My daughter got married last summer. The groom and groomsmen all wore matching gray suits that they all bought. Both fathers wear asked to just wear a gray suit that they already owned. This way all the guys had suits that they can wear for a few years and no one wasted money on a Tux they only wear once.

It's called trying to help the people in your wedding so they don't have to spend so much money. The bridesmaids all picked their own dress style they just had be the color my daughter had picked. Jewel tone purple. It all looked really nice.

Hey I'd have your son check with the tux rental place and see if they could work a deal. Like Barbshobbies said they were able to get FOG's tux free. It cant hurt to ask. And it's usually the only way you get deals like that. I always try to get some kind of deal or freebie when I'm out shopping. Like today, I was at the used book store and between me and DH we spent $95. I was friendly with the young man that rang me up and then asked if he could give me a discount. He took $10 off the total. I do thing like that all the time and about 80% of the time it works, especially if the sales person gets commission.

Unless Dad is a groomsman or best man, I think a black suit would be fine.

This was my concern as well...that if Dad doesn't wear a tux, it will cause a stumbling block for years to come. And since we already have had a run in with her parents a couple of years ago...and my son decided to weasel out of the lies he was telling by telling her parents that I was crazy and emotionally unstable.....well, there is already a fire there...And they are attempting to blend two cultures here, as she is full Hispanic, and her mother speaks no English (and if you saw my son, he is tall, skinny, and very blond!!).....and at this point, we still have five children left to, hopefully, someday marry. If one of these five decides to have a traditional wedding, we will have to face a tux rental again. And what if our finances are in a better place then??(which, of course, we all hope for!!)......and Dad goes with the tux, and then what??? Offense time again!!

What the final decision came down to yesterday was we went with the tux rental.....charged it on a card that pushed the usage up to about 85% of the credit limit....this is something that we DO NOT normally do..as we consider all cards at their limits when they reach 45% of their credit limit. (that way we don't overspend) I am not sure how I am going to pay this off, but somehow I will think of something. Christmas gifts will be more at a minimum this year..that's for sure!!

Thank you all for your input and advise. Truth be told, I am just ready for this year to be over. The first son that married in April did so way too young (barely 19, she was barely 18), against our expressed wishes, and without our consent and agreement (which I realize in this day and age means very little)....it was a difficult day, eased only by having the Friendship Album squares there to have the guests sign. Now with this wedding coming up next week, I am looking at having to be around her family, who all think I am a nut job, and watch this son marry and hope he will be happy. (We have tried to talk to our son several times about all that happened two yrs ago, he refuses to talk about it...but to set the "record" straight, we have the proof that he was lying to us. We have finally given up on ever getting that situation all worked out).....I plan to just smile and be polite on August 11 and 12th, do my "job" as MOG.....grit my teeth and just get through it. I have decided August 13th is my New Year's Day....(and another son's birthday)....this is our last big "hurrah" with this son, and once it's over, we will not be helping him again financially. I truly cannot wait for the 13th to get here.

Anyway, thank you all....I really appreciate your advise and insight...you guys all help me think clearer, feel not so alone, and make me smile. Thank you, thank you, thank you......

Just remember, even tho your son is getting married, there's a bride involved! You don't want her to be a bridezilla! I know. I know. Just another perspective.

if you son insist, ask him to pay the expense.

when I got married my husband to be was a farmer and hated tuxs and I came from a poor family so my hubby to be and I agreed he would wear a suit and he told his groomsmen and all for them to wear theirs. It was a simple and practical wedding. About the photos I thought ours looked good. To me they are a rememberance not a "Show and tell"

FOG, it took me awhile to figure this out, but I did.

In our family they sometimes ask the men to wear kilts.

Well said, applause, applause!