How to Pick the Perfect Jewelry for your Wedding
On average, a bride will spend 3 months picking out her wedding gown. So much time and detail goes into finding that perfect dress that you may forget to save little thought for your other accessories. However, while your wedding gown is often the first thing your guests will notice, your jewelry can make or break the overall look. Don’t stress, as any bride knows, finding the gown is the hard part. Follow our simple rules, and you are sure to have no trouble selecting the essential wedding accessories for your wedding day.
Selecting the Right Necklace
When selecting the perfect necklace to match your wedding dress, it is best to begin by considering your neckline. Whether your dress has a V-neck, a round neck, or is strapless, will all influence the type of necklace that will look best with your dress. A strapless gown often flatters all type of bodies by showing off your neck and your shoulders. Accent this effect by choosing a necklace that hits you at your collarbone. If your strapless gown is simple and understated do not be afraid to choose a bold, bulky necklace that will catch the eye and draw attention upward. If your wedding dress has a V-neck, or deep V-neck, neckline then a long pendant style necklace often looks best with style of gown. A simple, long chain with a medium-sized pendant or accessory at the end is sure to make a wonderful statement. For highly stylized dresses, such as one shoulder or halter-neck gowns elect for a simple, choker-style necklace and focus more attention on your earrings or bracelet.
Selecting the Right Earrings
Aim to balance your earrings with your necklace. Most often simple diamond earrings look stunning on any bride. Both diamond studs and dangling, just-off-ear diamonds are the two most popular styles worn by brides. If your necklace is simple and you are looking for earrings that pop, consider long, drop earrings that just stop above your shoulder. If you are opting for bold statement earrings be sure they are comfortable and not too heavy on your ears as you will be wearing them for many hours throughout the day. If you have several piercings in your ears, tradition suggests that you only wear earrings in one set of holes; however if you are going for a more funky, individual look do not be afraid to stick with what makes you most comfortable.
Selecting the Right Bracelet
To start off your bracelet search begin by measuring your wrist to find the bracelet that will fit you just right. As you will be shaking a lot of hands, and working your way around the dance floor most of the evening, you will want to find a bracelet that is not too loose or heavy on your hand. Take a piece of string and pull it snug around your wrist, then mark the point where the two ends of the string meet. Then lay the string down against a ruler and note the length. Add an extra inch to the length measured and this is the length of bracelet you are looking for. Thin chain bracelets and strands of pearls are the two most popular styles that brides opt for and match almost any style of necklace or earrings.
Some Rules to Abide by
- Don’t be afraid of a little color. Many brides are hesitant at introducing any colors other than white and cream into their wedding day ensemble. Ancient tradition has taught us that it is best to stick to a mute pallet on our wedding day, but modern tradition has brides donning bright pops of color along with their white. If you really want to make a statement do not be afraid to wear brightly colored accessories. Earrings in your favorite color, or a bracelet with a flash of bright red, the color of luck, can give any bride that added look of elegance she is looking for.
- Don’t overdo it. As famous designer Coco Channel once said, “A woman should always remove one piece of jewelry before she leaves the house.” It is easy to wear too much jewelry. Overdoing the jewelry will distract from the dress and leaving looking more gaudy than goddess-like. Select one statement piece. Whether it is your headpiece, your necklace, or a vibrant ring, play up impact of this piece by keeping other accessories simple.
- If your jewelry is not new, have it cleaned. While your favorite diamond necklace may look great when you wear it to cocktail parties, under the consistent glare of the camera flash and against a white dress, sterling silver and diamond accessories can quickly show their age. If your jewelry was not purchased new for your wedding, take it to a local jewelry cleaner to have tarnishes, smudges and dirt removed. Most all jewelry stores offer jewelry cleaning for as little as $15 and will clean your jewelry for you in as little as an hour.
- Get your jewelry custom made. If you’re having trouble finding the perfect accessories to match your gown, then consider having your jewelry custom made. If you do your research you can find custom jewelers at highly affordable prices. This may be a nice option if you have family heirlooms or inherited jewelry you would like to wear on your wedding day. Custom jewelers can build upon existing pieces of jewelry of incorporate a variety of different trinkets into your final piece.
