Suits: The Perfect Fit for Your Groom

In the wedding-planning world, the groom typically is responsible for three specific tasks: the honeymoon (fellas, look for strategically placed travel brochures), the transportation (avoid convertibles—you don’t want to muss her hair), and the tux (baby blue = not acceptable).

Impress your bride with a custom-tailored suit for the big day. Jason Hammerberg, owner of the Galleria menswear shop Hammer-Made, urges grooms to forgo a rented tux if at all possible. “A custom tux is an investment piece,” Hammerberg says. “You’ll find yourself needing it many more times throughout your life, so why not do this for the biggest day of your life? Do you really want to get married in the same thing you wore to junior prom?”

From personalized suit lining—one gent went with a skulls pattern—to an effortless fit, the tailor’s attention to design and measurements is well worth the price. The average cost starts at $800. (Most quality tailors charge $800–$1,100.) But as Marty Mathis, owner of downtown Minneapolis menswear shop Marty Mathis Direct, often reminds his grooms, “Your wedding day photos last a lifetime. You don’t want the first thing people see to be an ill-fitting suit.”

Even if you begin to grow out of your suit, alterations can be made—as long as you’re in the same ballpark, size-wise—to accommodate changes. Major tweaks may require a new investment—a perfect incentive to stay fit.

Remember to allow plenty of time (our tailors recommend at least six weeks) to design wedding-day duds that meet your bride’s expectations and, more importantly, to find the perfect fit that best suits you—pun intended.