When you get married, there are many fashion considerations to take into account. You need to think about colors and themes, and whether anyone is going to match anyone else. Some wedding parties have groomsmen all wearing exactly the same thing, while others a bit looser when it comes to choosing outfits. One thing you might want to consider doing is tying in the groomsmen’s outfits to the bridesmaids. You might especially want to do this if the people standing up with the bride and groom aren’t strictly split along gender lines. Making sure the groomsmen look sharp while the bridesmaids look their best can be tricky, but there are ways to do it.

Choose Wedding Theme or Colors

Before you can start matching up your bridesmaids and groomsmen, you need to have a wedding theme or colors. This is often one of the first things you pick when planning a wedding. You need to make sure both of you have agreed to and are clear on the colors you want to use, and the theme of the wedding if there is one. A theme doesn’t have to be too specific. It can just help to narrow your wedding choice down. It could be something like “rustic” or “vintage”, or you might pick something more specific, like a particular period or even a pop culture reference.

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Decide How Coordinated You Want to Be

Once you know your theme or colors, you need to think about just how coordinated you want everyone to be. You might want to have everyone be as matching as possible, but you could also be more relaxed about your approach. Your groomsmen could all be in the exact same suit, with the same shirts, shoes and accessories. However, you might also want to pick a certain style or color and then let them choose the exact outfit they want to wear. This allows each of them to find something they feel comfortable in. Some might want to wear a vest under their jacket, some might like a tie while others want a bowtie. It also leaves room for them to wear things they already have, like a pair of formal shoes, instead of buying new.

Financing Your Wedding Fashion

Paying for outfits is something you might want to think about before making decisions about coordinating. Your budget could dictate whether you decide to make an effort to coordinate your groomsmen and to match them to bridesmaids. It’s also worth considering who is going to pay. In the US, members of the wedding party usually pay for their own outfits. However, in the UK, it’s usually the bride and groom who pay. If you’re considering paying, you might want to think of how to find the space in your budget. If you own your home, a homeowner loans company could help you out with some more cash. However, if you’re trying to keep costs down, you might not offer to pay. Just make sure that everyone knows they have to pay for themselves before they accept.

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Pick a Matching Motif

Using wedding colors is one way to get groomsmen and bridesmaids to coordinate. Another option is to pick a motif that can feature on both the bridesmaids’ and groomsmen’s outfits. This is often easy to do with flowers. The brides can carry bouquets, and the groomsmen can wear boutonnieres featuring the same flowers. Or you could consider having a pin, which the grooms have on their jackets and the bridesmaids have on their dress, holding a shawl together, or even in their hair. The motif could also be a pattern that features on the bridesmaids’ dresses or shoes and also on the groomsmen’s ties, shirts or vests.

Coordinating When Everyone is Mismatched

Sometimes, neither the bridesmaids or the groomsmen will match each other. Many couples are happy to let their wedding party follow loose guidelines, or else they purposely choose mismatched outfits. Getting everyone to coordinate in some way if you go this route can be even more difficult. One way to do it is to focus on colors. For example, if each bridesmaid has a different color for her dress, give each of the grooms a tie in a shade that matches one of the bridesmaids. Or give the bridesmaids pashminas in the same colors as the groomsmen. Of course, if you picked a wedding theme, the theme can bring everyone together.

If you love fashion, choosing outfits will be one of your favorite parts of wedding planning. Your groomsmen can all look great and still coordinate with the bride’s party.