The Final Touch – Accessories

Ask any woman and she will tell you : Nothing compares to a nice piece of jewelry. 

The question of “real or fake?” no longer holds much significance since the cost and quality of good costume jewelry can far exceed that of some ‘fine ‘ jewelry. The real problem is how much or how little do you wear.  I think the best way to do this is to think of  your gown as the cake and your jewelry as the frosting. How much frosting do you want? Would you prefer to be a glittering princess, dripping in ‘diamonds’ or would a modest pearl choker suit your needs just fine?

The first step in the process is to decide on a headpiece. Many years ago headpieces were designed to match a specific gown. Each gown was accompanied by its very own headpiece and veil. The designers spent hours creating the total look and they were sold as such but now, gown designers rarely even produce headpieces.

After you find your headpiece and veil it is important to book a hair appointment to have your hair styled with the headpiece and veil. My suggestion is to book this appointment on a day when you can try on the gown, whether it is for a fitting or not. Once you have a picture of the total look, you can get an idea of how much or how little jewelry you want.  If you have a favorite piece of jewelry or a family heirloom you want to wear, bring it with you so you can see how it looks with the entire ensemble.

The most common mistake brides make when selecting accessories for their wedding is listening to other people. Other people do not live inside your body, they do not know what is comfortable to you  on your skin or what is out of character for you or simply put, what you can afford. Find the pieces you like, big or small and go with it. I can tell you I am very uncomfortable with post earrings, they constantly pinch so I spend all night tugging at my ears and finally throw them in my purse. 

Speaking of purses, don’t forget that you might want to carry a small bag with some touch-ups for  your makeup and breath mints (no gum, please). There are so many gorgeous bridal purses that can be transitioned in to evening purses that it would be a shame not to have one. It doesn’t have to completely match the gown  since you will not be carrying it around with you and I have NEVER seen a bridal portrait or wedding picture where the bride is holding a purse.  Something beautiful will work, something embellished that you could carry to a cocktail party or another wedding would be fantastic.

Another sometimes forgotten accessory is the bracelet. You don’t have to worry about which arm to wear the bracelet. Again this is a comfort issue. your wedding rings will be on  he left hand so the right arm might need a little sparkle. But, if you always wear your bracelets on the left, do what works best for you. You don’t want to be speing the evening adjusting and fidgeting at your wrist.

Do not purchase anything that pinches, pulls, tugs or leaves red marks on your skin no matter what anyone tells you.

Do spend a little extra money for something that is of better quality….you will wear it again and again.

At each and every Bridal Expo we have accessories on stage and manyof our  accessory vendors display their merchandise for you to try on. Call 847-428-3320 today to book an appointment to see a show in your area.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago