What Jewellery Do Women Wear On Their Wedding Day?

Individuality and personalization are as important to wedding planning these days as tradition -- if not more so! Even the most traditional wedding is an expression of the couple's values, personalities and style. Weddings are about celebrating a special relationship and commitment between two unique individuality, so it's important that the couple's personality shines through every part of the big day.

For most brides, nothing is more central to wedding planning than choosing the gown. The wedding dress is often the first part of the wedding to be chosen, and the look and style of the rest of the wedding is built off of the tone set by the dress. If the dress makes the wedding, then the jewellery makes the dress. Wedding jewellery and accessories should not be an afterthought, and they can be as diverse and varied as weddings (and brides) themselves.

To get you started, here are five kinds of wedding jewellery and how to wear them on your wedding day.

Necklaces

Necklaces are a popular type of wedding jewellery, but they also offer a good lesson in how to coordinate your jewellery with your dress. And, the importance of doing so.

If you pick a dress you like and a necklace you like, and try to pair them without considering how they work together, there is a good chance that you will end up with one overwhelming or clashing with the other. Before deciding to wear a necklace with your wedding dress, consider the neckline of your dress.

Wedding dresses often have a lot of decoration and detail on the bodice and neckline. You don’t want to distract from those details with a necklace that is too bold. If an elaborate neckline is one of your dresses main features, stick with a very simple necklace, or none at all.

A sweetheart neckline, on the other hand, can be complemented and enhanced by a simple pendant necklace. If your dress has a very simple neckline, that is a great opportunity to incorporate a strong, statement necklace.

Earrings

Earrings can also be used to make a bold statement, or to add a simple accent. Think about the kind of hairdo you will have. If you choose very bold or large earrings, you may want to show them off with an up-do.

Like all other pieces of your wedding jewellery ensemble, earrings should be chosen to correspond with the other pieces, and with the dress. There is no rule that jewellery needs to be a complete matched set. In fact, an heirloom piece can make a wonderful "something borrowed". But, the whole selection of jewellery should be cohesive, and should mesh with the style of the dress. For example, if your dress is an elegant gown, then your jewellery should also be refined and elegant. For a more flamboyant, princess wedding dress, you might want to indulge in something a bit more sparkly and extravagant.

Whatever your style, the most important way to ensure your jewellery is cohesive is by matching metals. Don’t mix gold earrings with a platinum necklace, for example. The tone of the metal should also match the tone of the dress. Not every white dress is the same kind of white! Warm toned metals like gold should be worn with warm-toned dresses, while cool toned dresses are best accented with cool toned metals like platinum.

Bracelets

As with other types of wedding jewellery, almost any style of bracelet can suit a wedding look – as long as it is cohesive with the other pieces of jewellery and meshes with the style of the dress. Factors to consider when choosing whether to wear a bracelet with your wedding dress are how it will look with the sleeves, if your dress has any.

Hair Jewellery

Hair jewellery is where wedding jewellery gets to break out of the types of accessories most women wear day to day! Hair jewellery includes tiaras and headbands, hair pins or combs, hair vines woven into the hair-do, and other headpieces. Different types of hair jewellery can be worn with different types of hairdos, including both up-dos and loose hair.

Wedding hair jewellery offers a chance to get a bit more glamorous or dramatic than usual, so choosing hair jewellery for your wedding is a chance to choose a statement piece. After all, when else will you get to wear a tiara?

Avoid mixing eye-catching hair jewellery with large or bold earrings or necklaces, as this may appear "too much."

Rings

When it comes to rings to wear on your wedding day, your engagement ring and wedding band should be the stars.

With so many options for wedding jewellery it can seem overwhelming, but it is important to remember that you don’t need to – and shouldn’t – wear it all! Wedding jewellery should be chosen carefully, to accent and complement the dress, and the bride, rather than overwhelm. Which doesn't mean you can't go big or bold! Whether you are drawn to bold statement jewellery or more subtly elegant pieces, choose a few stand-out pieces that mesh with your dress' style and naturally complement it's cut and most eye-catching features.