Fret not, for we've enlisted the help of the experts to help you get style savvy for W-day, from choosing your suit to pairing it with the perfect accessories and the latest trends to look out for.

Torre from Cornwall Suit Room

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to what suit to wear. From cut to colour, and whether you wish to don a traditional three-piece or mix it up with different shades, textures and silhouettes, the result should be a unique reflection of 'you'.

Having said that, it is easy to get it wrong without the right guidance, and even trickier to know exactly where to start. Patsy from The Vintage Suit Hire Company (vintagesuithire.co.uk) has some indispensible advice. 'The groom's outfit should hold as much importance as the wedding dress. However, it is common for the focus on picking the menswear to come long after the venue, band and catering deposits have been paid and the invitations are in the post! We recommend you start to look at least six months before the big day, as individual outfitters have their own timescales,' she suggests.

'If you are looking for a handmade bespoke suit, the timescale could be nine to 12 weeks, depending on the fabric choice and turnaround by the tailors. For those looking to hire, you may potentially need two fittings. The Vintage Suit Hire Company, for example, require the suit hire sizes to be confirmed two months before the day,' she adds.

'Timescales can vary depending on if you are hiring or buying your suits,' agrees Alan from Cornwall Suit Room (cornwallsuitroom.co.uk). 'For hire, we would recommend a three-month notice, and final fittings can be done four weeks before the wedding if your size or weight fluctuates. To buy, a three to six-month notice ensures stock availability, while bespoke suits take 12-16 weeks for standard delivery, but please try to allow six months.'

The Vintage Suit Hire Co (Nicki Shea)

As far as selecting your suit, it's important that you consider the main three components: fit, look and feel. When it comes to dressing to your body type, shorter frames will suit vertical patterns, peak lapels, and extra shirt cuff; two-button jackets, belts and longer lengths work well for taller types; choose wider ties, suspenders and light-weight fabrics for larger builds; and opt for tailored separates for athletic physiques. Also consider dressing to reflect the season/venue/bridal party, and dress to suit and feel yourself ' remember, comfort is king.

'The suit choice needs to complement the all-important colour scheme and general vibe of the wedding,' elaborates Patsy. 'For a barn venue you might automatically think of a more neutral brown or grey, but it's worth having a think about the photos ' is my suit really going to pop and contrast against a barn if I'm in a dull colour and pastel tie get-up? Will having all the bridesmaids and gents in the exact shade of your desired colour look too uniform, or could you maybe go for a palette of green hues, for example, so the group complements each other without looking so regimented'

'We often get asked which is the best colour suit to go with the wedding theme,' says Alan. 'If it is a plain two or three-piece suit, it does not matter so much. The suit ' whether in blue, grey, brown or black ' acts as a blank canvas, and from that blank canvas you add your own waistcoat, ties, cravats and pocket squares.' 

For grooms seeking some fashion-forward flair, how about a bespoke suit option? 'Do you want to push the boat out with your suit' Alan asks. 'Choose your style of outfit ' jacket, trousers and waistcoats ' that can be mixed and matched from hundreds of cloth options and colours. Pick your lining patterned or plain, buttonhole stitching colour, button stitching colour, under collar cloth, piping colour, buttons… You can even have your initials or wedding date embroidered on the suit somewhere,' he says, detailing the many in-store options available to achieve a truly unique ensemble.

'The most important part of picking the right suit is that moment when you look in the mirror and think 'Hell yeah, this is the suit I'm going to walk down the aisle in, looking dapper and feeling my best on one of the biggest days of my life!'' says Patsy.

So whether you don something that screams sophistication in a perfectly cut neutral, play with on-trend prints such as pinstripe, check or plaid, or grab attention with colour blocking, don't be afraid to experiment with a range of outfits until you find 'the one'.

The Vintage Suit Hire Co.

There's a reason your fiancée asks your opinion on what earrings/shoes/necklace look best with her dress/jeans/top when the taxi has been waiting outside for 10 minutes already on date night. 'Accessories are often overlooked,' explains Alan of the importance of those finishing touches, which can make or break your desired look.

'Brown shoes are trending with blue and grey suits, but our advice is to make sure your groomsmen are all matching (apart from the groom, if he wants to be different). When you have gone to the effort and expense of having the guys in matching suits then odd shoes will stand out like a sore thumb in the photos,' he says of the pitfalls of mixed palettes.

'A smart pair of tan shoes with a matching tan belt just looks so right together,' he notes. 'Add a tiepin or clip, or maybe some matching cufflinks. Most waistcoats will take a pocket watch (so no excuse for the groom to be late). See how you are starting to look the part now'

The question of whether to mirror the bridal party can be contentious, with many a traditionalist insisting this particular dress code is adhered to and others encouraging the rule book to be torn up in favour of the groom's individual preferences, so have a discussion with your fiancée before making those key decisions. 

'If you want to match your neckwear colours to your bridesmaids, bring one of the dresses into the shop so we can check colour matches with more than 150 hire tie, cravat and bow tie colours that we hold in stock,' advises Alan. 'Photos will never give you a true colour when trying to match. And we do hire out our neckwear and pocket squares on their own if you have already got your suits,' he adds.

'Other tips for neckwear options ' cravats and ruches have to be worn with a waistcoat as they come up short on the body. Ties can be worn with a wing or a plain collar shirt (a wing collar will show the tie colour at the back). Learn how to tie a full or half Windsor knot on the tie (we can tie them for you prior to the day if needed), as nothing looks worse than a badly tied tie. If going for a bow tie and braces option, omit the waistcoat to give you the desired effect.'

We're also starting to see a trend emerging for the groomsmen to select matching outfits, but with the groom sporting a different, standout feature to signify his man-of-the-moment status. 

'Add a different waistcoat to jazz the suit up,' suggests Alan. 'We offer more than 150 waistcoats to hire and to buy. Ties have made a bit of a comeback recently over cravats, as suit styles have now relaxed to lounge suits. And soft shades of pinks from pale to dusty, antique rose and primrose are certainly on-trend with matching pocket squares. Why not spice the groom's tie up with a subtle paisley or one of our fabulous Liberty print ties, or maybe be a bit more adventurous with the buttonhole for the groom and choose a simpler design for the rest of the wedding party' suggests Alan.

The Vintage Suit Hire Co.

There's nothing like a bit of contemporary edge to align your wedding with the zeitgeist (after all, what would a '70s wedding have been without the polyester?) so consider these movers and shakers for a fresh-from-the-runway look.

'Pantone, Dulux and all the big names in colour announce their shade of the year in advance, and we've decided to pick our own colour of the year: Olive,' says Patsy, forecasting one of the hottest groom's shades du jour, with Dulux choosing their own green-tinted shade of 'Tranquil Dawn' and Pantone announcing theirs as 'Classic Blue' shortly after. 

'A calming and modern shade that goes with each of our suits and is ideal for weddings with a boho or botanical influence, Olive also goes down a storm for the more rustic vibe too,' she elaborates.

'Two or three-piece lounge suits in all shades of blue are certainly still going to be trending for 2020,' confirms Alan, while we'll add sorbet shades, autumnal hues of bronze, burgundy and copper, and cerulean/Aegean blue to the list. 'Greys are a close second, with the traditional tailcoat still hanging in there in third place,' he announces for grooms seeking something a little more toned down.

The thing with trends, however, is that although they're great for infusing some stylistic personality and air of modernity, they can appear outdated in time, so if in doubt, always opt for something that you love or that looks good on you. Simple as that.

'In spite of the ever-present next-day delivery culture, it seems the focus for our couples is shifting more towards sustainability and how couples can put an individual stamp on their day without spending to excess or creating a huge amount of waste, and we are all for that,' champions Patsy of the green movement sweeping wedding world.

'The Vintage Suit Hire Company's range of felt lapel pins make a great alternative to a flower buttonhole and there's no chance of them being squashed or looking a little droopy towards the end of the day. All our lapel pins are £7 each and last a lifetime!' she says.

You can dress more responsibly by purchasing fewer fast-fashions and more quality pieces, as well as sourcing fair trade items that feature natural dyes and fibres. Research and shop from companies using sustainable methods as part of their eco-friendly ethos, including Raeburn, Komodo, Brothers We Stand, Arthur & Henry and WYNAD.

The Vintage Suit Hire Co (Nicki Shea)

'Tweeds have been very popular with grooms in 2019 and we expect the trend to continue in 2020,' predicts Alan. ''Peaky Blinders' has certainly helped fuel this trend. We stock the option of a full two or three-piece tweed suit to hire or to buy. Some prefer just the jacket and waistcoat in tweed and finish the outfit off with a plain pair of trousers or chinos. Others will prefer a plain suit and add just the tweed in a waistcoat or a tweed tie. We even stock some tweed suits to cater for children in ages one to 15.'

Grooms with a particular penchant for texture will also delight in the latest fashion shows' love affair with satin.

Relaxed silhouettes are all the rage, with slouchy tailoring evoking a casual aesthetic including shallow double-breasted and extra-double-breasted suiting, oversized Oxford shirts with a preppy vibe (or even painterly prints and tie-dye, which has been reimagined with an arty/abstract feel), mid-layer garments like tunics and elongated tops, and '90s-style oversized blazers.

Alternatively, high-waisted trousers make a trendy nod to the '40s, or you could even rock the layered look by adding a vest (knitted, monochrome, coloured) for one of the most-wanted and wearable items of 2020.

Torre from Cornwall Suit Room