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10 TIPS TO BUILD INCREMENTAL BRIDAL BUSINESS: JEWELRY TO DRESS THE BRIDE ON HER BIG DAY | May 16, 2012 (0 comments)
New York, NY—Jewelers know a wedding-day ensemble isn’t complete without beautiful jewelry to go with a beautiful wedding gown. But what do brides want to wear on their special day?
Jennie Ma, fashion editor of bridal website TheKnot.com, answers the most urgent questions jewelers have about how to help a bride accessorize for her big day. Here are her top 10 tips for dressing the bride, plus an extra tip just for the wedding party!
The Centurion: What are the most popular trends in wedding-day jewelry? What styles, colors, metals, and gems, do brides want to wear?
Jennie Ma: Brides seem to gravitate towards earrings and bangles and surprisingly less toward necklaces. They are opting for silver, platinum and white gold metals and one trend we’re seeing become more popular is colorful jewelry. This is a great way to add some personality to the wedding day outfit.
Centurion: What matters more in choosing earrings—the gown or the hairstyle?
Ma: The hairstyle is a bigger factor. If a bride is going to wear her hair down, she might go for a bigger statement earring since the hair will cover some of the jewelry, but if she wears her hair up then the statement earring may feel too dramatic.
Centurion: So many brides are choosing strapless gowns for their big day. What kind of earrings should a bride choose to go with a strapless gown and an up-do?
Ma: The style of earrings will also depend on if a bride is choosing to wear a necklace. If she wants a bigger statement necklace, then she should go with smaller earrings. If she is going without a necklace, big earrings would be a great way to fill up all the space.
An ornate dress calls for a bare neck, but big earrings are perfect to fill the space between dress and hair. Photo: Mel & Co./TheKnot.com
Centurion: What about if she wears her hair down?
Ma: The same rules apply here. If a bride decides to go big with the necklace, she should go smaller with the earrings and vice versa. You don't want your jewelry to be competing with each other.
If the necklace is big, take the earrings down a notch. Photo: Laura Doss/TheKnot.com
Centurion: What kind of necklace works best with a strapless gown—a collar style or one that has some kind of pendant?
Ma: Both styles will work with a strapless neckline, it depends on the dress itself. If there’s a lot of beading, sparkle and embellishment on the bodice, a smaller pendant necklace is the way to go. But if the bodice is relatively simple, a statement collar style is a great way to add sparkle.
A simple bodice can take an ornate necklace. Photo: Tinywater/TheKnot.com
Centurion: What necklaces and earrings work best with non-strapless gowns, such the more modest style that Kate Middleton wore for her marriage to Prince William?
Ma: On a dress similar to Kate Middleton’s style, since there is a more closed neckline and a lot of lace, a smaller pendant is a great accent. Finish the look with drop earrings. (Top of page: A covered dress, whether slightly covered as shown here or more modest as Kate Middleton wore, requires jewelry that's dainty but has presence. Photo: Daymion Mardel/TheKnot.com.)
Centurion: Are brides wearing necklaces or are they taking cues from the red carpet and going bare-necked?
Ma: We are noticing some brides taking their fashion cues from the red carpet and opting out of necklaces, as I mentioned above, and just choosing to go with earrings and bracelets instead. Or wearing a necklace as a jeweled headband is another option.
Bare necks are popular on the red carpet, but for a bride who wants to be trendy yet not give up her necklace, wearing it as a headband is a creative compromise. In this image, the dress style is simple but the fabric is ornate and the necklace also is very detailed, so keep the earrings simple. Photo: Ericka McConnell/TheKnot.com
Centurion: Are bracelets important for the wedding day? If so, what styles?
Ma: If a bride is choosing not to wear a necklace and just earrings, adding a bracelet is a great way to balance the look. Crystal bangles are a popular choice. (Editor’s note: Diamond bangles would be a wonderful choice to keep forever!)
Centurion: What about non-bridal rings for the right hand? Do many brides choose to wear one, and if so, what style?
Ma: We are definitely seeing brides choose cocktail rings. If they go this route, it’s usually something colorful and more modern. It has to be a bigger statement piece so as not to be confused with the wedding and engagement rings.
Centurion: What about the groom? Does he typically wear anything other than the wedding ring he will receive?
Ma: Many grooms also wear cuff links and watches, in addition to their new wedding ring, of course.
Centurion: What’s a popular gift for bridesmaids? Is it jewelry to go with the bridesmaid outfit, or something non-jewelry? If it is jewelry, what’s the most popular choice?
Ma: Jewelry is a very popular gift for bridesmaids. Many brides opt to gift their bridesmaids with something beautiful they can wear on the big day. It should match both the dress and their personality, so the bridesmaids can re-wear the piece.
Matching earrings both pull the bridesmaids' looks together, and make a great gift for the bride to give her attendants. Eclectic Images Photography/TheKnot.com