What do older boys wear to weddings?

[lemotjuste]

So, I have two boys aged 14 and 12, and we're all going to a family wedding in the summer (fairly big, traditional, smart affair). The kids, like many their age I guess, pretty much live in very casual clothes when they're not at school - they barely ever put on a shirt (not sure they even own one). The only non-trainer shoes they own are school shoes, the only jackets/ties they own are school uniform. So - what the heck do they wear? Am I seriously going to have to go and buy them suits for this ? Hire something?? I haven't been to a wedding for years, but looking back at our wedding photos, all the boys aged 8+ were in suits and ties. Aarrgghh!

I think a suit is overkill at that age, unless they are into that sort of thing. A nice shirt and a pair of smart casual trousers (not jeans or joggers) would be fine, together with existing school shoes.

Dark trousers, shirt, tie, waistcoat or lose the tie /waistcoat if you could get away with it in terms of formality?

Use school shoes and trousers and buy a shirt and tie (don't bother with a jacket, it's summer and expensive for a one time use when they're still growing)

X post!

My boys wore jeans and nice shirts to the last weddings we went to. I couldn't pay them to go full suit.

Personal opinion but I don’t really like kids in suits. If it was my kids I’d buy nice smart trousers from somewhere like M and S or John Lewis and a smart shirt and jumper. Although saying that, they might really want to be ‘grown up’ and wear a suit?

Chinos and shirt?

I wouldn't buy a suit for an under 15.
I would say smart trousers and shirt
School uniform if smart and decent eg sports coat and black trousers and tie
If slightly older school suit.
Borrow Dad's suit if it fits .
My sins have done all the above at formal family occasions.

Tailored shorts and a shirt look nice at a summer wedding and could be worn with tidy converse.

Or shirts and trousers-not necessarily suit trousers.

We bought a suit for DS when he was 11 but we had two weddings and one was quite a formal one. I donated it to the charity shop the next summer as he had grown so much and someone got a bargain.

Chinos shirt school shoes or I've seen lots wear like Vans with that sort of thing in pics at wedding

Shirt and chinos, like every other semi formal occasion at that age. School shoes if they don’t have other proper shoes.

Depends on the dress code. I’d have thought for a formal wedding the older lad should follow dress code fully and younger one should be in something close. If it’s morning suit, then you can hire.

Dark chinos and a nice cotton shirt, maybe a tie. Laces shoes

At the minimum smart trousers, shirt and a tie.

Thank you so much everyone. Dress code is suits or morning dress. The kids will both want to get away with as informal as possible. I might go for chinos and shirts though I suspect I will get a couple of raised eyebrows from one or two other guests that I can think of if they're not in ties. Will keep thinking...