What should the father of the bride or groom wear?

Something coordinated with the party but a notch more classic: never louder than the groom, never more casual than the guests. If it's black tie, the fathers wear tuxedos too. I'll dress the fathers and the groom together so nothing in the family photos looks borrowed or out of step.

Can you dress the groom, groomsmen and both fathers together?

Yes, and that's the ideal. Measuring everyone myself, in one session, keeps colour, lapel and detail consistent, and I do it here at the studio in one sitting. It's the easiest way to keep a whole wedding party coordinated.

What does "black tie" on the invitation actually mean?

A tuxedo: black or midnight dinner jacket with satin peak or shawl lapels, matching trousers, white dress shirt and a black bow tie, with polished black shoes. Not a regular business suit. If it says black tie, wear a tuxedo; you'll never be overdressed.

Is it weird if my suit is custom while the groomsmen rent?

Not at all; it's traditional. The groom is supposed to stand apart; a made suit against rented ones looks intentional, not unfair. We coordinate colour and detail so the party looks deliberate in photographs, with you clearly at the centre of it.

Can my groomsmen just wear black suits they already own?

Yes, and it can look wonderful if we're deliberate: matching ties, same shirt, similar lapels where possible. Small differences in button count won't ruin a photo; different blacks and different fits will. Send me photos of what they own and I'll tell you what needs fixing.

Weddings · Weddings

Black tie decoded: what to wear to a formal wedding

Updated July 2026 · Sam’s Menswear editorial team

A folded length of midnight blue barathea with a strip of black grosgrain silk facing across it, an untied black bow tie and four mother-of-pearl studs in a brass dish, on a worn oak workbench — Barathea, grosgrain, and the studs. Black tie is a short list, which is why it is hard to get wrong.

“Black tie” on an invitation trips up a lot of good men. Get it right and you look effortless; get it wrong and you’re the guest in the wrong outfit in every photo. Here’s what the dress codes actually mean and how to nail them.

Black tie

The classic formal code, for evening weddings. It means a tuxedo: a black or midnight-blue dinner jacket with satin peak or shawl lapels, matching trousers with a satin side-stripe, a white dress shirt, and a black bow tie. Black patent or highly polished leather shoes. This is not the moment for a regular business suit. What makes a tuxedo a tuxedo →

Black tie optional

You have a choice, but “optional” leans formal. A tuxedo is always right here. If you’d rather not, a dark, formal suit (deep navy or charcoal) with a conservative tie is acceptable. When in doubt at an evening wedding, wear the tuxedo; you’ll never be overdressed at black tie optional.

Formal / cocktail

A notch down. A well-cut dark suit does the job: navy or charcoal, crisp shirt, a proper tie. No tuxedo required, but this is not casual either. Fit is what separates sharp from sloppy. How a suit should fit →

The details that give you away

Bow tie, tied by you. A real one, not a clip. It should match the lapel facing.
No black notch-lapel “tuxedo.” Notch lapels belong on business suits; peak or shawl on a tux.
Shoes polished to a shine. Formalwear lives or dies on the shoes.
Fit above all. A perfectly correct outfit that fits badly still looks wrong. This is the argument for a made tuxedo over a rental.

Get it made, with time

A tuxedo is where fit and formality matter most, exactly the garment worth having made to you. For a wedding, start nine to twelve months out; the tuxedo itself takes about eight to twelve weeks. Book a tuxedo appointment → and Sam will walk you through the whole code.