Groomsmen Ties: How to Coordinate Without Matching Exactly
Every groomsmen photo has the same problem to solve: enough visual consistency that the group reads as a unit, and enough variation that it doesn't look like ties were ordered in bulk off a rack without a second thought. Here's the actual method, not just "pick a colour."
Pick one fixed variable — not all of them
The mistake most wedding parties make is trying to match everything: same tie, same colour, same pattern. It photographs as flat and slightly corporate. The fix is to fix exactly one variable across the group and let everything else vary within it:
- Fix colour family, vary pattern. Everyone in navy, but one in a plain weave, one in a fine stripe, one in a subtle paisley. This is the most forgiving option and works well for larger parties (5+) where identical ties would look uniform rather than deliberate.
- Fix pattern, vary colour. Everyone in the same weave or motif, but in different tonal shades — burgundy, forest green, navy. Works particularly well for smaller parties (2–4) where the pattern repetition itself becomes the unifying element.
- Fix both, for a best man only. It's genuinely fine for the best man to wear something distinguishable from the rest of the party — a richer shade or added texture — to mark the role without breaking the group's overall coordination.
Account for different builds and colouring
A tie that looks right on one man can look wrong on another simply because of build and colouring, even in the "same" colour family:
- Taller, broader groomsmen can carry heavier weaves and bolder patterns — a textured grenadine or a bolder paisley won't overwhelm a larger frame the way it might on someone slighter.
- Slighter builds generally read better in finer weaves and smaller-scale patterns, which is worth factoring in before ordering the same tie in bulk for a party of varying sizes.
- Skin tone affects how a colour reads far more than most people expect — the same burgundy can look rich on one man and slightly dull on another. If it's practical, have each groomsman hold the actual tie (or a fabric swatch) up rather than choosing purely from a product photo.
Coordinate with the groom, not just each other
The groomsmen's job is to support the groom's look, not compete with it — see our full wedding tie guide for how the groom's tie is typically chosen. In practice, this usually means the groomsmen sit one tone lighter or plainer than whatever the groom is wearing, so he still reads as visually distinct in every group shot.
Ordering for a group
A few practical notes that save headaches closer to the date:
- Order at least 4–6 weeks ahead of the wedding — later than that and you're choosing from whatever's left in stock rather than what actually suits the party.
- Order one extra, unassigned tie. Someone always forgets theirs, and a spare in the main colourway solves the problem in the ten minutes before photos.
- If the party spans a wide range of suit shades (some in navy, some in grey, some in a lighter tan for a summer wedding), fixing pattern and letting colour vary tends to bridge mismatched suit tones better than the reverse.
Shop the Royal Collection
Built specifically for coordinated wedding parties — enough tonal consistency across the collection to read as a set, enough variation in pattern and weave that no two groomsmen look identical: