How to Choose Your Bridal Jewellery

Wearing a necklace is an elegant way to enhance your decolletage, but opting to wear one should largely depend on the neckline of your dress. As a rule of thumb, your desired piece should sit directly against the skin. High necklines, halternecks and one-shoulder gowns can look cluttered with a necklace layered over the top – let the dress speak for itself. Lower necklines like scoop, square, sweetheart and strapless styles, however, offer the perfect framing for a beautiful rivière or choker, while plunging necklines look best with pendants, drop necklaces and lariats.

Earrings can reflect an important part of your personal style as a bride. If you’re someone who likes to wear multiple piercings in your day to day, lean into it (especially if you’re sporting an up-do), whereas simple lobe piercings can achieve a more classic look. Either way, it’s important to take your decolletage into consideration when choosing earrings – if you forgo a necklace, you might want to choose bolder earrings instead. However, if your necklace is a centrepiece, go smaller on the earrings – a simple diamond stud, for example. Pearls, too, are a classic choice, and needn’t feel old-fashioned thanks to the likes of Sophie Bille Brahe and Persée.

Your engagement ring and wedding band are the focal points around which all your jewellery should revolve – the most important pieces of the day and, no doubt, those which will elicit the most admiration from your guests. With this in mind, many brides prefer to forgo competing rings and even keep all other jewellery to a minimum. Nevertheless, a modern bride need not worry about tradition – if you’re someone who wears a lot of rings, don’t be afraid to reflect your personal style by incorporating stacking pieces or even adding a cocktail ring to your right hand. There are plenty of complementary styles to choose from – think symbolic knot motifs, eternity bands, something-blue sapphires and bridal-white pearls.

Just as you would with necklaces and earrings, consider how your bracelets and rings will appear together. If you’ve opted to stack your rings, you might prefer to stick to something delicate on the wrist – a simple chain or classic tennis bracelet – or perhaps avoid one altogether. On the flip side, something more ornate – a diamond bangle or chunkier cuff – can effectively draw the eye towards your hand, in the direction of your new wedding band (and ethereal manicure).