Cool and Dapper

So much attention is paid to the bride on Wedding Day, but it’s Nick’s day, too. He wants to look and feel good, as much as I do.

We started to brainstorm male attire months ago and immediately thought khaki suit for our outdoor summer wedding along the river. And it was important that Nick and the groomsmen be cool, casual, and comfortable.

(August in Pennsylvania has the potential to be very hot. My parents got married on August 25th 30 years ago, and before every photo, my dad had to wipe the sweat from his face. The hanky he used showed up in the corner of some of the photographs!)

We also didn’t want to ask the groomsmen to pay for a new suit (though we did find some decent deals at JoS. A. Bank), so we started the search for a rental shop that carries khaki suits — it was a more challenging task than we thought! Most shops carry dark tuxedos, which was the opposite of what we were looking for. Men’s Warehouse had a nice chocolate brown suit, which we almost considered, but we really did not want to give up on what we envisioned.

We ended up at Formal Affairs in York where they had a snazzy khaki suit on display — it looked like linen without actually being linen. On the display mannequin, it was paired with a mint green tie. We knew we wanted the groomsmen to wear red ties to match the bridesmaid dresses, and I wanted Nick to try on an ivory tie. He was hesitant at first — he thought the light colors would wash out his complexion (yes, guys consider this stuff, too!). But when he walked out of the dressing room, he looked handsome and confident. And our Best Man agreed.

Here’s a sneak peek at the look {credit Geoff White}

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And, if you’re in the market for buying a suit for a summer wedding, I recommend checking out the Stays Cool collection from JoS. A. Bank (the fabric was developed by NASA and is designed to absorb body heat and stay dry) {credit JoS. A. Bank}:

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Total cost for each groomsman comes to $130 and includes the pants, the jacket, an ivory shirt, a red tie, and brown shoes. Nick will get his for free. Oh, and our sweet little ring bearer will likely wear an ivory tie to match his uncle.

Did you rent or buy? Anyone else have a hard time finding a khaki suit?