What To Wear For An Autumn Wedding: Definitive Men’s Guide

Autumn has always been a favourite season for newlyweds to have their nuptials. The invitations are arriving and ladies are planning their outfits months in advance. Yet men are just sitting around, without a care in the world, waiting for the last possible moment to decide what to wear for an autumn wedding.

And, who can blame them? The fashion industry has always favoured the fairer sex, so it’s always been easier for women to jump on trends and switch up their style and look stunning in every wedding photo. On the other hand, the male population will dust off the suit on the day and hope it still fits.

It’s like they lack guidance and motivation. Well, that changes now. Today, we asked fashion expert Momo Kishino to teach you boys how to look dapper for any fall wedding.

Decode the Venue

There are loads of factors that affect your outfit, including if you are just an evening wedding guest. So, before you head out to shop around for autumn wedding suits, keep one thing in mind – the venue.

If you’re attending an outdoor wedding, be prepared to wear an extra layer in case it gets chilly when the stars begin to shine. On the other hand, when you’re inside, you’ll probably want to do the opposite.

Waistcoats can be a handy item to take as can be used for extra warmth and colour

Indoor wedding

When it comes to wear to an autumn indoor wedding, there are a few tips that may help you out, but there’s only one that will make a noticeable difference.

Ditch the layers. There’s is no need for an undershirt, shirt, sweater, and a suit jacket or else you’ll get a heat stroke on the dance floor. Now, as to what you should wear, that depends on the theme, but more often than not, you’ll wear:

• Tailored suit
• Pants and blazer
• Dress shirt and pants

Be sure to keep in mind that you may want to take off your jacket at some point, so make sure your shirt is ironed.

Outdoor wedding

You, just like the newlyweds can only pray to the weather gods that they bless you with clear and sunny skies. Otherwise, you might need a pair of wellies at some point during the day.

Jokes aside, when you’re attending an outdoor wedding, be prepared for a breezy night and a three piece suit could be ideal for that extra layer. Bring along a cosy jacket or a sweater you can slip into when it gets chilly. I’d say a nice little scarf could also do the trick, but please make sure you don’t come across as pompous.

While we’re sure tipsy guests won’t bat an eye, you wouldn’t want to be the guy that stole the spotlight.

With that in mind, here’s what you might want to bring:

• Sweater
• Light jacket
• Umbrella

And oh, the key here is to bring these things along – not wear them. Michaelmas summer is a real deal, so you don’t want to be sweating your jewels off if the sun decides to shine bright.

Suit the Theme

The theme of the wedding will dictate your outfit, so you must know what you’re doing, and the invitation should be very clear if it’s a black tie wedding.

It wouldn’t be mighty cool of you to show up in jeans and a plaid shirt to a formal wedding, wouldn’t it?

Likewise if you come matching the wedding colour scheme you might be mistaken for a member of the wedding party or the best man.

So, here’s what you should have in mind for clothing.

Formal Event & Attire

The thing you need to know like the palm of your hand is that black is your best and only friend when it comes to formal dress code. You can’t go wrong with black, so make sure you own at least one suit in this colour.

So, for a formal autumn wedding, wear the following:

• Black suit
• White shirt
• Black bow tie
• Black Oxfords

It’s impossible to go wrong with these and you could mess it up with accessories, so don’t overdo it. Pair of cufflinks, a simple necktie or a bowtie, and a white linen pocket square are all you need. Anything too extravagant could see you cropped out of the official pictures by the wedding couple.

A checked Navy Suit can look very stylish

Cocktail Event & Attire

Cocktail events shouldn’t pose a problem for any men with a sense of style. The world’s your oyster for a wedding like this.

You could rock a lounge suit or you could come in teal chinos, a flowered shirt and a navy blazer to top things off. Now, this doesn’t mean you should pull out your favourite pair of denim from your closet and wear those. It just means you don’t have to wear a tux.

Here’s our recommendation for the day:

• Cream dress pants
• Powder blue shirt
• Brown blazer
• Brown suede loafers

Or…

• Checkered charcoal suit
• Light pink shirt
• Oxblood monk straps

Now, even though you have all the freedom you want in this case – don’t go overboard with accessories. Let your personality shine through a couple of details, but don’t let your accessories be the focal point of your outfit. And if the above don’t feel right, a navy suit, white dress shirt and brown brogues could be just right.

A three piece cream suit can look great at autumn weddings

Themed Event & Attire

We guess you could say that themed weddings exploded along with social media. Everyone wants to share a few Reels or photos from a “unique” event, and weddings seem to have become the de facto event for themes.

Brides just love coming up with themes for their big days, and it would be rude of you not to be a part of that theme.

Now, don’t worry, no one will force you to dress like a pirate, but maybe you’ll be invited to an all-white wedding or a Miami-themed one, so you’ll want to look the part.

So, for an all-white wedding, I’d dress you in:

• Cream double-breasted suit
• White shirt
• Ivory loafers

Essentials and Finishing Touches

To look your absolute best, you need to pay attention to a few other things.

Just like every ladies’ outfit becomes magical the moment it’s sprinkled with a pair of gorgeous earrings, there are also some finishing touches and unwritten rules every man should follow when it comes to wedding attire.

Tone it down

Summer weddings are often celebrated in bright colours, and when the leaves begin to fall, it’s kind of customary to dial it down and stick with earthy, seasonal tones.

Now, you don’t have to look like a pumpkin. Colours like burgundy, cream, beige, or Sacramento green will more than good enough. Sticking to these hues will help you blend into the crowd and still look good.

Keep in mind, this is not a rule I’ve come up with. There are these unwritten rules we kind of have to follow. Just look at beach parties and weddings – why do you think everyone wears white and cream? So, match your colours to the season. 

Get your shoes right

Women match their shoes with a purse, so in the same way, men ought to match their shoes with a suit.

Wearing matching shoes gives off the impression of being sharp and dapper, which we can all agree is a desirable trait for a man. Just imagine if you showed up to a party rocking a black suit, brown shoes and a white belt – you’d look like a jester.

So, always make sure your shoes work well with the colour of your suit. This is not optional. It’s a must!

Compliment your date

If you’re coming with a date, make sure you coordinate your outfits. Now, we don’t mean come in matching sweaters like you’re taking a photo for a Christmas card but do your best to match your outfits.

For example, if your lady’s wearing a red dress, it’d be better if you didn’t wear a blue suit. Instead, go with cream or black. At the same time, if you’re keen on wearing an olive suit, your date should probably reconsider that pink gown.

This is not too vital, but trust me – you’ll look better in photos. Both of you will.

Groom it up

If you want to look the part, don’t forget to make an appointment with your barber. You wouldn’t want to look like a caveman at an event where a photographer is hired to capture every single moment.

So cut your hair, trim your beard, pluck your eyebrows and kill ‘em with your good looks.

Final Thoughts

Now, we have to tell you one more thing –  none of these rules are set in stone. You can always break them and still look good at autumn weddings.

It all comes down to confidence. If you’re confident enough to wear a purple velvet suit with bedazzled shoes, go for it! Just make sure your date is on the same page as you are.

Confidence is the name of the game, so as long as you feel good in what you’re wearing – go rock that wedding!