Here is our guide on how to choose bridal jewellery which is right for YOU.
A wedding is a very important event and today's brides are under increasing pressure to look "just perfect". An Indian bride's jewellery is a critical part of her overall look and can enhance or dull a bride's appearance (as her outfit & hair-mendhi-makeup); so this element requires much thought and attention.
First, receive your bridal lengha / outfit. We have met many brides who have given very specific instructions to tailors but these have sadly not been followed e.g. a dear relative requested antique embroidery but was given gold. Such differences can mean that the jewellery you thought would match is then useless. So please only buy your jewellery after receiving your bridal wear thus ensuring a perfect match.
Have the right bridal top. If you would like to wear very big jewellery we recommend that you have your bridal top made with a wider or deeper neckline so that your jewellery sits well on you. Also if you want to wear a rani haar, think about where it will sit and go for less embroidery in this area (usually around the bust).
Decide what you want. Sit down and make a list of what you want from your jewellery. Things to thing about:
- Big Vs small jewellery
- What do you want set to include, in particular do you want a nath / hath panjas / jhoomer / matha patti / baju band/ hair chotli / pyaal.
- Colour
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Price, honestly decide what your maximum budget is, and stick to it!
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Consider different stone types. Different stone types look their best in different setting & time of day. Also if you have different stone types for various events this instantly gives variety in your looks at each of your wedding & pre-wedding cermonies.Our bridal recommendations are:
Registry - Fine American Diamonds. Fine American Dimonds come in western styles (like swarovski jewllery) and shine like real diamonds making American Diamonds the perfect & a sophistcated choice for registry wear.
Otherwise: crystal, but only due to it's modern styling. Crystal is our LOW second choice as it is no where near as sophisticated as American Diamonds. Most know the diffference between the flattering sparkle of diamonds verses the excessive shine of swarovski in the day. Also swarovski looks like artifical jewellery. Whereas, American diamonds give the look of a society bride wearing diamonds.Wedding ceremoines: Kundan, large American diamonds, Polki (Not crystal as it looks too artificial in daylight & draws too much attention from the brides face in the day due to maxium light exposure making the jewellery shine in an overpowering fashion)
Evening reception: Crystal. Crystal is our favourite here as it shines the most making it best for evening receptions with low/no lighting. Otherwise: American Diamonds, then Kundan. (Polki is not recommended for evening receptions as it does not have enough shine at night for the bride to wear)Pre-wedding cermonies: Anything goes! Fine American Dimaonds, American Diamonds, crystal, polki, kudan or other.
Ways to vary your jewellery at your wedding events:
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Headpieces: vary your headpieces between: jhoomer, Pakeezah jhoomer, matha-patti, tikka, nothing. E.g. If you are wearing a jhoomer on your wedding cermony, consider wear a matha-patti on your medhi.
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On a pre-wedding event consider wearing just earrings & a head piece, as you are the bride do go for quality to set you able all but as ur buying less ur budget can be used to opt for better quality items! E.g. just big earrings and a tikka OR earrings and matha patti (this is really nice, as only the bride wears a matha-patti but by wearing only with earrings gives the matha patti a modern twist and looks geat for a pre-wedding cermoy!)
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Size, Quality, Colour... of course.
Be open to suggestions. I know I said decide what you want, but be aware that good retails know about latest fashions. So take photos of your outfit, show them to the retailer and ask what they would suggest. We recommend showing photos as you can e-mail them to online retailers, such as us, but also it's a lot safer taking a photo out shopping that your actual outfit (one bride sadly damaged her outfit while out shopping, it's easily done!)
Miscellaneous bridal ideas & notes:
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Bride's Maid's: most brides put all their bride's maids in a colour of thier choice, you can add to this by giving them a special jewellery theme:
* They all wear the same set in differnt colours
* All bride's maids wear a special jewellery item e.g. Jhoomer, Saree belt or Big Cocktail ring, Brooch on the back of saree blouse?
You could even gift the bride's maid's special jewellery to them as a thank you. We can custom make most of our items in you desired colours/mix of colours to complement your theme. -
Love your jewellery - Aviod conact with water, makeup & perfume! So make a note to put your perfume on before jewellery. Then after the wedding, gently rub off any makeup/oils that have attached to your costume jewellery to give it maximum life. Best storage for longevity is a padded plastic food box, as it is air tight. The box can be bought for as little as 99p, if you really want to do the best for your jewellery splash out on acid-free padding/tissue to line the box & individually wrap your jewellery. Ideally you should put your bridal dress in acid-free tissue also.