You're the luckiest groom out there. You get to walk down an aisle of sand in total comfort on your wedding day. But this doesn't give you license to show up looking like you stepped ashore on your eight day of a Norwegian Cruise Lines tour; this is just formal "light".

Did we mention how lucky you are? Beach weddings can be relatively stress free, and the option of avoiding a tuxedo altogether is very appealing.

That being said, you do need to wear something. Something could go from shirt designed by Tommy Bahama with khaki shorts (from the GAP) and leather sandals (or nothing at all like the guys shown here), all the way to a lightweight linen suit with tie and brown buck Oxfords, shown below. You could end up saving a bit of money or spending just as much as you would on a rented black tie tux from a national chain, and more. So here are the options, more or less:

Up Top:

• White dress shirt, "Tommy Bahama" beach shirt

Down Low:

• Brown leather or canvas belt, with khakis (pants, or shorts), beige dress slacks or linen slacks

Further Down:

• No socks. Loafers, Brown leather sandals and flip flops.

The good news is that if you're having a beach wedding, you're having that beach wedding at the..umm..beach. This article assumes that you've already budgeted the costs of getting to a beach, or happen to be lucky enough to live on the coast. Beach wedding attire, for most couples, means a white dress shirt or beach shirt ($100 and probably less) and khaki shorts or pants ($100 and probably less). Bring it up a notch and get linen pants, and you'll be looking at spending at least $100 for the pants. If you dress it up a further notch, you'll be making the jump to a linen or summer weight suit (ie. lighter than a full-on wool, navy suit.) Watch for deals at large chains, like Men's Warehouse, as you can probably get a summer weight linen suit starting at around $250, including tailoring. (Don't expect to wear it for years.) Custom tailored linen suits will start at $800. That said, if you shop around, you'll find that Macys.com, H&M and even Walmart.com offer some sort of linen suit. Accordingly, the total cost for beach wedding attire can range from $100 to $1000, and probably on the lower end of that range. (Lucky you!)

Obviously, there are plenty of combinations, and you'll be happy to leave the black shiny shoes at home. For example, you could wear the above-mentioned linen suit, but ditch the tie and the shoes in favor of flip-flops. Flip flops (or brown leather sandals, more likely) should only be worn if your bride will also be wearing an open-toes shoe. Sandals instantly make any ensemble more casual. That said, if you do opt for flops, this may also be one of the few times in your life when you get yourself a pedicure ( ed. - A pedi-what?!?) just to get a clean and neater look than you could get after a shower with a pair of toenail scissors. (And yes, we're told that you can get a pedicure without the nail polish). As you can tell from the photos here, many guys ditch the sandals altogether, at least for the photo shoot.

If you're going with the Tommy Bahama look, the guys at Groom Groove suggest buying the beach shirts for the groomsmen in advance of the wedding, to ensure you've got a cohesive look. (If you're sitting in Omaha, the shirt pictured here might look a bit clownlike. For some reason, even the tackiest of beach shirts looks awesome on a beach in the Caribbean.) These shirts are inexpensive (around $70) and if you feel the need, you can ask the groomsmen to pitch in and buy their own. If you're going with a linen suit deal, we suggest checking out online purveyors of inexpensive linen suits, such as MisterShop.com. You'll be able to get a package deal.

A jacket is always a great addition to any ensemble. It gives the groom a clean line and can help hide any signs of perspiration.   The groom should generally try to match the bride in terms of formality, and if she's wearing a dress, a jacket (regardless of weight or buttons) will get you two on the same page.

Sunscreen for the Pale Groom

If you're a pale, office-dwelling groom, try to avoid arriving at your destination wedding too close to wedding day. Give yourself some time for your complexion to catch up, and bring plenty of sunscreen made especially for your face. Dancing won't be nearly as much fun if your face looks like the lobster you're serving to the guests.

Read more about wedding attire from GroomGroove.com:

• How to get the groomsmen outfitted in tuxedos, painlessly
• An intro to formal wear for the groom:
  • Tuxedo Jacket
  • Pants
  • Shirts
  • Ties
  • Cufflinks
  • Shoes (and socks)
  • What the hell is a cummerbund and do you need one?
  • Boutonnieres (aka the only flowers a groom needs to think about)
• Morning coats
• Wearing a suit instead of a tuxedo
• Whether to buy or rent a tux
• If you're buying a tux, whether to get it custom-made or off the rack tuxedo
• Beach wedding attire (you lucky bastard!)

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