What is a wedding tie? Or, rather, a wedding appropriate tie? Nothing but the most formal of four in hands, appropriate with semi-formal day wear (the short black jacket, buff waistcoat and gray patterned trouser). 
Wedding ties have historically tended to be black or silver to harmonize with that black jacket, but contemporary patterns may be blue and even other colors for wear with a suit. Said suit, of course, will not be black - those are for burials.
Wedding tie patterns are in the style of Macclesfield, an early English tie-making center known for its necktie discretion. I believe it accurate to say that all wedding ties are Macclesfields though not all Macclesfields are wedding ties. 
Every necktie-wearing man should own a wedding tie or two.
Photos: Drakes London
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10 comments:
Will,
Thanks for turning me on to Drake's.
I'm currently wearing the tie in the middle with a blue accent...great stuff Drake's.
Great explanation, thank you!
I'm having a version of the second tie featured in this article made by Charvet. I also have a houndstooth black and silver by the same maker that is quite pleasing visually. LL's silver dot and black background is yet another option for those considering ordering these & other appropriate neckwear for weddings.
Cheers
I wore the middle tie at my wedding 40+ years ago.
I was 23 and wore it with a MTM three piece suit
with side vents. The tie was probably from J.Press, Chipp, Brooks, or Paul Stuart. I looked for it but could not find it. I rarely throw out any ties. Sometime in the late 70s, I decided upon wider ties- no less than 3 3/4 inches. I bought a few narrower in the 80s. I even had some ties narrowed to 3 1/2inches. I rarely wore them. I'm a wide tie guy. So Drakes, whose shirts I have and love, could not sell me a tie in their current width.
What I have found difficult to locate is the wedding tie in the large scale patterns. The illustration accompanying the recent post on wedding attire depicts nearly all of the men using neckwear in the larger and more bold pattern. The Macclesfield patterns are less striking, even though in the proper colors. The plaid tie in this post would be great if the scale of the pattern was expanded a great deal.
Charlie, look at C44-1 in the neckties on the ASW store site.
Will,
Thank you for directing me to that item in your online store. There is no mention of the material that is used in the fabrication of the tie. Gingham can be either a cotton fabric or possibly a loose description of a pattern. While the pattern is very close to what I'm seeking, a dull finish cotton tie would not be suitable for the use I have in mind. If you are commishing additions for your store, I would suggest that you choose something such as this pattern, twice as large, in a somewhat grenadine texture weave. There really should not be any real inventory risk on that item.
Regards
Charley, that tie is silk.
These ties are great! I am getting married soon and looking around. Are these specially made? I have been looking in to a few sites that are custom made, but I just don't know yet.
The ties in the post can all be obtained from Drake's London. They can also be made to your measurements by that same firm if the stock sizes do not fit.
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