Bridal Styling - Jewellery, The Finishing Touch

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No matter what your style is, be it traditional, modern minimal, or bohemian, there is a piece of jewellery that will complement your wedding dress perfectly. The key is to consider the neckline of your dress when choosing accessories. By selecting the right pieces, your bridal look will come together seamlessly.

Jewellery is a personal thing, some like bling, some like chunky, some like simple, and bridal jewellery is no different. So finding the best bridal jewellery to go with your wedding gown can feel daunting. Your accessories should complement and flatter your dress without stealing the show.

Strapless

A strapless gown provides the opportunity to be flamboyant and glamorous. It elongates the neck — and shows off a fabulous piece of jewellery! If your shoulders or collarbones are your favourite features, a strapless dress will frame them perfectly.

Necklines on strapless dresses tend to be either sweetheart (read on my friend, as we cover that next) or a straight neckline. The super stylish straight neckline on a strapless bridal gown goes well with a variety of different styles. Consider wearing a shorter necklace, for example, either a choker or collar length both are very flattering. For a simple, elegant look, consider a simple strand of pearls (your something borrowed, perhaps?).

The Sweetheart

Just like its name, the sweetheart is shaped like the top of the heart. This is a popular choice for brides because it flatters practically every body type.

A good choice is a simple pendant matched with a pair of stud earrings. There are many bridal sets around that will give you a coordinated look and are definitely something worth considering.

TOP TIP: For both these styles if you don’t want to wear a necklace, find a pair of statement earrings that speak to you. Add sparkle with long diamond earrings, or if you’re a minimalist, look for an interesting geometric shape.

High Neck, Halter or Bateau 

With any high necked dress, you need to keep it simple. We recommend skipping the necklace altogether and instead opt for statement earrings, choose something that compliments your dress. A pair of timeless sapphire earrings could be your something blue but don’t be afraid to go bold with a pair of chandelier earrings instead.

If you have your heart set on a necklace, go for something small such as a single diamond.

The V-Neck

You can style a v-neck bridal gown in so many different ways, dependent on the depth of the V.

For a deep V shape, think statement earrings or if a big bold earrings are not your thing, then go for either a choker or a lariat. Anything else such as a pendant will act as an arrow drawing peoples eyes to your breasts.

A more demure V that provides coverage works well with a short pendant that finishes 2 - 3 inches above the point of the V.

For both these styles, if you have an open back we recommend a ‘back necklace’ which will look fabulous.

Asymmetric (One Shoulder)

Since the neckline is the focal point, forget a necklace as it will take away from the drama and look unbalanced. Accessorise with simple, yet elegant earrings and add balance with a bangle or bracelet

Illusion

Our suggestion with this is to keep your accessories simple, especially since the fabric used for this neckline is usually quite delicate and easy to snag. If you want to wear a necklace, try a simple pendant style. For earrings, we like a classic diamond stud. Leave the embellishment to your dress! 

Tying it all together

So we have focused mainly on necklaces and earrings and haven’t really touched on tiaras, hair combs or vines, headbands or veils. However, we would like to leave you with a few top tips.

1.     Match your bridal jewellery to your dress, and not your wedding or engagement ring. Your dress is the statement piece so don’t worry about mixing metals, no one will notice if your rings are platinum, but your dress is a creamy ivory, maybe plump for more flattering gold tones. If your dress is off white, then silver tones work really well.

2.     You are not a Christmas tree, so go easy on the bling and the baubles. Consider wearing no more than 3 accessories and certainly no more than 4 (and yes we include belts in this). If you have a statement necklace, statement earrings (anything bigger than a 1p coin), skip the tiara or any hairpiece that comes around the front of your face. Instead, opt for a comb or pins in the back.

3.     Look at the overall shapes and stones. Are they ovals, pearls? Are the details spiky or floral? Your jewellery and hairpieces should complement each other, but they don’t have to be an exact match.