For
the Bride
The
bride's jewelry, along with her other accessories, as a general
rule should reflect the formality of the wedding celebration. A
small, informal wedding calls for simple jewelry, while a large,
formal wedding calls for more elaborate jewelry.
The style of the bridal gown also plays a major roll in the selection
of jewelry. Many of today's most popular gowns are strapless or
have low necklines. This is a perfect style to showcase a wonderful
necklace and earrings. Gowns with high necklines may be better of
to forgo the necklace and concentrate on the perfect earrings.
As a general rule to more glitter and detailing on the gown the
simpler the jewelry, while a more plain gown can support more decorative
selections.
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Necklace Length
The various
lengths of necklaces include the, choker, the collar, princess, matinee,
and opera lengths. In general you may want to follow these guidelines
in selection of the necklace length to best flatter your gowns neckline:
The Choker:
One to three strands worn close around the neck is the most classic version
and works well with a jewel or bateau neckline. If too much skin is showing
it may get lost.
The Collar: Made up of three or more strands that fit securely
around the middle neck. This Victorian style looks lovely with a plunging
or strapless neckline.
The Princess: Perfect for strapless gowns, this length falls below
the hollow of the neck in front -- perfect support for a pendant. This
style is most often 16" looks great with almost every bridal gown
neckline, except a high neckline.
The Matinee: Longer than the Princess but shorter than the Opera,
this style hits the top of the bust and looks great with a bateau, jewel,
or a lower neckline with sheer fabric covering the décolletage
area. It shouldn't hit the top of the dress because then the necklace
and the dress are fighting for attention.
The Opera: This long single strand falls below the bust and looks
classic with a very high neckline. Not often a good choice for bridal
gowns or bridesmaid dresses.
Other
things to consider
- Keep your
earrings simple if your necklace is large or grand.
- Bracelets
can be worn with sleeveless, short-sleeve, and three-quarter sleeve
gowns. It is possible to combine a bracelet with gloves as a dramatic
accessory worn over tight-fitted gloves, but not many feel comfortable
with this look.
- A watch
can be worn if it is an unusual antique or family heirloom, but most
watches are not appropriate wedding jewelry for the bride or the bridesmaids.
Choice
of Earring
Keep
this in mind when selecting earring styles:
- A button
earring accentuates a round face.
- A dangle
earring widens a narrow face.
- A squared
earring adds interest to a long face.
- If you
are wearing a Tiara you may not want to wear earrings.
- If you
are not wearing a necklace you may want your earrings to be larger.
It is all a matter of balance.
Wearing
a Tiara
Want to feel
like a princess?! Spend your special day crowned by a glittering tiara.
But consider keeping the other jewelry simple, small pearl earrings and
a simple necklace or let your tiara be the point of focus and leave off
any extra jewelry.
Appropriate
Jewelry for Bridesmaids
Most bridesmaid
ensembles can be enhanced with earrings and perhaps a necklace or bracelet.
All bridesmaids should wear jewelry that is the same color and style.
It can match or contrast with the color of the dress. We recommend that
you keep the bridal party jewelry simple, yet elegant. Jewelry is a great
gift for the bride to consider giving her bridesmaid, and maid of honor
and by doing so you can control the total look the day of the wedding.
The
Type of Jewelry Most Often Selected For Weddings
Brides have
worn pearls for centuries as a symbol of purity and perfection. In ancient
Rome, the pearl was the ultimate symbol of wealth and social standing, while
the ancient Greeks associated the pearl with love, marriage, and unrivaled
beauty. The Greeks also believed the pearl would promote marital harmony.
Today's modern brides often includes rhinestones, diamonds faux diamonds,
sometimes called CZ's, crystals, gemstones and or a combination of them
all in their wedding jewelry. It's really a matter of personal style and
budget.
The important thing is to make sure your jewelry does not over power the
dress and that the color works with the gown. For example a white bridal
gown looks best with white pearls and silver. An ivory gown looks better
with ivory pearls and gold. A pale pink or beige tone gown looks best with
ivory and gold accents or faux gemstones that match or are slightly lighter.
Rhinestones, crystals, diamonds, or faux diamonds (CZs) can work with all
gown colors but it is best to use a silver setting with white and a gold
setting with other gown colors. Of course, all rules are made to be broken
so what makes you feel the most special.
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