Wedding Day Jewellery for the Groom: What to Wear and When

On your wedding day, one piece of jewellery matters more than any other you'll ever wear, and it isn't even on your hand when the day begins. Everything else you choose should make room for it.

This is the groom's side of the story: which pieces earn a place, when each one goes on, how to keep the look calm in every photo, and where to read more about choosing the ring itself.

Black tie, a gold band and nothing extra. Featured: Rounded Ring (Gold) 7mm.

Jump to:

• What jewellery should a groom wear on his wedding day?
• Should the groom wear his wedding ring before the ceremony?
• Picking the band itself
• Cufflinks for the groom: worth it?
• Where does a tie clip go?
• Can a groom wear a chain or pendant?
• Should the groom match his groomsmen?
• Gold or silver for the groom?
• A simple plan for the day
• Groom jewellery FAQs

What Jewellery Should a Groom Wear on His Wedding Day?

Less than you think. A groom's outfit already has plenty going on: tailoring, a buttonhole, polished shoes, probably a new haircut. Jewellery works best as the quiet layer underneath, and three or four pieces is plenty:

• The wedding ring. The only piece that's non-negotiable, and the one everybody will ask to see.
• Cufflinks. With double cuffs on your shirt, they're the detail that turns up in every hand-holding shot.
• A tie clip. Useful with a long tie, pointless with a bow tie or a buttoned waistcoat.
• One personal piece. A watch, a family signet or a pendant worn under the shirt. Just one.

Leave the rest at home. Stacked bracelets, chunky chains on show and several rings tend to look busy in photos, and on this day you want people looking at your face. Guests have a different brief, which we cover in our guide to wedding guest jewellery for men.

Should the Groom Wear His Wedding Ring Before the Ceremony?

Tradition says no, and it's a tradition worth keeping. The ring travels with your best man or ring bearer, and the first time it touches your finger is when your partner puts it there during the vows. That moment is the reason the ring exists, so don't spoil it by trying it on in the car.

Two practical points. First, take off any other rings you'd normally wear on that hand, so the finger is clear and the ring slides on without a fight. Second, make sure the best man knows which pocket it's in. A spare thought now saves a lot of patting down at the altar.

If you're unsure which hand or finger to leave free, our explainer on the wedding ring finger goes through the traditions.

The ring, once it's official. Featured: Rounded Ring (Gold) 7mm.

Boxed and ready for the best man's pocket. Featured: Bevellled Ring (Gold) 8mm, Vermeil.

Picking the Band Itself

This deserves more than a paragraph, so we've written it up properly elsewhere. In short, the three decisions are metal, width and fit:

• Metal. Tungsten is hard-wearing and resists scratches. Silver and vermeil, being precious metals, gather small marks with wear, which some men love. Our comparison of the best metal for a men's wedding band weighs them up, and there's a full case for tungsten wedding bands too.
• Width. Our rings come in a 7mm rounded profile and an 8mm bevelled one. The guide to picking the right ring width explains how hand size changes the answer.
• Fit. A ring with a comfort-fit interior feels smoother over a long day. See comfort fit vs regular fit for the difference.

For a look at how the rings sit on the hand, browse our wedding rings lookbook, then see the whole range in men's wedding rings.

A silver band against black tailoring. Featured: Rounded Ring (Silver) 7mm.

Cufflinks for the Groom: Worth It?

If your shirt has double cuffs, yes. Few accessories suit morning dress, a lounge suit and a tuxedo equally well, and because your hands feature in so many photos (the ring exchange, the first dance, the cake), they're always in shot.

Pick a pair that matches your ring. Our Rope cufflinks, offered in gold or silver, have a twisted face that catches light without shouting, and the Round cufflinks come in gold or silver for a cleaner, flatter look. Each pair comes boxed, which is handy if they're a present from your partner or your father.

A small tip: put them in before you put the jacket on, with the shirt cuffs already folded. Doing it last, with a dinner jacket sleeve in the way, is how links end up on the floor.

Cuffs first, then the links. Featured: Bevellled Ring (Silver) 8mm.

A twisted rope face in gold. Featured: Rope Cuff Links (Gold).

Silver, same twisted rope. Featured: Rope Cuff Links (Silver).

A round face, for a cleaner cuff. Featured: Round Cuff Links (Silver).

Where Does a Tie Clip Go?

Between the third and fourth buttons of your shirt, about mid-chest. Slide it on so it catches both blades of the tie and the shirt placket behind, and keep it straight. It should be narrower than the tie itself; a clip that sticks out past the edges looks borrowed.

When not to bother: with a bow tie, a cravat, or a waistcoat buttoned over the tie, the clip has nothing to do and will only be hidden. If you are wearing a long tie on its own, our Rope tie clip matches the Rope cufflinks and comes in gold or silver.

A rope tie clip, sized to sit inside the tie's width. Featured: Rope Tie Clip (Silver).

Can a Groom Wear a Chain or Pendant?

Yes, with one condition: it goes under the shirt. A chain on show competes with the collar and tie, but a fine chain worn close to the skin is yours alone, and plenty of grooms like having something with them that nobody else can see.

It might be a grandfather's chain, a pendant from a parent, or a saint carried for protection. A St Christopher, patron of travellers, suits a man about to set off on a honeymoon. His story is told in our piece on the St Christopher necklace. Keep the chain fine, around 2mm or less, so it doesn't show through a white shirt.

A bevelled edge catches the light. Featured: Bevellled Ring (Gold) 8mm.

Should the Groom Match His Groomsmen?

Matching metals looks deliberate in group photos, so it's worth agreeing gold or silver for the whole party. Many couples give the groomsmen matching cufflinks or tie clips as a thank-you, which solves the question neatly. For ideas, see our groomsmen gifts guide.

The groom, though, should stand slightly apart. The easiest route is to let your ring be the difference: everyone else matches, and you wear the one piece that's new.

Gold or Silver for the Groom?

Start with the ring and match everything else to it, including the watch if you can. Our tungsten bands come in gold, silver and black, and in a bevelled gold or silver, plus precious-metal versions in sterling silver or gold vermeil.

• Gold warms up navy, brown and cream, and looks especially rich with a black dinner jacket.
• Silver sits naturally with grey, charcoal and pale blue, and is the easiest metal to match with a steel watch.
• Black is the modern option for a groom in an all-black suit, quieter still than silver.

Mixing metals can work in everyday life, but on the day itself, one metal from wrist to ring keeps the photos clean. For black tie in particular, our notes on jewellery with black tie are a useful reference.

For a groom who wears mostly black. Featured: Rounded Ring (Black) 7mm.

A Simple Plan for the Day

• The night before. Lay everything out: cufflinks, tie clip, watch, any pendant. Hand the ring to the best man and check he knows where it's going.
• Getting ready. Shirt, cufflinks, tie, clip, then jacket. Ring finger stays bare. Put the pendant on early so you forget it's there.
• The ceremony. The ring goes on. From here, try not to fiddle with it; everyone does.
• Photos. Hands on show, cuffs showing just below the jacket sleeve so the links catch the light.
• The reception. Jacket off is fine. If you take the cufflinks out to roll up your sleeves, give them to someone you trust rather than leaving them on the table.

The morning after, ring still on. Featured: Bevellled Ring (Gold) 8mm.

Groom Jewellery FAQs

What jewellery should a groom wear on his wedding day?

Usually the wedding ring, cufflinks whenever the shirt has the right cuffs, and a tie clip only with a long tie. Add a watch or one meaningful piece under the shirt if you like, but keep the total to three or four items.

Should the groom wear his wedding ring before the ceremony?

Traditionally, no. The ring stays with the best man or ring bearer until the vows, so the first time it goes on is when your partner places it there. Leave that finger bare all morning.

Which hand does a man wear his wedding ring on?

Across Britain, America and much of Europe, it goes on the left hand's fourth finger. Some countries and traditions use the right hand instead, so it's worth checking what your families expect.

Do grooms wear cufflinks?

Most do, especially with a morning suit, a tuxedo or a shirt with double cuffs. They're a small detail that shows up in almost every close-up photo, and a pair makes a natural gift on the day itself.

Where should a tie clip sit?

Roughly between the third and fourth buttons of the shirt, about mid-chest. It should be narrower than the tie and clip both blades to the shirt placket. Skip it with a bow tie or a buttoned waistcoat.

Can a groom wear a chain on his wedding day?

Yes, provided it stays under the shirt. A fine chain carrying an heirloom, or a pendant that carries a memory, keeps it close without competing with the ring.

Should the groom's jewellery match the groomsmen's?

It can match in metal, but the groom usually stands out with one extra detail. Many couples give the groomsmen matching cufflinks or tie clips and let the groom's ring be the piece that's different.

Should a groom wear gold or silver?

Choose the metal of your wedding band and match the rest to it. Gold suits warm tones and navy; silver and black pair naturally with grey, black and cooler colours.

One Day, One Ring, Many Years

Nearly everything from your wedding outfit goes back in a drawer. The ring doesn't. Choose the rest to suit it, keep the look simple, and enjoy the moment it finally goes on.

When you're ready, start with our men's wedding rings.