Three super-smart guys tell Nicole Conner how they dressed for their weddings
Daniel Chok found a sleek suit for his big day at Remus Uomo in Silverburn, Glasgow
“A kilt was never an option for me. I’m tall and slim, and they just don’t suit me,” says Daniel, who married Aimee at Boclair House Hotel near Glasgow in July 2021. “I was shopping for myself and four groomsmen who’re all over six foot, and I felt the most important thing was to get the fit of the suits right.”
The couple hoped to match the suits to the fuchsia bridesmaid dresses, going so far as to take a fabric sample with them on the hunt for Daniel’s outfit. “Martin Rennie at Remus Uomo really knows his stuff,” recalls the groom. “He showed us suits in a variety of different styles and gave us a real springboard.”
Pleased with the grey check jacket and dark trousers he’d found at Remus Uomo, Daniel booked an appointment for himself, his four groomsmen and the two fathers to go in and get measured: “The store was opened an hour early one Saturday morning to accommodate us, and we only needed to bring along our shoes to get measured properly – everything else was taken care of by them.”
In order to stand out from the other gents, Daniel picked a different waistcoat – his matched the trousers, while the others’ matched the jacket.
The groom was impressed by his whole experience at Remus Uomo, particularly by how reasonable the suits were (buying seven outfits meant a bigger discount), and by the quick turnaround from getting measured to the suits being ready (just a week or two later).
“I can’t speak highly enough of Martin,” confirms Daniel. “He took care of any issues, and the fact that everything was done for us in one place was great.”
Frankie Daun brought a touch of Scotland to Vietnam when he had his kilt from McCalls shipped halfway around the world
Vietnam-based couple Frankie and Le Thi My Huyen, who got married in February this year, searched online for Highlandwear, and liked that they could build an outfit on McCalls’ website. “It was also really helpful to speak to the team directly and get advice on how all the elements would fit together,” recalls the groom. “They assisted with shipping my clothes to Vietnam as well.”
To personalise his Granite Pride outfit, Frankie picked out a kilt pin, sgian dubh, cufflinks, shoes and sporran, as well as a wool tie that matched the kilt. He opted for a Sheriffmuir jacket, with its distinctive high collar, as he felt it was a bit more unusual than some of the other jacket styles. The whole look went really well with all of the bride’s outfits, including the traditional Vietnamese two-piece Ao Dai. “Huyen had five dress changes and the kilt suited them all,” smiles the groom.
Frankie’s top tip is to start shopping as soon as you have your wedding date. As he was buying, rather than hiring, quite a bit more time was needed – it can often take up to 12 weeks for a kilt outfit to be made. Factor in time for fittings too. In Frankie’s case, he needed the outfit in just six weeks, so he had to choose items that would be ready in that timeframe.
“I’d also advise you to write a list of everything that needs to be done or bought. We realised the day before the wedding that we’d forgotten about my buttonhole – and sadly there are no Scottish thistles in Vietnam!”
Scott Harris took his time finding a tartan he loved at Clan Kilts
“I was always determined to buy a kilt for my wedding – I wanted it not just so I’d have a unique look for the day, but so I’d have something to wear to formal events in the future,” Scott tells us. For his wedding to Gemma at West Lothian’s Barn at Harburn in April, he chose the MacLean of Duart hunting tartan, which he paired with a charcoal Argyll jacket and waistcoat from Clan Kilts in Stirling.
“My granddad was in the Gordon Highlanders regiment, and our family adopted that as our tartan. My elder brother got married in it, but I wanted to be different. I wasn’t a fan of any other tartan linked to our family, though, so I had an open mind about which to choose, although it had to have green and white in it,” explains Scott.
Shopping for a plaid without a colour scheme in mind is a minefield, he reckons: “It’s wise to use Instagram for ideas before jumping in with both feet. It took me weeks to select my tartan alone.” In fact, giving yourself plenty of time is the key piece of advice he’d share with other grooms (he started shopping ten months before his day).
“Being able to personalise everything was my favourite part of the shopping experience,” Scott recalls. “Little things like the tartan accents over the pockets and being able to get a hip flask wrapped in the offcuts from the kilt made it unique to me. I chose Clan Kilts due to its friendly and helpful staff, and I love my finished outfit.”