DOs and DON’Ts: 5 Tips for Picking Your Wedding Jewelry

I rarely wear jewelry—besides my wedding and engagement rings—but when I do, my instinct is to get all Mary-Kate Olsen and pile on everything in my jewelry box. Which means I’m probably the wrong person to ask about choosing your bridal wedding jewelry. So I got in touch with someone who’s much more qualified!
Urvi, an expert jewel stylist and the owner of Tejani, put together some DOs and DON’Ts to help you pull together your wedding day look. And I went ahead and picked some pieces from her collection that I think you’ll adore. Just promise me you won’t try to wear everything at once.

DON’T wait ’til the last minute!
You never want your accessories to be an afterthought. Order everything at least a month in advance. You’ll want to have enough time to try it on with your wedding dress and make sure you’ve achieved the final look you want.

DO go big!
Especially if you’re wearing your hair down! Dainty earrings will get lost in your hair. Punch up your look with some dramatic statement earrings!




DON’T over-accessorize!
The only thing worse than under-accessorizing is over-accessorizing. If your wedding dress has a lot of lace or heavy embroidery, choose light pieces to compliment it. If you have your heart set on a chunky necklace, skip the armful of bangles and shoulder-grazing earrings. Ask a stylish friend to help you edit your look!

DO accessorize your bridesmaids!
You spent countless hours finding the perfect bridesmaid dresses, so take a few minutes to complete the look with fabulous accessories. Keep the style consistent, but let your bridesmaids express their individuality. (Trust me, they’ll thank you!) The styles below match, but they’re not matchy-matchy. p.s. You can choose any color stones to match your palette!



DON’T be afraid to change your look!
You can have a classic look when you walk down the aisle, then change up your jewelry when you’re going to let loose at the reception. Add a few bangles or switch out your elegant pearl studs for statement-making chandelier earrings.

Diy Wedding Accessories-Silk And Lace Blossom Pin Tutorial

 Is everyone is excited for the new book, Adornments from Twigs and Honey and Elizabeth Messina? It is filled with with tutorials and gorgeous pictures, and it’s a must-have for anyone who loves to craft.
In honor of her new book, Myra put together this DIY Silk And Lace Blossom Pin tutorial exclusively  for our readers. The final product is incredibly pretty and can be worn anywhere. It would look so cute tucked in an updo or loose bun. We also love that the tutorial is quite easy and only requires a few supplies and takes a few steps.

Materials & Tools
4-6 squares of silk fabric that are from 2-3” (I’m using silk organza and silk chiffon)
Assorted beads
Assorted piece of lace (preferably with light beading)
Bobby pin
Scissors
Needle & thread



 A special thanks to Myra for putting this together for us and be sure to check out her new book. Adornments. Read on to learn how to make these silk and lace blossom pin diy wedding accessories.
Step 1: Cut the silk squares in to rounded shapes. These don’t have to be perfect circles. A few wobbles and jagged edges are a good thing.
Step 2: Pull with on the edges of the cut silk using your fingers to fray the edges.
Step 3: Continue fraying your silk rounds until all are nicely deconstructed. Layer the silk pieces on top of each other and tuck in a few lace accents. Pinch the center and hand stitch together, sewing a few beads into the center as you go.
Step 5: Sew onto a bobby pin. You can create 1 or multiple of these pins for a layered effect.

What To Do With Your Wedding Decorations After the Wedding

You put months of thought into your wedding day details and it paid off. The centerpieces were flawless, the table runners were crisp, and the reception decorations stayed put throughout the party. Congratulations. You’re married! Now you’re looking at overstuffed boxes of tulle, mason jars, lanterns, table settings, and linens in your living room. What’s a newlywed to do? It’s time to gift, sell, DIY (again), donate, and store. Read on to get the details!


Gift Your Wedding Decorations
Look at your decorations and get creative. Which ones can you gift to friends and family? You can turn a mason jar, for example, into an instant gift by filling it with dry chocolate chip cookie mix, tying a ribbon around the top, and sticking a recipe on it. Freebie Finding Mom has 25 mason jar recipes that span all holidays. Or, use small vases or jars to hold cutlery, tea, or sugar in your kitchen.

And the lanterns you used to light the aisle or provide reception ambiance? Add a citronella candle and bring one as a hostess gift to your next outdoor get-together!

Sell Your Wedding Decorations
This may seem the most appealing option for budget-savvy brides looking to recoup some of their wedding day expenses. The best part? You already have professional photographs of your wedding decor! Peruse Craigslist, Etsy, and eBay and you’ll find plenty of brides looking to unload used/unused wedding decor, wedding clothing, and even some wedding gifts. (Yikes, don’t be one of these gift-givers! Get the newlyweds a gift they won’t return!)

If it seems like too much of a hassle to list individual items, post pictures of your wedding and sell your wedding decorations as a themed bundle. You may not recoup all of your money, but you’ll be one step closer to clearing the clutter and still make a little cash.

The best site for reselling gently used wedding decorations and accessories (in my opinion) is Tradesy. They help you list literally everything from your wedding, including your shoes, veil, accessories, paper products, centerpieces, chandeliers, and more.

But you don’t have to go high-tech to make a buck or two. Want to get things out of the house fast? Host a garage sale. While you may not make top-dollar at a garage sale, you’ll certainly clear things out quickly.

No matter how you choose to sell your wedding decorations, you can help them sell faster and at a higher price if you showcase how YOU used them at your wedding. Other brides will be inspired to re-create your look!

Donate Your Wedding Decorations
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. Know a coworker or friend’s daughter that is getting married soon? The bride-to-be may be able to re-purpose your decorations for her own big event. Do you really need three beverage dispensers? Or, donate your centerpieces to a hospital or elderly home in your area. Your decorations could also go to supporting an up-and-coming young photographer! Talk about some stylish photo props.

Store Your Decorations in a Sentimental Way
Get a large wooden trunk or plastic storage trunk and decorate it with paint, pages from your favorite wedding magazines, and enjoy an afternoon DIY-ing a memento that could be in your family forever. Here, you can keep extra copies of your invitations, “save-the-dates,” the robe you got ready in, and the hanger that held your dress. Wrap vases and lanterns in table linens or table runners to make the most of your space.

So, what did you do with your wedding decorations after the wedding? Sell them? Donate them? Store them? Which decorations did you keep? Help out brides-to-be everywhere and let us know in a comment below!