Getting married is a wonderful occasion, and people from all around the world are trying to make their wedding day beautiful and unique. Whether you have a traditional church wedding, a destination wedding or a beautiful nautical ceremony by the seaside, you want it to look just like you imagined it when you said “Yes!” And a big part of the wedding look is the bride’s appearance. The gown is, of course, the star of the show, but it’s not worth much without all the different bridal accessories that come on top of it. So let’s explore the rules and tips to accessorizing tastefully and with style.

Less is more

In the words of the fashion icon Coco Chanel, before you leave, take one thing off. Your look doesn’t have to have the necklace, and the earrings, and the bracelet, and the tiara and everything else that you can find. It’s perfectly fine to only have one, or two things – or even none! Some gowns have such a highly decorated style that putting anything on top of it will just be too much. A good rule to follow is to ask yourself whether or not you have anything around the same area competing for attention. If the person looking at you isn’t sure where to focus their attention: you’ve got too much going on. If you do want to wear quite a few pieces of bridal accessories, keep them subtle, like pearl or silver, and as far away from each other as possible.

Stay comfortable with bridal accessories

The mistake a lot of brides make when creating their look is wearing things that aren’t necessarily comfortable, because it’s “just for a few hours”. You’ll be spending the entire day in those, and if you are uncomfortable, you won’t be able to pay attention to the other wonderful things that are going on around you. Make sure you wear your outfit for a few hours to make sure everything is nice and comfortable. Make sure that your earrings aren’t tugging on your ears, that the necklace isn’t turning around and that your bracelet isn’t restricting blood flow or stabbing you in the wrist. For your shoes, choose a stunning pair of Badgley Mischka shoes, as they are both comfortable and stylish.

Don’t mix metals

If you are going to be wearing a lot of jewelry, a good way to avoid looking like you don’t know what you are doing is to stick to a single metal. Opt for gold for a classic look, silver or steel for something modern or choose your favorite metal and just roll with it. The same can be said for stones that are incorporated into the jewelry, and this is especially important if the stones are vibrant, like rubies or sapphires. Generally, gold will look better with off-white dresses, while silver will look better with true white, because of their respective warm and cool undertones. However, there is no hard-and-fast rule: only that your skin’s undertone will determine which pair you will look better in. If you’re mixing the metals, make sure you are thinking it through and trying it out often.

Stick to tradition

A lot of brides have a traditional piece that has been passed down through generations that they would like to wear on their wedding day. That’s perfectly fine, and you should make that the star of the show. Plan all of your other jewelry and bridal accessories around it, so that it doesn’t clash with any look you’ve created without it in mind. Oftentimes, old jewelry can be rusty or corroded from the years. You can choose to keep it like that, which can work well with a vintage look, or you can get it professionally cleaned to restore it to its glory days. If you are unsure what to put on, you can stick to the magical four: old, new, borrowed and blue. Four pieces that will create the perfect look, and you will be following an age-old good-luck tradition.

Your wedding day will be full of emotions, good memories and plenty of smiles. You won’t be paying much attention to what you’re wearing during the day, but looking back on the photos, you want to look cohesive and stylish, not tacky and overdone. Remember that your hair and makeup are basically an accessory in and of themselves and have to be considered when planning your look. Of course, your final and most prized accessory will be your smile, and I doubt you’ll be taking it off during the day!

Mia Taylor is a fashion and beauty enthusiast from Sydney and writer for www.highstylife.com. She loves writing about her life experiences. Travelling and enjoying other cultures and their food with her husband is a big part of her life. She is always on the lookout for new trends in fashion and beauty, and considers herself an expert when it comes to lifestyle tips.
Twitter | Facebook