Who said that the tuxedo is the only, most appropriate outfit for a groom to wear for their wedding? Never mind that we are all so different, and unique in our tastes and preferences! Granted, the idea of a white wedding originates from the west and so even the fashion trend would naturally follow suit. There is nothing wrong with this idea, however, we thought to put together a guide with the sole purpose of getting you to feel confident to adopt and incorporate your own personal style into your wedding outfit, especially as a Kenyan man.
The common notion that a wedding is mainly a lady’s thing may somewhat be untrue with regard to the couple wanting to look their best for each other; especially on the day they have set apart to share their wedding vows before family and friends. Creativity allows you to get out of any traditional box and into a personalized box of creating something that represents you, and you need not make any apologies for that, as long as it also communicates, the values and virtues that you embrace as a person and of the people that you are a part of; aren’t we all a part of a community?
That you want to look your best for the one you love is a given! How to navigate this is what we delve into with the aim of getting you out of a societal box and into a personal one. For how you do this, here are a few points to consider as you go out shopping to nail that look!
Who you are, what you do, what you like can all come alive in what you choose to wear on any particular day; for a D-Day like your wedding day, you want to echo your personality, while looking sharp for the one you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with. So, as you go out shopping for your attire have this as a basic principle or guide at the back of your mind, and please do not feel restricted to a particular trend in spite of it not resonating with your personality and style.
Consider the ideas below:
If you are the kind that generally exudes seriousness since you probably work a white-collar job, are used to the boardroom, meeting executives and so forth, then it’s almost natural that suits are your way of life. Probably, for you, the idea of dressing down for any serious occasion is just too far off and for the most part of your daily life suiting up goes without saying. There is absolutely no problem with that, you can suit up for your wedding!
Only tip here is that you have to make a clear distinction of the kind of suit you wear for your wedding, from the ones you adorn every other day. You can play with color, textures, and designs to really personalize your wedding look. Tuxedos can feel the easy go to but feel free to choose something different for the occasion. You certainly want your bride noting a significant difference from your normal executive look to a warmer you, without losing your personal signature, preference and style.
There is all manner of suit styles you can adopt; in addition to the tux, we also have the three-piece suit, the tailcoat, the tweed suit, just to mention a few.
Now, please note that casual smart is not a synonym to sloppy, thoughtless or informal look. It is just an easy look! And no doubt you can nail it for your wedding. If you have a more laid-back personality, and a lover of a little less tight clothing, then no need to feel pressured.
You can represent your personality by getting something stunning, simply playing with a variety of fabric even easier suit styles like a two-piece suit, with a coat and ghost tie. Just one idea but there are many more to explore if you want to pull off that easy but spot on look for your wedding.
Rest assured that if you love and embrace your cultural heritage, then there’s no shame in adopting elements of your own culture into the attire. Use of beads, African prints, hides, and even accessories like the hand whisk among many others can all be creatively put together in your look to represent your culture. You know in Kenya we are not deficient of cultural diversity, and this can be a great way of saluting your people at your wedding.
To the second tip! Whatever you love, whatever you do, keep the wedding theme in mind as at the end of the day, you want to achieve complete harmony with the different elements of the wedding. The bride’s look, your look, the bridal party’s look will more often than not set the rhythm of the entire wedding, if not significantly complement the wedding theme. If for example it is a beach wedding, the idea of being in black, three-piece suit complete with tie, is a very conflicting scenario. So, even if you are a suit lover then you will need to shop for a different kind of suit to sync with your beach theme. There are casual suit styles that will still represent your love for the suit.
Rustic, Boho-Chic, Beach, Tropical are just some examples of wedding themes that will definitely need you to go that extra mile, in getting a look that syncs. They may sound like big words, but you will sure be successful in finding just the look; of course, with that extra effort, so that the look also compliments you.
Color brings life and character to absolutely anything! Feel free to explore your taste using color, little touches of your preferred choice of color will make all the difference in the look you decide to adorn on your wedding day. If you are a lover of less conspicuous colors, that is still okay. Black, grey and white are still colors you can play with to represent you in that very personalized way. Point is, feel free to use color to bring your own style to life on your groom’s outfit. It can be a touch or the entire look in your preferred choice of color.
Now this is a big one. If you are having an outdoor wedding in a sunny weather, whatever you do, consider how that outfit will work for your comfort. Pieces like ties, a complete three-piece suit may not be the way to go in this example. Though you are a suit lover, you want one that will be comfortable, light on your skin as well as respecting the temperatures. This is definitely a factor to consider when you go shopping for that outfit.
Whatever you choose to do, however you choose to dress, be keen on the fit, the detail and finally something that suits and complements your physique. The fit is important because you don’t want clothes too tight, you can barely breath and move comfortably, or too loose it will hang over your bowl of soup. The detail is key because you want every stich, the lapel, and any small part of the attire to be exactly right. Finally, your physique must be considered because it is the day you definitely are dressed to impress your bride! Do get an outfit that will compliment you. It is possible, right? I hope it is a resounding YES!
With these few ideas we now leave it to you to do the rest and wish you the very best as you go shopping!