Bring your best self to the celebrations with this season’s summery wedding guest suits.

There’s no better time to step up your style than a summery wedding – except one that’s been a long time in the making. Do the occasion justice in double-breasted jackets, pastel shades and peak lapels.

In more practical terms, warm-weather weddings ask for lighter construction, so look for a suit with softer shoulders and minimal internal canvassing.

As for fabrics, an airy linen suit will keep you cool at sunny celebrations while trending tweed in a light, bright shade is made for a wedding. Both are matte, which absorbs light instead of reflecting it and means your hosts will thank you for quite literally not outshining them in the photos.

So, suit sorted, what about the styling? A white shirt will always look fresh and makes a great base for a cheerfully patterned silk tie. For more relaxed weddings, you’ll still look smart in a chambray or patterned shirt, or even a crisp white t-shirt for particularly lowkey big days.

A waistcoat is an easy way to up the occasion feel of your outfit and also means you can take off your jacket when the party kicks in and still feel smart. Make sure it’s long enough to cover the bottom of your shirt and steer clear of a belt for a clean finish.

Shoes-wise, you’ll never go wrong with polished lace-ups – brown looks best with light-shaded suits. But this is a wedding and weddings are fun, so feel free to work a pair of loafers or a standout pair of socks into the mix.

We asked the wedding speech team at Speechy how to write a modern father’s wedding speech.

Covid has obviously had a huge impact on weddings and there’s still a bit of uncertainty for 2022. But this doesn’t let you off the hook – in fact, it may mean you need to get your speech and all your father-to-dos together earlier rather than later!

Couples who have had to delay their wedding might just want to get on with it and will dive into any window of opportunity they spot. So have the core of your speech ready to go.

Of course, you’ll need to tweak your speech depending on the circumstances and the size of the wedding but don’t put off writing your speech till the wedding date is set. It may be sooner than you think.

People love nostalgia, and we always want feel-good stories. Unlike most of the people making speeches on the day, you have a whole lifetime of memories to work from, so it may take you a little time to gather them together. Sounds like an excuse to crack open some wine and gather the intel.

Make some notes about things they loved when they were little; funny quirks they had, their guilty pleasures or that boyband member they were convinced they were going to marry when they were 14. Utilise other family members for their recollections.

Chances are, if a memory makes you laugh, it’ll make others laugh too, and that’s what guests want – the personal anecdotes, the real-life humour – NOT the clichéd old jokes you might be tempted to Google. Avoid generic wedding jokes at all costs.

Avoid showing off, too. You might be proud that they got an A in their Geography GCSE but don’t be tempted to recite their CV. Instead, pick the anecdotes that bring their personality to life – or even better, ones that show they haven’t changed at all since they were five years old. Do they still have a tantrum when they can’t have a second dessert?

Don’t feel bogged down by traditional etiquette. Nowadays weddings are far less formal, and memorable speeches are the ones which take the audience on a journey of some kind – goodness knows they need it after the past two years.

A theme can help with the structure of your speech. Look at the collection of anecdotes you’ve gathered and see whether there’s a subject that weaves them together, especially if that subject gives us a little insight into what their new partner is letting themselves in for.

Start at the beginning with stories from their childhood through their adolescence (this is where you can really get your own back for all their teenage antics) and end with some observations on how they’ve grown since they’ve been with their partner.

Generally, good speeches are around 75% humour, 25% heartfelt and emotional. The perfect speech has them rolling in the aisles, then sobbing into their profiteroles at the end.

Let’s face it, you’ve got so much material on your child, it’s going to be difficult to keep it short, but please do! We suggest aiming for six to eight minutes, which is about 1000–1,200 words max.

You may want to keep that anecdote about how much they loved their little pet rabbit Flopsy, but short and sweet is the key to a memorable speech. Leave them wanting more – you can always share some stories at the bar later.

It’s been an isolating time for so many people, but this speech is your opportunity to remind everyone that weddings are about bringing two families together.

Hopefully you’ve already got a good relationship with your son- or daughter-in-law, so feel free to share anecdotes about them, too. What did you think when you first met them? What was the turning point when you realised they weren’t a wrongun? What have you two bonded over personally?

Again, the key to making this seem sincere is to avoid platitudes and, instead, be specific about the person you’re paying tribute to. Rather than talking about what a decent fella the groom is, talk about the fact he’s the only West Brom fan you can tolerate and concede that he can indeed make better Yorkshire Puddings than you.

It’s nice to thank Great Aunty Doris for flying in all the way from her commune in Brazil, but find out whether anyone else is planning on doing it too. No one wants to sit through three versions of the same tedious thank yous.

Many families nowadays have delicate dynamics, with parents who aren’t on speaking terms, or possibly won’t be attending on the day. Check with the bride and groom how they want you to manage that in your speech. Weddings can be highly emotional days, and family feuds are the last thing anyone wants stirring up with buckets of champagne floating around.

It’s all very well sitting down and writing a brilliant, heartwarming, rip-roaring speech but remember, you’re going to have to say this out loud at some point. In front of actual people.

The key is practice, practice, practice. Not just in your head, but out loud. Something may read well on the page but be a total tongue twister when spoken.

Feel free to use notes on the day (it’s absolutely acceptable as long as you try to maintain eye contact with the guests) but do try to memorise your speech so you’re at least familiar with the flow of it.

Top tips: write it out by hand three times, and read it out loud before going to bed for a week. Both have been proven to help commit a speech to memory.

None of us were quite ready for the speed with which this new Zoom era came around, but the internet has been a lifeline to many people stuck at home over the past two years. While Covid regulations are gone, the newlyweds may still plan on live streaming the speeches so that more guests can join the day’s celebrations.

Delivering your speech to a screen of 100 expectant faces needn’t feel any different from speaking to a room full of people – only this way you have the option of muting everyone. The usual rules apply – keep the laughter coming, the thank yous short, and resist the urge to include too many in-jokes.

Feel free to gather sweet or irreverent marriage advice from Zoom guests ahead of the day to relay to the happy couple in your speech and ensure virtual guests still feel included.

There are often recently-departed loved ones who are sadly missing from a wedding. Consider offering a toast to the dearly departed, or even to those who couldn’t make the wedding due to self-isolating. Keep this heartfelt but light – don’t descend into melancholy. Perhaps:

‘Here’s to our lovely Lilian, who’d have complained that my speech was too long and the best man’s wasn’t dirty enough. I’ll now raise a glass of her favourite tipple – a Harvey Wallbanger. Keep being naughty, Lil.’

Then bring your speech back to a warm, optimistic focus on the happy couple, with a toast that reflects the unique character of their relationship and complements the theme of your speech.

A big smile to start will help your audience to relax, and hopefully you too. Welcome everyone to the wedding, introduce yourself and then go straight in with some humour. An early ring of laughter will give you all the confidence you need to go on.

Speak slower than you would in a normal conversation and pick out a few people you love and trust to maintain eye contact with as you speak.

Remember, everyone in the room is on your side, so it’s almost impossible for you to fail. Just enjoy it.

Speechy is a team of ex-BBC TV scriptwriters who now specialise in wedding speeches. Make a speech to be proud of with Speechy’s quality speech templates, speech edit service or their bespoke speech writing service.

Black suit with grey trainers

A black suit is probably one of the more formal options. So, if you’re headed to an event that doesn’t call for black tie, try wearing a black suit with a pair of trainers. And while solid white trainers might be an obvious choice, we like the texture and tonal look our grey suede ones offer.

Neutral shades of beige, light taupe and stone are best suited to airy fabrics like linen or a cotton blend. Wear your linen suit with a crisp white shirt and soft coloured accessories.

Who said a pastel theme only suits the bridesmaids? These days, we love a groom and his lineup in soft hues of pink, blue, purple or green. If the suit‘s too much for you, nod to the theme with a pastel shirt or accessories instead.

From sky to navy, blue is a solid colour choice for any time of year. It lends itself nicely to a pattern too, which we suggest working in through your shirt or accessories to keep things firmly in occasion territory.

Our best-selling sage tweed suit will work beautifully for botanical themes of green and white. Set the texture of this classic fabric off with a white shirt and cool-toned extras.

There’s nothing like black tie to make a wedding feel like a special occasion. Though you could introduce some colour, we suggest leaning into the look with a black velvet bow tie and sleek metal cufflinks.

“Style a sharp three-piece with a shirt and tie, or a pastel suit with a cashmere polo. It’s about putting it all together in whatever way makes you feel on top of the world.”

– Fred

For a wedding abroad, or even a laid-back city setting, you can keep it a bit more casual. But the secret is it to get the fit just right and dress head-to-toe tonal. With Fred’s pick here, our slim fit neutral suit, leaving the waistcoat out of the equation and subbing in a T-shirt and tonal brown loafers makes it feel relaxed and ready for a party.

This is a similar approach to Fred’s pick above, but this time, the suit offers up some detail in its neutral, still subtle check, a look that’s trending this season. Along with that, the performance suit is crafted in a harder wearing wool blend that’s stain resistant and so easy to wear. With a merino knit T-shirt underneath, the overall outfit looks slightly more put together than a basic white tee. And the texture of the merino is matches the matte suede of the loafers.

Fred’s pick of our tailored fit black and white check suit is a classic move. But, it’s a classic with a twist. This new take on tweed, with a small-scale check that’s easy to wear, is a straightforward way to work a bit of pattern into your line up. Paired with a shirt that brings out the pale blue in the suit, you can’t go wrong with this outfit – one that could even work for the groomsmen or best men.

When in doubt, go with a full three-piece, particularly if you’re attending a wedding at a countryside estate. Both of Fred’s picks here take this formal look and add an element of personality. With the darker herringbone tweed, you get an unexpected colour in the olive, and pairing it with a knitted tie also makes it more modern. The lighter herringbone tweed is an easy way to wear a trending pastel shade, and with the textured grenadine tie, you’re again getting a pairing you wouldn’t normally see with this traditional material. Either way, both three-piece looks feel current and fresh.

While it’s great for couples to finally be able to emerge back into some sort of normality, the hangover will no doubt be felt for quite some time.

In that same way that some people still feel uneasy about hugging their loved ones, or even leaving the house, there’ll a generation of newly engaged couples who’ll continue to extend this caution to their wedding plans, and rightly so.