After you have chosen your wedding dress and are trying to decide on your wedding day jewellery there are some things to consider.
It is important to take into account how it will complement your wedding dress and complete your total look, jewellery shouldn’t clash with, detract from or overshadow your total look.
It is tempting to go big with your jewellery and accessories but the saying “less is more” is a phrase to keep in mind, the focus should be on you and your dress not your accessories. Remember you don’t need to wear every type of jewellery and choose pieces that are right for you not pieces just because they are trendy.
The decision whether to wear a bracelet or not is your choice. If you aren’t used to wearing a bracelet one sliding up and down your wrist can be a distraction and wearing a bracelet with long sleeves could look too busy or it may catch on the bottom of the sleeve. If you feel that you do want to wear a bracelet, be aware that if you are wearing a dress that is a delicate or loosely woven fabric e.g. tulle or lace a bracelet may catch on the fabric causing snags or even holes.
The best starting point for choosing necklaces and earrings is to consider your wedding dress style, its neckline, fabric and colour. A necklace balances your look if it follows the neckline of your dress and earrings should highlight and frame your face not bring all the attention away to your earrings. If your dress is made from an embellished fabric try to choose jewellery that has Silver coloured jewellery is a popular choice for paler or white dresses, but you may want to bring out the warmth of gold or cream shades with gold jewellery, for blush colours rose gold jewellery is a good choice. But the choice is yours, if you don’t like gold or rose gold metals then silver will still look perfect.
There are no hard and fast rules you have to follow and this is just a guide on where to start with choosing your wedding day jewellery by firstly considering the neckline of your wedding dress. There are other neckline styles but this guide will give you a bit of an idea on what to consider when choosing your jewellery. But if you want to wear a choker with a halter neck, bracelet with long sleeves or the blingiest earrings then go for it, it’s your day to wear what you want to.
HIGH NECKLINE
A necklace should sit on your skin not on your dress so a pair of earrings can be all you need with this neckline. Earrings which are too long,heavy drop or chandelier earrings can detract from the elegance of a high neckline so consider studs or shorter drop designs.
ILLUSION NECKLINE
An illusion neckline has a barely there look with mesh, tulle, lace or other types of sheer lightweight fabrics which may have beading or lace appliques. The illusion neckline is best without a necklace which may damage the delicate fabric or not sit well on beading or appliques. Long bold earrings can detract from the delicate romantic look of this neckline but you can accentuate the details of your dress with simple studs or shorter or medium length dangling earrings.
SWEETHEART NECKLINE
This style of neckline will be complemented with a medium length necklace, one that doesn’t sit too close to your dress and detract from the sweetheart shape. A simple sparkly or pearl pendant on a chain or a necklace that is a little more elaborate but not too bold or overpowering will be a perfect accent to the sweetheart shape. You can pair a simple stud with a pendant or more elaborate necklace, if you want to wear just earrings then dangling chandeliers or elegant drops can look fabulous if they are not too long, bold or heavy looking.
STRAPLESS AND OFF THE SHOULDER NECKLINES
These types of necklines leave a lot of bare skin exposed so a necklace which sits in the middle of all the exposed skin gives a balanced look as a longer length necklace or choker can look unbalanced. A statement design necklace can look stunning as long as it isn’t overpowering or too elaborate and paired with matching stud or short drop earrings. You could also opt for a pair of statement or chandelier earrings without a necklace. Wearing both a statement necklace and statement earrings can be a bit of an overkill unless you choose a style and size that won’t dominate or draw attention from your total look.
V- NECKLINES
For a v-neckline choose a necklace that complements the width and depth of the v-shape but falls above it to accent the shape. A simple sparkly or pearl pendant can be enough or a narrow width necklace that falls into a v-shape. Dramatic plunging v-necks can be emphasised with a lariat or y-shape necklace and if there is also a low v-back you can emphasise this with a back dropper. Simple sparkly or pearl studs or understated elegant drop earrings can be perfect with a v-neck. For a plunging v-neck longer dangling earrings can accentuate the plunging lines and add to the sultry sophisticated look.
BATEAU or BOATNECK
These styles of neckline draw attention to your face and shoulders, but if you feel that you need a necklce a delicate solitaire pendant on a fine chain which sits above the neckline can add an elegant touch. Stud or short drop earrings will complete a sophisticated look. Jewellery with these necklines are best kept simple and understated.
HALTER NECK
A necklace won’t sit comfortably with a halter neck as the halter fastens around the back of your neck and a necklace will also detract from the halter shape. Longer length narrow earrings can look fabulous as long as they don’t fall too close to the fabric at your neck which can spoil the sophistication and elegance of the neckline.
ASYMMETRIC NECKLINE
This neckline looks best without a necklace which can look out of place and unbalance the asymmetry. Instead opt for studs or short drop earrings. Earrings which are too bold or long can draw all the attention away from the statement design of the neckline.
There are other necklines styles I haven’t mentioned and you may also need to consider your hairstyle, up or down, hair accessories, veil or no veil, but I hope this guide will give you something to help you decide on what jewellery to wear on your wedding day.