistcoats, the groom could wear a gold waistcoat and a dark red tie.
Reserve the suits and have an initial fitting around three months before the wedding. Men fluctuate in size just as much as women in the run up to a wedding, so don’t have the fitting too early. Arrange for the final fitting, and for the suits to be picked up, a couple of days prior to the wedding. This leaves time for last minute alterations if all the beer from the buck’s night has taken its toll.
Be aware of the finer details of the hire contract. How much is the deposit and how and when will it be returned? When do the suits need to be returned and are there fees for alterations or cleaning? Make one of the male members of the bridal party responsible for collecting up the suits and returning them, especially if you are leaving on honeymoon immediately after the wedding.
Just because you are hiring suits they don’t need to be boring or old fashioned. If you or your fianc?e have particular ideas about what sort of outfit you’d like him to wear on the big day, discuss these with the supplier and see what they can do. If he’s not comfortable with the outfits on offer, shop around until you find a hire company that suits his style.
When your fiance goes for his fitting, make sure he walks around in the suit to check how comfortable it is. The suit may feel ok when he’s standing stiff as a board, but it might be a very different matter when he’s whisking you around the dance floor in your first waltz. If there’s a fitting room in the hire shop he can do his own personal little jive just to check he has enough room to move.
