Picture Perfect Groomsmen Ties That Match Bridesmaid Dresses

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• Do groomsmen ties have to match bridesmaid dresses?
• Should you coordinate bridesmaid dresses to match ties?
• How do you match a tie to a bridesmaid dress?
• Should the groom and groomsmen wear the same suit?
• What color tie should the groom wear?
• Should you mix and match groomsmen ties?
• Should you mix and match patterns and colors?
• How do you coordinate wedding colors with ties?
• What are some tie color matching dos and don’ts?

Unless you’re striving for a miss-matched look, your groomsmen ties should coordinate well in both style and color with the other half of your wedding party. Often coordinating bridesmaid dresses with groomsmen ties can be a headache with limited options at stores or gambling with photos online, but it doesn’t have to be. No matter what color your bridesmaids are wearing, it’s easy to customize your wedding groomsmen’s ties to create a cohesive look for your wedding.

This guide covers everything you need to know about matching bridesmaid dresses to groomsmen ties: how to select a tie pattern, how to coordinate wedding colors, how to mix-and-match, and how to coordinate the groom’s tie with the groomsmen.

Do groomsmen ties have to match bridesmaid dresses?

It’s not the look for everyone, but groomsmen matching bridesmaids will give you a timeless, picture-perfect look. While some couples prefer mix-and-match or ombre looks for the wedding party, there’s plenty of reasons for bridesmaid dresses matching ties.

When the groomsmen ties match the bridesmaid dresses, your wedding party will look elegant and unified. In addition, matching bridesmaids and groomsmen keep the visual focus of the wedding on the bride and groom, who will naturally stand out amidst the rest of the wedding party.

Ultimately, to match or not to match really just depends on your vision for your wedding party. But if you decide you want groomsmen matching bridesmaids, use our color matching dos and don’ts below to make sure they look great! After all, you don’t want to twitch every time you look at your wedding photos because the colors are off.

Should you coordinate bridesmaid dresses to match ties?

Definitely! Even if you want the bridesmaids to choose their own dress style or color, you can still coordinate to have them match the tone or color of the tie. Determining your wedding palette can guide your decisions around how to coordinate colors for a bridal party.

When you are deciding on the look and feel of your wedding, choose a wedding palette of 3-6 colors that work well together. The bridesmaids’ dresses should match one (or all) of these colors. Groomsmen ties can either match the bridesmaid dresses or draw on a secondary color, as we’ll describe later. If you’re planning to design custom wedding neckties, be aware that some of our designs do require a full six colors. Planning your color palette ahead of time will save you a lot of second-guessing later.

In addition to color, you’ll also need to consider the overall design of the dress and tie. Even if the colors are perfectly matched, a loud tie will look out of place next to a simple and elegant frock. Similarly, a muted tie can’t hold its own against a splashy bridesmaid dress. As a general rule, you want simple dresses matched to simple ties, and eye-catching dresses matched to equally eye-catching ties. This gives your wedding party a sense of balance and harmony.

Naturally, the theme and formality of your wedding will influence both tie and dress design. Solid-colored ties or classic patterns like stripes are a natural choice for an indoor church wedding with formal floor-length bridesmaid dresses. On the other hand, whimsical floral ties fit better into a rustic outdoor ceremony with boho bridesmaid dresses. Think of the overall look or aesthetic of your wedding, and make sure your ties and dresses both fit.

Once you’ve determined that your tie pattern is a good fit for your bridesmaid dresses, it’s time to think about color matching. First, decide on the look you want. It’s classic for the groomsmen’s ties to perfectly match the bridesmaid’s dresses, but that’s far from the only option.

Many couples opt for mismatched bridesmaid dresses. For example, bridesmaids can choose different shades of the same color to create an ombre effect. It’s also popular for bridesmaids to wear a range of similar neutral colors. Both of these options give the bridesmaids some choice in their colors. They also take into account that different skin tones look better in different shades.

Mismatched ties are trending for the same reason. A range of tie patterns and colors can highlight the individual personalities of the groomsmen and give the wedding party a fresh and modern look.

For example, you may choose a different tie pattern for each groomsman. Choose patterns with a similar weight, theme, and size — florals, for example, or repeating motifs. Use the same colors across each pattern to keep the look cohesive, possibly alternating the background color to give each groomsmen a unique look.

Another popular trend is to choose matching groomsmen ties a few shades off from the dresses. For instance, if your bridesmaid dresses are a pale seafoam, your groomsmen might wear darker teal ties.

The groomsmen’s ties don’t just need to coordinate with the bridesmaids’ dresses. It’s also important to decide whether or not the groomsmen will match each other, and how their ties will complement the groom’s. (Typically, the groom’s tie is a few shades off from the groomsmen’s ties, as we’ll describe in more detail later.) Taking the time to decide how to coordinate your wedding colors will pay off in a visually harmonious wedding party.

Whether you want groomsmen ties that perfectly match your bridesmaid dresses, or prefer a mismatched or ombre effect, our color matching process lets you create custom ties in exactly the shade you need.

How do you match a tie to a bridesmaid dress?

Ordering wedding ties online can be nerve-wracking since the colors on a screen will never look exactly the same in person. Fortunately, our ColorMatch chart and our real-time customization feature take all of the guesswork out of finding the perfect match for your dress.

If you ordered your dress from a major wedding company, we may have already done the matching for you! Wedding companies like Azazie offer a wide range of dress styles to choose from in a consistent color. For your convenience, we have pre-matched the full palette of some of the most popular wedding companies, so you can know that your ties will perfectly match the dress.

If your dress isn’t pre-matched, don’t worry. You can still find an exact match using your own wedding palette, our ColorMatch chart, and swatches of any existing dresses you want to match.

Many couples create a color palette while brainstorming the overall look of their wedding. Sometimes the goal is to match a tie to this palette rather than to an existing bridesmaid dress. If your color palette includes Pantone codes, the next step is easy — we can print exact color matches to any Pantone color. Otherwise, we recommend ordering our ColorMatch chart.

The Knotty Tie ColorMatch chart has each of our 500+ colors printed onto the same recycled polyester twill used for our ties, bow ties, and pocket squares.  It’s a bargain compared to the peace of mind you’ll get from knowing exactly which colors you’re getting.

Comparing a swatch of your bridesmaid dress to our ColorMatch chart is the best way to find an exact color match. Once you’ve decided on a color match, you can use our real-time customization feature to design a tie that perfectly matches your bridesmaid dresses.

Should the groom and groomsmen wear the same suit?

The groom typically wears a different suit so he stands out from the groomsmen. Remember, the goal is for the rest of the wedding party to highlight the bride and groom. There should never be any doubt who’s getting married!

A groom can get away with wearing the same suit as his groomsmen, however, as long as he wears a different tie. We call the groom’s tie the tell-tale tie. Usually, it is either in a more muted or louder design than the groomsmen’s ties. Alternatively, the groom may wear a bow tie while the groomsmen wear neckties or vice versa.

For example, if the groomsmen are all wearing navy blue neckties, the groom may opt for a pale cream necktie. If the groomsmen are wearing muted neutral ties, the groom’s might echo the vibrant peacock of the bridesmaid dresses. You can see some examples of tell-tale ties in our Wedding Design Gallery.

The tell-tale tie distinguishes the groom from his groomsmen, even when they are otherwise dressed similarly. A complete stranger should be able to identify the groom at first glance when he is standing in a group with his groomsmen.
 

What color tie should the groom wear?

Now that we’ve talked about the groomsmen, let’s focus on the groom. Does the groom’s tie have to match the bridesmaids dresses? Not necessarily, but it does have to coordinate with them. Creating a wedding palette helps to keep your wedding party cohesive and consistent.

The color and style of the groom’s tie depends on the look you are going for as well as the time of year. The weather will influence the groom’s suit, which in turn will influence his tie. Traditionally, winter weddings involve darker, richer colors. Summer weddings, on the other hand, typically feature beachy pale or bright colors.

For an outdoor autumn wedding, the groom may opt for a jacket and waistcoat using rustic, textured fabrics such as tweed or textured wool. That outfit would call for a tie with muted colors and strong visual texture, such as a herringbone or a plaid.

But for an indoor spring wedding, a groom might choose a classic navy blue suit to highlight the formality of the occasion. In that case, a tie with a classic menswear pattern like dots and stripes would be appropriate. Depending on the look of the wedding and the groomsmen’s ties, the groom’s tie might be navy, cream, charcoal, or a brighter color from the wedding palette.

No matter the season, the color of the groom’s tie is less important than how it coordinates with his suit and with the groomsmen. The groom’s tie may provide a pop of color, or it may contribute subtle visual texture to a more monochromatic look. For instance, a black tie worn with a charcoal jacket might include microdots or a clean geometric pattern to create a more interesting look.

Should you mix and match groomsmen ties?

Without a doubt! With our vast range of designs and color customization feature, it’s fun and easy to create a set of different ties that all work together. As long as you stick with the same color palette and patterns with similar visual weight, you can mix and match patterned ties to bring out each groomsmen's personality. The result will be eclectic and refreshing.

For example, our With Friends collection could easily be personalized to each groomsman. Your outdoorsy brother might wear the Camping With Friends pattern, while the Partying With Friends might be a better option for your college roommate. Both ties could be customized using the same color palette for cohesion. This customized approach works great for ties that will double as groomsmen gifts.

Alternatively, you could choose a few similar patterns in your color scheme (all florals, for instance, or all plaids), and let each groomsman choose his favorite pattern. Yet another approach is to choose one pattern and create several different versions of it in your color scheme. For example, the custom version of one floral pattern might have pink and yellow blossoms against a white background, while another custom version might have pink and white blossoms against a yellow background.

Should you mix and match patterns and colors?

If you are going for a more vibrant and individualistic approach to the menswear we suggest mixing and matching both patterns and colors.

Your wedding palette can help you with this sort of mixing and matching. Typically, wedding palettes have two main colors, and one or more secondary colors. You can usually tell the main colors because that’s what the bridesmaids are wearing. By choosing groomsmen ties from the secondary color options, you can guarantee that they will complement the bridesmaid dresses, while also matching other colors found in the wedding decor.

For instance, one wedding may feature a color palette of forest green, navy blue, maroon, and blush pink. If the bridesmaids are wearing blush pink and navy blue, those would be the two primary colors. That leaves forest green and maroon as great options for groomsmen ties.

In addition to mixing colors and patterns across the wedding party, you can also combine multiple patterns on a single individual! This can be tricky to pull off, but it looks sharp when done well. Accessories like pocket squares, watch bands, and even socks can add color and pattern to an outfit.

How do you coordinate wedding colors with ties?

Create a palette first!

As we described earlier, the secondary colors in your wedding palette are perfect for accessories such as ties. Those same secondary colors also tend to work beautifully in your wedding decorations.

Let’s look again at that palette of forest green, navy blue, maroon, and blush pink. As a reminder, the bridesmaids’ dresses are navy blue and blush pink, so you’ll want to avoid large doses of those colors in your decorating. But the secondary colors that would work for the groomsmen ties (forest green and maroon, in this instance) can also work for tablecloths, flowers, table decorations, etc.

When you are creating your wedding palette, consider drawing from the natural colors of your event venue. Groomsmen ties could feature the brilliant reds and oranges of the foliage in an outdoor autumn wedding, for instance. For a beach wedding, look at the pale sand or the ocean waves. A church might have colorful stained glass pieces with dominant shades of brilliant purple. A barn might have that signature red paint, or overlook fields of grain. By taking the colors your venue into account, you can ensure that your wedding fits the surroundings, and vice versa

Similarly, when you are deciding which accessories to wear, it’s important to keep the complete ensemble in mind. For instance, a tie will always have a shirt as a backdrop. Do you want a dark tie to pop against a crisp white shirt, or would a muted color like chambray or a pink look better? Consider a pocket square in the contest of the jacket it will be worn with. What look are you going for with this outfit? Traditional? Rustic? Vintage? Preppy? How can your groomsmen’s accessories contribute to that look as a whole?

Does the outfit have enough contrast? Consider softening a charcoal jacket with a dove gray pocket square, or adding an oatmeal-colored waistcoat to add contrast to a dark brown jacket. Use patterns to add interest and texture to monochromatic looks. Remember, a great color pallet has range and depth to it.

What are some tie color matching dos and don’ts?

We know how important it is to choose exactly the right color for your wedding ties. That’s why we’ve created some dos and don’ts to help you find ties that perfectly match your bridesmaid dresses.

Do

• Have swatches to match to. Most dress companies will provide color swatches of their bridesmaids’ dress fabrics for little to no cost. With a swatch, you can easily select a close match on our ColorMatch chart and even keep it in your wallet to have handy during various vendor appointments throughout your planning.
• Recreate the event lighting. A color that seems to match under an artificial light might be subtly different in the afternoon sunshine.
• Create a full-color palette. Use your ColorMatch chart to select a full-color pallet. If you are interested in designing patterns for your custom ties, there will always be at least two colors incorporated. Some patterns require up to six colors.

Don't

• Don’t judge colors on a screen. No photograph can capture a fabric’s exact color and texture, and no two screens will display the same color identically. Our ColorMatch chart is the most reliable way to match fabrics.
• Don’t assume that all shades are the same. Even if they have the same name, colors will always vary from one manufacturer to another. One company’s blush won’t necessarily match another company’s blush. Even within the same company, a blush in a sheer fabric like chiffon will look different from a blush in an opaque fabric like taffeta.
• Don’t select colors with low contrast. If there is not enough contrast between the colors selected, your final product may read as a solid color. This is especially important to remember if you are going for a soft or subtle look. Similarly, If you are going for a monochromatic look, be sure to select additional shades of color with the same tone which are either lighter or darker. For instance, a charcoal background may be paired with black and light gray. Shades that are too similar to your background may be too hard to see.
  
  

Get Started Matching

When selecting ties for your groomsmen, it’s important to consider your wedding palette, especially the major colors of the bridesmaid dresses. Your groomsmen ties don’t necessarily need to match your bridesmaid dresses, but they do need to coordinate with them and with the groom’s outfit.

If you aren’t interested in picture-perfect matching, consider using ombre or mix-and-match looks to bring cohesion to your wedding party. Groomsmen ties can also contrast with the bridesmaid dresses by using minor colors from your wedding palettes.

The groom’s tie should make him stand out from the groomsmen. We call that the tell-tale tie. If the groomsmen are wearing dark ties, the groom’s tie should be a few shades lighter, or vice versa. If the groomsmen are wearing neckties, the groom might want to consider a bow tie instead.

Remember to choose groomsmen ties within the context of the outfit as a whole. Look for ways to use ties and other accessories to add contrast and visual interest to the groomsmen’s ensembles. No matter which approach you choose, our color-matching process will help you to design groomsmen ties that perfectly match your color palette.

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