Tuxedo for Photographer- IN or OUT?

I attended a wedding about a year ago where a videographer was

wearing nothing but a AC/DC shirt, jeans, and a hiking boots. That

made me think about the appropriate attire or appearance that one

must have while services a wedding.

 

In the past i always wear a nice dress shirt with black suite pants.

Recently i started to shoot for a premier studio in the City, and

they required even higher formal attire, black tie dress code

mandatory.

 

When i now show up for weddings, every bride really notes how well i

am dressed and how surprised she is that i made an effort to look

good for her wedding. I know that in the end, no close will help you

if you bombed her formal picture, or didn?t capture some sentimental

broach that her grandmother gave her, but do we as service people

have an obligation to our clients to dress our best? I know in the

end its all about the photographs you produce.

 

One of my friends suggested that i buy a Tux, and really impress and

really make a distinction between an amateur and a pro. I know that

there are a lot of photographers who simply don?t feel or want to

dress up for weddings. Its all about comfortable shoes, loose un-

tucked shirt, and a hair that will frighten little children. You

must understand that i too shoot weddings and so i understand how

important comfortable shoes are, but still think for the money they

pay, don?t we owe them our BEST!

 

How many of your do wear tuxedo's or used to wear one? Why did you

stop or started to wear one?

 

Anton

I think its all about maintaining a good balance between what looks nice, and what is comfortable. I don't think I would ever wear a tux, because I am not in the wedding party! Usually only the dads and groomsmen wear tuxes. Wearing one would be considered inapropriate.

 

I always wear black slacks with a belt, nice shoes, and a dress shirt. I don't wear a tie (gets in the way) and those shoes do hurt my feet, but i feel its a good compromise.

 

Don't wear a tux.

hahahha ok :)

I mean.. you wouldn't want to see some female guest show up in a lacy white dress would you? I think its key to blend in with the guests as much as possible. So dress nice, but don't over dress.

 

I was fortunate enough to shoot a wedding a few weeks ago with a hawain theme. I wore shorts, a button up hawian shirt, and flip flops :) now THAT was cool :)

Don't dress better than the Groom, or anyone else in the wedding party.

They should be allowed to clearly stand out as the best dressed

people that day. Do dress well, within the range of what the guests

are wearing, and it won't hurt to dress a little better than the

average guest. Look nice, but blend in.

We shoot PJ weddings in Maryland in the $3-5K price range for reference.

 

I wear nice black slacks, belt, comfortable black shoes, and either a dark grey long sleve dress shirt if the wedding is mostly indoors or a black polo shirt if the wedding is outdoors for a long time. I switched to the polo after soaking to many dress shirts in a day, plus the more comfortable i can be, the more creative i get. Once i get hot and tired, i do honestly loose some of my creativity. I also tried wearing a tie, but all it did was get in my way, and since it never layed down straight it didn't look very good anyways. So no more ties for me.

Dress code has a strong regional factor. I see that you're in NYC and Tux's were the traditional outfit here and are still very common. A good, conservative suit is what many photographers wear. The concept is that photographers are supposed to dress like the guests to fit in better. I personally prefer the Photo Ninja look (dress balck pants, shirt and black photo vest) when I'm shooting my own weddings, because it's more comfortable. If you're shooting for someone else you have to respect the image that they wish to project and dress as they wish.

 

Check out Rockport shoes for very comfortable dress looking shoes.

Bruce - don?t you think the Ninja look screams " What and why is he wearing that? "

 

I agree that a suite is enough, and i do wear that...i just thought a tux will possibly show that i am not like "every other" photographer. Being different not just in photographs, but in look also makes an impression. I am not going to for Billy Idol look, but what is so wrong about tux? So what if i look better or the same as the bridal party, its not like i am in the formals...You only get one chance to make an impression, why not with wearing something NICE!

 

I bet if i wear a Hugo Boss suite that would be wrong too? I think the general rule for some reason is not to dress up nicer then a average guest, but why is that? What are we so afraid of?

 

Lets say if i you are comfortable in a tux (so your creativity and movement is not restricted) will you wear one? I think that?s a better question?

 

Anton

No tux for me.<br>

I have several black wrincle free slacks from Target & Kmart.<br>

I often sit on my butt or lay flat on my stomach.<br>

I always wear shirt and tie. I buy them from thrift stores.<br>

They look pretty good, except my shirt & tie cost me about $2.00.<br>

FYI: Yes, I'm the guy who keeps track on all the rebate checks.<br>

I'll chime in that a tux would often be innappropriate for the weddings I shoot in

Seattle (where plenty of grooms don't even wear ties). I think "dress like a guest" is

an excellent rule, and the person above who suggested dressing a little better than

the average guest is spot on. So in answer to your question, even if I was perfectly

comfortable and creative wearing a tuxedo, I would still refrain from wearing one to

weddings where I would stick out. I understand wanting to look your best, but it's

more important to blend in. If the bride wanted folks to show up dressed in tuxes,

she'd have had a black tie wedding.

 

-Adam

I only wear a tux if the affair is "black tie" and the other guests are wearing them. If only the waiters at the reception are wearing them I'd rather not be mistaken for one of the servants. The tux has been a real moneymaker over the years. If a client wants me wearing one I stick a rental charge on the bill.

 

If you buy a new tux from a formal wear shop they'll usually give you a whopping big discount thinking that you'll be steering lots of customers their way. Ask about it if they don't offer. Take a bunch of their cards too.

"Bruce - don?t you think the Ninja look screams " What and why is he wearing that? "

 

Not at all. It's sort of the official "PJ Uniform". The first time I saw a photographer dressed that way (and his two assistants) was in Manhattan a couple of years ago. That photographer was out of Gruber Photographers. (http://www.gruberphotographers.com/index.html) I don't know of any higher end studio in NYC.

I think that if you had to pick from looking good, and looking invisible, you should choose invisible. I know you must feel good when you get a compliment about how sharp you look, but wouldn't you rathar get a comment on how they didn't even know you were there to catch that momment? Ninja all the way. Also, if you get caught in the background of a second shooters picture, black clothing will make you stand out less.

Maybe his "Metallica" shirt was in the wash?

 

A Tux is fine for formal evening affairs. I simply wear a plain black button down shirt & black slacks.

 

As for those khaki photo vests, these went out with the 1980's.

I discuss it with the couple in our pre-wedding meeting. I prefer to blend into the background by wearing nice dark business casual but will wear a dark suit if requested.

 

I really don't want to be mistaken for a guest. In a suit, I've been asked "Are you the photographer?

One guy I work with used to wear a Tux but now just uses the pants and jacket over a high neck black silk shirt (neck is sort of like a short mock turtleneck).

 

The other guy wears black pants with a black shirt, only donning the tie for church. Ties do get in the way.

 

I am lucky.. no tux for me :)

I wear a black shirt (turtle neck or dress shirt) and black pants and a black jacket.

We are in a Tux 90% of the time..We don't like to be under dressed --with the bridal party or the guests...Our B&G usually "suggest" our attire~~Just the type of clients we deal with.

Find out what the B&G want you to wear is always the best. When in Rome dress like the Romans.

 

Another tip - buy oversized jacket and have it altered to your fit over your photovest (Lowepro S&F). I have one blazer and one tux jacket done up like this - absolutely great for carrying accessories around and having them accessible. Most gear that you need to carry is too heavy for most pockets in standard suit jackets. Also buy from the rental stores, you pay more initially but the fabric is more durable due to the suit being made for the rental market. I got mine 4 sizes larger than my standard size on eBay (jacket only) for $14 and another $20 to alter it to fit

Thank you all for your great feedback. Here is my final thought on this matter after reading your feedbacks. People are arguing visibility, blending in, and capturing moments. I don?t think that a 2 piece suite black suite is so much different then a tux. So what if people ask you if you are a photographer, i think its a positive thing that people don?t necessary think of you as a photographer, thus relax and dont really notice you during an event. Capturing moments and being unobtrusive is the way you work, not what you wear. I didn?t start this posting talking about wearing a yellow suite with orange shoes. Now i do wear now a black pants with a nice shirt (tie sometimes) and thus i do agree with people who do so now, but i still dont fill wearing a tux would be so wrong. Of course if the wedding is on the beach and its casual attire, I wouldn't be wearing a tux. We are talking about a 80% of the average weddings where groomsman do wear a tux. I think Tux is classy, and that?s my final thought!

 

You can find me on anton@fridphotography.com if you want to discuss this further!

 

And thats the real Deal! (Money...money...mooooney....)

Many higher end clients believe that the tux is more professional. I simply include a place on my contract were the Bride and Groom can check tux or suit. There is no extra charge.

Economics --a tux is much cheaper...You don't need an array of ties..different jackets-w/differnt cuts, shoes, fashion matching shirts...>>>> I just wear the same ole'..same ole'..~~~ and the vest has enough pockets for a softar filter, etc. the outside pockets of the jacket holds my film...remember we use only one camera-one lense. Boring,profitable and efficent!

I love the idea of "boring, profitable and efficent"<br>

That's exctly my philosophy.<br>

for me ... a Tux is the norm, anything else is just a waste of money

Ask the B&G, but I usually like to shoot in a tux, as I feel it adds honor to the ceremony.

 

However, there is the problem of people handing me their empty drink glasses from time to time when they mistake me for one of the serving staff. -BC-

I wear a black, knit, mock-turtleneck shirt and black or dark gray slacks, black shoes. In the summer the shirt is short-sleeved and in the winter it's long-sleeved. I also wear a black blazer in cool weather. My associate is a woman. She wears black slacks outfits. We get compliments on our professionalism at just about every wedding.