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We've spoken with Jay's Bridal and Special Occasions about wedding gowns, and now we're moving on to our third part on tuxedos. Jay's is a one-stop bridal salon located in Gainesville, Florida and their tuxedo department is online at jaysformalwear.com. Throughout the series, we'll discuss everything wedding, ranging from bridal gowns to music to tuxedos. In this installment, Kristen Seymour will chat with the owner of Jay's, Paul Rhodenizer.

Men's fashion doesn't experience the same type of change as women's fashion -- it's much more gradual. Still, there are a few trends that are highly popular now, although just as with bridesmaids' dresses, not all styles are suitable for all body types.

When helping a couple select a tuxedo style for a wedding party, Paul tries to get a feel for the body types involved. "The groom might be tall and thin, and would look great in a three-button jacket, but if his best man is 5'8" and 300 pounds, that style isn't going to work on him." The multiple buttons on a jacket for a guy with a big belly is like a large busted woman wearing a button-up blouse -- there's going to be unflattering gapping.

We've spoken with Jay's Bridal and Special Occasions about wedding gowns, and now we're moving on to our second part on tuxedos. Jay's is a one-stop bridal salon located in Gainesville, Florida and their tuxedo department is online at jaysformalwear.com. Throughout the series, we'll discuss everything wedding, ranging from bridal gowns to music to tuxedos. In this installment, Kristen Seymour will chat with the owner of Jay's, Paul Rhodenizer.

Compared to shopping for a bridal gown, shopping for the guys' tuxedos might seem like a piece of cake. However, while there aren't quite as many options regarding formalwear for the men, it's not all black and white. In fact, sometimes it's chocolate, khaki, or ivory, and then there are the accessories ... it's enough to get confusing, if you let it.

Before helping brides and grooms choose the tuxedos for the wedding, Paul spends a bit of time listening. "First, I try to find out a little about the formality of the wedding, but just as important is how the bride feels about things like color coordination. To some brides, having the groomsmen's vests match the color of the bridesmaids' dresses is really important, while other brides find it tacky."

We've spoken with Jay's Bridal and Special Occasions about wedding gowns, and now we're moving on to tuxedos. Jay's is a one-stop bridal salon located in Gainesville, Florida and their tuxedo department is online at jaysformalwear.com. Throughout the series, we'll discuss everything wedding, ranging from bridal gowns to music to tuxedos. In this installment, Kristen Seymour will chat with the owner of Jay's, Paul Rhodenizer.

While not every wedding is formal enough to require tuxedos, a majority of brides and grooms opt to dress their wedding party in them. But who all needs one, and what are the rules for matching?

Of course, the groom needs a tux, and one thing he should consider is the color of his bride's gown. "A majority of our dress sales are now in a shade of ivory," said Paul, "so we encourage the groom and his groomsmen to wear ivory shirts to go with that."

What's a stud set? Can I wear a tuxedo for a mid-day wedding? Which is more formal, a tuxedo, a suit, or a morning suit? Can you wear brown with black? How do you tie an ascot? Can I wear a suit and put the groomsmen in blazers?

If you suddenly find yourself actually worrying about things you'd never even heard of before you popped the question, you'll be relieved to know that there are people who know this stuff. People who can give you the information you need, and can manage to be down-to-earth about it all. People who understand that for you, this is important for one day, not as a way of life.

We're kind of partial to the Style Guy at GQ. He's smart and fashion-wise, but he's not a fashion slave. Fashion sense with an edge: perfect for the groom who is never going to be a high fashion guy -- he just doesn't want to spend his "big day" making an ass of himself.

Guys, you don't want to look like you're waiting for a flood in too-short pants or dribble your long sleeves in cake frosting. You want a tuxedo that fits. From Coleman's Tuxedos, here's a guide to every number you need to know to get that perfect fit. You probably want to strip down to at least a thin shirt and get someone to help with the measurements. Sounds fun already, doesn't it?

Last month, we introduced you to Tonks, the bride who is single-handedly knitting her entire wedding. When we spoke with her, she had a lot of projects going, which you can see in the gallery above. Now Tonks is getting started on the tuxedo for her groom.

She's chosen a dragon-skin stitch based on this example, and she's using a dark grey wool yarn for the coat. Tonks reports some frustrations with her early efforts on the tux, including worries that the wool is too heavy and that she won't have enough of it for the finished jacket, but she has decided to move forward with her current plans and make it work.

Tonks is knitting the tux in multiple sections to avoid problems with the weight of the overall piece, and she's starting with the coat tails. We think it looks great so far, and can't wait to see the finished product!

Keep up with Tonks' hand-knit wedding at her blog -- she really is a DIY superstar!

The gallery above has been updated to include some of Tonks' latest accomplishments.

Longtime readers already know that we believe that a summer wedding doesn't mean that you have to give up on elegance if you don't want to. We've shown you many ways for the women in your wedding to look fabulous while keeping their cool.

But what about the fellas?

Details magazine offers tips to help your man look cool as the temperatures soar. For example, don't think he has to give up khaki to wear a tux - the option above is glamorous and unexpected. Check our gallery for more ideas, and be sure to read the full article here.

Guys, if you are renting a tux for your wedding, we have a piece of advice for you -- pick up your tux as early as possible.

What you might not realize is that, when you rent a tuxedo, the place from which you rent it might not have an inexhaustable stock of tuxes tucked away in the back. In fact, many times, your local tuxedo shop has the tuxes shipped in from another city. When they take your measurements, they send them to their supplier, who sends the correct size to the shop.

However, it doesn't always go smoothly. There's a lot of opportunity for error -- the person who measures you could be off by a bit, the measurements could get written down incorrectly in either location, the tuxedo sent to you could have been labeled as the wrong size, and, to be honest, it just might not fit correctly.

Guys, don't assume the lime light will always be on your gal. You'll get plenty of attention in your tux on your wedding day (especially if your friends rarely see you all cleaned up) and you want those pictures to be perfect. Here, for all you guys, the tux demystified. From the more casual to the most formal and from collars to tails, click the gallery below to learn the tux terms you need to know.

On a normal day, off the cuff, I would say NO WHITE SUITS FOR THE GROOM. A dark suit radiates sophistication and sex appeal; it looks dressy without being prom-like, adult without being stuffy. The white suit, on the other hand, is a little too ship's captain for me (remember The Love Boat? yes, precisely).

But THIS white suit, by After Hours, has me rethinking my ban on the white suit. This suit, with it's quirky Nehru collar, is sexy and urban and totally suave. On the right man, this particular white suit could be the Perfect Suit.

I would recommend this suit for an outdoor wedding, something with an edgy vibe, not your traditional ten bridesmaids and a poofy dress kind of ceremony. This suit would be a nice balance for a slim, slinky wedding gown, something that is more sexy than princessy. I would suggest one groomsman and one bridesmaid, both wearing black, again in a sleek silhouette.

This is the suit for the elegant, understated wedding. Would YOU do it? What say YOU to the white suit -- is it a do or a don't?

Brides and bridesmaids have all sorts of wonderful options for their wedding attire. But the gentlemen are typically relegated to rented tuxedos with their matching molded plastic shoes. Sure, it looks slick and elegant, but the tux can be a little boring.

How about spicing things up with a kilt?

ScotClans Weddings has a nice selection of more and less formal kilts (you didn't know there was a casual option for the kilt, did you?). If you want to purchase your own, they can hook you up: the Prince Charlie kilt, pictured here, will run you about $1,400.00. Or you can rent a kilt; check with your local tux shop.

A caveat about the kilt: the groom really should BE Scottish to make this work; otherwise, he's just a guy in a skirt. ScotClans can also help you determine your clan and your tartan, and you can take it from there. And while tradition dictates that the gentleman wear nothing under his kilt, I will leave that up to you.

When you choose to go formal and wear a tuxedo for the wedding, you might be thinking that all your decisions are done. Tuxedos are all the same, right? Not any more, they're not.

First, consider length. Kristen has already outlined your options nicely. Next. What about the collar? The classic is a notch collar, but there are also peak collars, shawl collars, and the non-traditional but mildly quirky nehru collar.

Will you go for cummerbund or waistcoat? Waistcoats are more common these days than the traditional cummerbund, but both are good choices -- but only one! You can't wear both. Traditionally, waistcoats were black, but nowadays they come in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics.

The classic tuxedo is a black, one-button notch tuxedo, but as you can see, there are a wealth of choices that will help you make your tuxedo an expression of you.

I'm going to step out on a limb here and assume that your betrothed isn't as concerned with wedding attire as you are. However, even if you've known your whole life that you'll be wearing an A-line gown in duchess satin with a cathedral train, I'll bet you haven't considered the details of what your groom will wear. And don't tell me he's wearing a tuxedo -- that's like saying you think you might wear a dress.

In order to sound knowledgeable when you go shopping for his formalwear, there are a few terms with which you should be familiar (Brides.com has a fantastic guide to men's formalwear). Today, we'll just discuss jackets.

• Cutaway coat (aka morning suit): Jacket has single button and a wide tail that goes to about the knee, and is generally worn with striped trousers and an ascot. This is a very formal option for a daytime wedding.
  
• Stroller: More subtle version of the cutaway coat with a shorter tail.
  
• Dinner jacket: Basically a tuxedo jacket, but can also refer to a white jacket cut like a tuxedo jacket. Normally worn in warm weather with black formal trousers.
  

Cummerbund or waistcoat?

Huh? You ask. Okay, maybe not. Most people have at least heard of the cummerbund, that pleated broad silk or satin belt-thingy worn with a tuxedo. But "waistcoat?" Not to worry: it's just another word for "vest."

Okay. Now we have our terms straight. Is one better than another? Nope. Is one more formal than another? Not really. Traditionally, it's a matter of timing. Tuxedos (with cummerbunds) are worn after six. Morning suits (with vest/waistcoats) are worn (surprise!) in the morning. (And you do remember that the pleats of a cummerbund face UP, the better to catch crumbs, say some, or -- this one came as a surprise to me -- to hold theater tickets!)

He's five years old, and he's wearing his very first tux. He stands at the front of the church, his profile to the congregation. He holds the so-important pillow, upon which rest the rings, threaded onto a ribbon pinned to the pillow.

There's not much to do up at the front of the church while the grown-ups stand so still and that man talks and talks and talks. Hey, look. If you wiggle the pillow, the rings slide. And if you jerk the pillow, they bounce. Cool.

Ching. Ching. Ka-ching. Ka -- oops.