Are you curious how you should dress the ring bearer for your wedding day? You are not alone! Many brides and grooms ask us this question. The role of a ring bearer is exactly that – he comes bearing the wedding rings.
In this wedding planning blog, we will guide you with some ideas and common practices that we see on dressing ring bearers for their special role. So let’s dive in and discuss some outfit ideas and traditional choices. After all, this is a very important role!
Common Ring Bearer Attire
In general, there two approaches to dressing ring bearers.
- Mini-Groom: The first and most common method we see is that the little fella wears the same exact suit or tuxedo that the groom is wearing. It is a memorable look to see a young boy as a mini-groom! He wears a miniature version of the same tuxedo including jacket, pants, vest, shirt, shoes, bow tie or long tie, pocket square, studs and cuff links. He will look different than the groomsmen yet tie into the groom. We see this method in about 75% of all our weddings.
- One of the Guys: Sometimes the couple wants the groom to look different than everyone else, including the ring bearer. In this case, the bride and groom will often choose to have the ring bearer wear the same exact tuxedo or suit and accessories as the best man or groomsmen. In many cases, the groomsmen’s accessories (long tie, bow tie and pocket square) match the color of the bridesmaids dresses. This is also a great choice and will allow him (especially if he is an older ring bearer) to feel like “one of the guys” dressed like the rest of the wedding party. We see this method of dressing about 20% of the time.
Of course, how you decide to dress your ring bearer is purely personal preference.
Matching the Guys
What should you do if the same exact styles are not available in children’s sizes?
Most of the 61 tuxedos and suits that we offer for rent are available starting with boys tuxedos at a 3 year old size (3T) up to a size 80 jacket. Depending on the age of the ring bearer, this can be tricky as not every designer makes all suits and tuxedos in children’s sizing.
Oftentimes you can dress him in a very similar style. It will be a cohesive look and hard to tell the difference. However, we highly recommend that you ask your retailer, before everything is ordered, if they offer the same suits, tuxedos and accessories in children’s sizes. This will prevent a lot of scrambling to find alternatives for the little guy.
What if the ring bearer is too small for a tuxedo?
Most tuxedo and suit rental sizes start at about a 3 year old’s size. This of course depends how large the child is relative to other 3 year olds. In some cases, we’ve seen large two year olds that looked perfectly fine in a 3T tuxedo jacket.
If the child is too small for a three year old attire, there are usually two dress code choices for the upcoming wedding:
1. He can wear just the pants, a shirt, a little bow tie, suspenders and little shoes. Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo has adjustable pants for children and we can often hem the pants to the proper length and make the little guy look cute as can be. Our only advice is to have the child try on fitting clothes at our store to make sure it will look proper.
2. Purchase a toddler’s ring bearer tuxedo with matching shoes. They typically come in age ranges: 6-12 months, 12-18 months, etc. Keep in mind this is a purchase and is not a rental. While purchasing a toddler’s tuxedo is an option, we have not seen too many brides and grooms doing this, especially if it is a formal wedding.
We estimate about 1-2% of wedding parties purchase a tuxedo for a toddler. The main reason is that it is a challenge to manage a toddler to carrying out his duties and they will often get changed not long after the wedding ceremony and pictures; another is the same reason many ring bearers rent their tuxedos or suits: because they grow so quickly that it will not fit them in two weeks!
When Should the Ring Bearer Get Measured?
And that brings us to another matter. If you include a ring bearer in your wedding party and he is still at an age that he is growing, we highly recommend not to have him get measured more than 3 – 4 weeks before the wedding. Even being measured 3 – 4 weeks before the wedding, we’ve seen them grow an inch or two!
That is no problem, because all we do is either re-hem the pants to a proper length or if he went through a complete growth spurt, we give the young man a new tuxedo in his new, proper size.
Another option that we’ve seen about 2 – 5% of the time is that the bride and groom will choose a ring bearer’s outfit that is a completely different tuxedo or suit being worn by both the groom and groomsmen. They want him to stand out beyond just his size!
Why are the percentages of ring bearers who wear something different or no jacket so low? Because there are still plenty of choices of small suits and tuxedos to dress the ring bearer in.
Must I have a Ring Bearer in My Wedding?
About 15% of our wedding parties do not have ring bearers. This is either a personal choice by the wedding couple or there is no family member of ring bearer age. Again, this is completely a personal choice.
Make Some Memories
No matter how you dress them for your wedding theme or the formality of your big day, know that the cute ring bearer and the adorable flower girl often steal the show! So either way, choosing to include children in your bridal party will allow you to savor those photos for the rest of your lives!
Other Men’s Formal Wear Advice for Weddings
Are you contemplating how to dress the Fathers of the Bride and Groom for the wedding? Then read one of our other popular blogs titled “What Should Fathers of the Bride and Groom Wear For A Wedding“!
About the author: Franco Salerno is co-founder and co-owner of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, now in their 13th year in business. In that time, he built the tuxedo department into a force rivaling big box stores by providing expertise, caring service, and beautiful, quality formal wear. Personally invested in every transaction, Mr. Salerno provides customers with the utmost trust and confidence, assuring their wedding or formal event attire will be perfect. A native of Philadelphia, he currently resides in Warrington, Bucks County with his wife and store co-founder/co-owner Wendy, and their two daughters for whom the store was named, Daria and Deanna.