Your big day is fast approaching – the venue’s arranged, you’ve chosen your dress, you’ve been to your fittings and your flowers are booked. Now it’s time to get all the little details nailed down, from wedding favours to place cards.
A really important detail for most brides will be their wedding jewellery. Pearls are often seen as the traditional choice but there’s no need to stick to tradition – you can mix up your look with plain silver, gold, rose gold or crystals to suit your own style and tastes. Here, we look at some of the factors you might want to consider when choosing your wedding jewellery.
Hair up or down?
Lots of brides wear their hair up for their big day which allows them to show off any back details or shoulder detail on their dress (not sure whether you want your hair up or down for your big day? Here’s a helpful guide). This means often their ears will be on display and a sparkly pair of earrings can really finish the look!
If your hair’s up, there can be quite a bit of space from your ear to your shoulders and long, thin earrings are a great combination. You could opt for an ornate dangle as a real eye-catcher or, if you want a subtle look that doesn’t draw too much attention, choose a simple design like these pearl threader earrings:
Above: Pearl threader earrings
If your hair is down, dangly earrings will go unnoticed and may even tangle – so it’s best to avoid them. Instead, simple stud earrings or small hoops may be a better choice.
Choice of material
Different metals combine well with certain dress colours – for example, a champagne or ivory coloured dress will go best with gold jewellery, whilst a pure white dress will look better with silver. If your gown is only slightly off-white, you should be able to pick either yellow gold or silver, or choose something more unusual such as rose gold. Rose gold can also look amazing with blush gowns. If however your gown has any metal beading, it is better to match your jewellery to this tone, to avoid any clash.
Consider also the choice of stones or pearls – any stones should either match or contrast your gown, whilst pearls need to be the right hue. Pearls are a very popular choice for wedding jewellery but if you wear a warm-toned dress with cool-toned pearls, they will stand out for all the wrong reasons!
Multi-metal pieces
If your gown is just slightly off-white, you’ve got far more scope for a more original look. You can go with gold, silver or rose gold – or even a combination of these. Mixed metals don’t tend to look great as individual pieces but when the metals are combined in a single piece (such as a silver and rose gold necklace) this can create a unique and beautiful combination that’s perfect for picking out any metallic detail in your dress.
Above: Whilst mixing metal on individual pieces is generally a no-no, individual mixed metal pieces can work well. This necklace is by BlingGem and can be found here.
Match the metal – not everything else
If your retailer is selling a matching bracelet and necklace to go with your earrings, don’t be tempted to buy the lot! If you love them, snap them up to wear on other occasions, but don’t feel like you have to completely match every accessory on your big day. You can wear threader earrings with a pearl necklace; crystal studs with a chain necklace and so on – the styles do not have to match and it’s all about finding a look that you love, not displaying the full collection!
Keep the look simple
It’s tempting to buy a wealth of accessories for your big day – after all, you are the star of the show! But too many accessories can leave you looking a little like an over-decorated Christmas tree.
You’re likely already going to be wearing a fancy gown with some sort of embellishment, so aim to minimise what else is added to the look. A simple tiara and a pair of earrings; a classy necklace and earrings; or a sash and tiara, offer good combinations. Earrings plus tiara, necklace and bracelet may look a little too much – so tone it down and drop one or two options. “Free yourself from shiny adornments”, suggests Dayna Evans of the Cut. “Coco Chanel probably also said that the best accessory, after all, is a smile.”
The neckline of your wedding dress can also influence which combination you choose. Shopping expert Georgia Rose-Johnson suggests, “if your dress has a higher neck you may not need a necklace at all and statement earrings will be enough.”
Keep statement pieces to a minimum
If you decide to wear a statement piece, make it just a single piece. Again, your dress is already going to make a powerful statement on your wedding day – and any more than one stand-out piece of jewellery could just look distracting. Jewellery is there to enhance your dress, not to overwhelm it.
If your dress is very plain, consider choosing one statement piece. This might be a sparkly pair of earrings, an eye-catching necklace or even a crystal adorned ‘brooch bouquet’:
Above: This pretty bouquet can be purchased here.
Buy your headwear first
If you’ve decided to wear a veil or tiara, buy this before you order your earrings or other jewellery. It’ll be much easier to find earrings and accessories to match, rather than matching the tiara to your jewellery purchases. There are an infinite variety of earrings – but less choice of veils or tiaras!
Most shops won’t let you try on earrings for hygiene reasons so make sure you give yourself some time when making your purchase. If the earrings don’t look quite right, you’ll need a little extra time to find an alternative pair and you don’t want to be trying to hunt these down right before your big day.
There are lots of places to add detail!
When we think of wedding jewellery, we tend to gravitate towards some combination of earrings, necklace and bracelet – but there are lots more places you can add a little sparkle. Going for very simple earrings and then adding jewels elsewhere, rather than going for the traditional bling earring/necklace combo can help keep your look cleaner and less fussy. For example:
Above: These pretty pearls and crystal beads add a beautiful touch to a half-up half down hairstyle. They can be bought here.
Take your time and keep it comfy
Your wedding might be the biggest day of your life but it is also likely to be one of the most nerve-racking. You’ve already got enough to worry about without having earrings or other accessories that you’re not used to. Take your time in choosing two or so choice pieces that you feel comfortable with, which you can happily wear all day without knowing they’re there. Don’t opt for anything wildly outside of your comfort zone – you’ll spend the whole day fiddling with it or wondering if it looks okay. Stick to what you know for a less stressful day.
Main image licensed through Deposit Photos ID:6415406