How to Match Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: The Ultimate Wedding Attire Guide

Weddings are becoming more creative than ever before. In the past, matching bridesmaids and groomsmen was expected. Today, matching isn't as important as creating a harmonious and cohesive aesthetic. This can be done through establishing a balance between color palettes, attire, and accessories.

If your overall wedding aesthetic is cohesive and balanced, your wedding and wedding photos will be, well, picture perfect. Without a cohesive aesthetic, wedding photos can look disjointed or even unflattering.

This guide covers how to create a cohesive look for a wedding, including everything from color palettes to accessories for a picture perfect wedding party. You'll learn how to establish a wedding color palette, how to coordinate bridesmaids dresses, how to match groomsmen's attire, how groomsmen can select the perfect tie, and we even offer tips for coordinating a mismatched look. We even provide tips on how to select attire based on the season and the venue.

Understanding the Basics of Wedding Party Coordination

Coordinating colors, fabrics, styles, flowers, decor, and the venue impacts the overall wedding aesthetic. Every detail is important. The goal is to achieve a balance between uniformity and individuality, especially in wedding party attire. 

Do bridesmaids and groomsmen have to match? They can, but they don't have to. Matching is always a sure way to achieve a cohesive look, but there are additional ways for the wedding party to look united and coordinated.
 
The key is to ensure they coordinate either with the same or harmonious colors, accessories, and similar styles (whether formal, semi-formal, or casual). Consider the basic wedding attire essentials to help begin your planning.

Determining Your Wedding Color Palette

Color is a powerful element and usually one of the first decisions a bride and groom make when planning their wedding. Color creates an emotional reaction, so favorite colors are the ones most often chosen. Also, some color palettes are chosen because they align with the season of the wedding. Others are selected based on the venue such as a destination beach wedding in a tropical locale. There is no right or wrong color palette. Choose one that makes you happy!

Some wedding color palettes are monochromatic, meaning they consist of one color. A monochromatic color scheme with varied tints of the main color is a terrific way to ensure cohesiveness. For example, if the main color is deep purple, a beautiful scheme consists of lavender, violet, lilac, and plum.

Two secondary colors are a popular palette choice, such as burgundy and ivory. Although they aren't considered true colors, black and white are a timeless and elegant choice for formal weddings. 

Working with three to five colors can be a bit of a challenge. You don't want the aesthetic to look gaudy or clownish. Although there are no rules about choosing your colors, you'll avoid garish mistakes if you have a handle on color theory. 

A selection of four pastel colors such as peach, blush pink, purple, and sage green can be beautiful for a spring wedding. Earthy sunbaked tones that are seen in fall leaves and landscapes such as terracotta, rust, ochre, and burgundy would be lovely for an autumn wedding or a desert venue.

Choosing Your Primary Wedding Colors

Once you've chosen the colors that will define your wedding, select one or two colors from that palette for the wedding party's attire. 

• Select the two colors based on
  
  • the mood you want to achieve for your wedding. Happy, sophisticated, rustic, glamorous, romantic, etc.
    
  • Complementing the venue such as blues and greens for a beach wedding or black and white for a refined, sophisticated penthouse wedding.
    
• Contrasting colors stand out in photos. For example, bridesmaids wearing dusty blue dresses will contrast with groomsmen in rich navy suits. Or bridesmaids in rich emerald green dresses will contrast well with groomsmen in light tan suits. 
  
• Monochromatic colors will create a more unified look in wedding photos. Picture how the bride in white and groom in a black tux will stand out against the bridesmaids and groomsmen unified in dove gray dresses and suits.
  

Coordinating Bridesmaid Dresses

If you want to know how to match bridesmaids and groomsmen, there are several ways to coordinate and balance their attire. 

• First and foremost, select the colors of bridesmaid dresses based on the wedding palette. 
  
• One option is for each bridesmaid to wear the same color, whether or not they wear the same or varying styles of dress.
  
• Another option is to select a varying hue for each bridesmaid's dress. For example, if blue and cream are the two main colors for the wedding party attire, each bridesmaid can wear a variation of blue, from light dusty blue to an elegant sapphire blue. And vice versa for cream colored dresses — they could range from cream, beige, taupe, and a rich champagne.
  
• Also consider varying between your two main colors. For example, if you have four bridesmaids (using our example of blue and cream), two bridesmaids could wear blue and two could wear cream dresses.
  
• If you're looking for a more dynamic look, introduce a secondary color. If unsure, refer to a color chart for guidance on secondary colors. Blue is a primary color. A secondary color to blue would be violet or green. 
  

Matching Groomsmen Attire

Groomsmen's suits or tuxedos can be coordinated with the same principles of color as bridesmaids' dresses. Options would be:

• All groomsmen can wear the same color.
  
• Their suit colors can vary between your two main color choices (in our example above, some in blue and some in cream)
  
• Each can wear a varying tint of the main color — one in dusty blue, one in powder blue, one in sky blue, and one in sapphire blue. To unify the look, each groomsman could wear the same color tie. 
  
• Varying tie colors or patterns in complements of blue could offer a more dynamic appearance.
  
• For an even more dynamic look, add a pop of color through various accessories such as ties, pocket squares, and dress socks.
  

Selecting the Perfect Groomsmen Ties

Do wedding ties need to match bridesmaids? Not necessarily. There are a number of ways to choose tie colors and patterns that complement the bridesmaid's dresses. As long as the ties echo the bridesmaids colors, you'll achieve a cohesive look.

You can choose to match exactly or take an adventurous route and go with an entirely different color or pattern. But by all means, choose whichever look you like best.

• Monochromatic Color Matchings: The completely monochromatic look involves matching the dresses with exactly the same color ties. A spin on the monochromatic look is to choose a patterned tie with a dominant color that matches the bridesmaid's dresses.
  
• Complementary Color Matchings: Groomsmen's ties can also complement the bridesmaid's dress color. If the bridesmaids are wearing lavender dresses, gold or yellow groomsmen's ties would provide a wonderful contrast. Again, consult color theory and the color wheel to ensure the colors you choose are compatible.
  
• Wedding Party Secondary Color: Another way to choose groomsmen's tie colors is to go with the wedding palette's secondary color. Usually, the wedding party colors are chosen from two of the wedding palette colors. Let's say the two wedding party colors are coral and dusty lavender. If the bridesmaid's dresses are coral or variations of coral, the groomsmen's ties could be dusty lavender.
  
• Other popular wedding colors incorporate tones of red and hues of green (but not together unless it's a Christmas wedding!).
  
  • Burgundy ties in wine, cherry, or raspberry would be a beautiful choice if the bridesmaids wear blush pink dresses. 
    
  • If the bridesmaids wear sage green dresses, olive green ties would be a terrific choice for the groomsmen. 
    

Creating a Cohesive Look: Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

For a harmonious look, strive for balance and unity. One method of creating a cohesive look between the bridesmaids and groomsmen is to select one matching element. This could be a color, a pattern, an accessory, a flower — some feature that is the same.

Color Coordination Ideas 

• If the groomsmen wear lavender flower boutonnieres, the bridesmaids could wear the same lavender flowers in their hair.  
  
• Another example would be to coordinate accessories. Bridesmaids could don a navy blue satin sash around the waists of their sky blue dresses and the groomsmen could wear navy suspenders over their sky blue shirts.
  
• This example shows how beautifully a patterned tie would harmonize with a blush pink bridesmaid's dress. 
  

The Groom's Attire: Standing Out While Coordinating

The groom's attire should stand out from his groomsmen so that he exhibits a distinct but coordinated look with them. This can be achieved by incorporating several popular methods:

• The groom wears a tuxedo while the groomsmen wear suits in the same color.
  
• The groom and groomsmen wear the same color suit or tuxedo, but the groom wears a tie in a distinctly different color.
  
• The groom wears the same color neckwear as the groomsmen, but the groom wears a bowtie and the groomsmen wear ties, or vice versa.
  
• The groom wears a solid color tie and the groomsmen wear patterned ties or vice versa.
  

Accessorizing for a Polished Look

Accessories add a pop of pizazz to any wedding outfit. When it comes to the wedding party, carefully chosen accessories will create a polished look. 

• A pocket square always adds a balanced look to men's attire. The pocket square shouldn't match the tie, but be in a contrasting or complementary color or pattern.
  
• Boutonnieres are a classic wedding accessory. After all, what would a wedding be without flowers? There are various ways to coordinate flowers between the groomsmen and bridesmaids. The men can wear boutonnieres in a main color from the wedding palette.
• The ladies can wear the same flowers in their hair, on their waist, or on their wrist in that same color or a secondary color from the wedding palette. 
  
• It's a common tradition for the bride and groom to gift jewelry to their wedding party.
  
  • To create a harmonious look, the bride and groom can select jewelry for their party in the same color or even the same design. 
    
  • For the women, it could be a necklace, bracelet, or earrings. For the men it could be cufflinks, a tie bar, or a watch band.
    

Tips for Mismatched Yet Coordinated Looks

As long as you feel confident about your choice and love it, really anything goes when it comes to deciding on what your bridesmaids and groomsmen will wear. Your vision is what's most important.

Search the internet for creative ideas on mismatched but coordinated attire for your wedding party. Here are some basic ideas:

• Some brides and grooms encourage their bridesmaids and groomsmen to choose their own dresses and suits, offering an opportunity for each to select a style that's comfortable for their body type.
  
• Another method is to inform the wedding party of your two chosen attire colors and then let them choose their outfit based on those two tones.
  
• Some brides and grooms will give their wedding party complete freedom within the dress code parameters but will create harmony and cohesiveness by providing them with matching or coordinating accessories.
  

Considering the Venue and Season

The wedding venue and the season will influence the wedding party attire colors and fabric choices.
 
Venue: The wedding attire styles, colors, and fabrics will vary based on the formality of the wedding location. 

• A beach wedding would feature relaxed fabrics such as linens and cotton in colors associated with the sea and sky. 
  
• An elegant country club wedding would feature more tailored, sophisticated styles and refined fabrics such as silks, satins, and brocades. The colors would be more subdued and elegant, such as sapphire blue, wine red, and even black.

Season: As well as looking fabulous, the wedding party will want to feel as comfortable as possible whether your wedding is an icy winter affair or a hot and humid summer do.

• Winter and fall wedding attire will incorporate rich colored fabrics that provide warmth, such as wool, heavy silks, and cashmere. 
  
  • Burgundy, forest green, and deep earth tones are popular fall and winter wedding colors. 
    
  • While the groomsmen can remain toasty in a three piece suit, the bridesmaids can add a velvet shrug or bolero to their dress for layered warmth.
    
• Choose breathable, lightweight fabrics for later spring and summer weddings. Pastels and lighter colors in blues, yellows, greens, and pinks are commonly chosen for this time of year. 
  

Final Thoughts: Bringing It All Together

Matching the bridesmaids and groomsmen attire will create a more traditional wedding aesthetic. Mismatching, while still ensuring a harmonious aesthetic, will provide a more modern approach. Your personal style should dictate what you prefer. Just remember to maintain a cohesive look. 

Are you searching for the perfect contemporary linen suit or a classic black tuxedo? It's time to look into The Tie Bar's wedding collection for coordinated options for your special day. Our beautiful wedding ties come in a wide range of colors and fabrics. And, you'll find inspired accessories that will add flair to your groomsmen's attire.

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