Real grooms talk through their dapper big day looks

Daniel Chok - Remus Uomo

“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 - McCalls 

Vietnam-based couple Frankie and Le Thi My Huyen, who got married in February 2023, 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 - 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.”

Ryan Docherty - MacGregor and MacDuff 

Ryan and wife-to-be Ainsley began the quest for the groom’s outfit at MacGregor and MacDuff, and were impressed by their experience there.

“The staff were really friendly and the shop had a nice vibe to it. It was a chilled-out place and there was no pressure from anyone to make any instant decisions,” Ryan recalls. “We did go on to visit another store, but the service was not as good, so it was an easy decision to return to MacGregor and MacDuff.”

Ainsley had initially been hoping Ryan would wear a tux for their wedding at Dalmeny Park House Hotel near Glasgow in March earlier this year, but the groom always had his eye on Highlandwear. “As soon as I tried on the Silver Mist outfit, we both knew that it had to be a kilt,” he smiles. “I loved how comfortable it was and it felt really smart. I also loved that we’d all be in matching outfits.”

All the gents wore the Silver Mist kilt (picked because it’s “a classic, timeless tartan that fitted the theme and colours for the wedding”) paired with the Glen Orchy Tweed jacket and waistcoat. A bow tie allowed Ryan to stand out. He also made a tweak to the hire package, swapping the sporran for one with more of a brushed-chrome look.

The groom started shopping for his outfit four months before the wedding, which he says felt like “ample time” to get everything sorted. “The store was very accommodating. It offered us a discount too, where if we had five hires we got a sixth free, which was great.”

Ryan’s one bit of advice to other gents shopping for their big-day look? Take your partner!

Thomas Limmond - Slanj Kilts

Thomas began his search online, where he discovered an impressive range of tartans at Slanj Kilts.

He knew he’d find what he was looking for there for his wedding to Pauline last July and, sure enough, ended up going for Slanj’s Buchanan Tartan kilt with a green jacket. What Thomas loved most about his wedding outfit was the fact that he and his groomsmen all wore the same thing, even the wee ones.

“My best men and I all sported matching tartan ties as well, while the kids wore green cravats,” he recalls. “We bought the ties as a nice keepsake from the day. We all got matching tartan boxer shorts to wear under our kilts as well!”

He made sure he stood out by tweaking a few elements – his sporran was slightly different, and he wore a plaid over one shoulder.

The groom has nothing but praise for Cheryl at the Duke Street branch: “She was so helpful, not only with me but with the rest of the party and guests, too. Plus the store is great for parking, making pickups really easy.” Thomas and Pauline loved their experience with Slanj so much, in fact, that they returned to get their son a kilt for his communion.