Groom and Groomsmen Suits for an Orlando Summer Wedding

The groom looks great at 4:45. By 5:20, after twenty minutes of portraits on a lawn near Lake Eola, his shirt collar has gone dark, one groomsman has quietly unbuttoned his vest, and the best man is standing in the only patch of shade holding his jacket like a dish towel. I have watched some version of that scene at more summer weddings than I can count.

Brides usually get a gown fitting that accounts for the weather. The men in the wedding party often end up in whatever the rental shop had on the rack, and in Central Florida from May to September that choice matters more than color or lapel width. Here is what I tell couples when they ask how to dress the guys so they still look sharp in the reception photos.

Why Orlando heat beats a normal suit

It is not only the temperature. Summer afternoons in Orlando commonly sit around the low 90s Fahrenheit, but the real problem is humidity. When the air is already that damp, sweat does not evaporate quickly, so the body loses its main way of cooling off. A jacket adds a second layer that traps the warm, wet air against the shirt.

Standard suits are built for offices with air conditioning. Many have full linings made of polyester or acetate, padded shoulders, and a wool or wool blend heavy enough for a winter in Chicago. Rental suits in particular are often polyester or a polyester blend because it holds up to repeated cleaning. Polyester does not breathe much, and on a humid evening that difference is very easy to feel.

Fabrics that work, and the one trade-off each brings

No suit fabric makes a Florida July comfortable. Some make it bearable for the length of a ceremony and photos, which is the actual goal.

Ask for the fabric content on the label or the rental order before anyone pays. "Lightweight" on a website can mean almost anything. If a shop cannot tell you the percentage of wool or polyester, that is an answer in itself.

Construction matters about as much as fiber. A jacket that is unlined or half lined, with soft shoulders instead of padding, lets far more air through than the same fabric with a full lining. Vests add a third layer, so for an outdoor summer ceremony I usually suggest skipping them unless the couple loves the look.

Colors, shirts and the small things guests never notice

Lighter colors absorb less sun. Tan, stone, light grey and pale blue all photograph well against Florida greenery and the soft pinks and corals many couples choose for flowers. Navy still works for an evening ceremony indoors, and it is kinder to sweat marks than light grey, which shows every damp patch. That is a real trade-off, not a rule, and I have seen beautiful navy summer weddings.

• Shirts: lightweight cotton or a linen blend. Thick oxford cloth looks great in October and miserable in June.
• Undershirt: a thin, close-fitting one actually helps, because it absorbs sweat before it reaches the dress shirt.
• Ties: linen, cotton or a loose knit. Silk is fine. A heavy wool tie is not.
• Socks and shoes: thin socks, and shoes broken in beforehand. Swollen feet in new shoes on a hot lawn is the complaint I hear most at the end of the night.
• A spare shirt for the groom: he changes after portraits, before the grand entrance. Ten minutes, and he looks fresh in every reception photo.

"Just rent the standard tux" is the advice I push back on

Rental is convenient, and for a ballroom wedding with the ceremony and reception indoors, a standard rental is often fine. The advice falls apart when any part of the day happens outside between May and September. A wool tuxedo with satin lapels, a cummerbund and a full lining at an outdoor 5:30 ceremony in Kissimmee is a lot to ask of anyone.

Many rental companies now carry a lighter suit line alongside the classic tux. Ask for it by name, and ask what it is made of. For groups who can afford it, buying lightweight suits that each man can wear again often costs not much more than five rentals, though prices vary widely, so compare real quotes before deciding.

The best-dressed groomsman in a July photo is usually the one who was comfortable enough to stand up straight.

Plan the day around the jackets

Clothing only goes so far. Timing does the rest. Most of the heat problems I have seen came from portraits scheduled at 3 or 4 p.m. in full sun. Shifting photos later, closer to golden hour, and finding shade for the group shots helps more than any fabric. The timing questions are covered in planning a summer wedding in Central Florida, and the backup plan for the afternoon thunderstorm is in outdoor Orlando venues and the storm problem.

Agree on a "jackets off" moment in advance, usually right after the grand entrance or first dance, and tell the DJ or planner so it gets announced. Without that, the groomsmen wait for the groom, and the groom forgets.

Coordinate with the florist, too. Boutonnieres wilt in heat just like centerpieces do, and the hardier options in wedding flowers that survive Florida heat work for lapels as well.

This week

If the suits are not ordered yet, ask the shop one question in writing: what is the fiber content of the jacket, and is it fully lined? If they are already ordered, schedule a final fitting two to three weeks before the date and have each groomsman wear the full outfit for fifteen minutes outside on a warm afternoon. Whatever feels wrong in the backyard will feel worse at the ceremony, and there is still time to swap a vest or a shirt.