Fun, formal and beyond: what the groom wears

(BPT) - When you think of a wedding, you probably think of the bride's dress, the flower arrangements, the food and the music. But what about the groom? More specifically, what about the groom's attire? It's his special day, too. So it's time to devote some attention to him.

Think back to all the weddings of decades past. What was the groom wearing as he watched his bride walk down the aisle? Most weddings were formal occasions and the tuxedo ruled the day.

But times have changed. One of the reasons for this shift could be the economy says Jane Carlton Hall, Fashion Design instructor at The Art Institute of Houston. "When it's time to find a place to cut costs when planning your wedding in this economy, a formal tux is one place couples start," she says. Hall points out that even if the groom springs for a new suit, it'll be something he can wear again and again.

But other factors also come into play. "Now people are much more creative, with destination weddings and dude ranch weddings, which are popular here in Arizona, and the attire matches the location," says Elizabeth Heuisler, academic director for Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing at The Art Institute of Tucson. She advises that grooms still lay out some cash for a new pair of jeans if they wind up saying their "I dos" at a dude ranch.

Cyndy McCoy, a Fashion Retail Management instructor at The Art Institute of Fort Worth, a campus of South University adds, "A nice light colored shirt with linen pants and sandals or even barefoot works very well for the groom at a beach wedding."

And even if you are taking a more traditional route and planning a formal evening wedding, you don't necessarily need a tux. "Nothing dictates that you have to wear a tux," says McCoy. "A nice black suit works quite well." Hall advises that even if you don't necessarily plan on wearing a tux, a formalwear store is a good place to go for ideas and advice about current trends.

Hall says the recent royal wedding in Britain reminds us that classic looks are always in style. McCoy echoes, "You can never go wrong with the classics."

But according to Hall, when all is said and done, the special day is still about the bride. "In my opinion, the groom should dress in the same way that a museum frames a beautiful painting, so as not to detract from the bride."