Wedding Suits - Hire or Buy

sulli

Hey! Wedding is fast approaching and trying to figure out whether to rent or buy! What do the majority do? Would be looking for 5 suits...see packages in certain shops for rent 550! Or would you be better placed looking for a nice 2 piece to buy for around the 150 mark each!

Bacchus

Really depends on the quality of the suits. I think you have more choice and variety if you buy. Those 5 suits for €550, what's the quality like. Is the fit good? I'd hazard a guess that you'd find something better if you bought (plus you get to keep the suit). 5 suits is a lot though to be buying.

Why not just have a look around and see what you can get for around €150 if you buy (try get a discount as you're buying 5 suits together). If you can't find anything good, stick with the rent plan.

Pistachios & cream

Just Remember if you buy the suits you also have to buy the shirts, ties and pocket squares.

We bought the grooms suit(gray) and hired navy suits for the groomsmen. I also bought the ties and pocket squares as I wanted a particular colour.

We felt that for my husband it was worth buying him a good quality suit he will wear again as he already has a few cheaper suits. Our groomsmen also had a few of the cheaper suits so it didn't make sense to buy them.

However your groomsmen might not have a few suits and might appreciate a new suit.

It really depends on your situation.

flogen

I've not done the shopping yet but I'm planning to buy rather than rent.

Given that I'll be buying anything between 5-7 suits I'd expect the shop to do a deal for me - but as a fall-back I know that you can get some nice suits in places like M&S for less than €200.

As you've seen yourself, that's not a lot more than the cost of renting and to me the small saving you might make doesn't counter the issues involved (quality/fit not always great, potential for them being damaged, hassle of returning on time).

If you want to justify the extra expense of buying you can also treat the suits as your gift to the groomsmen - after all, it is something they're likely to get plenty of use out of (unless you're going for tails etc!).

Atomic Pineapple

There's some great suit deals in Debenhams for the Blue Cross Sale right now too, might be worth looking into that, if they discounted further for the 5 - 7 suits you could get a real bargain.

emzibob

I had 7 suits to get and for me when adding in the cost of buying shirts, ties, pocket squares etc plus alterations I was better off renting and have booked gorgeous suits that are very good quality and I am very confident in, can't wait to see the boys in them but each to their own for me I know my fiance's friends wouldn't want to own the suit as their all good friends and would be going to the same occasions where you would wear a suit so the chances of them wearing again are slim as they would all have the same suit.

Bacchus

7 suits! There's a lot to be said about small bridal parties. I had just my brother and myself to buy for. Personally, I don't see the need to buy the fathers suits (but I wasn't into the whole "everyone has to be wearing the same suit" thing).

M&S and TopMan are good spots to check out for reasonably priced suits. I got a great 2 piece navy suit in TopMan a little over a year ago for around €160 (or so... can't remember exactly) and it's a lovely suit, great fit.

flogen

Bacchus wrote: »

7 suits! There's a lot to be said about small bridal parties. I had just my brother and myself to buy for. Personally, I don't see the need to buy the fathers suits (but I wasn't into the whole "everyone has to be wearing the same suit" thing).

I'm still debating the whole 'buying the fathers' suits' thing myself - still not sure what way I'll go!

emzibob

haha yeah it's a lot! but for me I like the dads in matching suits I think its more polished looking and makes them feel part of the bridal party

Faith

Our dads were quite different in build to our groomsmen. Our groomsmen wore slim fitting suits, and my FIL in particular wouldn't have been comfortable with that. So we just asked our Dads to wear suits in similar colours, and it looked perfect.

We rented the groomsmens suits, btw. No regrets about it; they looked great.

sulli

Cheers for all the replies! Taking into account id probably have to buy a gift for the 2 groomsmen it's prob work out cheaper to buy and get a discount on the price of a suit and use that as the lazy feckers gift!!!

The fathers are another issue!!!!

pooch90

Don't forget about shoes too!

sinead81

I am also on the fence about the fathers suits, i.e. why do they have to be matching! My dad wont wear a slim fit suit you know?!? So if we tell them to get the same color is that not ok? Why do they have to 'match'

Bacchus

sinead81 wrote: »

I am also on the fence about the fathers suits, i.e. why do they have to be matching! My dad wont wear a slim fit suit you know?!? So if we tell them to get the same color is that not ok? Why do they have to 'match'

No idea why father's suits so regularly get included when getting groomsmen suits. It's a sort of "done thing" in many people's eyes so isn't even given a second thought. You don't see mother's of the bride getting their dress/shoes/hat bought for them along with the bridesmaids. IMO, the same should go for fathers. Everyone's situation is different of course but it does feel like it's an 'opt out' situation as opposed to an 'opt in' one.