The Essential Groom Guide

TUXEDO OR SUIT?

Today’s less formal weddings often seem suited (see what we did there?) to a more casual approach to men’s wear. A black tuxedo with a starched white shirt and cufflinks is always a classic and perfect for a formal event, but don’t forget how good your man looks in a suit. If you know where to look, you can get a nice suit on sale for about the same cost as renting a tuxedo.

Tuxedo rental businesses have caught onto this less formal trend and are now offering more casual options for rent. This rental option may be less stressful than coordinating six men to go shopping together to ensure they get the same slacks.

RENT OR BUY?

This question comes up repeatedly. Sure, it is more expensive to purchase a tuxedo, but you do end up with a custom fit that may pay for itself over time. To help you decide, think about how often you will have the opportunity to wear a tuxedo.

If you’re coordinating with the rest of the wedding party, rent. Don’t be worried about the tuxedos looking cheap or worn out. Reputable locations rent high quality, well-constructed garments made specifically to withstand a lot of use and dry-cleaning without wearing out.

Don’t forget to rent shoes!

The groom should be the best dressed of all the men in the wedding party. If the photographer can’t tell the groom from a groomsman, a guest, his father in law, or a waiter, you’re doing it wrong. Outfit your groomsmen so they complement the groom without identically matching.

RENTING A TUXEDO

The way tuxedo rentals used to work involved being measured, picking up your tux the day before the wedding, and hoping everything fits and looks nice. For most of us, this involved a trip to the Dallas area to visit the store, and then coordinating who would make the trip after the wedding to return all the rentals. If something didn’t fit or was missing, resolving the issue could be a headache and usually involves another drive to Dallas.

Online tuxedo rental companies are part of a growing market of direct-toconsumer, online retailers that are working to improve the experience of shopping for or renting formal clothing and accessories. The process of renting a tux online is still about the same as the in-store experience. About three months before the wedding, the couple getting married will pick out the style they want and inform the wedding party where to send their measurements. The best part- everything happens online and through the mail. To help those of us who don’t take measurements every day, most of the online sites have a tutorial system to help renters measure their own lengths and widths.

The online rental companies mail out the tuxedos two weeks before the wedding to give everyone a chance to make sure everything fits and is in tip-top shape. Typically, garments from the online companies have a much shorter rental life, usually less than 20 wears, than the traditional stores. If something doesn’t fit right, send it back for a different size. The return process is just as simple- each renter can drop their tuxedo in the mail using the provided prepaid label.

Another great benefit of using an online tuxedo rental company is that they’ll help you get in touch with everyone and make sure they’ve done their part. So that friend who always procrastinates will be reminded that their measurements are due, and you won’t have to lift a finger!