Winters and wedding galore go hand in hand, together. As the chilly months roll in, it’s nearly time to deck yourself in your fashionable best for the many weddings you are bound to get invited to! While we can’t advise on how stingy or spendthrifty you should be with your gift, we can advise on how to nail your winter wedding getup, whether you’re a groom, part of the wedding party or one of those (quietly seething) people who has only been invited to the after-party.

Here is looking at the key pieces to be worn to a wedding, whether you want to do desi or western wear

Playing it safe yet savvy

If you are close to the bride or groom, you will probably be on the forefront of attention during their big day. Make it a point to not show up in anything alarming: it’s not your time to shine. Wear black and you risk competing with the main man, choose navy instead to keep the formality dialled up and the attention-grabbing antics dialled down. A white shirt and black shoes will again do the trick, but a lighter tie and pocket square in a similar (not identical) hue will distinguish you from the groom while keeping you on the straight and narrow.

For the daytime wedding

Daytime guests have the hardest job dressing for a wedding, even more so than the bride. No, really. You’ve got to go formal (though not too formal) but there are no solid restrictions on colours, fabrics or shapes. To make your life easier, a suit in navy, grey or taupe are the best winter-ready options and you can add some check, pinstripe or a double-breasted silhouette too. On footwear, brown shoes will work perfectly well with all of the above suits and are less formal than black Classic shirt and tie combinations are obviously a safe bet still, but for a more modern look try and granddad collar shirt and a pocket square to liven things up a little – but only if the wedding is on the casual end of the spectrum.

Nighttime weddings

It goes without saying that you need to look like you’ve made an effort, but you don’t need to go in all guns blazing. You can wear pretty much any colour of darker suit (within reason) but you don’t need to be buttoned up to your collar. A granddad collar shirt will do the trick, and you can even try a (subtle) patterned design, while a black or charcoal roll neck jumper will strike that perfect balance between relaxed and refined.

PSA: no trainers and no jeans and yes, which includes black jeans.

LIKE A GENTLEMAN!

Characteristics of a well-dressed gentleman; tie, metallic cufflinks, watches and handkerchief are the most trusted accessories. But steer-clear of going overboard! Like pretty much any situation we can think of, at a winter wedding, with accessories, less is more. So, if you think you are wearing too many accessories, you probably are. A subtle handkerchief can lend a fresh, more formal touch, and maybe a wedding is the perfect excuse to wear the cufflinks you have inherited from your great great uncle. Keep it simple folks, that’s all we ask. Beyond the tie and cufflinks, restrict yourself to one of the following: pocket square, tie bar, lapel pin, silk scarf. You can do it.