First of all, it goes without saying, but the jewelry you decide to wear for your wedding should show off your individual style. You don’t want to look back on pictures and feel like you’re wearing some elaborate costume. That being said, you don’t have to stick with what you wear every day. Your wedding is the time to splurge on something you might not typically wear or be a little more extravagant than you normally would. If you can’t add a little extra sparkle on your wedding day, when can you?
Secondly, buy wedding jewelry that you can continue to wear. Just like picking a special perfume for your wedding day, the jewelry you wear can be a reminder of that amazing day anytime you put it on. If you choose something that you can wear again, even if only on special occasions, you’ll get to re-live your wedding day in a small way over and over again.
Our owner, Lucy Zimmerman, styled industry influencer, Courtney Lynn, from The Finance Brides @thefinancebrides for a bridal photoshoot at The Estate at Florentine Gardens. Thanks to White House Bride for dresses, and makeup and hair by Magda Designs. Keep an eye out for our inside takes from the day!
Engagement Ring
If you’re choosing your bridal jewelry, maybe you already have an engagement ring, but for those of you who are ahead of the game and are still at that stage we’ll have a more in-depth blog post soon with tips on picking a style. Our biggest tip, though, is to pick something you’ll get excited to see everyday. Your ring’s biggest job is to symbolize the love between you and your fiancé, and though any ring can do that, you want to love the look of it too. Whether you’re picking the ring out with your boo or they’re finding it solo, make sure you’re both on the same page with the style you can imagine on your finger for years and years to come.
BEHIND THE SCENES: The most important piece of jewelry for the day was the stunning engagement ring Lucy hand-picked for Courtney. This ring is designed to demand your attention (and, obviously, looked amazing in pictures.) The 3-carat center oval cut diamond is complimented by the cascade of oval diamonds on either side, tapering to a smooth finish meeting the band. This ring complimented Courtney’s natural beauty and, though it’s definitely a stand-out piece, didn’t overpower her or the rest of the beautiful things she wore.
Necklace
The necklace you choose is very influenced by the style of dress or suit you choose. While you can wear anything, there are some necklines that lend themselves to specific styles.
A short diamond tennis necklace looks great with almost anything, from strapless dresses to high cowl neck style, and can look amazing peeking through a button-up shirt if that’s more your style. This type of necklace is simple but always eye-catching, so it can be an easy choice for a bit of extra sparkle along with becoming a go-to after your wedding!
For a dress with a low neckline without a lot of textures, you can opt to add interest to the look with an elaborate necklace. Something with a lot of stones or a filigree-style design can become a focal point if you’re looking for some extra embellishment.
Sweetheart and V-shape necklines, a long or pendant-style necklace is a great way to accentuate the lines that the dress creates. Go simple with a solitaire diamond pendant, add some glamour with an intricate design or bring in a hint of color with a gemstone that matches your wedding’s color palette. Pendants can also be an extremely personal addition, such as wearing a diamond paw-print to represent your pet, or a custom-engraved bar with a family member’s handwriting.
With low-back dresses, it’s become common for brides to wear a lariat-style necklace so that it sits short in the front and hangs down in the back, accentuating the length that the backless look creates. A long strand of pearls can also look incredible when worn like this!
BEHIND THE SCENES: With a strapless dress like Courtney’s, the options are almost endless. We chose to have her wear an exquisite 16” Norman Silverman necklace with set marquise diamonds. Having the necklace sit close to her neck brought attention to her face while showcasing the strapless silhouette of the dress.
Earrings
Like necklaces, earrings are somewhat dependent on what hairstyle you decide on. It can even go the other way and help you decide on a hairdo if you find earrings you really love first. Our biggest tip, though, is to find earrings that stay on securely so you can party the night away without worrying that you’ll lose one on the dancefloor.
Up-dos lend themselves nicely to dangling earrings, since they won’t be getting caught in your hair and can help to frame your face. They can also add a touch of movement to hairstyles that are more stationary. For a simpler look we love a dangling straight line of diamonds or for some added embellishment pick a pair with multiple moving pieces or a brightly colored gemstone!
With your hair down, we love the look of cluster stud earrings. This style shows hints of glimmer through your hair and adds a bit of sparkle to those close-up photos. The great thing about this style is that they come in all shapes and sizes. You truly can be as ornate or as simple as you want!
Whatever your hairstyle, you can always go with a pair of studs! Upgrade your pair of diamond studs or find a gemstone with a significance that’s important to you to bring you a little peace or happiness on your day!
BEHIND THE SCENES: You really can’t ever go wrong with diamond hoops, and our owner agreed, styling our beautiful bride in medium-sized hoops with a lot of sparkle. The earrings were the perfect size but add the maximum amount of glimmer since it’s set with larger round diamonds.
Bracelet
Bracelets aren’t always necessary or practical depending on your sleeves, but it can be fantastic to add some bling to balance out your incredible engagement ring and wedding band. They’re also one of the only pieces of your jewelry you’ll be able to see without looking in the mirror, so you can enjoy the sparkle along with your guests.
Just like a tennis necklace, a diamond tennis bracelet goes with anything. They also come in any carat weight you could want, from a thinner 1.00 carat total weight to 10 carats and above! They’ve also become a popular gift for a groom to give to their soon-to-be wife on the morning of the wedding so that she can have this special connection to a bracelet that can also be worn daily.
Customized bracelets are also a great way to add sentiment to your outfit. Similar to how you can incorporate something significant in a pendant necklace, you can get a bracelet that features a charm with meaning or something custom engraved to carry that with you down the aisle. Solid bangle bracelets have become very popular for this purpose.
BEHIND THE SCENES: The final staple of our photoshoot look was the stunning diamond bracelet that Courtney wore. With the mix of diamond shapes and the use of open space in the wide design it was perfect to complement the texture of the dress. It also balanced out the sparkle of the superb engagement ring on her other hand and matched the glitz of the necklace and earrings.
Extras
You don’t have to stick to the basics for your bridal jewelry! For a beach wedding or while wearing a dress with a leg slit you can dress up your lower half with a cute diamond anklet. Body jewelry like nose and lip piercings can also be an important part of your self-expression and getting a special piece to match your wedding look can be the metaphorical icing on the cake. You should accessorize with whatever makes you feel like the best version of you.
Jewelry for him
Jewelry truly is for everyone. Even if a groom doesn’t typically wear anything special, his wedding is a perfect time to accessorize. That can mean wearing something traditional like nice cufflinks or a new watch. That can also mean donning a flashy gold bracelet, an in-trend pearl necklace, or shiny diamond stud earrings.