June Wedding: Part 2
Bridal Jewelry Dictated by Wedding Dress Style
As promised, I’m sharing the bridal jewelry I created for my niece’s June wedding held in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She was radiant, and her sparkling blue eyes were the only things that outshone her gorgeous wedding dress.
The bride and I designed the jewelry to match her traditional wedding dress, her pearl vine halo bridal headpiece, and the bridesmaid jewelry, including necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
For the bride, I strung a strand of pearls in a classic v-shaped necklace. The necklace echoed the wedding dress’ classic sweetheart neckline. The necklace was measured and fitted just as carefully as the dress was tailored. Color was also matched, as there are many different shades of white, especially white pearls.
My original design idea was a trendy asymmetrical Y-necklace using two sizes of pearls. In the end, the length didn’t work with the wedding dress’ style. I was also concerned that the necklace would not hang straight. Weddings are no time to experiment, and a crooked necklace would be a disaster. I will be working to make this non-traditional wedding design work for future occasions.
Another challenge arose when I ran low on the faux pearls that I have used for years in my designs. Suddenly my supplier doesn’t carry them anymore. The pearls were selected because of the color, and they had to match the dress! I ordered Swarovski pearls, beautiful, but a slightly different color of white. In the end, I was able to find enough of the original glass pearls on hand from past experiments. (These man-made pearls have a glass core onto which the pearlescent coatings are bonded).
On her wedding day, the bride should have every dream come true. That includes her wedding jewelry. Sharing a small part of planning a wedding is an honor that I take seriously. I strive to satisfy the vision the bride has for her special day.