You may have your suit and tie ready for that upcoming wedding, but what about your shoes? And your watch? Are you going for a pocket square? Men’s wedding furnishings are all important.

These days, weddings come in all shapes and sizes. There are traditional church weddings, outdoor weddings, garden party ceremonies, and so on. Even a ceremony at a courthouse can technically count as a wedding of sorts.

As such, men’s wedding accessories also vary in style and are appropriate for different kinds of ceremonies.

However, whether you’re the groom, the best man, a groomsman, or a guest, accessories truly matter. They’re a way to express your style within a sometimes strict dress code. They’re also a way to make a suit or smart casual outfit go from not that appropriate to perfectly appropriate. 

Men’s Wedding Accessories: A Comprehensive Guide

Accessories are anything that you add to your outfit, secondarily. So, this includes anything outside of your immediate top and bottom. Arguably, accessorizing is more common for women, at least in their day to day.

I think men should consider accessories every day. However, men’s wedding furnishings are particularly important.

Some men don’t consider shoes accessories (we always have to wear them, after all). However, I will for the purpose of this guide. After all, men’s wedding shoes should be a bit more special. They’re a bit more of an accessory, if you will, than everyday shoes.

Men’s Ties for Weddings

If you’re the groom, you sort of set the whole vibe of your ceremony when it comes to men’s ties for weddings. Whatever you choose almost dictates the dress code for male guests, even if incidentally.

If you’re doing a formal black tie or white tie situation, you obviously only have one choice for a tie per each. Of course, it’s your day, and you can do whatever you want. So, if you choose to be truly formal, it’s up to you whether or not you want your guests to be formal.

Perhaps you wear a bowtie, your groomsmen wear long black ties, and your guests can arrive in business formal. Or perhaps you and your entire party wear bowties, and you even let your guests be smart casual.

It’s totally up to you.

If your wedding has a color theme, it’s important that your tie reflects that. If it’s a spring wedding, maybe you go for a nice floral tie. I’ve seen winter wonderland-themed weddings where metallic silver is an option.

And as far as tie color goes, the first thing to consider is the dress code. Stick to neutrals for more formal or business occasions. The second thing to consider is the season. Spring weddings may call for lighter or brighter colors, while fall weddings may call for earth tones.

Bolo Ties for Weddings

There’s a whole world type of ties out there.

If you’re having a ranch ceremony, then the concept of a bolo tie for weddings is completely appropriate. If you’re flying in from Texas, and your hosts expect it from you, feel free to go bolo, too.

I once went to a New England wedding, but the bride’s family was from Texas. The father of the bride wore a bolo tie and a cowboy hat. Of course, he had liberties as the ceremony’s benefactor!

If you’re a guest, it’s usually good to wear a tie. Unless the bride and groom specifically request a hyper-casual dress code, a tie won’t offend anyone. Just stick to the traditional Langsdorf or even a bow tie. A knit bowtie is more casual than a silk one but still has a celebratory aesthetic.

Men’s Wedding Shoes

The shoes you wear on wedding days are obviously important. They’re important for style reasons and, depending on your role at the wedding, for practical reasons.

As always, the most important thing to consider for weddings is the dress code. If it’s a formal dress code or even a business formal dress code, you have little to no choice.

You must wear traditional leather dress shoes. If it’s a black or white tie, you can wear black leather dress shoes that are either matte or shiny. Stick to traditional Oxfords, derbies if they’re slick, thin, and minimal enough, and even certain formal loafers.

Few people wear them anymore, but tuxedos can be worn with leather opera pumps.

For business formal weddings, you can wear any dress shoe, and sometimes even penny loafers, in leather or suede. Black or brown are both acceptable, depending on your suit color. You should wear black shoes or even dark oxblood or burgundy shoes with a black suit.

Gray, blue, olive, and maroon suits pair well with black dress shoes or brown ones.

Brown, tan, mustard, or warm tweed suits (in case you’re at a fall ceremony) are best with brown shoes.

Casual Shoes

If you’re a groomsman in a smart casual wedding, you might want to consider hybrid dress shoes. You never know how much running around you’ll end up doing. However, keep in mind that hybrid shoes are always more casual than traditional leather-soled dress shoes.

These days, weddings can be super casual. Still, they’re a special occasion. You should at least find ways to acknowledge that whether you’re the groom, a groomsman, or a guest.

If you’re going to wear sneakers , at least wear nice leather ones instead of the performance-forward trainers you wear to the gym.

Of course, Common Projects Achilles is a popular and elegant full-grain leather sneaker. Even more, there are several affordable alternatives you can choose from.

A tricky topic is a summer beach wedding.

Some good options for men’s shoes for beach weddings include leather boat shoes if you’re on the sand. Drivers and espadrilles are good for a European vibe. 

You can also go for light-colored dress shoes if you’re on hard ground. It may very well be on the boardwalk.

If it’s on the sand and it’s super casual, your hosts may allow a barefoot situation. I would at least still put on some classy leather sandals out of respect.

Watches on Wedding Days

Of course, the best watch to wear when attending a wedding ceremony is a dress watch. This is the case regardless of your role at the event.

All you need is a simple, elegant timepiece, perhaps made of precious metal, on a leather strap.

However, as the groom, you can naturally do your wedding your way — as long as your bride cosigns. Perhaps you want to wear a family heirloom, and it isn’t a dress watch. No worries. James Bond wore a sports watch and a dinner jacket. 

I wore an Omega Seamaster to my wedding.

If you’re a guest, most weddings these days would be pretty flexible about the watch you’re wearing. It’s a subtle enough accessory.

However, as a guest, your number one job is to be respectful to the bride and groom. If you have a luxury dive watch, remember that the lume may activate in darker situations. If you have a Timex watch, remember that many of them tend to have an insanely loud tick.

Men’s Jewelry on Wedding Days

If you’re the groom, you’ll be wearing a ring by the end of the ceremony, of course. Other than that, it’s up to you how you want to accessorize with jewelry.

But at a traditional wedding, you don’t want your jewelry to be distracting. Perhaps you wear a thin tennis bracelet or a cross necklace underneath your dress shirt for your spirituality. 

Maybe you met your bride in college, so you’re wearing your class ring or a school lapel pin.

Speaking of lapel pins, if you are planning a spring wedding, you might want to wear a boutonniere of seasonal flowers.

You just want your wedding ring to be the star of the show.

And if you’re a guest, I’ll give you the same advice I gave regarding watches.

Don’t let your accessories ever be a distraction.

Conditional Accessories

And finally, here are some fun, expressive accessories to consider for specific kinds of weddings.
An ascot is an excellent tie alternative that can give your look some old-world class. If you’re the groom, you’re fully welcome to choose this over traditional ties.

If you’re a guest, an ascot might be a good option for an outdoor garden wedding or one at an English countryside estate.

If you’re at the beach, sunglasses might be a good option, or an elegant straw hat, perhaps a boater or a Panama style. 

Nothing brings a classy pop of color the way a pocket square does. Just remember that it should complement your tie, not match it.

Conclusion: Accessorize Properly

An accessory contributes, accents, and provides self-expression to your outfit.

In fact, despite how understated or small an accessory is, it can make or break an outfit. A tieless broken suit looks that much more wedding-appropriate when you add a pocket square.

Or the fact that your entire outfit’s formality can change from simply switching out your shoes.

If you don’t often think about accessories, you should at least consider them deeply at weddings.

What are some of your favorite men’s wedding accessories? Let us know in the comments! For more style content, subscribe to our newsletter!