When should I come in to pick out the tuxedos for my event? Capitol Rent-a-tux will record your choices at anytime. We let you take advantage of our specials with the Groom or Master of ceremony’s $30.00 deposit even if your event is a year in advance. We do like at least a month in advance of the event for all decision. We give you up to two weeks prior to the event to make changes in your choices. Within the two weeks there will be a charge for any changes. The members of your party have up two weeks prior to the event to get each of their measurements and deposits confirmed, after that time the rental is considered a “rush order” and all regular rates apply. Capitol Rent-a-tux does have same day service available for emergency needs. Black-tie optional is one of those designations that sends a lot of people into a dilemma. What exactly does it mean?! Full Dress or White Tie or Ultra-formal – formal eveningwear. For highly formal “white tie” affairs (usually evening weddings), choose black tails and matching black pants with a white, front wing-collar shirt, white vest, and bow tie and studs with white stones.  *Women wear long gowns. Black Tie or Formal - semi-formal evening wear. If you find one of the above words on your invitation, you're expected to wear a tuxedo.  *Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates. Trousers should be black or dark blue, depending on the colors of your jacket. There is a single silk stripe down each outside seam. They should not have a turned-up hem. Accessories are where a man can show his true colors, a full-back vest and tie let a gentleman place his own signature on his formal ensemble. While available in a host of colors, today’s most appealing accessories are those containing a very simple pattern, appearing almost solid from any distance. You should wear black knee-high wool or silk stockings combined with elegant patent leather shoes. To give your outfit the finishing touch, you could add shirt studs and cuff links. White tuxedo jackets (dinner jacket) have the same cut as a normal tuxedo, but you should only wear it for outdoor events. Morning Dress – formal daytime wear. Originally designed for daytime wear, daytime formal attire or a “morning coat” is now acceptable protocol for evening weddings as well. It pairs either a black or gray coat with matching gray and black-striped pants, a light-gray vest, a gray and black-striped four-in-hand (standard) tie or ascot tie, and either a collared or wing-collar shirt. The coat is either a “cutaway” with tails or a “stroller” without tails. Semi-Formal or After Five – semi-formal daytime wear. Means that tuxes are not required, nor are long dresses. However evening wedding (after 6 PM) would still dictate dark suits or tux for him, and a cocktail dress for her. Daytime semi-formal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her. Business Formal is the same as Semi-Formal for him, but for women it suggests that women opt for more tailored dressy suits and dresses (nothing too slinky or sexy). Informal dress or Cocktail Attire - Informal is often interpreted as the same as Casual but it actually calls for the same dress as Semi-Formal -- dark suits for him, short dresses for her -- especially when associated with a wedding or special event. Festive Attire is usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being Informal or Semi-Formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle or holiday bent. Dressy Casual calls for dressed-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sportcoat, for her a dressy pants look. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for Dressy Casual. Casual dress usually means anything goes. How should my Wedding Party coordinate? When choosing a look for the groom and his leading men two rules apply: Formalwear shouldn’t clash with the colors or styles the couple has selected. It shouldn’t upstage the bridal gown. Traditionally the Groom should match the Bride If the Bride is wearing white the Groom’s accessories (at least the shirt) should be white. If the Bride is wearing ivory the Groom’s and all of the male wedding party should NOT be in white. (White against Ivory makes the Ivory look dingy) The Ring Bearer should match the Groom The Best Man and Groomsmen should compliment the Maid of Honor and the Bridesmaids The Father of the Bride, and Father of the Groom should compliment their escorts or compliment the rest of the wedding party with a neutral color such as black, white, silver, gold, or gray. Stepfathers, grandfathers, ushers, and other attendants should be a compliment to the rest of the party with minor changes in the accessories. What if my groomsman is out of town? Capitol Rent-A-Tux can handle this for you easily. When you register with us we have a record of your choices and your wedding attendants. An order ticket is made for each attendant. Your out of town groomsman can either print the form on this website or request one to be faxed or mailed. The places that will take the measurements should also have a form that can be used. Once the groomsman has had his measurements taken by a professional he can phone, fax, mail, or email them too us. We will complete the order ticket with those measurements and your style choices, and have the tuxedo ready for pick-up and his final fitting in plenty of time for the wedding. Please see Out of Town Form for more details. Why are the pants being measured so high? Which buttons get buttoned? The formalwear look is that the pants are worn just below the navel therefore that is where the waist measurement is taken. There are no belt loops on formalwear although it is consider proper to where suspenders. Formalwear pants do have a satin stripe down the side of the pants. The length of the pants should be at the top of the heel of the shoe so the break in the pants is right at the laces of the shoes. If a vest is being worn the pants should be worn up high enough to cover the shirt in the “v” of the vest. All the buttons of the vest should be buttoned. The tuxedo jacket should not have the bottom button fastened. Keep in mind the buttons from the top are Button 1 - always, Button 2 - sometimes. Button 3 - never. A wedding party should have the buttons fastened except the bottom, for the wedding ceremony and the formal pictures. The jacket can be open for the reception, and informal pictures. Whatever is chosen fastened or not the entire party should be the same. The sleeves on the jacket should be short enough to have around a quarter inch of shirtsleeve hanging out of the jacket. The difference between a tuxedo and a suit is the satin. Satin label, satin buttons, satin trim are all what make a tuxedo. A cummerbund is worn around the waist with the open pleats going up. Which is more formal? A tuxedo is more formal than a suit. A wing tip shirt collar is more formal than a lay down collar. Pleats on the shirt are more formal than a dress shirt. A bowtie is more formal that a Windsor tie and a Cravat or Ascot is more formal than a bowtie. Tuxedo pants with a pleated front and satin stripe are more formal than suit pants. Patent leather shoes (shiny) are more formal than flat black shoes.