Last weekend we had the joy of celebrating my youngest brother Camden and his wife Caroline’s wedding day on Nantucket, and our three older boys had the very special honor of serving as ring bearers in their wedding ceremony! I hope I never forget the sight of them walking down the aisle in their little outfits, looking so grown up and proud to be part of such a meaningful occasion. They practiced their role in the church before the rehearsal dinner at the White Elephant a couple days before, but the wedding day was their first time walking down the aisle with the actual jewelry boxes / wedding rings — honestly you never totally know what you’re going to get with the 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old age range, but luckily they put their best foot forward and it was really one of the most joyful moments of my life to date!
It’s been eight years since our Nantucket wedding weekend and we didn’t have ring bearers in our wedding ceremony, so I wanted to share the boys’ ring bearer outfits in my brother’s wedding ceremony for anyone searching for children’s wedding style or ring bearer outfit ideas!
Classic ring bearer outfits for a Nantucket wedding
We went with these timeless navy blazers from Janie & Jack — I love a navy blazer with gold buttons on boys and men of any age but I have to say they are extra cute in this miniature version! We paired each one with a crisp white oxford shirt, a blue oxford bow tie, and coordinating oxford dress pants. A navy blazer hits all the right notes for New England wedding cocktail attire while the lighter blue bow ties and dress pants kept the palette feeling coastal and not overly formal.
One of my favorite parts about this outfit formula is its versatility. Navy blazers for boys are a year-round wardrobe staple that can be worn again for everything from Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday to family photos, and the dress shirts and oxford pants are pieces we’ll have on rotation well beyond the big day. The bowties added a playful but polished touch, and the whole outfit was comfortable enough for them to run around in as soon as their duties were complete (always important when you’re dressing young boys for a formal occasion!). I wanted the boys to be comfortable in pieces they would wear again and to achieve a classic look that will still feel timeless when Camden and Caroline look back at their wedding day photos years from now. The boys felt special and included — like they were dressed up in a cohesive look like my brother’s groomsmen, but in a way that still let them be little kids.
Watching our boys walk down the aisle taking their role as ring bearers so seriously will always be one of my favorite memories from this wedding weekend. Weddings are such special times to celebrate love and family and having the boys play their own little part in Camden and Caroline’s big day made it even more meaningful. If you’re planning outfits for little ones in an upcoming wedding, I can’t recommend this classic ring bearer look enough. Navy blazers, crisp white shirts, and a coordinating bow tie is an outfit formula that works for just about every season, every setting, and every style of wedding (and the photos are guaranteed to be ones you’ll treasure forever!).
P.S. My mom’s mother of the groom dress is still available in navy here for those asking!