10 Top Tips when Considering your Wedding Accessories
The accessories that you choose to wear with your wedding dress have the ability to make or break your whole look for the day. Don't take lightly the pitfalls, which are best to avoid and the possibilities to embrace, to ensure you look your best for your wedding. As someone who spends their life designing accessories as well as wedding dresses - here are my top 10 tips to consider for a stress free wedding day experience.1. Be open minded
When trying accessories for the first time try to be open minded. Most brides are very surprised to find what really suits them as opposed to what they originally had in mind for wearing on their wedding day. For example many brides come to discover that gold accessories suit their skin tone and hair colour much more than silver but had not considered gold before. Also be open to wearing what will suit your dress best of all - take the time to consider the style of headpiece and jewellery that will best match the style of dress that you have opted for even if it leads to items you did not originally have in mind. Try to imagine your dress as you are wearing the accessories. Some brides are only focusing on whether the items suit them and forget if they will compliment the rest of the outfit.
2. Less is more!
There can be a real temptation for brides to wear lots of sparkle on their wedding day - but it may be best to take a step back and ask yourself ‘do you need that much?’ Sometimes having a tiara, necklace, bracelet and earrings can be a bit much especially when paired with any dress featuring beaded details and a sparkly veil too. We find that sometimes less is more - we usually advise that if a bride is wearing a full jewellery set that it might be better to go for a smaller headpiece or a more subtle comb. Also smaller earrings may look more understated if wearing a lot of jewellery. If your groom is not used to you dripping in crystals he may be a little taken aback on your wedding day if that is the look you go for. We would advise a few quality items instead of lots of cheaper accessories too.
3. Embrace the tiara
It can be scary for brides to think about wearing a tiara or headpiece, it's not the sort of thing we would wear every day after all, but that’s not a reason to discount it for the wedding day. As a bride it's about the only time we can get away with wearing an embellishment in our hair and headpieces can literally be the crowning glory for a wedding outfit - so embrace the experience of being able to wear a tiara. Try plenty to get used to the idea and settle on one you feel comfortable with. There are hundreds of different styles available from formal to boho so there is something perfect for every bride. Discover your inner princess and enjoy!
4. Ask the professionals
One of the most important pieces of advice I could give any bride is to book a professional tiara fitting. Brides always rely on the expertise of bridal stores for their dresses and should do the same for accessories. There are bridal accessory companies and designers around the UK whom brides can visit for advice and a wide choice. They help brides match detailing on tiaras and jewellery to their dresses and find the best shapes to suit face shape and hair tone and so on.
5. Consider your hairstyle
Before going to buy your headpiece take the time to think about the hairstyle you are likely to want for your big day. There are certain styles of headpiece that only work with a particular hairstyle and it will save time and worry later if you have thought about this instead of realising the hairstyle needed for the headpiece does not suit you or match your dress. Take pictures with you of the sort of hairstyle you would like to your tiara fitting and stores would be able to advise on the best headpieces for the hairstyle you have in mind.
6. Leave plenty of time!
Start looking early for your accessories. This will mean that by the time you have seen a variety and come to a decision that there is still plenty of time left for hair trials to test how the accessories look with your chosen style (keep in mind you may need more than one hair trial if you are not sure how you are having your hair). Also the earlier you buy, the earlier you can change the pieces if they don't go with your dress (make sure you check the returns and exchange policy wherever you are buying your accessories). This will save any last minute panic if you discover the pieces do not match your dress.
7. Find a match
Make sure that the jewellery and the headpiece that you purchase are a good match. Often accessories are made from different colour metals so it may be a good idea to buy your headpiece and jewellery from the same company to ensure a good metal match (some silver tones are much darker). This will also mean a good match for the colour of pearls as these can vary greatly. Also take the time to consider the vibe or look of your headpiece - if it is Art Deco, Romantic floral, Regal or Vintage, try to match jewellery which has the same feel. Ask advice from your tiara store - they may be able to advise on jewellery designed especially to match certain tiaras.
8. Having a veil?
It can be hard for brides to decide if they want a veil or not. Many have the traditional idea of a veil in mind; that of a huge bouffant veil that covers much of the gown and gets in the way. These days there are many more options available - there are tiny 1950s style veils for going with tea length dresses, crystal encrusted birdcage veils for vintage style gowns as well as longer more traditional ones. Veil tulle fabric is much lighter and thinner now so you don't have to lose any detail being on show at the back of the dress. My advice is to try veils even if you think you will hate it - we have had so many brides in the last few years who have been sure they don't want one, but have fallen in love with the idea when they see it for real. It can also be such a shame for brides to miss out of the experience of having the front of the veil taken back by their groom at the alter - it's a truly romantic moment.
9. National Wedding Show
If after months of shopping about you are still confused it's best to go along to the National Wedding Show - they are held in London, Birmingham and Manchester and have a huge number of wonderful suppliers. There are experts who can help you choose and you may even meet a tiara designer who can look at pictures of your wedding dress and help you find the perfect piece. Shopping at the show will allow you to try on tiaras and jewellery all day long and see everything under one roof so it will be easy to make a decision whilst it's all fresh in your mind rather than going on shopping expeditions over several weeks. Some stands offer good discounts too so grab a bargain.
10. Keep it personal
Don't be bullied into wearing anything you are not comfortable with. Make sure that your tiara and jewellery match your personality and are as right for you as your dress. You will have all of your guest's eyes on you, as well as more photographs taken in one day then the rest of your life put together so you need to feel that your accessories reflect who you are and that you don't feel over or under dressed. Pick your pieces early and try them on from time to time before the wedding to check you still love them and they are right for you.