By Susan Alexander Shapiro from BravoBride.com

Need a little help on what to think about when choosing what to wear for you and your best friends on your big day? Keep these tid-bits in mind when picking out groomsmen attire.

Formal or Unique?
Tuxedos and a uniformed color scheme is the traditional view of a wedding, but times are changing. Converse shoes can replace dress shoes and a pair of khakis and a white shirt can substitute for a suit and tie all depending on your personal style. What is your style? Do you want a traditional wedding where all your groomsmen wear tuxedos or do you want them in super hero costumes? Knowing what type of wedding you want will help in choosing the attire of the entire wedding party. Realizing your theme or style will be the base of your entire event.

Budget Concerns
As much as you don’t want to mention it, how much things cost is an issue in every wedding, and not just for the bride and groom. In the case of groomsmen attire, some couples choose to rent tuxes for their groomsmen while others let their friend’s foot the bill. It is important to consider everyone’s financial input to your wedding. You don’t want your best friends not to be in your wedding because they can’t afford it nor do you want to take on more expenses than what is in your budget. Some inexpensive wedding ideas include:

1.) Let groomsmen wear their own suits instead of renting tuxes.
2.) Go for a more casual look by having them only wear the same color shirts or ties.
3.) Go online. You can find almost anything online, and usually for less.
4.) Rent tuxes as a group. A lot of places have group discounts.
5.) Let the guys wear their own shoes instead of renting them.

Simple changes such as these can save you and your bridal party a bundle.

Wearing a different color tie is a great way for the groom to stand out from the groomsmen.

Time to Shine
In a room full of suits and ties, how does a groom not blend in with the rest? After deciding what your what your style will be and what your budget is, making sure you stand out from your groomsmen is the next step. Besides the bride, you are the most important person of the day and it is your time to shine.

1.) If in tuxedos, changing vest colors or designs will help designate you as the groom. Try going with a completely different color instead of just changing hues.
2.) Going outside the norm, some men are choosing to wear a completely different color suit or tux than their groomsmen. This bold statement really makes the groom stand out amongst his friends.
3.) Groomsmen in the wedding party will usually be wearing boutonnières. Although they all will be beautiful, the grooms could be a different flower and color than anyone else’s.

Remember these simple tips when it’s time to start thinking about what the men will be wearing in your wedding party. We all know your bride is going to stand out on the big day, make sure you are standing out with her.

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Susan Alexander Shapiro is the founder of BravoBride.com — the web’s leading destination for brides wanting to buy and sell new and pre-owned wedding items. BravoBride focuses on designer used wedding dresses, jewelry, accessories, ceremony and reception items, unique wedding favors— and everything else you need for the perfect inexpensive wedding.

By Guest Blogger Ben the Groom

When was the last time, if ever, you treated yourself to a brand-new outfit (head-to-toe) for one special event? Well if you’re recently engaged here’s your chance. Being a groom is an excellent chance to show off your personal style, so go all out and get what you really want. That being said, being a groom also means making sure your personal style fits into your brides overall game plan. You might have always hoped to be wearing leather saddles during your wedding, but if your wife-to-be is organizing an evening formal, you can kiss that idea goodbye.

Think of it like this, your bride is working tirelessly on every detail to make sure the ceremony is everything she has always dreamed. Sorry grooms, but your fedora and suspenders may not fit into that dream. This doesn’t mean you should wave the white flag, it just means you need an element of tact and creative thinking to make sure you’re both happy!

So, what can you do to make sure your personal taste makes it to the big day?

1. Costume Change – The ceremony is formal, important, dramatic and beautiful, and your personal taste might not fit into what she wants. However, she may be willing to compromise during the reception. Do you have a favorite style hat you’ve always imaged wearing at the wedding? Maybe skip the need to wear it during the ceremony and let it debut at the reception.  You might hate boutonnieres and have a pocket square you’d rather wear, but maybe she’ll let you make the switch after you say your I-do’s?  There are countless ways you can make your formalwear into something you want to wear, just wait till after the ceremony.

2. Picture Time – Buying accessories like a new watch, sunglasses or shoes is part of the fun of being a groom. So, if something you really want to own doesn’t make the ceremony cut, get if for the pictures! She’ll be a lot less picky with what you wear when you’re posing with your buddies. So, this is another chance when you can get what you want and show off your style, while still keeping your bride happy.

3. As You’re Leaving – Often brides and grooms will quickly change out of their formal wear for their great escape. Here lies another opportunity to get what you’ve been wanting!  Ask her what she plans to wear as you’re running to the escape car and tell her that you want to make sure you wear something fun or special.  She’ll be happy you even care and you’re on your way to a new pair of shoes!

It’s your day too guys, so make sure you like the way you look, but remember you’ll be much happier knowing she’s happy!

Do you plan on wearing cologne on your wedding day? We’ve brought back men’s health and skin care blogger Sarah Nash to give a few suggestions on men’s wedding day fragrance. If you’re a cologne kind of guy, you’re bound to be able to find something amongst these ten that fits your style.

Oh, and be sure to scroll all the way down to see our special editor’s selection.

John Varvatos

10 – John Varvatos by: John Varvatos
Masculine, sensual, and classic-sophisticated scent.
More of a winter fragrance, the key notes are: Medjool Date Fruit, Tamarind Tree Leaves, Coriander Seed Templar, Clary Sage Flower, Indian Ajowan, Auramber, Leather essence.

'The One' by Dolce & Gabbana

9 – The One by: Dolce and Gabbana
Inviting, fresh, and soft-citrus scent.
This golden juice has hints of mandarin and peach, blooms with lily and jasmine, and ends with an inviting plum and vanilla base.

'Unforgivable' by Sean John

8- Unforgivable by: Sean John
Bold, long lasting, and masculine scent.
This fragrance is masculine and has a hint of fruit to it (according to Sean John its Sicilian lemon, champagne, Tuscan basil and rum).

Armani Code

7 – Armani Code  by: Giorgio Armani
Vibrant, sexy, and smooth.
A seductive fragrance for men, Armani Code is a sexy blend of fresh lemon and bergamot softened with hints of orange tree blossom, warmed with soothing guaiac wood, and tonka bean.

Burberry Touch

6- Burberry Touch by: Burberry
Warm, Manly-man, and rugged.
A woody, musky, aromatic fragrance that is fresh and invigorating yet spicy and warm. Top notes are Artemisia, mandarin tree leaves and violet leaves. Heart notes nutmeg, Virginia cedarwod and white pepper. Finished with dry down notes of skin musk, tonka beans and vetiver.

5- Black Orchid by: Tom Ford
Captivating, sexy-rich, and worn by some of the best!
Incredibly luxurious scent. While sultry woods and rich dark accords help to bring out the skin’s natural perfume, the jet black, art deco-inspired bottle adds to the fragrance’s overall glamour.

Prada Amber

4- Prada Amber by: Prada
Courageous, fresh, and lovely-warm scent.
Mellow and sophisticated cologne for men that would reprise the theme of their eponymous feminine fragrance, namely amber. This version highlights four stages: an amber accord predictably, a traditionally masculine fougère (ferny) accord, a fresh cologne accord, and a suede accord, by interweaving notes of citrus (bergamot, mandarin, neroli), spices & flowers (cardamom, saffron, geranium, orange blossom), balsams & warm notes (myrrh, musk, labdanum, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, patchouli) and ~la pièce de resistance~ soft, supple leather.

Gucci by Gucci

3- Gucci by: Gucci
Safe yet sexy, strong & spicy, and sensual scent.
Woody spicy fragrance. Top note, ginger, heart note, and papyrus. Base note olibanum. Good fall/ winter wonderland wedding

MEN by Marc Jacobs

2- MEN by: Marc Jacobs
Fresh, light, and full-bodied scent.
Lightweight figgy-musky scent best for daytime use and spring and summer. Its notes are: Italian Bergamot, Tuscan Cypress, Cumin, Cardamom, Ginger, Fig Leaves, Rose de Mai, Cyclamen, Tonka Bean, Cedarwood, Nirvanolide Musk, Provence Fig, Indonesian Patchouli, Musk

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

1- Le Male by: Jean Paul Gaultier
A must have, sexy-sexy-SEX, and very playful.
Super sexy and makes them want to attack any guy who wears it. Its notes are: Wormwood, Bergamot, Cardamom, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Cinnamon, Cumin, Wood, Musk, Amber, Vanilla, Tonka Bean.

Sex Panther

BONUS EDITOR’S CHOICE – SEX PANTHER

60% of the time, it works every time.

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Do you plan on wearing cologne on your wedding day? Which of these scents sound appealing to you? Tell us in the comments section below.

A special thanks to guest blogger Sarah Nash. Check out her website at SarahNash.com.

Indochino's Wedding Collection

By Guest Blogger Simon Daykin

June is here and the summer wedding season is kicking off.  So for this issue I have decided to speak on the topic of THE SUIT.  I have been to black tie weddings, formal weddings, semi formal weddings, beach weddings and back yard weddings.  All of these weddings have a few things in common.  One I focus on with my grooms is “what the hell kind of suit do I wear?”  So it’s pretty simple really, I have knocked the options down to 3 categories of suits  (Not included are casual weddings, shorts, t-shirts, etc…I am of the opinion that if your bride is in a wedding dress, you should be in a suit of some sort)

Tuxes, Tails & Morning Coats, Oh My!

I love wearing a tuxedo; there is just a feeling about putting one on.  Most grooms just go for the standard tux no matter what kind of wedding they are having.  But this doesn’t have to be single or double breasted.  2 or 3 piece…3 piece comes with a vest or waist coat.  Then we get into the tails (not a fav of mine) or the Morning Coat (I do like this one).  The Morning Coat is a very British look (in my humble opinion) and I really like it, plus it gives you an excuse to wear an ascot.  It’s up to you what you decide on, but these are the options for a Black Tie or Formal wedding.  If you are having a Black Tie wedding, I suggest including some text on the invitation stating this, so your guests know there will be a dress code. So…there are so many choices for a black tie wedding.  You have the standard tuxedo, but you can get a 1, 2 or 3 (and so on) button jacket.

I Have A Birthday Suit, But Now I Need A Wedding Suit.

Wedding Day Gear from Indochino

If you have decided to pass on the tuxedo option and you’re looking for a suit, there are limitless options for you.  Colors, styles, cuts and so on.  It will all depend on what YOU want, and what your bride says you want (Kidding!)  Listen to her, but when it comes down to it, you have to wear it and you have to be comfortable in it.  A well made suit can look amazing!  I always suggest getting a new suit for the wedding, if you can’t get a tailor made one, then buy off the rack and have it altered just for you.  As my readers know, I highly recommend Indochino for all your formal wear needs.  I own some of their stuff and it is fantastic!  Also, it’s not really that expensive.  Have a look at your wedding colors, I suggest getting a neutral-ish suit (no wild colors) and adding the color and flair with the tie, shirt and of course the pocket square.  A black, charcoal or navy suit will look great and you can wear it again after the wedding.

Style And Sand

Destination weddings have always been popular.  Sadly most of the destination wedding photos I see are all the same, khaki’s and a white shirt…..BLAH!!!  Really!?!?  How boring is that!  I taught you better than that.  Just because you don’t want a formal wedding and its a little warmer on the beach doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the style and look like everyone else.  You can still rock the suit, it doesn’t have to be black, of course not.  Try light grey linen, a pale blue, maybe you go plaid or striped, or go all out and sport a skinny fit white suit.  You don’t have to even wear a jacket.  I styled a groom who got married in Jamaica; he wanted to be cool in the heat, yet stylish.  So we got him into a light grey suit (no jacket), high button vest, custom made white shirt, simple black tie (top button unbuttoned) and we rolled up those sleeves.

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

So there are the 3 simple groom’s attire categories.  Now within these categories there are so many choices.  But this is the fun stuff, picking out what to wear should be a good time.  Remember, just because a lot of people do it, doesn’t mean you have to.  So toss all the safe and boring options out the window and start new.  Grab some men’s fashion magazines, Google pictures of Chuck Bass, or other people whose style you respect for ideas on style and what you want to be wearing at your wedding.

When it comes to putting an outfit together, you can take a few different looks and mesh them all into one.  Don’t go overboard, but add in all the cool stuff you like, if you think it’s too much, you can start taking stuff away until you feel it all looks right.  I suggest taking a photo of you in the outfit(s), that way you can see what other people will see and not in the mirror.

I always suggest getting a brand new suit for your wedding.  Your Bride gets a dress, so I feel it is only fair for the Groom to get a new suit.  You can wear the suit after the wedding and I firmly believe that every man should own his own tuxedo.  You may not know when you’ll need it…but when you do, you’ll have it there, ready and waiting.

If you would like to know more about your style options, then you can contact me at simon@gutsygroom.com and we can get you on the right path to looking your best at your wedding.

Guest Blogger Profile: Simon Daykin

You don’t want this guy to BE YOU!!!!  Leading up to your wedding you want to be relaxed, you want to know everything is good hands and that you can chill out on the day and pretty much just show up, stand in the right place, say I do and kiss your bride a lot.  But there is road that leads to this Zen wedding day feeling, and I know guys hate to ask for directions on any road…even a metaphorical one, so here I am with a map for you.  It’s just three simple tips but they help, oh boy do they ever help!

Get Involved!!!

I cannot stress this enough!  Get involved with the wedding planning process.  You don’t have to sink yourself into the nitty gritty details of everything.  But attend the décor meeting, voice your opinions and be heard.  That way you know there will be no surprises when you walk into your reception.  Pink bows all over the place anyone!?!  I wanted all our bridesmaids to wear the same shoes, seems simple enough but I was the only one who felt that way.  I got my opinion heard and they all had the same shoes on when I showed up.  Makes sense to me though, same dress = same shoes.  So get involved in all the meetings with your planner that you can, visit the venue, help pick the menu, research the DJ, help pick out the ceremony music and your first dance tune.  It’s not that hard, and it can be fun as well.  Plus you get to bond with your bride to be and they love that!

Pamper Yourself, It’s OK & You Deserve It

This should really only apply if you help out with the planning process, if you do some work you can reward yourself.  But here we go ‘cause I know you’ll step up and get involved.  Pamper may sound silly but the only other phrase I could think of was “manper” and that sounds sillier to me.  Set up a couples massage for you and your bride to be, hell set up monthly appointments if you like.  It’ll keep you relaxed during the planning and leading up to the wedding.  Book yourself in for a manicure, make sure your nails look good for the wedding because you know that shot of your hands and the rings will be taken, nothing worse than chewed up split nails.  Get a haircut, a few weeks before the wedding, but head into a great stylist and get the full treatment, while you’re there get the warm face cloth massage and a shave, a real one, with a straight razor.  You may want to book another massage and facial for you the morning of the wedding to release any left over tension.  It’s up to you.

There Are Suits And Then There Are Suits, Your Should Be The Latter

Engraved Black Border Cufflinks from TheManRegistry.com

I always get on you guys about looking good.  And this issue will be no different!  HA.  Whether you buy a suit or you rent a suit you need to “own” the suit.  Make sure it fits…properly.  The shoulder pads sit ON your shoulders and the jacket hugs your torso.  If you feel comfortable in your suit, it will show and you’ll feel better throughout the day in general, trust me on this I do know a few things!  Make the suit your own…add your own shirt, don’t EVER wear the patent leather rental shoes, other dudes sweaty feet have been in there!!!  Add your own accessories like cufflinks, pocket squares and killer watch.  EnglishLaundry.com has just come out with a new line of cufflinks and PocketsSquarez.com has all manner of pocket squares for you and the prices are good!  You’ll feel better knowing that when people tell you that you look good, they mean it and they aren’t just being nice.  And if you feel better, the day will be even better than you thought it could be, of course you may have to cut the party short because your bride can’t wait to get you back to the room, but that’s the downside of being so “ridiculously good looking” and stylish!

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

Feeling good can come to you in a wild variety of ways.  But it has been proven that if YOU feel good, others around you will feel better and you will be the coolest guy in the room, well the last isn’t fact…but all the guys I style sure are.  Take the time to make yourself feel good, this should be every day, but especially leading up to your wedding.  Less stress is good.

Getting involved with the planning process is something you should do anyway.  I know you’re busy and may be tired, but this is an event that should only happen once in your life and you should be a apart of as much of it as you can be.  And again, trust me on this, your bride will notice and you’ll be better off for it (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

And on a final note, NEVER, EVER have your stag or any other drinking themed events the night before your wedding.  Seriously, I will find you and walk down the aisle next to you asking you if “you’d like a greasy pork chop served in a dirty ashtray”.  This wedding cost a lot of money, you love your wife to be and all these folks came in to see you do this thing.  So have the respect not to get right-plowed the night before, it’s common sense, but we’re guys and it’s always….”oh I’ll be fine tomorrow”.  Well no, you may not be, and you don’t want to stink of booze or puke on someone so forgo the silly juice and get a good night’s sleep.