How to Choose Wedding Jewelry: Tips and Ideas for the Perfect Bridal Look
Choosing your wedding jewelry should feel fun, just like falling in love.
While we will show you some of the rules, there is so much opportunity to personalize them to your tastes as you search for your perfect wedding day look. Here are some bridal jewelry ideas and tips that will make it that much easier to enjoy your special day!
Match Wedding Band with Engagement Ring
Your wedding jewelry journey begins with the engagement ring and wedding band. The engagement ring is the one that initially attracts all the excitement, but it's the wedding ring that beautifully completes the set which will adorn your finger for the rest of your life.
Both your engagement ring and wedding band should be simple, practical and adjustable to your lifestyle and personal style changes and shifts. So, when picking your wedding band:
- Match it with your engagement ring in terms of style and metal.
- Go with your intuition - the ring you’re first drawn to, the one that stands out quickly among the other rings is probably the one that is on par with your personal taste and style. Don’t get lost in the endless choices - pick what comes naturally to you.
According to The Knot, the most popular engagement ring stone remains a diamond - a whopping 86% of rings flaunt a diamond. Round cut is the most popular shape, with 41% of grooms picking this shape for their brides-to-be.
Want something simple to couple with it? This effortlessly elegant rose gold wedding ring is a great example of a starting point for your wedding band - and the rest of your life.
Once you have chosen your engagement and wedding ring, you can now focus on wedding day jewelry that will complement your dress and hairstyle.
Basic Rules for Wedding Day Jewelry
Before we go into the details, let’s lay three ground rules for choosing your perfect bridal jewelry.
Keep Things Simple
Of course, you want to look stunning on your wedding day. You spent so much time choosing the perfect partner, the perfect venue, the perfect dress - you cannot let your jewelry ruin the show, right?
Jewelry is a complementary detail, not a focal point - which takes us to the next rule:
Match the Jewelry with Your Wedding Dress
If you are going for a simple bridal look, nothing can make it pop like a bejeweled necklace or statement earrings. But if your wedding gown is a piece of art in its own right, simple earrings and a necklace will help the dress take center stage.
And finally, before we go into the details of your wedding jewelry…
Keep It Comfortable!
One part of the beauty equation is feeling confident and comfortable in your own skin - as well as your clothes. You have a long day ahead of you and it will entail greeting people, saying “I do!”, taking pictures, having toasts, and finally, dancing.
So whatever you choose, make sure it fits your style and it doesn’t become a source of distraction from the wedding day.
Bonus tip - there’s no reason to buy wedding jewelry once and then leave it somewhere in a box. Go for something you would wear normally, something that would match your style and feel comfortable, no matter the occasion.
Now, let’s get into the details and discuss some bridal jewelry ideas!
Creating a Perfect Bridal Jewelry Set
Whether you want to mix and match on your own or go for pre-made wedding jewelry sets, they should meet some of the following requirements:
Metal Matches Your Dress Color
Most wedding dresses are white. Depending on the type of white, you can choose the perfect metal or material for your bridal jewelry set.
If your wedding gown is true white, platinum, white gold, and silver jewelry are often the favorites, but yellow gold is also a good choice. This white gold necklace with diamonds for example, could be a great addition to your dazzling white gown.
If your dress has ivory and champagne tones of white, gold jewelry will accentuate the softness of these colors. This yellow gold pearl necklace could be a perfect addition to your dress!
If your dress has pink and blue hues, rose gold can perfectly match your choice of fabric. This rose gold necklace coupled with diamonds can be a great gentle, yet decisive statement!
Finally, pearls, based on their color and size can be a perfect addition to any of these dresses. This silver pastel pearl necklace will give you that dreamy, soft, romantic look!
Pay attention to embellishments and beading on your wedding gown - based on them, you can pick the right stones on your necklace, earrings or bracelet.
One way you’re not going to go wrong is to simply create your bridal jewelry set based on your engagement ring or wedding band.
Bonus tip: while most stylists will tell you to avoid mixing up metals, when done masterfully, a swirl of yellow gold and platinum can be a winning combination.
However - it’s not for the faint hearted!
Here are some fun facts about women’s jewelry preferences:
- Majority - 35% of surveyed women prefer white gold
- Second choice is silver, for 17% of surveyed women
- 15% prefer platinum
- 13% go with rose gold
- Only 11% listed yellow gold as their top choice
-
The remaining 9% didn’t have a preference or would go with mixed-metal jewelry
Necklace Goes with the Neckline of Your Dress
The neckline of your wedding gown dictates the type of necklace that would work better for you. Bottom line, the necklace is there to fill out “the empty space”, complement your bust, neck and hairstyle.
- For high necklines and halter necklines, necklaces are usually a total no-go.
- Same goes for bateau necklines (think Meghan Markle’s wedding dress - she skipped the necklace altogether!)
- On the other hand, with classical scoop gowns, a necklace is a must to avoid the dull look and ample empty space - and they can work well with a plethora of necklace types. This double-layer diamond necklace can really shake things up with a classical scoop!
- Portrait necklines are also a great opportunity for both bold and simple necklaces. This gorgeous gold pearl and diamond twist necklace can be a perfect addition if you want to keep it simple and blend modern and traditional elegance!
- For V-Necklines, go with a simple pendant necklace. However, if you are rocking a bolder and deeper plunging v-neck, you can also opt for a drop pendant like this white gold drop necklace or simply skip the necklace and let the dress do the talking!
- Medium-length pendants and drop pendants are a good choice for sweetheart necklines or romantic Queen-Anne wedding gowns. Want to keep up with the tradition of wearing something blue? An elegant sapphire pendant might be it!
Photo Credit: First Dibs
- Strapless neckline is one of the best choices for the brides who like their *bling*! With strapless, you have so many options - elegant pendants or statement necklaces, colorful gemstones, you name it! This floral collar necklace can be a powerful addition to a simple strapless wedding gown!
Earrings Match Your Hairstyle
Bridal earrings are where things get a little tricky - because earrings actually have so much work to do! Not only do your wedding earrings have to match your wedding dress and your necklace, but you also have to pay attention whether they’re complementing your neck and hairstyle.
A rule of thumb is that up-dos give you more maneuvering space when it comes to earrings - while they work well with delicate studs, they can also easily be paired with bold, statement earrings like drop and chandelier earrings, as well as hoop earrings like these yellow gold and diamond hoops.
Or if you’re into something less extravagant, but still captivating, you can opt for these silver mesh drop earrings.
Keep in mind that such big earrings require a simpler necklace.
If you would rather keep your hair flowing down your back, your earrings should stay on the simpler side, so it’s better to opt for elegant studs such as these stunning oval button earrings. No matter how small and simple, stud earrings coupled with a delicate headpiece or tiara can have a dazzling effect.
However, half-dos are one of the rare options in life where you can have your (wedding) cake and eat it too- they offer you the opportunity to have a down-do and sparkly, bedazzled statement earrings like these yellow gold and diamond earrings!
Go with a Right Bracelet Fit
Much like with the rest of the jewelry, your bridal bracelet should feel comfortable, and team up perfectly with the other pieces you’re wearing and complement your dress. Whether you’ll go for a delicate diamond bangle bracelet like this one…
Or this super fancy link bracelet - depends on your overall style.
However, pay attention to your bracelet shape - no matter how extravagant, you don’t want something with rough edges that could snag your dress and damage it.
Buy Your Jewelry from an Established Jeweler
According to Statista, people like to keep things traditional when it comes to buying jewelry - in-store purchases are preferred by more than 90% of buyers! It makes sense to avoid turning the wedding day you’ve always dreamed of into a customer experience nightmare. It goes without saying that all the jewelry you buy should come with a receipt and warranty.
Make sure you always buy from trustworthy, credible jewelry stores. Here at Estate Watch and Jewelry, we have a 4.9 star rating on Google with over 650+ reviews.
Whether you’re a tech-savvy online shopper or prefer to touch and feel precious stones, we’ve got you covered. On The Estate Watch and Jewelry website you can take your time and search for your perfect wedding jewelry set, or you can drop by our store if you’re near Phoenix, Arizona!
Our jewelers and staff are waiting for you in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale - we can help you pick out some perfect bridal jewelry you’ll want to wear for the rest of your life!