What Should the Father of the Bride Wear?

Your daughter’s wedding puts your outfit in the frame all day, from the walk down the aisle to the speech and the dance floor. Good tailoring and a few considered details will help you look the part and stay comfortable. Here’s how to choose the suit, shirt and accessories that bring it together.

By OTAA · The wedding edit

Adult model wearing a white dress shirt, textured navy tie and navy trousers outdoorsWhite button-cuff shirt worn with a textured navy tie and navy trousers
A white shirt, navy tie and navy trousers create a coordinated base for your suit.

For most cocktail or formal weddings, the father of the bride should wear a well-fitting navy, charcoal or mid-grey suit, a white dress shirt, a tie and polished leather shoes. Match the wedding party’s level of formality and use the accessories to bring in the wedding colours. For black tie, wear a tuxedo with a black bow tie.

Should the father of the bride wear a suit or a tuxedo?

The invitation sets the level of formality. Before buying or hiring, agree with the couple on the fathers’ dress code, suit colours and shared accessories. Settle that brief once, then build the outfit around it.

Choose the outfit by the wedding’s dress code
Invitation says What to wear Tie and finishing details
Black tie A tuxedo or dinner suit with matching trousers and a formal white shirt. A black bow tie, formal dress shoes and the shirt’s required cufflinks or studs.
Black-tie optional A tuxedo, or a dark suit with a white dress shirt. A black bow tie with the tuxedo; a restrained necktie with the suit.
Formal or lounge suit A dark suit and dress shirt. Clarify whether “formal” means tuxedos when the invitation gives no other detail. A necktie with a suit, a white pocket square and polished leather shoes.
Cocktail or semi-formal A tailored suit. Navy or charcoal works for evening; mid-grey is a strong daytime choice. A necktie for the ceremony and a simple pocket square.
Relaxed, beach or garden A lightweight suit, or a jacket and tailored trousers for a relaxed brief. A tie adds polish; an open collar suits an explicitly casual dress code.

A beach venue does not make the dress code casual. Follow the invitation, including any requirement for white tie, morning dress or cultural attire. Black tie calls for a tuxedo; an ordinary black suit and necktie do not provide the same outfit.

Building the black-tie outfit

Choose a self-tie bow for the traditional finish or a pre-tied bow for a consistent shape and quick fastening. Both black satin options below work with a tuxedo.

Then finish the shirt and the waist. A dress shirt made to take studs needs a set; one with French cuffs also needs cufflinks. Choose a compatible stud-front formal shirt with your tuxedo from your tailor or hire shop. Without a waistcoat, a cummerbund covers the waistband, worn with the pleats facing up.

Does the father of the bride have to match the groom or groomsmen?

The father of the bride should match their level of formality. The suit and tie can be identical to the wedding party’s, or coordinated through one shared colour. Keep your preferred fit and let that shared detail bring the photographs together.

If the groomsmen wear navy suits and blush ties, charcoal tailoring with a blush tie makes a natural companion. If everyone wears navy, a different tie texture or personalised cufflinks gives your outfit its own character. Coordinate with the father of the groom and other father figures using the same approach: equal formality, colours that sit well together. OTAA’s Wedding Ties make it easy to find the groomsmen’s shade.

Coordinate with the mother of the bride

Dress to the same level of formality as the mother of the bride and pick up one colour from her outfit. A dusty blush tie beside a pink dress, or a burgundy tie beside a deeper red or neutral outfit, creates a connection without copying the fabric. With a patterned dress, choose one of its quieter colours for a plain tie and keep the pocket square white. Try the two outfits together in daylight before the final fitting.

What colour suit should the father of the bride wear?

Navy, charcoal and mid-grey give you the most useful starting points. Darker tailoring looks polished for an evening ceremony; mid-grey brings a lighter feel to a daytime wedding. These three combinations pair a white shirt with one clear tie colour.

Navy Blue Weave Necktie worn with a white shirt and grey pinstripe suit
Grey suit + navy tieA white shirt, the Navy Blue Weave Necktie and a white pocket square give patterned grey tailoring a restrained finish. Add black leather shoes.
Shop navy ties
Dusty Blush Pink Satin Necktie worn with a white shirt and navy suit
Navy suit + dusty blush tieA white shirt and Dusty Blush Pink Satin Necktie soften a navy suit. Finish with a white pocket square and polished black or dark brown shoes.
Shop the dusty blush wedding collection
Dark Maroon Tie worn with a white shirt and mid-grey suit
Mid-grey suit + dark maroon tieA white shirt and Dark Maroon Tie bring a richer accent to mid-grey tailoring. Keep the pocket square white and the leather shoes dark.
Shop the burgundy wedding collection

Keep the tie plain with a patterned suit. With plain tailoring, a subtle weave or smooth satin finish supplies the detail. One focal point is enough. Your speech can do the attention-grabbing.

Compare the colours together in OTAA’s Wedding Shop, bringing a fabric swatch or a reference photograph. When you’ve chosen, put the tie, pocket square and cufflinks for your combination together in Build Your Bundle.

Which shirt and fit should you choose?

A white dress shirt works with all three combinations. For a tuxedo, choose a formal shirt with the appropriate front, collar and fastenings. For a suit, start with the collar and cuff style, then choose the cut that lets you move freely.

Fasten the collar with the tie on, sit down and lift your arms. The shirt should stay comfortable across your chest and stomach. Try the complete outfit, including your shoes and braces or belt, before the final fitting.

The Windsor Royal White Non-Iron Dobby Shirt is a Classic Fit in 100% cotton dobby, with an Italian collar and hexagonal button cuffs. Choose it for a roomier suit-and-tie outfit.

The Walters White Twill French Cuff Shirt is a Slim Fit in 100% cotton twill with French cuffs for cufflinks and an Easy Care finish. Compare Slim Fit and Classic Fit shirts before choosing your size.

Inspect the collar, front and cuffs after laundering and press any areas that need a touch-up before the wedding morning.

For another white option, choose the Carruthers White Lucious Non-Iron Shirt. It has a Slim Fit, 100% cotton dobby fabric, a non-iron finish and adjustable button cuffs. Wear it with a tie and keep the French-cuff shirt for the cufflink outfit.

Italian collar and top button on the Windsor Royal White Non-Iron Dobby Shirt
Fasten the collar, then check the fit with your tie on.
Hexagonal button cuff on the Windsor Royal White Non-Iron Dobby Shirt
Button cuffs fasten with buttons. Choose French cuffs when wearing cufflinks.

Should the father of the bride wear a waistcoat?

A waistcoat keeps the outfit looking finished when your jacket comes off at the reception. Choose the matching waistcoat for a three-piece suit, or use a plain navy waistcoat with grey tailoring for a deliberate contrast. It should sit smoothly over the shirt and cover the trouser waistband without pulling when you sit.

OTAA’s Navy Blue Tailored Waistcoat Vest has a five-button front, satin back and adjustable rear strap. Wear it with the navy tie or use it to anchor the blush or maroon combination. Leave the tie bar out when wearing a waistcoat; the waistcoat already holds the tie in place.

What tie should the father of the bride wear?

Choose a navy tie for a restrained finish, dusty blush to pick up a pink palette, or dark maroon for a richer accent. The Navy Blue Weave Necktie has a subtle diagonal texture; the Dusty Blush Pink Satin Necktie and Dark Maroon Tie have a smooth satin finish. All three bring a dressier finish to the suit combinations above.

The Navy Blue Weave measures 148 cm (58.3 in) long. The Dusty Blush Pink Satin and Dark Maroon ties measure 145 cm (57.1 in). All three are 8.5 cm (3.3 in) at their widest point. Check the finished length with your shirt and trousers on: the wide tip should reach around the top to middle of the belt buckle, or the waistband without a belt.

Tie a Four-in-Hand for a compact knot, or a Half Windsor for a collar with more space. Our tie length guide explains how collar size, torso length and the knot affect the finish.

Keep the pocket square simple

A white pocket square works with all three suit combinations. Fold it so that a narrow edge shows above the pocket. OTAA’s White Pocket Square has a satin finish and gives a clean contrast beside the tie. A coloured square can pick up an accent from the outfit without repeating the tie’s fabric.

Pair silver cufflinks with a silver tie bar

Wear cufflinks with French cuffs. The Silver Personalised Cufflinks let you select the left and right letters separately: choose your initials or give them as a wedding-day keepsake. Select the two letters, then check dispatch time on the product page before ordering. For other styles, browse Wedding Cufflinks.

The Hoffa Silver Tie Bar matches the silver cufflinks and measures 5 cm (2 in), comfortably inside the edges of these 8.5 cm ties. Clip both blades to the shirt between the third and fourth buttons. Keep it level and omit it when wearing the waistcoat.

Finish with the buttonhole flower

Wear the boutonniere, or buttonhole, on the left lapel. Have the florist or wedding coordinator attach it before the ceremony. It sits alongside the pocket square as a separate finishing detail.

What shoes, socks and braces should the father of the bride wear?

Black leather Oxfords are the safest choice with navy or charcoal, and black formal shoes belong with a tuxedo. Dark brown leather suits navy or mid-grey at a daytime or garden wedding. Polish them before the wedding and check that they are comfortable for a full day.

Choose dark, mid-calf dress socks in the colour of your trousers or shoes, so no skin shows when you sit at the bridal table. Nobody frames a photo of your socks, but everyone sees them during the speeches.

Braces keep your trousers at the height they were hemmed for, through the ceremony, the dinner and the dad-dancing. Wear braces or a belt, never both. OTAA’s Navy Blue Suspender Braces clip on with an X-back and adjustable straps and suit navy tailoring; choose the Black Suspender Braces for charcoal or a tuxedo.

A gift from the couple

Give Dad something he can wear on the day and keep afterwards: Silver Personalised Cufflinks with his initials, plus a tie in the wedding colour. Choose navy, dusty blush or dark maroon to bring his outfit into the palette. Select each cufflink letter separately and check that his shirt has French cuffs. Give him the set before the final fitting so he can try the complete outfit.

What should the father of the bride wear in summer or winter?

Summer, beach and outdoor weddings

Choose a lighter suit with less lining and a cotton dress shirt for warm weather. Keep the full outfit on for the ceremony and formal photographs, then take off the jacket at the reception. A waistcoat keeps the shirt and tie looking composed through dinner and speeches. Plan your shoes around grass, sand or paved paths, and keep a spare shirt ready for a long, hot day.

For more fabric and styling choices, read what to wear to a summer wedding.

Winter weddings

Choose a wool suit in navy or charcoal with enough weight for the weather. Layer a cotton dress shirt and waistcoat underneath, then add a wool overcoat long enough to cover the suit jacket for the journey and outdoor photographs. Dark maroon or navy keeps the accessories rich and restrained. Wear dress socks and polished leather shoes, and bring an umbrella so you arrive at the ceremony dry. Leave the overcoat and scarf at the cloakroom once indoors; the suit and waistcoat carry the outfit through the reception.

When should you arrange the outfit?

Book the fitting as soon as the dress code and wedding colours are settled. As a starting point, allow two to three months: enough time to order or hire, complete alterations and fit in a final try-on. Your tailor or hire shop will confirm their own lead times. Order the shirt and accessories in time to wear them to that final fitting.

Hire or buy?

Hiring suits a tuxedo you’ll wear once, or a wedding party in matching hired suits. Buying makes sense when you’ll wear the suit again. A good existing suit can anchor the outfit too: refresh the shirt, add the tie and pocket square, and put the budget into alterations that improve the fit.

  • Agree with the couple on the dress code, suit colour, shared accessories, flowers and who is buying them.
  • Coordinate the outfit with the mother of the bride and the other fathers.
  • Try the shirt with its top button fastened and the tie knotted.
  • Sit, walk and lift your arms in the complete outfit, including the waistcoat and braces.
  • Check the tie length, cuff fastenings, trouser hem, socks and shoes.
  • Pack the cufflinks, bow tie or necktie, pocket square and backup shirt together.

The small details are easier to settle at home than ten minutes before you walk down the aisle.

Father of the bride outfit FAQs

Can the father of the bride wear the same suit as the groom?

Yes. Matching suits create a coordinated wedding party. A different tie texture, buttonhole flower or pair of cufflinks can give each outfit its own detail.

Should both fathers wear the same colour?

They can wear the same colour or complementary shades. Keep both outfits at the same level of formality and use a shared tie colour or flower to connect them.

Does the father of the bride have to wear a tie?

Wear a necktie for cocktail and suit-based formal weddings, and a black bow tie for black tie. An open collar suits an explicitly casual dress code.

Can the father of the bride wear a black suit?

Yes, for a formal suit wedding. A black-tie invitation calls for a tuxedo with a black bow tie.

Can he wear a bow tie if the groom wears a necktie?

Yes. At a suit wedding, a bow tie gives the father of the bride a distinct finishing detail while keeping the same level of formality.

Should the father of the bride wear a belt or braces?

Either works with a suit, but never both at once. Braces hold tailored trousers at a consistent height through a long day, and they are the traditional choice with a tuxedo.

Does the father of the bride need a new suit?

A suit you own works well when it fits comfortably, is in good condition and meets the dress code. Try it with the actual shirt, tie and shoes, then have any necessary alterations completed.

Build the outfit, enjoy the day

Start with the suit, get the fit right and choose a few details that work together. Find your shirt, tie or bow tie, waistcoat, pocket square and cufflinks in OTAA’s Wedding Shop.

Explore the Wedding Shop Shop wedding ties

Not sure where to start? Find a shirt and tie combination with our style quiz.

Here’s to a proud walk down the aisle.
The Brothers at OTAA