When the British summer is good, it's really good. The sun, the long days, the balmy pub gardens, the barbecues.

One slight downside is the abundance of weddings. Sure, they're fun, but they can take their toll, especially if you're so popular you have one every weekend until the clocks change.

We can't help with the inevitable burn out, or the drubbing your liver is likely to receive, but we can certainly help with what you wear when you're there. Here are a few points to bear in mind before the next invitation drops.

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1 | Match Your Outfit To The Venue

Where's the wedding being held? If it's a traditional church and marquee in the garden set-up, then a blue or charcoal suit with black oxfords or brown brogues is a safe bet. Be sure to liven it up a little with an eye-catching (but not overwhelming) tie or pocket square – it'll save you looking like you've come straight from the office. If it's on the beach, then opt for something single breasted in pale linen. But make sure it's tailored – anything too billowy and you stray into cult-follower territory. richardjames.co.uk, £350

2 | Get Out Of Your Colour Comfort Zone

Although the aforementioned blue and grey suits will do you proud, they'll most likely be what every other male guest goes for, so don't be afraid to explore bolder avenues, especially in the summer months. A jacket in powder blue or cream will lift your outfit and single you out from the crowd, without making you look like a children's entertainer. The trick is to keep everything else quite subdued so the overall look isn't too busy; mrporter.com, £1,100
 

3 | Make Sure It's Comfortable 

Weddings are long, the lunches are big and the dancing lengthy, so it's worth considering an outfit that offers a little give. Suiting cut from jersey fabric is an obvious option – you'll feel like you're wearing a well-tailored sleeping bag – but our tip is Paul Smith's new travel suit. Its high twist wool is light, crease resistant and pliable. Best of all, because it's Paul Smith, you know it's tailored properly too. paulsmith.co.uk, £730

4 | Keep Things Slick And Streamlined

This goes further than the outfit – book a cab, hotel and table for the hangover brunch – but in the sartorial stakes, it's good to be as sleek as possible. Don't put anything in your pockets. No matter how good the suit, the bulge of a wallet will always show through. Better halves tend to carry bags and purses with ample room for your essentials anyway. And wear a suit cut from hopsack or seersucker – the subtle texture soaks up light and keeps your silhouette clean-edged. jcrew.com, £298
 

5 | Check your lineage 

If you're a laird, or you have a legitimate north-of-the-border postcode, then disregard the next few lines. But if you're one of those types that claim to be Scottish and digs out his kilt when the save-the-date arrives, then stop it. Nobody cares what you're wearing underneath it, although we're sure you'll find the time to show us after a few wee drams.
 

6 | Don't Be Scared Of Making An Investing

This probably applies most to those in their early twenties – the men that are yet to endure the full force of wedding season. At some point you'll be asked to wear morning dress, and your first idea will be to rent it. Don't. The jacket might fit, but the trousers will almost definitely be too big and puddle all over your Oxfords. Worse still, you might be forced to wear one of those elastic-backed waistcoats. No, pay a visit to Favourbrook, Oliver Spencer's formal wear brand. And invest in your own kit.

Favourbrook, 55 Jermyn Street, SW1Y, favourbrook.com, £180 
 

7 | Accessorise, but don't over accessorise

At a wedding it's easy to go overboard. A buttonhole here, a novelty cufflink there, and before you know it its as if the entire NEC wedding fair has vomited all over you. Keep it simple. If you're wearing both, try to match your pocket square to your tie, and be wary of hats. An Olly Murs-esque fedora is a no-no. If you must, Lock & Co. makes the best Panamas in town; lockhatters.co.uk, £235  

8 | Remember Why You're There

Follow the above rules and you'll be set, but be sure to use your new sartorial powers for good, not evil. Weddings are about the couple, or more importantly – the bride. So no matter how perfectly cut your suit, how long it took a cobbler to hand-make your shoes or how few editions of your Hermes tie were created, this is not a day for peacocking. This is a day for subtlety, decorum and an open bar.

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