Who Pays for the Groomsmen Suits?

When someone agrees to be a groomsman in your wedding party, there are certain responsibilities that come along with the title. For example, your groomsmen should plan to attend any pre-wedding activities (such as your engagement party), help your best man throw your bachelor party, support you throughout the wedding planning process, and be by your side when you say your wedding vows.

But, what about the financial responsibilities of being a groomsman? And, more specifically, the responsibility of paying for the groomsmen’s wedding attire? Are the groomsmen responsible for paying for their groomsmen suits, or is that something that the soon-to-be married couple should plan to cover? If you’re wondering, “Who pays for the groomsmen suits?”, Zola can help.

Who Is Responsible for What?

Photo Credit // Michelle Lawson Photography

So, traditionally, when it comes to wedding attire, it falls on the groom’s shoulders to choose the attire for himself and the groomsmen—including the groomsmen suits, ties, and any other accessories (for example, pocket squares, socks, or cuff links).

However, even though the groom dictates the wedding style and groomsmen attire, when it comes to actually paying for that attire, that responsibility traditionally falls on the groomsmen.

Should the Groom Offer to Pay for the Groomsmen Suits?

As a rule, the groomsmen should expect to pay for their groomsmen wedding suits; it’s part of the deal when they agree to be a part of your wedding party. But, like most rules, there are definitely exceptions and certain occasions where it might make sense for the groom to foot the bill.

The most common situation where a groom might offer to pay for a groomsman’s wedding suit is if the groom knows the groomsman is struggling financially. If you know a potential groomsman is seriously strapped for cash—and that paying for wedding-related expenses, such as wedding attire, could put them in a precarious position—you have two options. You could either a) opt to not have them in the wedding party, or b) offer to cover the expenses associated with being in your wedding—including paying for his groomsman suit. So, if you know that one of your groomsmen is really strapped for cash, you might want to consider offering to pay for his groomsman suit.

Another situation where you might want to offer to pay for some (or all) of your groomsmen’s suit costs is if the suit or accessories you choose are extremely expensive. Most groomsmen are fine covering the cost of their groomsmen suits—but they might not be so fine if the suit is a designer piece that eats up a good chunk of their monthly salary. If you want your groomsmen to rock high-end attire on your wedding day—with a high-end price tag to match—you should offer to help foot the bill.

There are also situations where the groom wants to (and can afford) to pay for groomsmen suits for his wedding party—and if you want to cover the cost, by all means, go for it! (Your groomsmen will surely appreciate it.)

What to Keep in Mind When Choosing Groomsmen Suits

You’re in charge of choosing your groomsmen suits on your wedding day—but, because your groomsmen are actually going to pay for those suits, there are certain factors that you should keep in mind when choosing wedding attire.

• Budget. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing groomsmen suits is budget. Your groomsmen don’t have an unlimited amount of money to spend on their suits—so make sure that you’re choosing something that’s accessible and affordable for your entire wedding party.

• Renting vs. buying. Renting a suit or tux can be significantly more affordable for your groomsmen than buying the same attire outright, so, if you can find the right suit as a rental, it’s definitely something that you should consider. A tux rental is a great idea if you’re trying to cut wedding expenses for the group.

• Re-wear potential. If you do ask your groomsmen to buy their groomsmen suits, the last thing you want to do is ask them to spend hundreds of dollars on a suit that they’ll probably never wear again. If you’re asking your wedding party to buy their groomsmen suits outright, try to choose something with re-wear potential.

Talk to Your Groomsmen About Paying for Their Suits

Photo Credit // Gregory Paul Photography

To summarize, traditionally, groomsmen pay for their own suits. But, the truth is, unless your groomsmen have been in weddings before, they may not know that. So, as a groom, the best thing that you can do is talk to them about it. When you ask someone to be a groomsman, let him know the responsibilities that come along with the title—including the costs that he’ll be expected to cover. When you give your groomsmen all of the information up front, they can make the right decision for themselves and their financial situation—and you can avoid any potential awkward moments when the time comes to pay for groomsmen suits.