Wedding Day Accessory Tips: Do's and Don'ts

Put the cherry on top of your wedding day look with the perfect selection of accessories. The right wedding day jewelry will enhance your dress, but a piece that doesn't go with the style may look awkward and out of place. There are a few different factors that go into picking out the perfect bridal accessories for your big day.

Do's for wedding hair accessories
Complement the style of your dress. If your dress has a vintage feel, don't go with modern jewelry. No matter how pretty the pieces are, they simply won't fit with the style of the gown.
Match all your metals. If your engagement ring is silver or white gold, make sure to choose the same color for your bridal accessories. Mixed-and-matched metals create a trendy look that can work with an everyday outfit, but it doesn't look good in pictures. Opt for all the same color metal, even if you have to purchase faux gold or silver to do it.
Incorporate an heirloom. Borrow jewelry from family or in-laws for your wedding day. It'll make looking back at the jewelry in your wedding pictures that much more meaningful. If you don’t have jewelry you can borrow, start your own tradition. Purchase a string of pearls or a pair of earrings that you can pass down to the future bride in your life.
Consider hair accessories. Even if you're wearing a veil, you can still rock an embellished headband or lovely comb. If you want to change up your hair accessories from ceremony to reception, try removing the veil and putting on a fascinator for the big party.
Wear pieces that enhance your gown. Short-sleeved dresses look pretty with bracelets, while strapless and sweetheart dresses look fab with bold earrings Halters go great with hair accessory jewelry, and V-necks look stunning when paired with pendants or chokers.
Remove excess body jewelry. Those eyebrow and nose piercings are not something you'll love seeing when you flip through your wedding album at your 50th anniversary party, no matter how cool it looks right now.


Don'ts for wedding accessories
Don't look at jewelry until you pick out your dress. This seems obvious, but brides often get hooked on statement pieces that models are wearing or that they see in bridal salons. Building a look around a piece of jewelry limits your dress options and makes it a lot harder to find a gown.
Don't worry about adorning yourself in diamonds. It's just one day; you can wear cubic zirconia and other faux gemstones if that's how you want to complete your look.
Don't wear wedding jewelry on your left arm. Keep the focus on your left side, on your engagement and wedding band. There will be tons of pictures and guests looking at your left hand; large bracelets and excess rings can take away from your bridal set.
Don't overload yourself with accessories. You don't need to wear one of every type of jewelry. A simple necklace and pair of earrings, or a hair piece and bracelet will do the trick. Less is definitely more when it comes to accessorizing on your wedding day.
Don't focus on trends. In thirty years, you'll most likely regret that super chunky necklace you just had to have. You won't look at pictures and say, "I shouldn't have worn those pearls" or "Those diamond studs were way too gaudy."
Don't forget about the bag. Even though your maid of honor will most likely be keeping tabs on it the entire night, a clutch will look nice in pictures and carry everything you need to touch up your makeup throughout the evening.

Kins od the Veil Length

Veil length highlights you and your wedding dress. A long veil can lengthen your look while a short veil can add interest to the top of your dress. We can help you! Here you can learn about the different lengths and how to measure. Feel free to contact us or call us for personal assistance!


To get an idea of a custom veil length on yourself

Find a friend and a full length mirror
If possible try on your gown, definitely wear the same height shoes
Start a long string (or tape measure) on your head where you plan to wear your veil
Run the string down your back
Mark where you may want your veil to end
Measure to the mark(s)
For a blusher veil

Mark where you want the blusher to end in back
Holding the string in place on top of your head, move the string to the front
Adjust if needed to where you want it to end in front
Keep in mind wedding day hairstyles can take up extra veil length, so it’s best to go a bit longer

Shoulder Veil
The shoulder length veil is a short veil that touches your shoulders or slightly covers them. The Communion Veil falls in the shoulder length category. For the short veil it is very important to know where you will attach the veil on your head because that will make a big difference in the veil length.


Elbow Length Veil
The elbow length veil reaches your elbows or your waist. An elbow veil can be used to cover your shoulders. An elbow length veil will highlight a wedding dress with a spectacular skirt. Be sure to measure as our “elbow veils” can be up to 36 inches which can fall at fingertip level for many brides.

Fingertip Veil
The fingertip veil should just graze your fingertips when your fingers are extended. Fingertip wedding veils fall below the waist and do well to keep the focus on an amazing bodice. Mantilla veils are a good size at fingertip length.


Waltz Length Veil
The waltz length veil should end just about knee length, usually 8 to 12 inches above the floor. Think of a waltz a dance gliding across the room. A waltz length veil is not as fluffy due to the longer length. To show off a stunning waist or bodice on your dress, choose a waltz veil.

Chapel Length Veils
Chapel length veils fall just above the floor or to the ankles. A chapel veil can lengthen your overall look.Chapel length veils tend to hang straight down and not get as fluffy. It’s important to measure to find ankle or floor length on yourself…with shoes on and starting where you will wear it on your wedding day.


Cathedral Veil
The cathedral veil trails behind the gown on the floor like a train. A good way to add a train when your dress does not have one. For a dress with a train, end the cathedral veil 4 to 6 inches or more beyond the dress train so the veil will spread out and allow your dress to show through. Even at full width cathedral length veils are quite transparent.


Royal Length Veil
A royal length veil is even longer than the cathedral veil. Royal veils are more than 120 inches long, we’ve made some as long as 240 inches. For the most dramatic effect chose a royal length veil.

Useful Tips for Choosing Wedding Veils

Colors should match. Don't choose an ivory veil for a white dress. Even though the difference may look slight, the contrast will show.
Embellishments on a veil should match those on the dress. If your dress is studded with pearls, you'll probably want pearl embellishments on the veil.
Make sure the weight of the headpiece and veil combined is something you can deal with. Most headpieces are secured to the head with combs. If the veil is heavy, the combs can play havoc with your hairdo.
If you're in love with your veil but don't feel it will be comfortable for an all-day affair, consider getting a veil with a detachable headpiece. After the wedding ceremony and pictures, you can detach the veil and wear the headpiece only. You want to feel light as you dance the evening away.

Once you choose a veil, you'll be able to choose your hairstyle. If you'll be having your hair and makeup professionally done, it would be a good idea to bring your veil to the hairdresser's with you when you go for your initial consultation. You can discuss styles in advance and perhaps try a few for your consideration.

If you'll be doing your own hair, take some time and practice with styles that work best with your veil. The last thing you want on the day of your wedding is to have to experiment with different styles.

Where to Buy Veils
While brides often purchase their veils from the salon or shop where they purchased their dress, others may not find quite the right one. In this case, check out other retailers and shops for a wider selection.

Bridal Veils and Jewelry
Bridal Veils and Jewelry features affordable veils and headpieces, along with jewelry. With 15 colors, 14 edge options, and the choice between one and two tier veils, brides are sure to find something to suit their style at this shop.
Birdcage Veils
A birdcage veil is a short, chic, netted veil style that allows you to see clearly. At Birdcage Veils, you can choose wedding fascinators with different types of nets. Check out their video gallery to get good examples of all the cool bridal styles they offer. Owner Melody Ginn receives each email order.
Illusions Bridal
Illusions Bridal has wedding hair accessories and veils, including headpieces. These beautiful headpieces fit on the wedding crowns or tiaras. Choose a simple or more complex style to pair with your veil. They typically ship within just a couple days of the order.
Occansey Designs
Want more control over your veil design? Partner with Occansey Designs and get the exact look you want. You'll choose important details like fullness, layers, cut, and color.


Store Your Veil Carefully
Before the wedding, hang the veil in a closet, preferably away from sunlight, moths and other elements. If it came in a garment bag, you'll want to keep storing it that way for protection. After the wedding, take your veil, along with your dress, to the person preserving the dress. The veil will be stored in the same box for future generations to use.

Choosing the Right Bridal Accessories

After you've selected your wedding gown, it's time to shop for your accessories. It's important to be sure that your accessories match the style and feel of your dress - and that you don't overdo it. Just one or two carefully chosen pieces are usually all you need. Check out our advice on selecting the right accessories for your gown.

Veil

A full-length veil looks just right with a classic ballgown


Gloves

While gloves are most frequently seen with traditional gowns, we love playing up the retro, Marilyn Monroe factor by pairing them with a glam, sexy style.


Birdcage Veil

Brides who want a vintage look gravitate toward a short birdcage veil. This style looks particularly lovely with a short dress.


Floral Wreath

For a full-on boho-chic garden fairy look, a floral wreath is just the right hair accessory. We suggest pairing it with a sheath style gown, perhaps with some floral details to match.


Statement Earrings

If your gown has just a splash of sparkle, a pair of statement earrings can ramp up the look. But if you're wearing a gown that's covered in head-to-toe bling, select smaller earrings.


Jacket or Coat

If you're getting married in the wintertime, consider sporting a cool cover-up if you decide to take pictures outside. Jackets or other outerwear look best on a less-adorned gown.

Hair Flower

A large hair flower looks particularly lovely with a fitted gown or sheath with just a hint of sparkle.

Headband or Tiara

Sparkly headbands or tiaras look picture perfect with a grand ballgown. It's the ultimate princess look.

Necklace

We normally think that statement necklaces look best with strapless necklines, but this pairing of a cool necklace with an illusion neckline gown by Amsale changed our mind.

The History behind the bridal veil

Wedding day attire has changed in many ways, but one component that has withstood the test of time is the wearing of a wedding veil.

Though many brides know it is tradition to wear a bridal veil, many do not understand why. Here is a look at the history behind the veil and why it continues to be worn today.

The veil and the bouquet that a bride carries may predate the wearing of white. Although there is no definitive reason for the wearing of a veil, many surmise it has to do with ancient Greeks and Romans’ fear of evil spirits and demons. In fact, this is where many of the bridal traditions actually come from, including bridesmaids wearing similar dresses in order to serve as decoys for the bride. In an effort to frighten away or disguise the bride from evil spirits, brides-to-be were dressed in brightly colored fabrics like red and obscured by a veil. But in many cases, the veil prevented the bride from seeing well. That is why her father or another person "gave her away." He was actually escorting her down the aisle so she wouldn’t bump or trip into anything. The veil also served as a method of shielding the bride’s face from her future husband, especially in the cases of arranged marriages.

Superstition has it that it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride prior to the wedding. A veil hiding her face also ensured that the groom would not see his soon-to-be-betrothed up until the ceremony.

Eventually the meaning behind the veil transformed as weddings evolved into religious ceremonies. The veil came to symbolize modesty and obedience. In many religions it is seen as a symbol of reverence for women to cover their heads. When white wedding dresses were worn to symbolize chastity, the white veil followed suit.

Regardless of the origins, veils continue to be sported by today’s brides, who choose from a few different styles. A flyaway is a short veil that ends at the shoulders, while a sweep veil ends at the floor. Chapel and cathedral veils follow the bride at a significant length (nine and 12 feet, respectively). A blusher is a very short veil that covers just the bride’s face as she enters the ceremony. With a fingertip veil, the veil reaches the bride’s waist and brushes at her fingertips.

The wedding veils and headpieces should coordinate with the style of the gown, and many wedding attire consultants suggest choosing the gown prior to the headpiece and veil.