Now that you have your dress, it’s time to start completing your look! Your ideal bridal look consists of your hair, make-up, flowers, jewelry, hair accessories, other accessories (shoes, shoe clips, veil, purse), etc.
Here are 7 Tips to guide you through the process to find the perfect look for you:
1. Think about your theme
Do you have an overarching theme such as vintage, rustic or Hollywood glam? The theme will guide you in making decisions on accessories and all the other details.
What if you don’t have a theme? First, look at what you already have planned. You may be incorporating one without even knowing. If you really don’t have a theme, then you can just move on to the next tip.
2. Consider your decolletage
What the heck is a decolletage? This is basically the area between your neck and your bust. Your dress style will determine what your decolletage shape is or what it is begging for. Do you have a Sweetheart or V-neck dress? Or maybe you have one of the other 7 types of necklines? If you want more information on how to accessorize for your dress style and decolletage, grab my FREE eBook!
3. Ponder Your Pictures
One of my favorite photographers gave me a tip about jewelry for brides:
Jewelry adds interest to your photographs. The photographer will be taking up-close photos of you in your gown and with your flowers. But think about those close-ups.
- Are you bare-chested because you have a strapless gown with no necklace? You don’t want to look naked, do you? 😉
- What about the famous ring picture? Think about adding more interest to the photo with a bracelet too!
Jewelry doesn’t need to be the statement, but it is the icing on the cake!
4. Match your metals
There is no hard and fast rule for matching metals, but it does make it easy to let the metal guide your jewelry choice.
Do you have a beaded belt with silver accented crystals? Maybe you have gold thread embroidery on your gown?
Take a close look at your dress. A close-up photograph of the details will help when you have a hard time remembering after waiting 12 weeks for the dress to come in. This will also help the jewelry artist in creating the perfect jewelry for you 😉
5. Make a Hair and Make-up Plan
You probably already have a wedding Pinterest board, but consider making one specifically for your bridal look with all those elements included. This will help your hair and/or the make-up artist at your trial! Plan a hair and make-up trial 2-3 months ahead. If you don’t like the trial, it gives you time to make adjustments.
Updo, Half up-Half down, FishTail Braid, knowing how you want to wear your hair or at least having an idea will help you decide what kind of hair accessories will accent your look.
6. Ceremony vs Reception
Most brides will have two looks on their wedding day. No, I don’t mean two dresses. I mean one look for the Ceremony and one for the Reception.
During the ceremony, you have your veil and flowers adding interest, and this is the part most brides think of when planning what they will wear. However, before you get announced are you likely to take off the veil and put down the flowers. So now you are only wearing your dress. This is when you want the jewelry to do its work, by adding the finishing touch. The jewelry and hair accessories become more important now, so let your style shine!
Best tip of all is:
7. Be Yourself
Don’t stray too far from your comfort zone. You want to look like the best version of yourself on your big day.
Do you like statement jewelry or something more delicate? As a jewelry artist, I want my brides to wear the jewelry again for their anniversaries, so if you stray too much from your style, you are unlikely to sport it again.
Next Steps:
Now that you have completed the 7 steps, it is time to start designing your jewelry! I would love to talk to you about what I can do to help you get the perfect accessories for your big day.
Let’s Talk. Contact me today for your free consultation!
I have a friend who loves to design her dresses. She’s planning to to the same for her wedding dress. Gotta let her see this.