Guide to Choosing Wedding Jewelry for Brides, Bridesmaids, and Mother of the Bride

With 2.5 million weddings happening this year, 2022 is a wedding boom! Even if you aren't getting married this year, there's a good chance that you are a bridesmaid or even a mother of the bride.

For every wedding, there are so many decisions to make and items to coordinate. Sometimes wedding jewelry falls by the wayside. But accessorizing your outfit for this special day is so important!

Whether you're a bride, bridesmaid, or mother of the bride, we have the perfect guide for you. You can't make a wedding fashion faux-pas with this helpful guide!

Bridal Jewelry

Your big day is coming, and you've planned every single detail of your wedding. Well... almost every detail. Once you've chosen the wedding dress of your dreams and a veil to match, it may feel like the outfit planning is done. But you still have to accessorize.

Finding the right jewelry to go with your wedding dress can feel stressful because you've already found perfection with the dress. You may be scared that you'll ruin it with the wrong pieces of jewelry. But there are some easy tips to follow that will guide you towards the perfect jewelry.

Incorporate Sentimental Pieces

One of the easiest places to start picking wedding jewelry for bride outfits is with sentimental pieces. This is a sentimental, emotional day for you. Let your jewelry do some of the heartfelt talking for you.

If you have a piece of jewelry that your parents gave you, wear it on the day that they send you to start your new family to let them know that you'll always remember where you came from. If you have a piece of jewelry from a loved one who is no longer with you, wear it to give them a special presence on your wedding day.

There's also to option to wear something from a beloved family member's previous wedding (this could be your something borrowed), or you can wear a gift from your future spouse. Whatever you choose won't go unnoticed by people who are familiar with the story and will give you a special happy glow on your wedding day. 

Put the Emphasis on Personal Style

Sometimes brides are tempted to go with whatever is "cool" or "trendy" at the moment. But remember that you and your family will have photos of your wedding day for years to come. Trends will go in and out of style, but who you are fundamentally as a person is unlikely to change. This true self should be the focus as you join your life with your partner.

Instead of letting the bridal trends dominate your jewelry choices, think about your personal style icons of the past and present. Think of the pieces of jewelry that you most like to wear to other events. These should be your guides toward the best jewelry for bride looks.

Consider Your Neckline

If you've already got your dress, there is a practical component that you should keep in mind while choosing bridal jewelry for wedding activities. That's your neckline.

If your dress has a V-neck you should choose a pendant like the twisted rope chain with irregular pearl drop, pearls, or princess-length necklace that doesn't go low enough to hit the fabric of your dress. Necklaces should stay on the skin. 

For a higher neckline such as sweetheart, bateau, or queen anne, you should choose a necklace that sits higher on the chest such as a choker or short-length pendant. The same rules apply. If your skin shows, the necklace shouldn't touch the dress.

If you wear a mock neck, illusion neckline, or halter, the world of necklaces is your oyster. Don't worry about the length because it will touch your dress fabric regardless. Although, we don't recommend a choker because it might get lost in the neckline.

Don't Let It Take the Spotlight

A general rule of thumb for jewelry is that you should have only one focal point. While this remains true for bridal jewelry, there's another focus that is even more important than the jewelry.

Your dress and your veil (if you choose to wear one) are a big statement all on their own. Your jewelry should not distract from your choice of attire, but instead, it should elevate it to a higher level. The mixed media link and flat pearl layered necklace is a perfectly subtle and romantic piece for elevating your wedding look. Complement. Don't compete.

Consider a Costume Change

This is a huge day! It's one of the biggest events of your lifetime! Make a spectacle, a scene, and a memory out of it.

You can choose to have more subdued, dainty jewelry for the ceremony, and then go all out for your reception. There's no rule that says you can't change your jewelry in the middle of the day. This is especially a great idea if you have a daytime wedding and a night reception.

Bring your day look to nighttime with a change in jewelry. The braided link short chain with large flat pearl dangles and side clasp would be a great bold nighttime bride look. 

Bridesmaids Jewelry

What is the role of the bridesmaid? Your job is to support the bride, keep her looking good, and enthusiastically reflect her excitement about her wedding. Your jewelry should serve this purpose just as much as your actions.

In every step of the decision-making process, you must ask yourself, "does this support the bride's vision of her wedding day?" If the answer is no, you have more shopping around to do!

Respect the Bride's Opinion

Your first move while choosing jewelry as a bridesmaid should be to ask the bride her opinion on jewelry. She may have very specific ideas or guidelines for you and the other bridesmaids. After all, she to some degree chooses your dress for the day. She likely has a vision for what her whole bridal party should look like.

But be prepared for her to have too much on her mind to give it much thought. She may tell you to just use your best judgment, or that she trusts you to choose, or that she only has very loose guidelines. Perhaps she just knows that she wants you all in silver jewelry. Then you have some more complex decisions to make, but you can always send her ideas and respect her input.

Consider the Neckline and the Color

Just like the bride, you should consider the neckline of your dress. Follow the general rule that the necklace should touch the dress unless no chest skin is revealed.

You also need to take into consideration what color your bridesmaid dress is. As a general guideline: blue and green go with silver and white, purple and red go with gold, and neutrals go well with black. You don't have to stay totally married to these rules, but they're good to keep in mind if you aren't sure where to start with jewelry.

If your bride gave you a choice of colors to wear as a bridesmaid dress, consider accessorizing with the color you didn't choose! If she told you to wear either blue or green, and you chose a blue dress, choose some emerald or citrine jewelry to accent your outfit.

Complement the Bride's Jewelry

Do you know what your bride is going to wear for jewelry? While you shouldn't exactly match her (that would be a huge faux-pas), it can be sweet to pay homage to her outfit in your own jewelry.

For example, if your bride is wearing a layered pearl necklace like the white and peacock black freshwater pearl multi-strand short necklace as her focal piece, you can wear a simple pair of pearl stud earrings like the large fresh water pearl earrings. It's a gentle nod that won't distract from the beauty of the bride but will add some interest to your own outfit.

Wear a Gift from the Bride

Sometimes brides will give all their bridesmaids a special piece of jewelry to commemorate their time as a bridesmaid and a friend. If you receive a piece of jewelry from the bride in this capacity, you should absolutely wear it to the wedding. To not do so would be an insult to the bride and might make you stick out from the other bridesmaids.

Even if you didn't receive a jewelry gift from the bride for this occasion, you may have previously for a birthday or other event. It would be a very sweet gesture to wear that jewelry on your friend's wedding day if it at all matches your dress. Doing so reminds her that you're her dear friend and supporter on a day celebrating all the love in her life.

Keep It Simple

There's no need to draw a huge amount of attention to yourself on this particular day. You'll be getting lots of attention anyway as a bridesmaid, and you'll be having the time of your life with the bride and her other closest friends.

For that reason, leave the big statement pieces at home. Look classy and elegant, and wait for another occasion to bring out the showstopper pieces. 

Mother of the Bride Jewelry

Like the bridesmaids, your role at your daughter's wedding is to support and celebrate her. From the way you act, to the things you say, to the jewelry you wear, everything should support her ultimate vision of her wedding and display your never-ending love for her.

Don't Draw Attention

Also, like the bridesmaids, there's no need to dress to draw attention to yourself on this day. Attention (more than you may even want) will come naturally as family and friends come to you to offer their congratulations and support. There's no need for your jewelry to be doing any extra work.

Save that style or statement that you've been meaning to try out for a different occasion. Instead, opt for the styles people naturally associate with you so that they don't notice anything different and comment on it.

If someone says you look beautiful, you've done your job right. If they mention a specific article, well, you may have gone overboard.

Find Something Timeless and Mature

Your role on this day is the role of the mother. Your time for bridal beauty has come and gone, but that doesn't mean you can't look elegant. It's just important to consider the different kinds of elegance.

Go for mature, timeless looks. Jewelry pieces that could pass for any decade can be stunning additions to an outfit without drawing attention or looking out of place. If it looks specifically "youthful" or "current", it probably isn't the right choice. Today is not the day to try to blend in with the bridesmaids.

Show a certain level of grace and maturity associated with how well you've raised your beautiful daughter.

Consider a Sentimental Piece

Just like the bride, you can choose a sentimental piece for this day. Even if no one else knows the meaning behind it, you'll get a little extra strength in your heart during the moving ceremony.

Some good options are pieces of jewelry you wore on your wedding day (as long as they aren't too flashy), a gift from your own husband, and of course, a gift from your daughter. These are the people you should be honoring and thinking about on your daughter's wedding day. Let your jewelry be a part of that honor!

Run It By the Bride

If you have questions about jewelry, you can always run your options by the bride. But respect her time and the level of stress she may be under. Instead of going to her saying, "What should I wear?", give her a few options to see what she most likes. Out of two to three options, she's sure to have a favorite and will love participating in choosing your accessories for the evening.

Wedding Jewelry for Every Member of the Party

There are so many things to coordinate and think about for a big wedding day. Whether you're a bride, bridesmaid, or mother of the bride, you have to think about wedding jewelry and what is elegant and appropriate for the event.

Do you need more jewelry options for a big event? Check out some of our popular items on sale!