Welcome to The Bride Files - covering all things related to weddings as Laura prepares for her big day.
Once you have your dress and your bouquet sorted for your wedding, the next thing you need to consider is what jewellery, if any, you are going to wear.
Gráinne Seoige recently launched her new company,
Grace Diamonds, and so I thought I'd pick her brains on selecting bridal jewellery.
First and foremost Gráinne advises that you pick jewellery to suit your style. Whether that's a simple piece or some statement jewellery, just be who you are on the day and you won't regret it.
In terms of the most popular style, Gráinne says that it tends to be the simple and elegant pieces, such as a pair of diamond earrings, or pearls, and a tennis style bracelet.
Here are two beautiful examples from
Grace Diamonds.
The good thing about investing in diamond jewellery is that you will have it forever and it generally won't go out of fashion.
Plus, sometimes you could spend nearly the same amount on costume jewellery as you can on diamonds, but choosing diamonds means they are guaranteed to last a lifetime. Prices start from €570 for the earrings above from Grace Diamonds which is something you can factor into the budget from the beginning.
A lot of people choose to spend anything up to €800, and sometimes upwards, on a pair of shoes for the day and when you think about how much wear you would get out of a pair of earrings over shoes it's a no brainer where your money should go. They're an investment at the end of the day and reminder of the wedding for years to come.
If budgets don't stretch that far then pearls or costume jewellery are a fabulous option.
If you're still unsure what to wear on the day, I asked some brides what advice they would give from their experience and they have some great points.
The general consensus, like what Gráinne said, is to try and keep the jewellery simple and timeless. You also need to consider the style of your dress and what jewellery will match it. If you have a statement or detailed dress then simple jewellery is the way to go. You don't need to draw attention away from the dress.
Another point which a lot of people can overlook is the comfort of the earrings. Like you would do with shoes, break in the earrings. Wear them around the house in the weeks running up to the wedding.
Also, consider the weight of them as you'll have to wear them for a full day and that can be quite harsh on your earlobes.
Don't be afraid to borrow jewellery for your big day either. Wearing a piece belonging to someone close to you makes it even more special and it can be your "something borrowed" too.
If you have a veil make sure it doesn't catch on your earrings or necklace. The last thing you want is to get tangled in the middle of the ceremony.
Finally, there's no harm in checking with your other half about what jewellery to wear. There is a tradition for the groom to give a piece of jewellery to the bride on the morning of the wedding so it might be worthwhile making sure you aren't doubling up. Obviously, there is no pressure for them to give you something but just in case they have it planned then it would be a shame not to use them.
If you have a product/company you want to feature on The Bride Files you can get in touch with me by email, laura.holland@her.ie, or on Twitter
@LaurHolland.
Images via Grace Diamonds
