A wedding is a beautiful occasion and a huge celebration, and as such is an absolute logistical nightmare, demanding more organisation than you can believe. In all seriousness, if you’ve ever been married or been in close proximity to a wedding being planned, it’s astonishing how many moving parts there are. It’s also the reason we have so many professions dedicated to it - wedding dress designers, cake decorators, entertainers, florists etc. Indeed we even have wedding planners, whose entire job it is to wrangle all of these artists into some sort of order!
Tradition dictates that men usually take a back seat in the wedding. The groom’s job is to be appreciative, provide support, and generally take the (deserved) humiliation dished out by the best man in his speech. While he may be setting himself up for a life of happy matrimony, he is very much the supporting cast to his wife-to-be. This is all fine and to be expected, but it isn’t the case that the groom gets no care whatsoever.
The Groomsmen
The main man has his own band of merry men, known as the groomsmen. Led by the best man, they’ll help ready the guests, provide support, and generally look after the groom’s interests on and around the day. They’ll have organised and been present at the events of the stag do (or bachelor party for our American readers), and helped to prepare the day’s events wherever they could. On the day, they’ll act as ushers for attending guests, and act as masters of ceremonies come the evening’s celebrations. They’re a hugely important supporting cast, and deserve a bit of celebrating. As such, they’ll also need to look the part.
How to Approach Styling
There are three approaches you can take to styling your groomsmen.
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“Do what thou wilt” - essentially, a simple instruction to look smart and do the job. This requires the least input from the groom, but also leaves you open to the most disappointment. We all have the grungy friend who barely owns a suit, and while they’re undeniably great company, they might need a bit of style guidance for your big day…
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Outfit them yourself - take full control of what they wear by picking matching outfits. This gives a cohesive look and puts you in the driving seat, ensuring that you (or more accurately, your partner’s) desires are met. The downside of this is the potential for greater expense, and the danger that your groomsmen, who are also wedding guests, might feel like they’re in costume.
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Allow them to choose along a theme - this is a sort of halfway-house that gives you some semblance of control, while allowing your support team to show some individuality. Having a limited range of outfits or accessories to choose from ensures that everyone looks in keeping, while not laying down the law. For example, the instruction "choose something from this seller's range to suit your personality" can be an inspirational way to choose, and a red rag to a bull. The responsibility is spread a little and your merry band feels a little more involved.
How you style your groomsmen is critical to the feel of your overall wedding day. Smart, or at the very least stylish, is a given. But giving them a lead to what they actually wear is a key detail.
Accessories are the Key
When looking for the extra something to enliven an outfit, accessories are truly your best friend. They’re a great way to get a nice suit to raise its game, and an even better way of allowing some individual choice while keeping a theme intact. For example, even a simple, hassle-free pocket square does wonders to a jacket, while a set of matching ties can make a disparate group of people feel cohesive.
Even better are our multiway pocket squares; artist-drawn with a range of stunning designs, which can be worn several different ways to make the most of the multi-coloured patterns. These also make sensational mementos of the event, as each one is available in strictly limited quantities, and will always be a reminder of a point in time.
We also cannot miss saying that a wedding is the home turf of the cravat. They give a decadent, celebratory appearance almost by existing, and the endless variations they offer give even the pickiest groomsman something to run with. They’re also extraordinarily comfortable and easy to wear, which is a crucial aspect as the wedding unfurls late into the evening and the dancefloor fills. A cravat gives you a smart but playful look that can help make an outfit feel like something special.
Accessories also give your groomsmen a bit of scope to pick something out they actually like, and might even wear after the event. They don’t have to look like a set of dolls either; a little thematic dressing can often be enough to get the whole occasion to work well together. In fact, giving them a little bit of ownership here can take the burden off the shoulders of the groom.
Examples in Action
Whether it’s part of the groom’s ensemble, or put to work as part of the wedding’s entire theme, there are plenty of examples of what our accessories can do for your wedding style. Matching sets for formality, or loose choices across a theme, each will give a different effect. Whether you want total editorial control or you want to share the burden, you have many options. Many of our customers turn to our silk accessories for wedding season, and from the pictures they send us, it’s easy to see why they did -
The Final Bit of Magic
Hanging loosely around the neck, with a soft and luxurious feel, you’ll barely know you’re wearing your cravat. It’s also a way of taking your wedding party a little outside the ordinary, letting your guests know that this is a special occasion, and normal rules are suspended. Your ushers will look exceptionally sharp in the right outfits, and our accessories can help them get there. If you want something that can lend your groomsmen character, comfort, and charisma, we’re sure to have the final piece of the puzzle.
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