Many brides are realizing that just because your friends are all in your wedding party, it doesn’t mean they all need to match on your big day. This is a significant departure from the days of completely coordinated bridesmaids. Your bridal party no longer needs to wear the exact same dress (maybe just the same color), which means the jewelry can also be more suited to their individual style.
A bridesmaid might even consider suggesting this to the bride just to take some of the work off of her plate. Everyone could pick their own accessories (within reason of course) and save her a little bit of stress during her busy planning.
Coordinate without Matching
It might sound tricky to get all of your party members looking similar without the exact same jewelry, but there are several ways to make this happen while saving you the stress of shopping for each individual and personality.
- Request Classic Options: Ask them all to get either pearls or a gemstone in a specific and complimentary color. With these tight guidelines, your bridesmaids should still look great and somewhat understated while standing next to you.
- Think Initials: If you still want to gift them their own unique jewelry without spending too much time at your favorite jeweler, consider initial jewelry. This allows you to give them a personalized and thoughtful gift, yet keeps them in similar style. Plus, this is an easy “add to cart” item as you can just click through all the initials you need to purchase.
- Personal Preference: You can also just gift them the piece of jewelry they will most likely prefer from one collection. One girlfriend may wear larger earrings, while another always reaches for a dainty bracelet. This is a great way to accentuate their features, dress choice, and hair style.
- Coordinate with Themes: Another way to coordinate without matching is to choose a jewelry theme and ask them to choose their own. Pick a gem color and use it in whatever necklace or earrings they purchase. You can even choose a theme like nature or geometric patterns, show them some examples and let them decide on their own pieces.
Accessorize within Reason
Having a more personalized approach to bridesmaid jewelry is supposed to save you some stress and not add to it. We can all imagine that one bridesmaid who may get carried away if left to her own choices. Here are a few tips to keep this headache-free for you and make sure no one is upstaging the bride on her special day.
- Don’t overdo it
Too many accessories can look awkward or shift the focus away from the bride. Limit their accessories to one or two simple pieces. Whether you are making the purchase or letting them buy their own, make it clear how much (or how little) they should be planning to wear. - Guidelines are key
If you are letting them choose, set some guidelines while still allowing them to reflect their own style. You can even set limits on the length of necklaces and earrings. - Gifting a case
Whether you give the jewelry as a gift or they buy their own, consider giving a personalized jewelry case or bag that they can use on your wedding day. Individualized items always make a thoughtful gift.
References:
- Bridesmaids Jewelry to Suit Your Party. www.jewelrywise.com. (Accessed April 20 2021).
- Things You Should Consider When Purchasing Bridesmaid Jewelry. www.diamondiiz.com. (Accessed April 20 2021).