How to Make Sure Your Groom's White Suit Doesn't Clash with Your Wedding Dress

There's no rule that says only the bride can wear white on the wedding day. Sure, white bridesmaids' dresses have been trending as of late, but what about the groom? Can he wear white on the big day, too? The short answer: Of course! The long answer: Yes, but it will require a little extra planning to ensure that your white dress doesn't clash with his white jacket, resulting in what looks like a mismatched mistake. Here, a New York-based bridal and wedding stylist Jackie Avrumson weighs in on how to pull off this look in an intentional, sophisticated way that represents you well as a couple.

Create a visual pin board with swatches.

Avrumson says, "I tend to create a very detailed inspiration board for my clients so they have a visual of what I think would look best when choosing the color of the groom's suit and for all colors of the bridal party. Using this method of finding images of suits and dresses in a specific color such as white, along with a photo of your dress, leaves the guessing game out. Visuals are always key!" To keep it all under wraps, keep this inspiration board at your office or in a private place where your partner can't snoop.

Opt for softer whites instead of stark whites.

"White shades are a little tricky, and you want to get the color match as close as possible," Avrumson says. "Because brides tend to wear ivory instead of white, the last thing you want is for the dress to come off as yellow." So, if your partner is set on wearing white, ask him to order something that's light ivory rather than pure white. Plus, "the groom's shirt will more than likely be white, so it's okay to have a little variation in color tones," Avrumson adds.

Bring a swatch of the gown to the groom's suit appointment.

"The best way to see the shades of white or ivory is by bringing a small swatch of the bridal gown to the groom's appointment when picking out his suit. It's best to get a fresh swatch from your actual dress, as dye lots vary," Avrumson explains. Most bridal shops will provide a swatch so you can easily select shoes and accessories, but this is also helpful for color matching. The swatch won't give away too much information, so this is something you can easily send with the groom if he's headed to his suit appointment solo.