Dress, hair, and makeup sorted but still stumped about your jewellery? Emily Tebbutt, from Ramsdens Jewellery, offers her advice to brides who are looking to add the perfect finishing touches to their wedding outfit.
Your wedding day is very special, so it’s not uncommon for brides to want to go all out. It’s important to find a level of extravagance that you feel the most comfortable with, whether you’re a fancy or minimalist bride, but if you want to look your best then you’ll need to achieve a good level of balance in your overall look.
That means taking all the little details into account when you’re choosing your jewellery, such as how it complements your hair and makeup. So, below are my tips for picking jewellery to wear on your wedding day to help you get it right.
Match your tones
As most brides still wear a white dress on their wedding day, it can be easy to fall into the trap of being too monotonous when it comes to your accessories. Jewellery is a great way to introduce a pop of colour to your outfit while keeping it bridal, even if it’s just a touch of warm gold or cool silver, and you can use the tone of your make-up as inspiration.
Look for complementary hues instead of directly matching your jewellery to the colour of your eyeshadow or lip. If you’re wearing neutral, pastel shades, for example, rose quartz or blue topaz stone set jewellery will look beautiful as they will have the same softness of tone.
Choose complimentary shapes
Look at the shape of your outfit and decide whether there are more curves or straight lines in your dress, hairstyle and make-up. Soft, bouncy curls and long fluttery lashes will work well with round jewellery such as pearls or diamond studs, and sleek angular shapes will be better suited to geometric drop earrings and pendants.
The neckline of your dress will also influence which jewellery is best. Choosing a halter, high, or illusion necked dress usually means you can’t wear a necklace as it could snag on the fabric or make your décolletage look too busy. Opting for long sleeves will do the same for bracelets. Fortunately, you can go all out with your earrings and hair accessories instead to add that luxurious element.
Stick to the same fashion movement or decade
Certain styles of jewellery come in and out of vogue, so it’s a good idea to figure out which style movement your hair, makeup and gown are inspired by. That way, you can match them all accordingly as mixing your decades can look confusing.
80s/90s princess and other embellishment-heavy styles of dress, especially when paired with a lot of shimmer and lip gloss, call for bold jewellery like diamond chokers, cuffs and chandelier earrings. For 60s and 70s bohemian wedding outfits the emphasis is on layering, so try wearing multiple thin necklaces and dangling earrings. Then, keep your makeup quite natural to counter the busyness of your jewellery.
Retro inspired outfits like 50s tea dresses or even Victorian lace gowns will benefit the most from vintage jewellery, which has a certain old-fashioned look that screams sophistication and class. The best way to achieve a vintage look is to buy genuine pieces from the time, as they will be the most accurate representation of the fashion you are trying to recreate with your wedding attire.
Jewellery is a great way to add depth and colour to your wedding outfit as well as accent your theme, so it’s important to get it right. The tips in this guide can help make it easier to find bridal jewellery that will complement your hair, makeup and dress on the big day.