When it comes to weddings, most brides want everything to be perfect: their dress, the cake, the music – even their bridesmaids! While the bridesmaids’ dresses typically receive the lion’s share of attention and discussion during the planning phase of any wedding, bridesmaid jewelry is another classy way to improve the overall look of your bridal party. Don’t leave accessorizing to chance; once you’ve got your girls’ dresses picked out, plan some on-trend accessories that will add glamor to your big day, have everyone looking and feeling their best, and make for stylish wedding photos. Here are five of the hottest bridesmaid jewelry trends for summer 2013:
Hair Jewelry
Hair jewelry will be making its way from the runways to the wedding aisles this year. Whether your bridesmaids will be sporting sleek up-dos or cascading curls, adding a little blink to their hairstyles makes for an elegant finishing touch. Look for jeweled combs, sparkly clips or beaded headbands. Use larger pieces to balance out this year’s drop-wasted, full-skirted gowns, or strapless, minimalist tops. Smaller hair jewels compliment frilly or detailed necklines. Identical hair jewelry can help make bridesmaids with different hair lengths look more uniform, but if you want to let your girls personalize their looks, have them all choose different pieces made with similar materials.
Vintage-Inspired Jewelry
The vintage look can lend any wedding an air of traditional elegance. Why not incorporate it into the bridesmaid’s outfits as well? Victorian-inspired pieces are especially hot right now—think cameos and lockets. Add a beautiful brooch to a dress strap or waistline, or use a stick pin to fasten a wrap or decorate a shrug. If your bridesmaids are wearing hats, dress them up a little bit with a Victorian-inspired hat pin. You can get handcrafted earrings matching your outfit here. Note that rose gold is taking the place of yellow gold this year; look for chain-link bracelets or beaded bracelets with that one-of-a-kind rosy glow to them. Ornate, chandelier-style earrings are perfectly glamorous as well. Use them to compliment this year’s illusion necklines, which don’t lend themselves well to large necklaces.
Floral Jewelry
Flowers are traditional at weddings anyway, so why not take advantage of this season’s floral jewelry trend to add a few extra blooms to your bridesmaids’ outfits? Flower-inspired earrings and rings add a tiny blossom or two to any look; large, sculpted necklaces bring the look of life-sized flowers into your bridesmaids’ ensembles. Choose jewelry inspired by your favorite flowers, or select pieces that compliment the floral arrangements at your reception. Add flower jewelry in unexpected places by placing petal-inspired brooches on the sashes of bridesmaids’ gowns or adding glittery flower shoe clips to peep-toe pumps. A floral headband is another stunning way to incorporate this trend into your wedding.
Bright Colors
Forget muted colors this season; bridal party jewelry is going to be as bright and as vibrant as summer itself. Be bold with jewelry featuring bright reds, yellows, blues and purples this summer. And don’t forget Pantone’s “color of the year”: emerald! Deep green gemstones are the perfect accessory for outdoor garden weddings. Bright accessories are also the perfect way to add a pop of color to black, cream-colored or metallic bridesmaids dresses. Don’t be afraid to create a little contrast, either. Bright coral beads paired with a teal bridesmaid’s gown look right at home at a beach-themed wedding, and the color contrast makes for stunning wedding photos as well.
Artisan-Inspired Jewelry
Whether you’re in love with the boho-chic look, or just want to make sure your girls are wearing accessories as unique and special as they are, artisan-inspired jewelry lends creative flair to any wedding party. Go for a hand-crafted look with hammered metals, or look for pieces made of unconventional materials like wood or bone. Statement pieces made with rough, uncut stones make for one-of-a-kind accessories as well. If you’re environmentally conscious and working to plan an eco-friendly wedding, consider bridesmaid jewelry made of recycled materials. Alternatively, commission custom accessories from a local artisan. For a personal touch, ask the jewelry designer to incorporate components from heirloom pieces into their work or request that bridesmaids’ birthstones or initials be part of the designs.
No matter which one of this summer’s hot jewelry trends you decide to embrace for your wedding party, remember that getting dressed up is half the fun of being a bridesmaid. Choose accessories that will make your girls feel beautiful as they precede you down the aisle and pose for seemingly endless photographs. Especially if the bridesmaid dress you chose for them to wear isn’t something they might realistically wear again, show your nearest and dearest how much you appreciate them being part of your big day with the gift of a special piece of jewelry that they’ll be able to wear often and treasure forever.
About the Author: Roman Sharf is a life-long watch collector, jeweler, and founder of Luxury Bazaar, one of the world’s premiere destinations for authentic luxury watches and jewelry pieces. He lives in Pennsylvania with his family.
Tags: bridesmaids jewelry, hair jewelery, jewelry trends 2013
