How to Personalize Your Wedding Suit

personalized suit — Photo by Jenn Emerling

People often say, “It’s all about the dress when it comes to wedding day fashion.” But, we beg to differ. Grooms and brides who wear suits also need to feel extra special on their big day. Customizing your wedding day suit or tuxedo is as much about enhancing your look as it is about adding a unique detail or element that commemorates the happiest day of your life.

“I think it's always nice when you're making the investment [to have a custom suit made] to have some sort of personalization if you can,” says Courtney Arrington-Baldwin, co-founder of New York-based menswear design studio Mr Baldwin Style. This can be anything from customizing the fit and cut of the suit to incorporating a bold accent in the form of a monogram to finding some special accessory at a great resource from grooms like Men's Wearhouse.

But, she also warns against going overboard with your suit. “Less is more. You don't want to have monograms all over your whole look. You'd rather pick which elements you feel are most important,” she adds. “Be conscious of the size of it and the color of whatever you're personalizing with. You want it to be subtle. You don't want it to stand out or detract from the remainder of your look.”

Here, we rounded up 15 elegant ways for suit-wearers to achieve a custom and personalized look on their big day.

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Order a Custom Suit

“There is no better way to personalize your suit than getting an actual bespoke suit,” says Grant McNamara, founder and creative director of G ALXNDR. By investing in a custom wedding suit or tuxedo, you not only ensure a perfect fit, but you can also work with your tailor to add other personalized touches to your look.

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Have a Custom Lining

Put your designer hat on and create a custom design for your suit jacket’s lining. Trust us (and the experts) when we say that the sky is truly the limit here. “We've done so many fun things like pictures of the bride and groom, pictures from their engagement photos or vacations, and pictures of their pets. We've done college mascots, and we’ve done locations where the couple has met,” adds McNamara

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Monogram the Inner Part of the Jacket

The inner part of the front of the jacket is a great place to put a personalized detail or monogram that has special meaning to you and your partner. “Some of our grooms choose to go simple with the names and the date of the wedding,” explains McNamara. “I personally chose a quote that is meaningful to my wife and I, and I encourage people to pick whatever is most meaningful to them.”

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Embroider Your Jacket Collar

A lot of grooms opt to personalize the back of their collar. That’s the felt fabric piece underneath the suit jacket collar that you see when you flip it up. That’s a great spot to put your wedding date on. Roman numerals or a cursive font will add an extra dose of elegance to your suit.

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Incorporate Your Wedding Colors

color suit — Photo by Dragonfly Photography

One of the easiest and most effective ways to personalize your suit is to take inspiration from your wedding colors. Not only will this result in a cohesive (and picture-perfect) look, but it will also help you add a pop of color to your suit. Coordinate colors with your partner, so you both incorporate the same hues into your looks. For you, this could be something as simple as adding a pocket square or something more significant such as having your jacket lining in that color.

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Personalize Your Cufflinks

While classic grooms can select a more traditional cufflink design in gold or silver, and monogram it for a stylish look, a cufflink design inspired by the groom’s interests would add a fun and unexpected element for those looking to break with tradition and go a little bolder and more modern. So if you are obsessed with Star Wars, for example, or are a huge fan of tennis, you could use these hobbies to guide your choice for cufflinks.

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Don’t Forget Your Pocket Square

A pocket square in a bold color, a beautifully embroidered monogram, or a custom-designed print are just three ways to add some flair to your wedding suit. “It's a little bit more personal than a random pocket square that you just buy anywhere,” says Arrington-Baldwin. You’ll also be giving your wedding photographer some pretty good visual material, as they love snapping pictures of these unique wedding details.

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Add a Special Message on the Inside of the Tie

tie message — Photo by Alex Ashman Photography

If you forego the bow tie for a classic tie, this presents you and your partner with an excellent opportunity to make this accessory extra special. Add a quote, an expression, or your wedding day details on the back of your tie.

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Order a Custom Tie Pin

Tie clips or tie bars are all the rage right now, and you could have a lot of fun customizing yours. They are usually worn with more traditional, wider ties, so if your outfit is on the classic side, a custom tie pin will certainly freshen it up a little. A jewelry designer can create a custom tie pin with your initials, a family coat of arms, or something completely unexpected such as a character from a favorite movie.

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Personalize Your Loafers

monogram slippers — Photo by Alixann Loosle

Loafers are super comfortable and make for great reception shoes. Arrington-Baldwin suggests you make yours unique by having your monogram or a message embroidered on their tops. We love this pair of velvet slippers by Stubs and Wootton that have the phrase "I Do" on the vamps.

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Monogram Your Suspenders

Suspenders add so much character and vintage appeal to your look, and are the perfect match for a boho or rustic-themed wedding. Customize yours by engraving a special message or your wedding date on the leather patch on the back.

The Ultimate Guide to Groom's Fashion

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Order Custom Socks

bride and groom's shoes — Photo by Jenn Emerling

Want to personalize your look without changing your bespoke suit? Add a pop of color or a fun element to your wedding day look by designing a pair of bold socks for you and your groomsmen. “Socks are a great way to add some extra flair that are a little more concealed,” adds McNamara.

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Have Your Shoe Heels Etched

McNamara, who got married in Aspen, had two pairs of shoes—one for each the ceremony and the reception—personalized by having messages etched on the heels. “We got married in Aspen, and I wanted the shoes to represent that. So, it literally looks like a piece of wood, and [on] the heels, I inscribed the date. Then, when I switched into my loafers for my party outfit, on the heels, I inscribed ‘party’ on that.”

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Skip the Boutonniere and Go for a Lapel Pin

“You could do a small lapel pin with monogramming, which is really classic and kind of Ivy. That would just be in place of the boutonniere,” suggests Arrington-Baldwin. We recommend placing your custom lapel right on the lapel buttonhole on the left side of the jacket.

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Wear a Pocket Watch

And we don’t just mean, put it in your pocket and forget about it. Make the watch an essential part of your look by draping it across your jacket. “It’s a fun touch that you don’t see very often,” says McNamara.