A winter wedding has a distinct charm: crisp air, maybe a hint of frost. Snow if you’re lucky. Even better, it’s a chance to really start dressing. Unlike linen-dominated summer nuptials, a winter wedding comes with more options in terms of texture, tone and fabric, plus, plenty of layering to experiment with. Whether you’re attending a cosy pub reception, dressing to the nines for a black-tie soirée or escaping somewhere sunnier entirely, consider this your sartorial cheat sheet. Below, we’ve mapped out outfits for each type of winter wedding, ensuring you’re as well-prepared as the best man’s speech, if unlikely to elicit laughs from the crowd.

A pub or bar reception is trickier to dress for than you might imagine – a three-piece suit will likely be out of place, but go too casual and you run the risk of appearing to have wandered in off the street to take advantage of the free bar. To keep things safe but stylish, opt for a double-breasted jacket, such as this classic wool-twill number from Mr P., with a matching pair of trousers. Sophisticated without being starchy, the jacket can be worn open over a fine-knit sweater if you prefer to dress it down as the day goes on. For footwear, Oxford or Derby shoes will do fine, but these monk-strap shoes from George Cleverley are even better. Made in England, they’ll look particularly great when jiving across the dance floor when “Don’t Stop Believin’” comes on.

If the newlyweds you’re celebrating send an invitation specifying black tie, then good news, most of the sartorial decision making has already been done for you. The goal here is to keep it classic while paying fastidious attention to the finer details. Brunello Cucinelli’s tuxedo jackets are invariably immaculate. This one is made from grain de poudre – a fine, silky wool generally used on high-end tailoring – and comes with satin shawl lapels (details!). Keep everything else classic with a white tuxedo shirt – fancier-looking than your standard button up, this one from Mr P. has an embroidered bib and mother-of-pearl buttons (ahem, details!). And don’t forget the most important part: this sleek black bow tie from Gucci, made from silk crepe de chine, has the Italian house’s tiny gold initials embellished on the corner of the bow (all together now: details!).