Grooms ask · what to wear

What should the groom wear in the heat?

Lighter than you think, and better for it.

The bride's outfit gets all the guides. The groom quietly wonders whether his suit will survive a beach at four in the afternoon. It will not, and it does not need to.

5 min read ·

A groom in light beach attire on the sand at golden hour

The honest answer is to leave the dark three-piece suit at home. Four degrees south of the equator, on sand, in the late afternoon, a heavy wool suit is hot, it photographs stiff, and it will have the groom miserable by the time the bride arrives. The grooms who look best in our films are almost always the ones who dressed for the climate on purpose, in light fabric and light colour, and looked relaxed because they were.

Fabric and colour first

Choose linen or a light cotton blend over wool, and a lighter colour over a dark one. Beige, stone, pale blue, soft grey and white all catch the island light and stay cooler, while black and charcoal absorb the heat and read heavy against bright sand. A linen shirt with the sleeves rolled, tailored light trousers, and at most an unstructured linen jacket you can take off for the ceremony is the formula that works. It looks intentional, not underdressed.

Couple sitting on boulder over turquoise sea seychelles

Feet, and the barefoot question

Most grooms go barefoot for the ceremony, which is the whole point of a beach wedding and photographs wonderfully. Keep a pair of good leather sandals or espadrilles for walking to and from the sand and for the evening. Avoid brand-new shoes that will fill with sand and rub, and skip socks with the sandals, which the island light is unforgiving about.

Walking together across pale granite at the top of the beach

Bring it from home

As with the dress, buy the outfit at home where you have the choice and the time to tailor it, and bring it with you. Victoria has shops but not a reliable formalwear selection, so this is not something to leave to the island. A light shirt packs flat and creases fall out in a steamy bathroom overnight, the same trick that saves the gown.

An aisle marked on the sand leading to a white gazebo above the bay

What the season is actually doing to you

The heat is only half of it. From roughly May to September the south east trades run steady and dry, often ten to twenty knots, so a jacket that behaves perfectly in a still room becomes a sail on an exposed beach. From November to March the wind drops but the humidity climbs, and January and February are the wettest and heaviest months of the year. Those are two completely different problems.

In the windy months, choose weight over structure. Linen that is slightly heavier hangs instead of flapping, and an unlined jacket you can take off for the portraits is worth more than a beautiful one you cannot. In the humid months, choose breathability and accept that you will be photographed in shirtsleeves at some point, because everyone is. Either way the temperature sits near thirty degrees all year, so wool is not a plan.

Good questions

Questions brides ask

What should a groom wear for a beach wedding in Seychelles?

Light linen or cotton in a light colour. A linen shirt, tailored light trousers and at most an unstructured jacket you remove for the ceremony. Leave a dark wool suit at home, it is too hot on sand in the afternoon and photographs stiff.

Should the groom go barefoot?

Most do for the ceremony itself, and it looks wonderful. Keep leather sandals or espadrilles for walking to the sand and for the evening, and avoid brand-new shoes that fill with sand.

Can the groom buy an outfit in Seychelles?

Better not to rely on it. Victoria has shops but no reliable formalwear selection. Buy and tailor the outfit at home and bring it, and let a steamy bathroom drop the creases overnight.

Sources

Where these facts come from

  1. Geography of Seychelles Monsoon seasons, wind direction and seaweed drift.

Getting ready

From the quiet getting-ready moments to the last walk along the shore. Photographs from our weddings across Seychelles.

See the whole collection

Not sure your look suits your beach and month? Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly.

WhatsApp usThe small questions nobody else answers

One message starts it

Tell us the month you are dreaming of. We reply the same day with dates, honest advice and a plan.

WhatsApp +248 2 57 77 72Email us
Message us