Will you be buying or hiring the Groom’s men’s suits?
Buying Groomsmen’s Suits is Becoming More Common
Most couples still hire their groomsmen’s suits according to an Easy Weddings poll, although buying their suits is becoming more popular. 63% of the couples that responded to the poll said they would be renting their groomsmen’s suits and 37% said their groomsmen would be wearing bought suits.
There are many reasons that couples choose to hire their groomsmen’s suits rather than buying them. Groomsmen often wear formalwear such as morning suits with top hat and tails that would be very expensive to buy, and that probably wouldn’t ever get worn again if you did buy them. If couples want all their groomsmen to look the same it is often easier as well as cheaper to hire identical suits instead of buying them.
However, it is becoming more common for groomsmen to wear bought suits, and they tend to pay for them themselves or at least split the cost with the couple. This goes along with the trend for grooms and groomsmen to wear more casual outfits such as lounge suits instead of formal outfits. It makes sense to buy these rather than hiring them as they can be worn again to work or to other special occasions. Couples who are having casual outdoor weddings or beach weddings might not want their groomsmen to wear suits at all, just light coloured trousers and open necked shirts.
There is also a growing trend for mismatched groomsmen, where the guys all wear suits they have chosen themselves, perhaps within certain guidelines, and the couple just provide coordinating shirts and boutonnieres. In this case the groomsmen would usually buy a suit or wear something they already own. Many groomsmen feel more comfortable in a bought suit than a rented suit as it is likely to be a better fit.