The moment you tried on that stunning strapless wedding gown, you knew that your long search for the perfect dress was at an end. Be warned, however, that the quest to complete the rest of the outfit just entered a realm of dizzying possibilities. Putting together bridal accessories is an exciting process, but when the options are endless, you almost have too much freedom.
Strapless dresses make it so easy to accessorize that narrowing down your selection can become intimidatingly difficult. Even though the liberating design makes it an ideal partner for bridal jewelry, there is still an art to getting the combination right.
Luckily, you’ve got a good head on the shoulders that your dress is showcasing in such fabulous fashion, so you welcome the creative challenge offered by the blank canvas. Do you want your wedding day look to be sleek and minimal, or is it clearing the way for accessories that make a dramatic statement? You have plenty of options for your bridal look, but you still want to commit to just one, cohesive look.
What to Avoid
While you have a wealth of options, there are a couple of mistakes you can still make when accessorizing your strapless bridal gown. Let’s get ahead of those. You probably already knew these, but it could be a good refresher course.
Too Much of a Good Thing: Strapless dresses are always a good look, but it’s easy to make the jewelry look too busy. When accessorizing, err on the side of less is more. Any of the four suggestions we have will look great, but you want to use them sparingly.
Too Much Empty Space: This is especially true if you have a plunging neckline. For dresses with high necklines, this is a little simpler. You want to use a necklace to fill the empty space between the bottom of your neck and your dress’s neckline. For this reason, plunging necklines and necklaces that sit really close to the neck (think: choker necklaces) don’t play nicely together. That isn’t to say you can’t wear a choker with a strapless dress. Just make sure it has a high enough neckline.
Focus on Balance: Yes, you can go overboard on jewelry with a strapless dress, but that doesn’t mean you only have to wear one piece. You can wear your earrings and your necklace and bracelets and all that. You can have your cake and eat it, too (quite literally, by the time you’re at the reception). As long as you aren’t wearing more than one “main” piece, you’re set. For example, if you want to wear a bold necklace, make sure you forgo the statement earrings and don’t try to overpower the necklace. Stud earrings are a great choice in that case. As long as everything is balanced, you’re set.
The best way to take advantage of all the options a strapless dress offers is to have a clear, cohesive vision. And just in case you want a bit of help from the experts at Modern Gents, here are the four strapless wedding dress jewelry options that we recommend.
Learn How to Accessorize Your Wedding Dress Here1. Statement Necklace
It’s possible that you envisioned the necklace even as you tried on the dress. A strapless dress can allow a statement piece to be the focal point of the ensemble. Yield centerstage to a bib necklace or a large pendant. Maybe even multiple pendant necklaces! However, even when your bridal necklace is the star of the show, it’s still part of Team Bride, and it needs to behave with a certain degree of decorum.
Does your dream dress neckline have a straight, unadorned neckline or did you choose a sweetheart neckline embellished with embroidery? Maybe something in between? So that your statement piece stays on message, make sure the necklace complements the contours of the neckline. Collar-style necklaces work best for straight necklines.
If you have your heart set on a pendant, then the key to balance is to have the length of the necklace operate between your neckline and collarbone. And make sure that the jewelry sits on skin, not fabric — that’s one of the reasons you went strapless in the first place.
Browse Our Collection of Bridal Necklaces2. Earrings That Frame the Face
Wedding guests will be oohing and aahing over the dress as it swishes down the aisle, but the groom’s misty eyes are locked on yours. Choose bridal earrings that will frame your face in the mental snapshot that will last a lifetime.
Drop earrings or dangle. Hoop or chandelier earrings. If you are wearing a strapless dress, it’s open season on the whole catalog of modern bridal earrings. While you don’t need to worry about whether they are going to get caught on shoulder lace, you might still need to consider their interaction with the veil and their relationship with any necklace. If the earrings are going to be bringing the drama, you might want to tone down the necklace.
3. Dainty Chains
If you are going the less-is-more route with the strapless dress, you can apply that same degree of understated grace to the jewelry. If there is more ornamentation elsewhere (whether that is on the dress itself or some of the other jewelry), competing with it will just lead to an unpleasant clash. Opt for simple chains or go without a necklace entirely. If the strapless neckline is an exciting style on its own, you may not even need any jewelry around your neck.
4. Bracelets
You’ve been putting in time at the gym to tone those arms. Or maybe you’ve just been leveling out a dance floor for your backyard reception. Either way, we see you. If you are keeping it simple, choose a single tennis bracelet for the perfect embellishment. But don’t hesitate to go for it. This is a golden (or silver) opportunity to assemble a bridal bracelet stack, and we are confident you can pull it off!
Complete Your Look with a Bridal BraceletFind Wedding Jewelry That Complements Your Dress
Source: ProWeddingStudio /Shutterstock.com
Strapless wedding gowns might not be as ubiquitous now as they were in their peak during the first decade of the new millennium, when they were by far the most popular option. But there are still plenty of bare-shouldered brides out there who favor its feature-flattering simplicity. Finally, the whole point of strapless dresses is to free up room for self-expression, so go with whatever fits your personal style and matches what you want for your wedding day.
Shop All Bridal Jewelry from Mod Gents
Header image source: ProWeddingStudio /Shutterstock.com