Suit Up! Then you can party down!

Did you think a black tie is as stuffy as it gets? Think again. White ties (along with a black tailcoat) define a formal evening wedding. But now the semiformal tuxedo, with its black dinner jacket and tie, is the more popular choice.

If you are a stickler for formality and having a day wedding, wear a morning suit. This consists of a gray or black cutaway coat, gray vest, striped trousers, and a four-in-hand tie or ascot. Not that traditional? Wear a black or gray short jacket, called a stroller, instead of the cutaway.

And if you don’t want the bride to be the only one in white, push for a summer or hot-climate wedding so you can don a white jacket. Just be easy on the lace. And don’t pull up the sleeves like Crockett and Tubbs.

Anatomy of a Tuxedo

Eight easy steps to tie a bow-tie

If things get ugly with your fiancée, just toss this zinger out there:

What’s black and white and red all over?
A bloody groom if his tux doesn’t fit.

If she laughs, then you know she’s the one. If she doesn’t, that’s okay. You’ll just know that this author’s not her type.

For more information, visit Gingiss Tuxedo.