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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.
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:
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Keep
your earrings simple if your necklace is large or grand.
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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.
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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:
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A
button earring accentuates a round face.
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A
dangle earring widens a narrow face.
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A
squared earring adds interest to a long face.
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If you
are wearing a Tiara you may not want to wear earrings.
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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.
By Kathy Reid
www.weddingandbridaljewelry.com
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