Grooms are slipping into 'second looks' at Long Island weddings
Matt Hull chose to don a "second look" at his wedding reception at the Montauk Lake Club & Marina. Above, he greets his bride, Molly. Credit: Betsi Ewing Studio
It’s not uncommon these days for a bride to change from her ceremony gown into another look for the reception, so that’s what wedding planner Rebecca Lynn thought would be a given when conceptualizing the “epic” event she had in mind for the marriage of Molly and Matt Hull.
“I would have expected the bride to have a dress change but it wasn’t until a day before the wedding that I found out that wouldn’t be the case,” Lynn, an East Moriches resident, says. “The bride stayed in her dress the whole night and it was the groom who changed. He had on a blue tuxedo for the ceremony and the cocktail hour, then he disappeared and entered the reception with a white jacket on.”
Setting the vibe
Matt Hull, 30, whose wedding was held on Sept. 14 at the Montauk Lake Club & Marina, is among a growing number of grooms saying “I do” to second looks, Long Island wedding experts say.
After changing from a midnight blue Indochino tuxedo into a "Hampton Ivory" Indochino jacket with black peak lapels and black tuxedo pants, Matt Hull does a choreographed dance with his bride, Molly, at their reception at the Montauk Lake Club & Marina. Credit: Betsi Ewing Studio
These grooms are commonly wearing a tuxedo during their vows and then changing into a different formal look for the festivities that follow — much like brides do when they swap the wedding gown they wore to the altar for a different style, such as a shorter cocktail dress that’s more comfortable and conducive to dancing.
“I borrowed the idea from some of my friends who chose to do it at a few of their weddings earlier in the year,” Hull, who lives in Manhattan and grew up in Saint James, explains. For the ceremony, he wore a midnight blue tuxedo with peak black lapels by Indochino, and for the reception, he donned a “Hampton Ivory” Indochino jacket with black peak lapels that he paired with black tuxedo pants.
“I changed right before the introduction and first dance at the ceremony to enhance the effect for the guests … we wanted the vibe to be high energy, fun and upbeat and I think we succeeded in that.”
A model shows off a second-look outfit at Black Tie Tuxedo By Sarno in Smithtown. Credit: Danielle Silverman
Michael Russo, the Babylon-based owner of Michael Russo Events, says that grooms choosing to go for a second look is a growing nationwide trend that, as many fashion trends do, started with Hollywood celebrities. Russo planned the July 31, 2016, Beverly Hills wedding of “Shark Tank’s” Robert Herjavec and “Dancing with the Stars” champ Kym Johnson, during which Herjavec wore a black tuxedo for the wedding ceremony and afterward changed into a white dinner jacket.
Getting comfortable
“It’s been making more of an impact lately — in the last three or four years,” says Russo. “Usually, guys are changing their jackets from a traditional [black] look to a white jacket for the reception.” He adds, “Some of the guys also change their shoes to something more comfortable but fancy like a velvet slipper look.”
At Esquire Tuxedos in Merrick, some grooms are searching for a vibrant second-look outfit for their weddings. Credit: Linda Rosier
Russo says the trend is all about the grooms following the bride’s lead, noting the trend of brides changing their outfits started about 10 years ago. “The grooms are catching up,” Russo explains. “The groom also changed his outfit in a wedding I did last summer at a private home in East Hampton. He wore a navy tuxedo and then changed into a white dinner jacket.”
And owners of Long Island tuxedo stores say that grooms having two outfits is something that’s happening locally more and more. Chris Tricarico, owner of Black Tie Tuxedo by Sarno and other tuxedo shop owners say they feature packages that can be used for second looks.
Tricarico, whose stores are located in Smithtown, Farmingdale and Selden, says some of his second look clients will get something as simple as a different tie to change their look while others will go all out. “The most impressive we’ve had is a fella who wore a top hat and tails for the ceremony and then had a James Bond dinner jacket for the wedding reception,” he adds.
Swapping ties and bowties, pictured here at Esquire Tuxedos in Merrick is an easy way to fit a second look into your wedding. Credit: Linda Rosier
Michelle Schioppa, owner of RSVP Tuxedos in Bay Shore, says she’s helped grooms put together second looks as well. “It just started happening,” Schioppa says. “One groom went with the cutaway [tuxedo] for the ceremony with Hickory Stripe pants then changed into a full Michael Kors [tuxedo] to match the groomsmen.”
Tradition with a twist
Mike Zisman, owner of Esquire Tuxedos in Merrick, says the trend appeals to the guy who wants to go along with tradition but then give it a twist. Paisley and floral jackets are popular with grooms, Andrew Nigosian, owner of Bonaventure Tuxedo in Mineola says, and those who want a second wedding outfit are usually in their late 20s or 30s.
“It’s a groom who wants to express his individual style, but he’ll put on something more traditional for the wedding so he’ll look a certain way in pictures in the years to come, but he may put on something more daring for the reception," Zisman says. “He can add a different jacket and it can change his entire look.”
