Bridal Party Jewelry

Presented in celebration of the wonderful event, bridal party jewelry can become a treasured memento of both a beautiful wedding and a loving marriage. If the bride takes time to choose a unique and practical piece, the bridesmaids will wear the jewelry long after the cake has been eaten and the birdseed has been shaken out of their shoes. Not only will the participants forever link the exquisite bracelet or necklace with the wedding, they will associate the joy they derive from a valued accessory with the generosity of the bride and groom. Choosing from the expansive collection of bridesmaid jewelry sets shouldn't be undertaken in haste. A well thought out gift is the only one worth giving. With a little time and effort, a bride can give a treasure and a memory to her friends and family, rather than simply hand out a souvenir.

The first decision a bride must make when she is choosing bridal party jewelry is whether the bracelets, earrings and necklaces will be solely gifts or if they are going to be a part of the matrimonial ceremony. If the accessories are going to be seen in the wedding, they must match the general theme and color of the ceremony. Though this does limit the choices somewhat, it's still possible to customize each piece for the individual styles of the bride's attendants. In the event that the bridesmaid jewelry sets are going to be worn during the festivities, a bride would be prudent to choose neutral colors to allow the recipient to wear them at other occasions. For example, during the 1980s two of the top colors for matrimonial festivities were teal and sea foam green. Those two colors quickly became pass in the 1990s. Rather than purchase a necklace with a teal heart clanking on a chain, a bride could easily purchase a subtle pearl necklace that would accent a teal dress, but still leave the attendant with an accessory she can wear with most any dress well into the next decade. Many wedding retailers offer two or three options for every setting. To clarify, if a bride decides on pearls for her attendants, a retailer usually carries a tear drop pearl pendant on a chain, a cultured single-strand pearl necklace, an uncultured single-strand pearl necklace and a multi-strand pearl necklace. This allows the bride to choose between bridal party jewelry options, but still retain preference for pearls.

It is up to the bride if each attendant gets something unique and one of a kind, or they all get the same accessory. In the example with the pearls, perhaps a bride would choose to give cultured pearls to two of her attendants and uncultured to two others. Varying preferences and personalities often make it difficult to please all the members of the bridal party with bridal party jewelry. Having multiple options within the same color of stone increases the chances of meeting everyone's needs. If the bride still wants uniformity in the photos, choosing the same necklaces but varying the bracelets is another option. Two caveats when buying bracelets and earrings: find out how many of the wedding attendants have pierced ears and how large the wedding entourage's wrists are. Most styles of earrings come in both pierced and clip-on. It would behoove a bride to research both, as the clip-on option for some earrings is drastically different from the pierced design. Previewing both pierced and clip-on will prevent the bride from having to start from scratch if she dislikes the clip-on style. Measuring wrists is a vital part of buying the bracelets. If a bracelet is not adjustable, the bride will want to choose a size small enough to stay firmly in place while the wedding party walks down the aisle and dances during the reception. If finding fitted bracelets proves too hard due to drastic differences in sizes, bracelets are now available in adjustable designs that are still classic and elegant.

Choosing bridesmaid jewelry sets is a prime vehicle to commemorate all that the marriage will stand for. In early religions, the followers hung what was important around their necks. "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart." (Proverbs 3:3) Pendants and necklaces provide opportunities to keep the wedding and marriage next to the bridesmaid's heart, literally. Often, retailers will customize the necklace to provide a "one of a kind" piece. For instance, if a couple shares a love of gardening, accessories that showcase roses can honor a shared passion. Many times the retailer can engrave the names of the bride and groom and the year of their nuptials on the back of a pendant or bracelet. Caution should be used when individualizing a piece. If the piece is too personal or unique, it is no longer a practical piece of jewelry. If simple silver is the theme for the accessories, a silver pendant in the shape of the first letter in the bridesmaid's name is suitable. This allows each woman to receive something uniquely hers that still matches the style of the wedding. However, couples should resist the temptation to make the pendants shaped like the first letters of the bride and groom's names. Engraving the front of a necklace or bracelet with commemorative dates or names should likewise be avoided. Both these options aren't usable pieces of fashion and show poor taste. Weddings are a time to remember love. Bridesmaid jewelry sets provide a wonderful way for a bride to share her love with those closest to her. With creativity and tact, a bride can give her loved ones a gift that will commemorate a strong marriage and their role in it.