Friday, 5 December 2014

Fashion Friday: Get Your Wedding Accessories Right!

When it comes to planning a wedding, the devil is definitely in the detail. Despite having multiple focal points throughout the day, from the dress and colour scheme to the location and menu, many brides underestimate the power of accessories – not to mention the worry of getting it wrong. We talked to the experts from The Real Effect about the 10 common mistakes that brides make when buying their wedding accessories.



1. Upstaging the dress
It is all too easy to get carried away with draping yourself in jewels, and this does work for some looks, but no matter what style you go for, remember to never upstage the dress. In years to come the questions on people’s lips will always be ‘what was your dress like?’ not ‘what was your jewellery like?’ So, take note and find accessories that will become the support act to your dress’s lead role and not the other way around.

2. Buying accessories before the dress
Most wedding planning starts months if not years before the big day and it can be tempting to impulse buy in those first few months of being engaged. Keeping self-control in the early stages is one of the biggest challenges for a bride-to-be, but buying the jewellery before the dress is a risky business. For many brides that we have spoken to, the dress they end up buying is often completely different from the one they thought they’d wear on their big day, so buying accompanying accessories – whether shoes, tiaras or jewellery – before you know the style of your dress could leave you with an overall image that looks incomplete.

3. Not considering coloured accessories
You can easily default to the classic gold or silver jewellery with a clear stone, but don’t rule out coloured accessories. Adding a pop of colour with jewellery is a subtle way to liven up a neutral colour scheme without it being too overbearing. Alternatively, if you have a themed wedding or a prominent colour, accessories are the perfect way to continue the theme throughout the day to complete the overall look. For example, a ‘winter wedding’ lends itself to a deep ocean blue colour scheme and picking accessories to echo this could finish the overall look off better than a clear stone choice.

4. Forgetting about what suits your skin tone
By the time you get married you will most probably have at least an idea of what suits you and what doesn’t, and your wedding day isn’t the day to get it wrong! Different skin tones are suited to either gold or silver jewellery and if you’re not sure then ask for some expert advice. The same rule applies if opting for a coloured stone, depending if you have a fair complexion or olive skin for example, find out which colours suit you best and stick to them.

5. As if one isn’t enough!
Pick gold or silver – not both! This may seem obvious, but we have seen this fashion faux pas happen on a number of occasions. Most brides have a colour scheme of choice and opting for gold and silver jewellery on top of that can make things look a little less classy.


6. Buying trendy accessories
After what is sometimes years of planning the big day can feel like it’s over in a flash, but that’s why photographs are so important – it’s no wonder the wedding album is pulled out at every family get together. With this in mind, you want to make sure that your choices aren’t too trendy or your photos will look dated really quickly. Opt for timeless classics instead and your photographs will always look fashionable and glamorous.

7. Having everything matching
Not everything has to match - the key thing to remember is that this is your day and you need to bring your own flare. Brides often get given jewellery by family members to wear on the day and this should be embraced but finding accessories to match can be difficult particularly if it is an old family air loom.

8. Forgetting that sometimes less is more
It’s common for brides to go mad with accessories, particularly as this is a once in a lifetime day. However, on this occasion less is certainly more, and it's not a must to wear them all – tiara, veil, necklace, earrings, bracelets and bag – not to mention the must-have flowers, dress, shoes and ring! Picking just the right amount of accessories is sometimes a hard balance to achieve, but there is nothing worse than a bride looking too over the top. Be sure to try on all the accessories you have to wear together well ahead of the big day and don’t be afraid to scale them back. You will feel just as much the bride even with half of the accessories!

9. Getting carried away with the price tag
A wedding can put huge financial pressure on a couple and buying accessories that break the bank just isn’t necessary. With the huge array of choices out there you are sure to find accessories that look stunning and are in your price range, just make sure you shop around before you make your final decision. There is sometimes little difference between what jewellers call ‘wedding jewellery’ and their other items, apart from the price tag of course! Don’t feel pressured into buying only wedding collections; the normal jewellery sets can be just as glamorous.

10.  Not thinking beyond the wedding day
It is so easy to get tunnel vision but there are some things that can be used beyond the wedding day and accessories are one of them. Let’s face it, you are unlikely to wear your wedding dress to the shops or your wedding shoes on a night out, but why not choose jewellery that will look just as good afterwards as it did on the day?  Choosing jewellery that is versatile will ensure you can use it again and make the most of your budget. After all, if you’re going to get good wear out of them, then you can really afford to get exactly what you want!

For some inspiration on choosing your wedding day accessories, check out our previous post here and check out The Real Effect website. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on  Facebook and share your wedding accessories ideas with us! 


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