Terracotta has become the signature wedding color of the mid-2020s for good reason. It's warm without being loud, earthy without being dull, and it photographs beautifully against both indoor and outdoor settings. The shade spans a range — from soft burnt orange and copper to deeper rust — and it pairs naturally with ivory, sand, and navy.
For groomsmen, a terracotta necktie is the move when the palette leans warm. It reads as intentional rather than matchy, which is exactly what a well-chosen accessory should do. Navy suits in particular make terracotta ties look richer than they would on their own.
The Terracotta Collection is available now. Shop Terra Cotta necktie collection
Buttercream — The Groomsmen Shade Brides Are Searching For
Buttercream deserves its own entry because brides are searching for it by name. Unlike 'yellow' — which covers a wide and occasionally dangerous range — buttercream is a specific, soft, warm shade that sits between cream and pale gold. It signals elegance rather than cheerfulness, and it works in formal settings where other yellows wouldn't dare show up.
Paired with a light gray or tan suit, a buttercream tie is subtle enough to register as a neutral at a distance. Up close it has warmth. That combination — understated from across the room, interesting up close — is what makes it work well for weddings.
Sage Green — Still Strong, Still Earning It
Sage green has been a dominant wedding palette color for the better part of three years, and it shows no signs of fading. About a third of couples incorporated green into their palette in 2025, and sage continues to lead that group — though pistachio is making a move for summer specifically.
For groomsmen, sage is one of the more forgiving shades in the whole category. It works with navy, charcoal, and light gray suits equally well. It's soft enough not to compete with the flowers and warm enough not to feel cold. The challenge is finding a tie that matches the specific shade of sage in the florals without looking like a deliberate exercise in color matching. A patterned tie in the right green family tends to solve this better than a solid.
Dusty Blue — Consistent, Year-Round, and Summer-Ready
Dusty blue held the top spot among wedding colors in 2024 and remains one of the most requested shades going into the summer season. Its staying power comes from its versatility — it works for beachside ceremonies, garden venues, and formal ballrooms without any adjustment. Paired with white, it reads as crisp and coastal. Paired with navy, it creates a tonal look that feels finished without being studied.
For summer specifically, the lighter end of the blue spectrum — dusty blue, serene blue, steel blue — tends to outperform midnight and dark navy, which can feel heavy in warm weather settings. A blue necktie in these shades is also one of the easier asks for a groomsman who's going to wear the suit again afterward.
Coral — The Summer Accent That Works Without Trying
Coral sits at the intersection of pink, orange, and summer — and it's being paired with mint green, ivory, and white in combinations that feel genuinely fresh rather than trendy. The pairing with mint specifically has come up consistently in wedding planning contexts this year, and it works because the two shades share the same lightness and warmth without competing.
For groomsmen, coral is the bolder choice in this group, and it tends to do better at outdoor venues where natural light flatters warm tones. It's a stronger case for the Wavy or Brick pattern variants, where the color carries the design without needing to announce itself.
Lilac and Lavender — The Romantic Option
Lavender has ranked in the top ten wedding colors for multiple consecutive years, and the reason is straightforward: it's one of the easiest shades to make work. Tranquil, romantic, and naturally suited to garden and vineyard settings, it pairs with white, ivory, sage, and dusty blue without conflict. For early summer weddings in particular, lavender and lilac have a softness that heavier summer palettes can't replicate.
The groomsmen case for lavender is strongest when the bridesmaids are in a deeper version of the same family — dusty purple or wisteria — and the groomsmen tie steps back to the lighter end. It creates a color story across the wedding party without everyone wearing the same shade.
A Note on the Bolder Combinations
Tangerine paired with cerulean is getting attention this season as one of the higher-contrast summer combinations — the kind that makes a wedding feel alive rather than coordinated. It's not for every venue or every groom, but for couples who want the palette to be part of the event rather than background to it, the combination delivers.
If that's the direction, the tie choice matters more than usual. High-contrast palettes are unforgiving of accessories that read as approximations. The shade needs to actually be tangerine, not orange-adjacent.
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