Off-the-peg suit? Straightforward kilt hire? Not for these guys! These grooms tell us how and why they decided to customise their wedding outfits
“As well as embroidering my initials into the cuff of the shirt, Suited & Booted also stitched our names and wedding date into the inside of my jacket," groom David Farries tells us (Photo: Gordon Smith)
Step aside, traditional menswear – today’s grooms are redefining wedding fashion with custom creations that tell their unique stories.
From bespoke suits that perfectly match the bride’s dress, to tartan ensembles that celebrate heritage, these grooms showcase how personalised wedding attire adds a whole new level of sophistication and meaning to the big day.
Explore their journeys, from the heart of Scotland to the vibrant streets of Santorini and Barcelona, for inspiration on how a groom can craft his dream wedding look.
Bespoke tailored tuxedo for a groom
David Farries married Laureen on 5th July 2024 in Santorini wearing a bespoke outfit from Suited & Booted.
How to start the bespoke groomswear search
When he started thinking about what to wear to his wedding, David wasn’t completely sure what he wanted. All he knew was that he liked the idea of a bespoke suit.
Then a friend of a friend put him in touch with the owners of Suited & Booted who were in the process of launching their first store in the UK, in Glasgow’s Montrose Street. “They hadn’t even opened yet,” he recalls, “but I’m so glad I ended up going with them.”
Suited & Booted Glasgow store
Scottish entrepreneurs Ryan Smith, who was born in Ayrshire, and Edinburgh-based Calvin Smith, proudly unveiled the first UK Suited and Booted store in Glasgow’s Merchant City in June 2024.
The retailer launched in Dubai in 2017 and is renowned throughout the Middle East for its sharp suiting – so much so, it has become popular with many Scottish and UK sports personalities.
The founders’ return home to Scotland is the first part of their UK expansion plans. The 3,300-square-foot store on Montrose Street specialises in high-end bespoke tailoring, ready-to-wear suiting and casualwear (in the shape of own brand, By Smiths).
The boutique has been designed to reflect the aesthetic of their two existing UAE locations, with a focus on creating a welcoming yet luxurious setting that instantly feels like a traditional tailors.
Colour-match custom suit
It seems nothing was too much trouble for Suited & Booted, as David explains: “I’ve never had that tailor-made experience before. It was really special. For instance, I wanted my jacket to be a specific colour, so I dropped off a sample of Laureen’s dress and they were able to match it exactly – it was completely custom to me.”
In-house tailoring team
“I actually had my final fitting as part of my stag! I took the boys along to Montrose Street, where the staff had laid on a selection of drinks for us,” he smiles.
David says he trusted the team to create the look he was after, and they responded, crafting what he calls “a suit for life”: “They actually have an in-house tailor, so I was totally confident that any alterations would be carried out well and that the final fitting would be spot on.
"They even offered to dry-clean the suit for me between our Santorini wedding in July and our party back in Glasgow a few weeks later. There were so many little things like that – it really was such an elevated experience.”
A tailor-made creation from Suited & Booted worn by groom David Farries (Photo: Lana Visual)
“The result was spectacular, a tailor-made piece that looked and fitted perfectly”
Is a bespoke wedding suit worth the money?
A bespoke suit made from top-quality fabric does mean a higher price tag, but David has no hesitation in recommending it to any groom looking for that extra-special touch to his day:
“It is high-end,” he agrees, “but as you’re planning on doing it only once, it really is worth doing well.
“The best piece of advice I could give to others thinking of going down the made-to-measure route would be not to worry: these guys are complete professionals and you’re in safe hands.”
Wedding suit personalisation
“The guys really went above and beyond to add those special little touches for me,” David tells us. “As well as embroidering my initials into the cuff of the shirt, they also stitched our names and wedding date into the inside of my jacket."
You can see more from groom David's wedding to Laureen in Santorini and Glasgow here
Groom Samuel Dunlop pursued his dreams of a tartan train with ScotlandShop (Photo: Ashley Coombes Weddings)
Original kilt creation with tartan train
Samuel Dunlop and Jacob Schmieder flew in from America to marry at St John’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh on 3rd September 2024, followed by a reception at Duns Castle. Their custom looks were created with the help of ScotlandShop.
Shopping kilt wear and kilt outfits from USA
If, like these Scottish grooms, you're thousands of miles away when starting to shop for your kilt wear, where do you begin?
“We knew we’d be spending thousands of dollars on our wedding attire, and we were a little concerned about making sure we chose wisely,” explains Jacob.
The discovery that ScotlandShop had a store in upstate New York reassured the couple that they were making the right decision.
“And once we realised that their head office was in Duns, the same small town in the Scottish Borders that we’d made the centre of our wedding events, it seemed that the stars were aligning,” smiles Samuel. “Meeting ScotlandShop’s Anna and Kirsty sealed the deal for us.”
How to stand out as a groom
After an initial online discussion, the couple went in for a consultation when they were in Scotland visiting their venue.
That’s when Samuel really began pursuing his dream of a tartan train: “Those in-person discussions really helped us to understand that there was lot of creative flexibility,” he recalls.
“I teased out a bit of my vision for a train, which, to their credit, they ran with and helped to refine over time with different sketches. What ultimately emerged was something unprecedented in scale and design that, so far as we know, has never been done before!”
America-based grooms Samuel Dunlop and Jacob Schmieder both created their dream wedding day looks with ScotlandShop (Photo: Ashley Coombes Weddings)
Wearing a family tartan
“We both have Scottish ancestry so we opted to go with family tartans,” says Jacob.
“I have both Camerons and Campbells in my bloodline, but there are more Camerons in my lineage and that, not to mention the history of the Camerons compared with that of the Campbells, made my decision easy.”
Things were less complicated for Samuel: “My surname is Dunlop, so it was relatively straightforward to make my choice, made easier by the fact that blue is my favourite colour and is the dominant tone in both the modern and ancient Dunlop tartans.
"I opted for the Dunlop ancient because it’s lighter and has hints of colour that elegantly accompanied the oranges and greens in Jacob’s tartan.”
How long did it take to create the detachable tartan train?
“The entire process for the train probably took about nine months,” says Samuel.
“We started the conversation in November during our visit to Duns and, in the months following our visit, Anna and the crew from ScotlandShop helped educate me around the various options that brides have for their trains – the sweep, the court, the chapel and the cathedral.
"What we ultimately landed on, with Anna’s help and guidance, was a hybrid of a few of those. My train had the scope and scale of a cathedral length but was detachable and didn’t come from the waist.”
Groom Louis Coker worked alongside the in-house tartan designers at MacGregor and MacDuff to create the Coker tartan for his special day (Photo: Esther Con Hache Photography)
Wedding kilt outfit with custom tartan
Louis Coker married Xenia just outside Barcelona on 6th October 2023, wearing a custom tartan ensemble from MacGregor and MacDuff.
MacGregor and MacDuff tartan design service
Celebrating his dual heritage on his wedding day look was a top priority for Louis, who made his vision a reality with the help of MacGregor and MacDuff’s tartan design service.
“I represent two distinct cultures, so I wanted a way of showing both my Nigerian side and my Scottish side on my wedding day,” says Louis with a smile.
As for who was going to supply his kilt, there was never any doubt about it, as Louis explains: “MacGregor and MacDuff was the number one choice for me. I was always drawn to the store, but even more important than that, its Highlandwear just looked first class.
"When I checked it out, I could see that the selection available to hire was lovely, but since this was for my wedding, I wanted it to be even more special – I wanted my own kilt. MacGregor and MacDuff’s Mist tartans were my top choice until I saw the option to design your own.”
“You only get married once, so I wanted to make it completely special,” the groom remembers. “I wanted to have something that is not only mine, but part of our new family legacy."
"It might sound silly, but owning a tartan felt like my Scottish heritage was immortalised and couldn’t be taken away from me or forgotten over time."
“I wanted all of us to be in kilts for sure,” says Louis Coker of his groomsmen. “I wanted the guys to look fantastic but different to me somehow. The theme for the wedding was burgundy so I wanted that to be reflected in their kilts and ties, also from MacGregor and MacDuff" (Photo: Esther Con Hache Photography)
What can I decide what to include in my custom tartan?
Deciding how his tartan would look was a collaborative effort, Louis explains: “I have Nigerian heritage, so I definitely wanted to have the flag colours (green and white) represented somewhere in the tartan.
"I took inspiration from the Saltire blue too. I spoke to my siblings and parents to try and find some colours they all liked as well.”
Of course, a personal touch was required: “The final piece of the puzzle was my favourite colour, burgundy, and that was that, the colours were set. The designer really should take the credit for combining them into a tartan that my family and I love.”
To make the Coker tartan official, the completed check, designed by Louis and the in-house MacGregor and MacDuff tartan team, was registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, creating a meaningful heirloom for the entire family.
Coordinating tartans for the groom and his groomsmen
“I wanted all of us to be in kilts for sure,” says Louis of his groomsmen. “I wanted the guys to look fantastic but different to me somehow."
"The theme for the wedding was burgundy so I wanted that to be reflected in their kilts and ties. The bridesmaids wore lovely burgundy dresses. Everyone looked fantastic individually and even better when all of them were together.”
