5 things to Consider When Buying your bridal accessories

Before you even start to think about what bridal accessories you may want to wear on your wedding day, there are certain things that need to be thought about before you purchase anything. Sure, your bridal gown is the main and biggest purchase but the right bridal accessories should not be underestimated and will totally elevate your look and add a personal touch. So, before you buy anything, read my ‘5 things to consider when buying your bridal accessories’:

  1. Dress First!!

    Please, please make sure you have fallen in love with and purchased your bridal gown! Now, whilst this may seem obvious to most, there are still those that see a hair accessory that they love and go ahead and purchase it before anything else! You cannot possibly make an informed decision on any of your accessories before you know, for example, what the neckline of your gown is. Is it backless or does it have an illusion back? Does it have long sleeves or no sleeves? Will I need to wear my hair up or down? For your bridal look to be cohesive and co-ordinated, your gown should be your first purchase. Only then can every other detail be considered.

Illusion back wedding dress

Beautiful bridal gown from a selection at George James Bridal, Bedford
‘Ethereal Beauty’ bridal hair comb from my collection
Photography by Lee Rushby Photography

The romantic ‘Beverly’ gown from Claire Pettibone

A dramatic low back on this exquisite couture gown from dress designer Kate Edmondson
One of a kind, bespoke ‘Klara’ backdrop bridal necklace from my ‘Bel Fiore’ collection
Photography by Natalie Stevenson Photography

2. Hair Trial

If you are confident you know how you are going to be wearing your
hair on your wedding day, then you may wish to purchase bridal hair accessories
to take to your trial with you.  However, like in a lot of cases when purchasing your bridal gown, you may end up with something slightly different to what you were initially considering.  Please don’t forget that your wedding dress will likely dictate how you will style your hair.  A hair trial first is ideally the way to go as you can be totally confident what you select will be the perfect choice.  Bear in mind that your other bridal
accessories, bridal earrings, bracelet or even shoe adornments will need to be
considered with what bridal hair accessories you choose in order to beautifully co-ordinate.

Wedding Hair loose bun

Gorgeous loose wedding hair up by the talented Emma Kim
Photography by Nikki’s Moments Photography & Film
Delicate ‘Louise’ rose gold hair vine from my custom made collection

Bridal flower hair pins

Scattered ‘Madeline’ large floral hair pins in amongst this beautiful romantic hair up by the uber talented Leah at Belles Beauty based in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire at the stunning Hunton Park, Hertfordshire
Photography by Natalie Stevenson Photography

Ever popular half up half down style which has been styled with an on trend braid by the fabulous 
Claire from Barbarella Bridal Hair in Stotfold, Hertfordshire is beautifully adorned here with my
bestselling
‘Clara’ bridal headpiece.
Photography by Natalie Stevenson Photography

3. Jewellery

You should keep in mind what you wear on a day-to-day basis.  Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, and make your every day accessories relevant to your wedding day look.  For example, if you don’t usually wear statement earrings then there’s no reason to wear them on your wedding day.  Generally speaking, less is more.  You want to look elegant and demure on your wedding day and so it really isn’t always necessary to have a tiara, veil, necklace, earrings and bracelet. Carefully select the right number of accessories and don’t go overboard.  Try them all on together before the big day and don’t be afraid to scale back. The wedding images are a permanent keepsake of your very special day and with this in mind, you want to make sure that your choices aren’t too trendy or your photos will look dated really quickly. Opt for luxurious classics instead and your bridal style will remain timeless and sophisticated in years to come.

Sparkly bridal earrings

Classically beautiful and timeless ‘Danielle’ bridal drop earrings, the perfect accompaniment to this romantic Justin Alexander bridal gown, which has co-ordinating diamante straps.
Photography by Nikki’s Moments Photography & Film

Gold bridal necklace

Feminine and delicate, this 14k gold filled ‘Angel’ bridal drop necklace is perfect for the neckline on this gorgeous bridal gown from a selection at Morgan Davies Bridal , Hitchin
Photography Natalie Stevenson Photography

'Lisa' 14k gold floral bridal earrings

A high necked couture bridal gown by James Clarke is perfectly complemented by these medium sized ‘Sasha’ hydrangea floral hair pins scattered throughout this gorgeous styled hair updo by Belles Beauty, with the perfect finishing touch of these delicate co-ordinating ‘Lisa’ gold bridal drop earrings.

4. Comfort is Key

Let’s focus now on footwear, although it is important that ALL of your bridal accessories are comfortable since you will be wearing them all day.  This is
why most of my brides come to me as not only do they want something unique,
they can also guarantee that they will not even realise they’re wearing them
throughout the day.

Ask yourself, where are you marrying your beau? Are you having an outdoor wedding? Destination Wedding? Stately Home? Do think carefully about this when you’re choosing your wedding shoe.  Clearly heels are not the way to go if you’re getting married on a beach!  And if you don’t normally wear heels, then consider beautifully adorned flats for your wedding day. 

One of the biggest trends of recent years is instead of buying ivory wedding shoes, buy a beautiful nude heel or a pair of shoes to the colour of your choice so that they may be worn many times after your wedding day.  This way, you’ll be able to relive those special memories every time you put them on. My recently launched bridal shoe accessory service is perfect for this as you can purchase your very own pair of shoes and allow me to adorn them with beautiful accessories that will also co-ordinate with your wedding dress and other bridal accessories perfectly.  Get in touch for more details.

Gold Bridal Shoes

Bespoke bridal shoe accessories, these ‘Klara’ adornments are a ‘one of a kind’ and will not be repeated, they are the perfect accessory for any heeled shoe, high or low.
Photography by Natalie Stevenson Photography

Blush Rose Gold Wedding Heels

Choose your own beautiful but most importantly comfortable wedding shoes and then accessorise them to reflect your individual style. I adore that you can then wear your wedding shoes again and again, making them the most unique and stylish investment.
Photography by Natalie Stevenson Photography

Rose Gold Wedding Shoes

The attraction of custom made bridal accessories is that you will always be
beautifully co-ordinated. Gorgeous rose gold hairpin ‘Leah’ (coming soon), sitting perfectly
alongside the complementing shoe accessory.

5.  The Most Authentic and Beautiful Version of You

Above all else, don’t stray too far from your normal style! Although it’s the most special day in your life, the idea is to look and feel like the best, most beautiful version of your regular self. 

If you require any advice on selecting the right bridal accessories for you, please do contact me or comment below, I truly would love to be able to help you.

Rachel xx