When June rolls around, days are often longer and much hotter. This is why summer wedding attire for men can be tricky. I’m here to help you figure this out functionally and aesthetically.
Summer and early fall are the most common times for weddings. I’m in my mid-30s, so the first wave of marriages among my friend group just passed. Some are moving on to children, and others to second marriages. In the coming years, my summers will be filled with weddings again.
As such, I’ve become quite the expert when it comes to men’s summer wedding attire. In many ways, fall wedding attire and spring wedding attire are easier to dress for. The former lends itself to suit dressing, while the latter often employs romantic palettes.
And if you’re wondering what to wear to a summer outdoor wedding, I’ve got you there, too.
I have a natural and innate sense of style for warm weather. I grew up in Los Angeles. My mother worked in fashion and was a stickler for dress codes.
So, even if I was attending an outdoor wedding on a 95-degree day in August, I was fully-suited. Yes, two layers of long sleeves on each arm, a tie around my sweaty neck.
Here’s all of my wisdom when it comes to accommodating dress codes and weather for your next summer wedding.
4 Men’s Summer Wedding Attire: Groom and Groomsmen
First of all, if you’re the groom, you and your bride-to-be can set the tone however you want. If you’ve decided to go full casual for your wedding, go for it. If you want black-tie nuptials, be my guest.
If you’re in the groom’s wedding party, you follow suit — literally. Here’s what I mean by all of that.
Summer Wedding Outfits Men: Hot Weather Men’s Casual Summer Wedding Attire
If you’re going for a highly casual wedding, then there really aren’t any rules.
I’ve seen couples throw casual Hawaiian weddings with the groom and groomsmen in silk aloha shirts. The couples gave each other ceremonial leis.
Summer lends itself to loose casual clothing. But, as the groom, you still want to acknowledge the special day with your outfit.
A silk-blend button-up with linen pants and loafers, for example. It takes minimal effort, and it’s still elegant. You can have your groomsmen wear something similar in coordinated colors.
Or, since there’s no real dress code, you can just have fun with your outfit. Perhaps you have a patterned suit jacket that you never found an occasion for. Well, your wedding is your day. And it’s her day, too, so make sure she approves!
If you’re a groomsman and you don’t have any direction about what to wear, check with the groom. Make sure to match his aesthetic and his level of formality.
Men’s Beach Wedding Attire for Grooms and Groomsmen: Summer Wedding Dress Code
Beach weddings can be as casual as the aforementioned section describes.
Or they can fall anywhere from smart casual to a full suit-and-tie situation. Since you’re at the beach, you can have fun with colors and fabrics. Pastels, which are great in spring, are also perfect for the beach, even if just as accents.
You can opt for a beige, light slate gray, cool tan, or blue suit. Then, go for a light pastel dress shirt (light blue is technically a pastel). Or, just stick to classic white and go for a sherbert-toned tie.
If you prefer a more understated look, you can always just opt for a dark tie, too.
Suits in chambray, linen, and silk blends are perfect for beach wedding attire. They’re lightweight yet structured and offer a formal yet relaxed look with a coastal cool vibe.
Seersucker is definitely a bit dandy, but if there’s an appropriate summer wedding, it’s at the beach. You can also wear a full linen suit with seersucker accents (perhaps a vest) and have your groomsmen wear full seersucker suits.
Again, it’s totally up to you how to do your beach wedding. However, having some visual through-line between you and your groomsmen is customary.
When it comes to shoes, always consider what you’ll be walking on. If you’re setting up a stable walkway or are doing it on a boardwalk, you can opt for traditional dress shoes.
For extra casual weddings, you can even go for casual leather loafers, low-profile white sneakers, or, heck, even barefoot. Just make sure these unconventional nuances are obvious in the invite so your guests don’t show up feeling overdressed or underdressed.
Formal Dress Codes: How To Achieve It in Hot Weather
There isn’t a right or wrong season for white-tie and black-tie weddings. You can always go for a formal dress code if that’s your style.
Traditional tuxedos aren’t always the more breathable option, though. I recommend having the ceremony indoors. You know, where there’s air-conditioning.
However, I acknowledge that I’m no wedding planner. Nor do I want anyone to have to compromise their dream wedding,
Or you can choose a nice cool evening, say, in early June. Besides, black-tie’s evening attire.
Otherwise, you can opt for their less common daytime counterparts, which offer slightly more breathable attire.
The daytime equivalent of a white-tie ensemble is a morning dress suit. This features a morning coat, which is long in the back, a waistcoat, and flowy gray trousers (often striped). You can also wear a tophat and a tie pin for extra pizazz.
The stroller suit is the daytime equivalent of a black-tie tuxedo. It includes a lounge jacket that can be double- or single-breasted and a waistcoat.
Of course, summer is the time for the ubiquitous white dinner jacket. Channel your inner Bond and wear your black-tie tuxedo with an ivory dinner jacket. This is perfectly acceptable in the summer. It is especially apropos on hot afternoons, at sea, or in tropical climates for you fans of destination weddings.
Non-Tuxedo Business Formal
You can always go with a classic suit. The darker the suit, the more formal it is. Believe it or not, you can even go for earth tones in the summer.
Sure, they’re more conducive to fall. That said, if you go for warmer earth tones and summer accents, you can absolutely make it seasonally appropriate.
My only advice when going the formal business route is to do something special. It’s a special occasion, not another day at the office. Try to acknowledge the importance of the day.
You might wear a family heirloom lapel pin or your favorite color tie. Or, perhaps you and your groomsmen wear matching pocket squares.
But suits are hot, right? Not always! You can definitely find summer wedding suits for men in breathable fabrics.
I already mentioned linen and silk blends. They come in every color and every cut and style.
You can also go for a pure bamboo suit, which is comfortable, soft, and breathable. In fact, its nickname is “California cashmere”. It also features a subtle, unique texture.
If you want the structure of a traditional wool suit, go for a triple blend. This means it’s made of wool, silk, and linen. The linen and silk add breathability and lightness, while the silk adds a slight sheen, giving the suit a level of formality.
Men’s Summer Wedding Guest Attire and What to Wear to an Outdoor Wedding
With the groom and groomsmen ready, what should you wear as a guest? Here’s some insight on men’s summer wedding guest attire for all dress codes.
Casual Dress Code
If the wedding you’re going to has a casual dress code, this doesn’t mean you can just wear a T-shirt and shorts. In fact, men’s summer wedding guest attire can sometimes be more complicated in casual situations because of the lack of constraints.
When in doubt, you can always check in with the bride and groom.
The fun part about a casual dress code is that it gives you an opportunity to level up your everyday outfits. For example, you can top a T-shirt and jeans with an unstructured blazer and finish it off with some nice leather shoes. Or, you can go for clean, white
Layers are a great way to elevate casual combinations. A light safari jacket adds sophistication without bulk, and no one likes bulky layers in the summer.
You can also experiment with some fun summer fabrics. Again, seersucker and light colors like mint and salmon are perfect for the season. I understand they may not be your go-to. However, the combination of it being a celebratory event and the warm season is an opportunity to do something different.
Even in casual weddings, I’d ask whether shorts are appropriate. I’ve been to preppy beach weddings in Nantucket. There, men paired their navy blazers, cable-knit sweater vests, and bow ties with Madras shorts.
Semi-Formal vs Cocktail
A rule of thumb I’ll mention again is that you never want to outdress the groom. If he’s in a gray suit and tie, don’t roll in with a black power suit, gold tie, shiny cufflinks, and Rolex Day-Date.
Now, the semi-formal and cocktail dress codes have a lot of overlap. However, a semi-formal is less dressy than a cocktail. Most people have cocktails at night, after all. And, night dress codes tend to be more formal — hence the term “evening wear”.
But, these days, there’s a lot of overlap, and it’s purely relative.
A cocktail outfit can be a full business suit. Relatively, a semi-formal could be a broken suit with no tie.
As a cocktail outfit, one might wear a suit jacket with a dress shirt, no tie, chinos, and loafers. A semi-formal counterpart might be a knit polo or button-down, blazer, chinos, and loafers with no socks.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with a summer suit, a lightly woven dress shirt, and loafers. Bring a tie in case you think you need it.
And if the wedding has several events, just make sure your daytime wear is more casual than your nighttime wear.
FAQs
Here’s a quick summary to refer to in case you don’t have time to go digging through this whole post!
What Do Men Wear To Summer Weddings?
The groom can choose his dress code and wear what he wants based on that. The guests will follow suit. Light fabrics and colors are both seasonal and practical.
If you wear a suit, go for linen or light blends. Summer neutrals include beige, tans, and light grays. For accents and casual outfits, have fun with bright, warm colors.
Conclusion: Summer Romance
Remember that weddings are a celebration of love. Whether you’re going to a casual ceremony or a formal one, you want to find ways to elevate. No matter the dress code you’re working with.
Again, your favorite tie or special cufflinks are good options for men’s summer wedding attire.
Also, it’s important from a practical and visual perspective to choose light fabrics and colors. You don’t want to be sweating the entire time—at least not until the dance party.
For more info, check out our article on wearing a suit in warm weather without overheating.
