Have you got your dress? May seem an obvious question, but don’t even begin to think about bridal jewellery until you have chosen your wedding dress. No matter how certain you are, wait until you have tried dresses on and chosen your wedding gown.
Take a few minutes to have a close look. Have a close look at your wedding dress neckline and take note of its exact shape and any detailing such as folded fabric, colour and materials used in any embroidery or beaded embellishment. Link in the necklace design to this e.g. pearls look great with ivory dresses but don’t wear gold themed jewellery if the detailing on your dress is silver or diamante. How detailed is your dress overall? Wedding gowns with lots of detailing, lace overlays etc need only minimal jewellery whereas, simpler gowns need statement bridal jewellery. It is also advisable to go through this same thought process with your wedding hair accessories and link all three elements (dress + hair accessories + jewellery).
Match the dress neckline to the shape of your bridal necklace. It is always a good idea to mirror the shape of your wedding dress neckline with your bridal necklace. The benefits will be obvious when you see yourself in your wedding day photos; where a co-ordinated effect will give you timeless elegance and effortless chic. But which neckline suits which necklace? Here are a few general pointers;
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- Strapless or spaghetti strap dresses. These necklines are very popular in wedding dresses and are great in that virtually any style of necklace looks fabulous worn with them. The thing to remember here is that bare shoulders and arms means that there is probably more of you on show than usual and you may need to consider wearing slightly larger/more impact jewellery so that it does not get lost in photographs.
- Halter neck dresses. It is probably best not to wear a necklace with this neckline as it tends to look cluttered and may not sit correctly when worn. Why not go for statement earrings or bracelet instead?
- V shaped necklines. Pendant or T-shaped necklaces look stunning with this style of wedding dress. Make sure you choose a pendant that is in proportion to your stature and personality!
- Round or scoop neck dresses. Echo the soft curves of these necklines with a traditional string of pearls or a single stranded necklace. The same also applies to wedding dresses with soft fabric drapes.
- Designer necklines. Sweetheart or more designer led necklines look best when teamed with jewellery of a similar theme. So for sweetheart necklines why not opt for a heart themed necklace?
How long should my necklace be? As a general guide the centre point of your necklace should hang down to a point half way to a third the distance between the top of your wedding dress and your collar bone / base of your neck. This though is obviously a very personal choice and, some necklace designs are meant to hang differently. Just consider how your necklace will look on your photographs.
Final considerations. At the end of the day it is your day and your choice. The advice given here is just that, advice! Choose a necklace you love, a necklace you will treasure and wear time and time again after your wedding day.
Written by Julieann from Julieann Beads
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