It’s here. Your big day. And choosing the right wedding jewelry can make you feel confident, beautiful, and special. While engagement and wedding rings might get the most attention at a wedding, we’re talking about the other stylish accessories that can elevate your overall attire. Here’s how to choose the right type and amount of jewelry for your wedding look.
How to Choose Wedding Jewelry
Choosing the right wedding jewelry is all about finding complementary pieces. Whether you choose to take cues from your outfit or your scenery, here are some tips to keep in mind when selecting cohesive wedding jewelry.
- Start with the neckline: The neckline of your wedding attire will determine the length of jewelry you should wear. High necks, long jewelry. And vice versa. While a high neckline can draw notice to a pair of stunning earrings, choose deeper jewelry pieces for broader cuts. For something strapless, a statement necklace can take center stage. It all depends how you want to fill space and what pieces you want to speak for themselves. You can always make exceptions: accentuate a plunging neckline with jewelry of a similar length.
- Consider your outfit: Because then there’s the rest of the look. Avoid jewelry that competes with the weight of your main garments. For instance, if you have a heavily embellished gown or suit, it’s best to wear minimal jewelry to avoid a cluttered appearance. You can decide your definition of “simple” — you might mimic your outfit with your jewelry, such as with a floral motif on your attire or in your hairstyle. On the other hand, you can contrast. If you have more minimalist clothing (solid colors and shapes), you can allow more dynamic, ornate jewelry to shine. Think bigger shapes and elaborate patterns for a bit of zhush.
- Keep your wedding style in mind: Weddings are all about aesthetics, which is why your setting and décor play a significant role in determining the kind of jewelry you should wear. For a formal wedding, you can suit the occasion with something sophisticated, like diamond drop earrings. If you’re having a beach wedding, pearls can play up your oceanic theme. Weight also comes in here. Are you going to want to remove bulky pieces later in the evening when things are feeling festive?
- Don’t forget about your hair: This includes veils. Your hairstyle can impact the size and shape of jewelry you wear. If you’re wearing your hair up, you’ll have room for hoops and danglers, so you can showcase statement earrings. And with bare shoulders, you can flaunt a necklace that sits higher and tighter on your collar, instead of a rope or a lariat. For hair worn down, a delicate bracelet or necklace won’t get caught in your strands, and the dainty nature of these pieces can add a touch of gentle gracefulness when visible. Either way, balance will flatter your face and attire.
- Choose jewelry that reflects your personality: Your wedding day is all about celebrating you (and your partner), so make sure your jewelry is a toast to your personal taste. You can style yourself for “now” or for reflecting back on photos in the decades to come, but ultimately your accessories should help you feel comfortable and represent your values.
Bridal Jewelry Ideas
Bridal jewelry is designed specifically for the “bride” to help them stand out. Today, it means show-stopping pieces for anyone getting married, so they can turn heads as they’re walking down the aisle or standing at the altar. Here are some bridal jewelry ideas that you can incorporate into your “all eyes on me” wedding day look.
- Diamonds: A classic and elegant bridal accessory, diamonds include sparkle into your wedding outfit. A tennis bracelet, a diamond pendant, and diamond stud earrings are more understated yet romantic options. Tiaras and extravagant chandelier jewlery are the more glamorous go-tos.
- Statement necklace: This dazzling necklace is meant to be expressive in order to add drama to your look. So go for something bold and eye-catching, like a choker or bib necklace. You can choose a necklace with large, bold stones or an intricate design if you want to focus on memorable details other than size.
- Pearl jewelry: Round pearls are a timeless, traditional choice for bridal jewelry, from a cute pearl bracelet to a gorgeous pearl necklace. But you can still incorporate dreamy opulence with irregular shapes. Their organic feel comes across as more modern and unexpected.
- Colorful gemstones: For bridal jewelry with a pop of color, look to gemstone jewelry (it could easily be your “something blue”). From emeralds to sapphires and rubies, saturated stones can bring vibrancy to your wedding day look. They offer a fresh twist on the typical diamond. Gems are probably best for rings and earrings if you don’t want to pull focus, and for the same reason, it’s common to only use one or two types.
- Personalized jewelry: A piece of jewelry that is personalized with your name or initials obviously adds a unique touch to your wedding day look. But personalized can also mean nature jewelry, engravings, etc. Consider something that symbolizes your partnership, whether that means your independence or your union, aka who you were before and will be after the wedding.
Wedding Jewelry Tips
Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, and you want to look your best. For the combination of exciting and effortless, here are some additional tips to keep in mind when choosing wedding jewelry:
- Don’t overwhelm the look: It’s essential to accessorize. But while it can be tempting to wear all of your favorite pieces on your wedding day, it’s best to pare it back. How much attention do you want taken away from your makeup, hairstyle, or attire? Stick to one or two statement pieces to let them all do their thing. If your engagement ring is gold, for example, style it with gold earrings, necklace, and bracelets. While totally optional, matching your metals (and stones) can help achieve a cohesive aesthetic.
- Layer your jewelry: Remember how we said not to overwhelm the look? Layering is a popular trend, perfect for combining pieces in a chic, intentional way. You can wear a lightweight necklace with a longer pendant, or stack multiple bracelets to mix sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. The even distribution creates visual interest. But stick to one variable for one type of jewelry, and play with 2-3 different pieces within those parameters. Or shop for jewelry sets to simplify the process.
- Try on your jewelry with your outfit: Make sure to pair your jewelry with your wedding attire before the big day, and not just on your vision board. Wearing it will give you an idea of how everything will look together and allow you to make any necessary adjustments (Does it match the embroidery? Does it snag the fabric?). You can also consider your skin tone as part of your aesthetic — cool silver jewelry for pale skin, and warm gold jewelry for darker tones. You might decide either looks better (or more radiant) given your makeup or outfit.
- Consider the season: Your wedding season can influence the type of jewelry you choose. For a winter wedding, for example, consider something with deep tones and/or more sparkle, while a summer wedding calls for something light and airy, perhaps even pastel. Jewelry should pass the seasonal vibe check.
- Coordinate with your wedding party: Your wedding party is not just an important part of your big day emotionally. Their jewelry can enhance all of your carefully chosen wedding details (or at the very least, prevent distracting from them). Consider gifting your wedding party matching jewelry that complements your own, your partner’s, or both. It’s a kind gesture to express gratitude for their support, but it also low-key keeps your aesthetic on point.
- Be conscious with metal weights: We love a mixed metal look and also mixing chunky styles with thinner pieces, but make sure that the karat weight of the metals are the same. Metals with different weights could potentially scratch one another and we wouldn’t want special wedding jewelry to be damaged! For example, if you’re stacking a few bracelets, make sure they’re all 10k gold or 14k gold, etc. A 10k gold bracelet could scratch an 18k gold bracelet.
By considering your attire and the overall look of your wedding itself, you can choose the perfect jewelry “moment” for this momentous occasion. Just remember to keep your wedding jewelry true to who you are. When you want quality pieces that can become treasured keepsakes or heirlooms, or even pieces that are only worn on the big day, shop for ethically responsible wedding jewelry at Brilliant Earth.
