The dress might be the sartorial star of your big day, but the accessories you choose to pair it with can make or break the effect. Use the handy guide below to get it right.
Complete Not Compete
Any bridal accessories that you choose to incorporate into your outfit should complement your dress and work cohesively with it, and not vie for attention with it or each other. To this end, make sure that, for example, the earrings and bracelet you choose match the style and tone of your gown. If you’re going for a vintage-look 1950s style wedding dress, then pairing this with an overly embellished tiara will probably work to the detriment of both. Instead, you could opt for pearl studs and a classic gate bracelet.
You may be drawn to several different pieces of jewelry that are all beautiful in their own right, but too much of a ‘mix and match’ look could risk overloading your ensemble and detracting from your dress. To avoid this, choose matching pieces of jewelry made of the same metal or that features the same type of stones.
Buy a Special Pair of Specs
If you wear glasses, then buying a special pair of spectacles for your big day is an important investment. Consider frames in colors and styles that compliment your dress or that are ‘barely there’ if you would prefer this look. Lightweight, rimless glasses are the best choice to achieve this effect. Retailers, such as GlassesUSA.com, stock a range of glasses, including designer pairs, at affordable prices, meaning that buying a pair for ‘best’ won’t put a strain on your wedding budget. When you’re choosing, as well as keeping in mind the color and style of your dress, also think about the shade of frames that will work best with your hair and eye color and your make-up.
Perhaps most importantly, choose lenses that come with an anti-glare coating. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that your gorgeous photos won’t be affected by the sun’s glare on your specs. It’s a great idea to bring along a backup pair of glasses, too – just in case.
Ignore Trends
Unless you absolutely love a certain accessory, steer well clear of incorporating anything that you are drawn to because it is on-trend at that particular time. Bear in mind that what is at the height of fashion is not necessarily what will suit you and your wedding style the most perfectly. Choose instead what works for you, the overall theme of your wedding, and the ambiance you want to create. Classic pieces, such as pearl drop earrings, and delicate silver necklaces, are timeless: opting for items like these means that your future self, flicking through the pages of the photo album, will thank you wholeheartedly.
Try It All On Together
This is a key one. Make sure that you try your whole outfit on before the big day, including every single accessory you’re planning to wear. This way, you can check that everything works well together and also that each item is comfortable and unlikely to rub or irritate your skin over the course of the day. It’s also a really good way of checking that none of the jewelry that you’ve chosen is likely to get caught on the fabric of your garments – some bracelets, especially, can be very prone to this.
When your earrings are in, check how they fasten at the back to make sure they won’t fall out during the day; consider incorporating butterfly-backs for earrings that don’t feature them. Check the necklace length, too, to be sure that it sits correctly in relation to the neckline of your dress.
Don’t Neglect Your Nails
With so much to organize, buy and attend to, it can be easy to overlook a little detail like your nails. However, your hands are going to be on display as the new host of a wedding ring, and your photographer may also have their heart set on an arty close-up shot of you and your husband signing the register.
Be prepared for this eventuality by booking in for a manicure the afternoon before the big day or arranging to have one as part of your morning preparations. The hand massage that usually features in a manicure is also a wonderful means to help you relax and ease away any wedding nerves. In terms of polish, you may want to opt for a neutral shine, blush, or nude tone. Alternatively, if a bold color features in your theme – there’s a splash of hot pink in your bouquet, perhaps – then you could pick nail polish that reflects this shade.
Bringing the Look Together
When choosing accessories, keep in the forefront of your mind that your dress is the thing that everything else has to work around. Select one or two key items: a simple pair of diamond stud earrings, perhaps, and an elegant bracelet. You may not need anything more than this to pull your wedding look off beautifully. Remember that accessories are optional and that there is no requirement to incorporate as many as possible into your ensemble. Instead, let your dress, and your gorgeous self within it do the talking.
