# How to Tie a Tie (and a Real Bow Tie) for the Big Day

> The three knots that matter, a proper self-tie bow tie, and how to match each one to his collar so he looks composed in every photograph.

*Published 2026-06-24 · By Julian Prescott*

There is a quiet moment on the wedding morning when he stands at the mirror with a length of silk in his hands and realises he is not entirely sure how this goes. You can spare him that. The knot is not difficult once it is broken into steps, and a tie tied well — sitting clean against the collar, with a soft dimple beneath it — is one of those small things that reads as composure in every photograph. Here is what he actually needs to know: three necktie knots, one proper bow tie, and the rule for matching each to his collar.

**The short version:** the **Half-Windsor** is the right knot for most weddings — balanced and dressy without being heavy. Save the **Full Windsor** for a wide spread collar, keep the **Four-in-Hand** for a point or button-down collar, and reserve a **self-tie bow tie** for black tie. Have him practise three or four times in the actual shirt before the day.

## Which knot should he tie for the wedding?

The three classic knots run from small to large: the **Four-in-Hand** (compact, slightly asymmetric), the **Half-Windsor** (medium, nearly symmetric, holds a clean dimple), and the **Full Windsor** (wide, symmetric, triangular). For most wedding dress codes the Half-Windsor hits exactly the right register — neither as broad as a Full Windsor nor as casual as a Four-in-Hand — as the menswear writers at [Swagger & Swoon](https://www.swaggerandswoon.com/blogs/the-wedding-blog/what-is-the-best-tie-knot-for-a-wedding) put it. The Full Windsor carries a touch more formality and history (it is named for the Duke of Windsor), while the Four-in-Hand is the easy, understated everyday knot. None is wrong; the difference is proportion and how it sits against his collar.

KnotSize & lookBest collarWhen to useFour-in-HandSmall, slightly asymmetricPoint, button-down, narrowRelaxed or daytime weddings; finer silksHalf-WindsorMedium, balanced, dimpledClassic / medium spreadMost weddings — the safe, dressy defaultFull WindsorLarge, symmetric, triangularWide spread, cutawayFormal weddings; making a statement

## How do you tie the three necktie knots?

**Four-in-Hand.** Drape the tie around the neck with the wide blade hanging lower than the narrow one. Cross the wide blade over the narrow, wrap it underneath and back across the front, then pass it up through the neck loop and down through the front knot. Hold the narrow blade and slide the knot up. It is the knot to start with — the easiest, and forgiving of thicker silks because it stays slim.

**Half-Windsor.** Begin with the wide end on the right, the tip of the narrow end near the navel; move only the wide end. Wide end over the narrow to the left, then under and back to the right, then up to the centre and through the neck loop from underneath. Bring it across the front to the right, up into the neck loop again, then down through the loop you have just formed across the front. Pull down to tighten and slide up. As [Ties.com](https://www.ties.com/how-to-tie-a-tie/half-windsor) notes, pinch a divot with finger and thumb as you snug it home — that is the dimple that makes the knot look considered.

**Full Windsor.** Cross the wide end over the narrow near the collar, take it up through the neck loop, then bring it underneath and back up over the loop on the other side so both sides are wrapped — this is what makes it symmetric. Pull the wide end across the front, up through the neck loop a final time, and down through the front loop. Hold the narrow end and draw the knot up to the collar. The two wraps give it the broad triangle that needs a spread or cutaway collar to frame it; on a point collar it looks over-knotted.

## How do you tie a real (self-tie) bow tie?

For black tie, a self-tie bow tie is worth the practice. A pre-tied one looks exactly as machine-made as it is — too perfect — and [Gentleman's Gazette](https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/how-to-tie-a-bow-tie/) is right that the slight asymmetry of a hand-tied bow is precisely what reads as authentic, especially on the man everyone is watching. It is the same motion as tying a shoelace, done at the throat.

Hang the bow tie collar-up with the **wide end about an inch and a half lower** than the narrow end on the other side. Cross the wide end over the narrow into an X under the chin and pull it up through the neck loop. Now fold the hanging narrow end into a flat bow shape across the throat — that is the front wing. Drape the wide end straight down over the centre of that folded wing, then push the wide end (folded) horizontally *through the loop behind* the front wing to form the back wing. Tighten by tugging gently and alternately on the folded ends and the flat ends, then re-centre. Expect it to take a few tries; that is normal, and the small imperfections are the proof it is real.

## How does he match the knot to his collar and fabric?

The single rule that prevents most mistakes: match the knot to the collar spread. A wide spread or cutaway collar has the room for a Half-Windsor or Full Windsor; a point or button-down collar wants the slim Four-in-Hand; a medium-spread collar takes any of the three. Then account for fabric weight — a heavy, textured silk produces a naturally larger knot, so size the knot down a step (Half-Windsor instead of Full) to keep the proportion clean. Finished, the tip of the tie should rest right at the belt line, and a soft dimple should sit beneath the knot. If he is standing with groomsmen, keep the same knot across the party even if the ties differ; uniform knots photograph as one considered group rather than several improvised ones.

None of this needs to happen for the first time on the wedding morning. A few rehearsals in the actual shirt — collar and all — turn the knot from a small anxiety into something he does without thinking, which is exactly where you want him before he walks out to meet the day.

## Sources

1. [What is the Best Tie Knot for a Wedding?](https://www.swaggerandswoon.com/blogs/the-wedding-blog/what-is-the-best-tie-knot-for-a-wedding)
2. [How To Tie A Half Windsor Knot](https://www.ties.com/how-to-tie-a-tie/half-windsor)
3. [How To Tie A Windsor Knot](https://www.ties.com/how-to-tie-a-tie/windsor)
4. [How To Tie A Bow Tie](https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/how-to-tie-a-bow-tie/)
5. [How To Tie A Tie: Four-In-Hand & Windsor Knots](https://www.paulfredrick.com/pages/how-to-tie-a-tie)
6. [How to Tie a Bow Tie — Step-by-Step](https://blacklapel.com/blogs/the-compass/how-to-tie-a-bow-tie)

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Source: https://groomatlas.com/grooms-accessories/how-to-tie-a-tie-and-bow-tie-for-your-wedding
Index: https://groomatlas.com/llms.txt · Full text: https://groomatlas.com/llms-full.txt