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Our bridal store dresses a lot of fathers for for their children’s wedding so we have a good idea of the trends. Our brides and grooms often ask us what their fathers should wear and with good reason. Fathers have an important role in the wedding day, too.
Fortunately, we have plenty of wedding attire guidance for you. While some wedding dress shops only sell bridal gowns, ours offers not only wedding dresses, but also elegant mother of the bride dresses, and tuxedos and suit rentals for the entire wedding party. Because of this, we are experts at dressing the entire wedding party, matching color palettes, and creating the vision that the couple has for their day.
Father Wedding Attire Trends
We find that the majority of fathers choose a suit or tuxedo different from the groom and groomsmen. This helps them stand out and feel special. Our experience has shone us that upwards of 80% of fathers will chose a different tuxedo or suit style than the groom and groomsmen.
On the wedding day, the Father of the Bride usually has the honor of a first look, walking the bride down the aisle, and/or giving a toast at the reception, and therefore has a special role in the day. These are reasons for him to stand out uniquely!
We do have a smaller number of fathers who will wear the exact same suit or tuxedo that the groom and groomsmen are wearing to keep with a color palette or for continuity in photos. In some cases, Dad is the groom’s best friend and is chosen to be the Best Man, and what a wonderful honor! In this case, approximately 20% of the fathers will wear the same exact suit or tuxedo as the groom and groomsmen.
Regardless of whether the fathers are matching the wedding party with regard to the suit or tuxedo styles, most choose a long tie or bow tie that matches the color of the dress worn by the person accompanying them to the wedding, often the mother/step mother of the bride or groom. If a father is attending the wedding with no accompanying guest, he often chooses accessories to keep his look classic and timeless. Possibly a black satin bow tie or a thin satin long tie as examples.
Navigating the Needs of the Fathers’ Attire
In most cases, we advise brides and grooms to choose what they want the fathers to wear. This method accomplishes two goals: first, the bride and groom get what THEY want! Second, most fathers are relieved when the bride and groom choose their attire because they don’t want the pressure of having to choose and possibly making the “wrong” choice.
If you have a fashion forward father, we do recommend letting him choose what he wants to wear and with 70 styles to choose from, he will love his options! Or, If you have a specific themed wedding, the choices we have guarantee one will fit the theme perfectly. This often makes the process smoother and everyone is happier.
Streamlining the Tuxedo Rental Process for Fathers
When the bride and groom choose the fathers’ attire, the mothers and fathers of the brides and grooms are often pleased that they walk into our store and have everything sorted out for them. All the fathers have to do is spend a few minutes to get measured and possibly choose a long tie or bow tie.
On a few occasions, they may want to choose a different style shoe than is being worn by the bridal party. This too is a simple process and can be achieved in a few minutes.
Make Dads Feel Special
One of the safest bets for a father is a classic black tuxedo. Fathers look really sharp and feel very comfortable in this tuxedo because of the quality of the fabric and the timeless look. He won’t draw “unwanted” attention to himself if wearing a tuxedo like this (in fact, he may welcome the stares!) and will feel comfortable all night.
Gray and navy tuxedos and suits have been very popular with wedding parties for over 7 years now. When the groom and the groomsmen are wearing a gray tuxedo, we often suggest that the father choose a different shade of grey tuxedo style than the rest of the wedding party. This again will allow him to stand out and feel special without drawing attention to himself.
If the wedding party is wearing a blue suit or tuxedo, we often suggest that the fathers wear gray or a different shade of the blue tuxedo than the rest of the wedding party.
Should Both Fathers Wear the Same Color and Style Tuxedo?
The father of the groom and bride do not need to wear the same tuxedo style and color. It’s always a good idea to coordinate to make sure one doesn’t look completely different than the other but in general, we leave this choice up to the bride and groom. If it is left up to the fathers themselves, they usually choose something different such as a relaxed fit tuxedo version of a slim fit, perhaps a different designer, or sometimes even a different color.
Trusted Advice
Our advice is that the bride and groom choose what the fathers will be wearing for your wedding.
Trust us, most of them are delighted to find their suit/tux chosen for them! When the pressure is off, the visit is so much fun and they get very excited for the big day. Allow them to choose the bow tie or long tie and pocket square to add their own touch – again perhaps choosing a color that matches the Mother of the Bride or Groom‘s dress.
Now that you know what the father should wear, read about what a ring bearer should wear!
Do you have a question about wedding attire? Interested in renting a prom tuxedo, or learning more about burgundy, green, sandstone, blue, and black tuxedo suit options? Head over to our website and learn more! Send us a text message at 215-491-8500 and receive expert advice directly from the owner of Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo!
About the author: Franco Salerno is co-founder and co-owner of Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo, now in their 12th 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.