—— in
Traditionally, when a wed-
ding is in the offing, attention
is focused on the bride.
gather round to offer sug-
gestions and advice and, for
the definitive word on any as-
pect of her approaching wed-
ding, she can consult a wide
variety of magazines and
books, written with her in
mind. But, what of the groom?
Information gap
_ The plethora of information
available to the bride seems
equaled only by the scarcity of
information available to him.
To help alleviate this situa-
tion, the American Formal-
wear Association has com-
piled the following list of fre-
quently asked questions with
answers—written with the
groom in mind.
Q.: Who or what decides if
the wedding is to be formal,
semiformal or informal?
A.: Those decisions are
usually up to the bride, and are
often determined by the choice
site of the ceremony.
If she wears a long gown
with a train, the ceremony is
definitely formal. If the bride
elects to wear only a veil with
her gown, the ceremony can
be considered to be semi-
formal. k
Q.: If the wedding is for-
mal, what do I wear?
A.: In the daytime, a cuta-
way coat and striped trousers.
However, in some contempo-
rary weddings the groom will
wear a white tailcoat, but tra-
ditionalists hold out for the
gray cutaway.
It’s your choice!
For a contemporary evening
formal ceremony, the groom
may wear a black or white full
dress (tailcoat), while the tra-
ditionalist will wear the classic
white tie and tails.
Q.: If the wedding is
semi-formal, what do I wear?
A.: For a traditional day-
time wedding, a gray strofler
with striped trousers.
For a contemporary day-
time wedding, a tuxedo of
your choice or an updated
stroller.
For a traditional evening
ceremony, a black tuxedo or a
white dinner jacket. For a con-
temporary evening wedding, a
tuxedo of your choice.
Q.: What do my ushers or
groomsmen wear?
A.: In a traditional cere-
mony, the same as the groom,
with the exception of the
boutonierre which in the
groom’s case should be a sprig
of lily-of-the-valley from the
bride’s bouquet.
In a contemporary wed-
ding, the groomsmen may
dress “a step down” from the
groom. I.e., if the groom
wears a tailcoat, the
groomsmen may wear a short
coat.
Q.: What do the fathers of
the bride and groom wear?
A.: The same rules apply
to the fathers as to the ushers
and the groomsmen.
Q.: Do I owe a gift to any
of the wedding members?
A.: Yes. Some small gift
should be made to your ushers
or groomsmen. Dress studs,
type, place and length of the
honeymoon? i
A.: Those decisions should
be made by agreement be-
tween the bride and groom.
The available time for the
trip and its type is usually
determined by financial
capabilities.
professional portraits.
wedding.
come- with portraits.
B
cuff links, pocket jewelry or
the like is appropriate. Those
gifts serve as mementos of the
occasion. :
Q.: Who decides on the
Q.: Who provides the
bride’s bouquet? 2
A.: The groom buys his
bride’s bouquet and also the
usher’s boutonierres.
Q.: Who pays for the hon-
eymoon? :
A.: The groom!
Q.: Who gives the hon-
orarium to the officiating rev-
erend or judge?
A.: The groom.
Q.: Who pays for the rental
of the formalwear?
A.: The groom and the
members of the wedding each
pay for their own.
Q.: Who pays for the wed-
ding?
A.: The bride’s family.
Q.: What are the duties of
_ the Best Man?
HHYHL dA9Vd
the groom prior to ceremony,
hands him the ring to place on
ceremony, and offers the first
toast to the bride and groom at
the reception.
He also reads, to all assem-
bled, any and all congratula-
tory messages sent to the bride
and groom at the reception.
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Fray CLARK, I
JEWELER
RE SUA SAAS