It’s that time of the year again… wedding season. And with it comes the question: What jewelry should I wear? Well that depends upon whether you’re the bride, the groom, part of the bridal party, or a guest. The jewelry you choose will depend upon a couple of factors: Is the wedding formal or more casual, is it inside or outside, the time of day and the time of year. All of these factors will influence what jewelry you decide to wear. If you’re the bride, it’s your day and you can do whatever you want, for everyone else there is only one rule: Do not out bling the bride.
Jewelry for the Bride
If you’re the bride, you’ve probably already put a lot of thought and time into choosing your perfect dress. Now you need the perfect jewelry, something that complements your gown and your personality. In keeping with the good luck bridal rhyme, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, you may want to choose a piece of vintage jewelry to fulfill the something old, or borrowed if your mom or other family member offers you a piece of their jewelry to wear for the day. If you are looking for something old, sentimental Victorian styles are a lovely choice, as are elegant Edwardian or glamourous Art Deco jewels. A beautiful vintage brooch worn on the neckline or bodice of your gown is very sophisticated. You can also use jewelry for your something blue – a pair of aquamarine earrings, or a blue sapphire pendant will subtly bring blue into your day. Of course you can never go wrong with a simple line of diamonds around your wrist or pearls on your neck. Wearing diamonds and pearls together is a match made in jewelry heaven. You may even choose to wear a tiara, in which case you will only need small earrings and a bracelet to complete your jewelry look.
Jewelry for the Bridal Party
If you’re part of the bridal party, you have two jobs: One to help the bride navigate her big day and the other to help her look her most beautiful. In this case, it’s best to wear subdued jewelry that won’t compete with the bride or your bridesmaid dress. So what jewelry should you wear? Keep it simple. You may want to match your jewelry with your dress, morganite looks beautiful with peach tones, while the soft pink of kunzite or the rich purple of amethyst is lovely with lavender. You can also keep it simple by wearing classic gold jewelry, with or without diamond accents. Diamond solitaire earrings are also a good choice, they add a little sparkle without too much fanfare. It goes without saying that pearls are always right for a wedding, adding just a touch of polished elegance.
Jewelry for the Mother of the Bride or Groom
If you’re the mother of the bride or groom, you have a little more leeway with what you wear, after all it’s an important milestone in your life too. That being said, you also don’t want to outshine the bride. So what should the mothers wear? It’s a good time to wear that special heirloom piece that comes out for important occasions. You’ll want to wear significant jewelry that shows your status as the mother of the bride, or groom. You may also choose to wear a gemstone that matches the colors of the wedding party, connecting you more deeply to the celebration. If your dress is fancy, then keep the jewelry minimal, go for the basic diamond line bracelet or diamond solitaire pendant, or a pair of long earrings. If your dress is simple, you may want to wear a statement brooch, or necklace, while keeping the rest of your jewelry more subdued.
Jewelry for the Groom and Groomsmen
If you’re the groom, you’ll want to look your very best to complement your partner. If your wedding is formal, why not opt for a vintage dress set? It’s sure to put you in a league of your own in the style department while honoring your partner's look for the important day. A vintage dress set, which is a set of button studs and matching cufflinks, personalizes your tux or suit. Even if your wedding is more casual you may want to wear cufflinks to add a touch of elegance and sophistication that says this is a special day. A flower worn on the jacket is an age old tradition, modernize the tradition by wearing a vintage brooch on your jacket’s handkerchief pocket, or a stickpin on your lapel. If you’re wearing a bowtie, pin a small brooch to the center knot to personalize your look. These are small things that you can do to elevate your style, even if the wedding is more casual, as the groom, you get to dress up.
Jewelry for the Wedding Guest
When it comes to wedding guest jewelry, you can pretty much wear what you want as long as you don’t out do the bride. It is of course a good idea to dress up to acknowledge the importance of the occasion. Your jewelry should reflect the formality or casualness of the wedding, so if a wedding is formal, pull out your diamond earrings, diamond solitaire necklace and diamond line bracelet. Pearls are always appropriate and will make you look pulled together no matter what you’re wearing. Keep in mind that you don’t have to wear a pearl strand, you could opt for a pearl bracelet or earrings, even a pendant. You can also take a page from the bridal party book and wear gems that match the wedding colors. For a more casual wedding, you may want to accessorize with gold or silver jewelry, it’s a classic look that is always stylish and elevated. Symbolizing love, heart motifs are always welcome at a wedding. One more thing to keep in mind whether you’re the bride, in the bridal party or a guest, don’t wear jewelry that jingles and makes noise. It’s distracting during the ceremony.
The jewelry that you wear for your big day adds another chapter to the story of that special jewel and another reason why you’ll treasure it forever.
Top of Page: Photo courtesy Jeppe Mønster, Unsplash.
Diamond, aquamarine and platinum earrings, signed Tiffany & Co.; Antique old mine diamond, natural pearl and platinum bangle; Edwardian diamond, natural pearl, 18-karat gold and platinum circle brooch; Retro sapphire and platinum dress set includes cufflinks and three shirt studs, in original box, circa 1940s; Heart shaped 6.02-carat sapphire, diamond and platinum necklace.
Authored by Amber Michelle