My Italian WeddingThe home of Italian weddings with news, tips and real wedding stories by Italian brides and wedding planners

Wedding attire for women tends to be simple – most of the time an attractive, colourful dress without too much leg or bust exposure will do the job. For men, though, a wedding invitation brings with it a host of sartorial questions. Is a suit a must? What exactly does ‘formal’ mean? How is white tie different to black tie? If you’re struggling to get it right this summer, then here’s our guide to finding the perfect wedding outfit.

It’s got to be a suit: Unless the invitation particularly states ‘casual attire’ you should always wear a suit to a wedding. Informal morning weddings during the summer justify a light-coloured linen suit, but for evening and winter dos a well-fitting, dark-coloured ensemble is a must. If you don’t have anything appropriate in your wardrobe then Next does a great range of suits for men at budget prices.

Blue slim fit suit from Next, from £99

What style of suit? While dark suits are appropriate for most weddings, sometimes they simply aren’t formal enough. For guidance, look at the invitation. ‘Formal’ general means a tuxedo while ‘black tie attire’ indicates a dark wool suit with a silk braid worn with a white dress shirt, black bow tie and black dress shoes. It’s rare, nowadays, for wedding invitations to specify ‘white tie’, but if yours does then you’ll need to find yourself a tailcoat with a white bow tie, white waistcoat and starched wing collar shirt. If you’re feeling brave, you could even add a cummerbund, cane and top hat.

To buy or to rent? While women will generally buy a new dress for a wedding or recycle one already in their wardrobe, men have another dilemma: to buy or to rent? If you already have a well-fitting suit in your wardrobe and the invitation doesn’t require you to dress more formally, then the problem is solved. If, however, you own nothing appropriate, you’ll have to invest in an outfit. As a general rule, it’s best to hire suits for men if you’re required to come wearing white or black tie. After all, you’re unlikely to be venturing out again in a tail coat in the near future. For less formal occasions, consider investing in a suit that fits you well and looks classy but won’t break the bank.

Ok, so the first style question you’ll probably get asked once you’re engaged (aside form obviously the ring) is usually about your dress. Finding, fitting and finishing a wedding dress is an expensive and often overly complicated affair.

What’s more, it’s an issue that is very much down to the bride herself. Whether you’re eschewing white, eschewing satin and stiff fabrics and going shift dress, or whether you want the princess Di fairytale train-a-mile-long-and-crazy-veil-thing, it’s less an area for fashion and more an area of fantasy.

The gorgeous Ivory Lace Peep Toe Court Shoes from Next

We’re more interested in your feet. That’s right, this year we want to know what high street and designer wedding shoes brides to be will be wearing. We’ve been favouring some of the styles on offer from the UK’s biggest brand retailers, such as Next.

Indeed, you can find some excellent shoe options with these retailers’ own brand occasion shoes – ivory and nudes are a colour which are cropping up a lot in this season’s wedding shoe collections. The classic court shoe remains the most popular style.

However, we’re finding that the shape and detailing is where the seasonal variations are being shown in the wedding shoes of 2012. Shell detailed ruching over the heel – again in a satiny ivory – or a peep toe for a spring/summer wedding show willingness to add inspiration and a little playfulness.

Our other tip is heel height. We’ve spotted a diminution in heel height for the majority of brides – mostly because they know that their big day is going to mean a lot of hauling ass around several venues, photo opportunities, tables, guests…and long spiky heels can easily plunge into mud, food or even the dress itself.

Think kitten heels or even subtle wedges for a more even spread of weight – and a less killer burn – this 2012 nuptial season.

And if that isn’t enough, you can always take inspiration from the weddings of the rich and famous, a very tried and tested idea – which, actually, is pretty boring! So many designs are copied from celebrity weddings anyway, why not step out there yourself and make a mark for your own personality on your special day?