Wedding Party Attire

For the most memorable day of your life, you want everything to look absolutely beautiful. The largest impact will be the attire you choose for yourself, the groom and the wedding party.

The time of day your wedding takes place can determine the elegance of gowns and formalwear. Generally, an afternoon wedding is before 6pm and an evening event is after 6pm. The latter calls for more formal attire, but you can be married in the late afternoon, have an evening reception -- and make it very formal. Ask for additional input from your attendants when deciding on your wedding party attire.

The Bridal Gown

The bride's gown will set the trend for the rest of the wedding attire, so choose carefully. Browse through stores, magazines and pictures on the internet to get an idea for your perfect gown. There are many types of headpieces to consider. Pick one that will compliment your height and facial structure. After you decide, put the order in early to allow for delivery time, fittings and alterations.

Don't want classic white? Today's bride has more choices than ever. You can find many gowns available in a large variety of styles and colors. Ivory, pink, and peach are popular choices for bridal gowns. You can order just about any color and style you prefer but take into account the season your wedding will be held in. You probably don't want heavy fabrics and bold colors in the Spring.

Bridesmaid Dresses

The bridesmaid dresses should be somewhat similar to the bridal gown in terms of the formality and style. They should compliment the bridal gown, but not overshadow it. The dresses can match, or you can have the maid/matron of honor in a different style or color than the bridesmaids. Another alternative is to have all of the dresses in the same style but different colors, or visa versa.

It's best to choose a style of dress that is comfortable and will look good on all of your bridesmaids. This is no easy task, so take along your maid of honor, narrow down the selections, then invite your bridesmaids to the salon to take a vote. Not everyone will be ecstatic, but you probably can find something in-between that will please everyone. Try to keep costs reasonable since the wedding party is usually required to pay for their own attire.

The Groom's Attire

The degree of formality for the groom's attire should match the bride's. Typically, the clothing will consist of a dress shirt, tie, suit (or tuxedo) trousers, shoes and cufflinks. Often, you can order the suit/tuxes from the same shop you ordered the gowns from, or you can visit a store specializing in formalwear.

If the groom is in the military, he may opt to wear his uniform. This is just a preference but keep in mind that if other's are in the military too, you will have to make a decision on who will be wearing uniforms and who will be dressed in civilian clothing.

The Best Man, Groomsmen, Ushers Attire

The men's attire should compliment the groom's. Before the suits can be ordered, the guys will need to go in to be measured. The suits will probably arrive at the shop the week of the wedding and the attendants will need to go back in and try them on to see if any alterations are required. The suits should be returned the following Monday after the wedding. Since the groom is usually otherwise occupied, assign the best man to return his tuxedo along with his own.

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