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Top Tips
Our customers come to us not just because of our highly affordable great designs and customer service but because of our years of experience as a leading online jewellery retailer. Here we thought we would share some of the top tips and advice we have learnt along the way plus share the great ideas our customers have passed onto us. The list will grow with time but here is a start…
The tricky dilema of bracelet sizing
Our bracelet size guide is fairly accurate and allows for the fact that the beads themselves take up space when you wear a bracelet. Our bracelets look their best when worn slightly loose as the movement allows the light to show the beads off to maximum effect. Still not sure? Then the other rule of thumb we use is to measure your wrist size, add on 1" or 2.5cm and select the same exact bracelet size. We do have a wrist dummy in our workshop too which we can use to make bracelets to fit if you let us know your actual wrist size, especially useful with younger bridesmaids.
Vertity Bracelet, Camille Bracelet and Simply Moonlight Bracelet
How to secure bridal hair combs
Part the hair into two parts where the bridal comb is to be worn. Backcomb the lower portion then smooth the upper part over. Apply lashings of hairspray and push the comb into the hair for a secure wedding day look.
" I just wanted to say thank you so much for the beaded comb you made for me and the headbands for my bridesmaids - they all looked beautiful on the day and stayed firmly attached to our heads all evening, even during the dancing! " Naomi
Jewellery makes perfect bridesmaids thank you presents.
A traditional choice that ticks two boxes at once; perfect thank you presents from the bride to her bridesmaids plus you've got the bridesmaid's accessories sorted. It also prevents that ghastly faux pas when the wedding photos come back, and having let your bridesmaids do their own thing you notice that they are all wearing a clash of styles that distracts from your bridal look and theme. We stock a beautiful range of styles and sizes in a glorious colour range; something for every bridesmaid no matter how big or small. Jewellery is a gift bridesmaids will always treasure.
Which length dangly earrings?
This is an earring dilema we see time and again at the shows. The secret is to look in the mirror and identify where the widest part of your jaw line is; for some this is near your ears for others in line with the edges of your mouth. Then choose earrings that hang above or below this point. Wearing earrings that end in line with the widest part of your jaw just adds extra width, and is the reason why some ladies feel wearing dangly earrings doesn't suit them. Have a go and see the difference this jewellery top tip makes!
Tiara style without a headband
Tiaras usually come on a headband but this doesn't suit all brides. The current trend for bridal side tiaras creates a pretty wedding hair feature on one side of your head but again leaves the issue of a headband in the remaining hair. This is where our best selling bridal tiara combs score. On a wide comb that is exceedlingly comfy to wear and very secure in your hair, they offer tiara style without the hassle of a headband. Available in a delicious variety of styles these can be worn ontop of your head to create a traditional tiara look or to the side in the latest wedding trend.
Lily Pearl and Diamante Bridal Tiara Comb
Love the earrings but I need them shorter
Our dangly earrings come in a range of lengths, usually determined by the size of the beads used in the design. But did you know that if you had them made on posts then they would hang 0.5" or 1cm shorter? We don't charge any extra for this change, just write your request in the comments box at the checkout.
Three or five are the magic numbers!
Mother nature creates everything in multiples of 3 or 5, whether it's the leaves on a stem or digits on a hand. Subconciously us humans look for this too and things around us seem good and well designed when they are arranged in 3's or 5's. Florists have long known this and use this rule with their displays. But the same applies when we accessorize our outfits. So when putting your jewellery on think 3 or 5 depending on the complexity of your outfit and the design of the jewellery. Earrings, necklace and bracelet for simple designs or a pair of earrings (the eye can count these as two) plus one other piece of jewellery. Five jewellery items look good for special events and times when you want to make more of a statement, remember they can be a mix of subtle designs too. Brides this applies with your wedding day look too; try different bridal jewellery combinations and go with what feels right. Your inner instinct will be spot on, trust me and have fun looking at the world around you.
Big look Bridesmaids hair with a minimal outlay
Clusters of bridal grips or pins are often much cheaper but can create the same effect as more expensive bridesmaids headbands and combs. We can customise our designs to any colour so the grips link in with your wedding day theme. Why not give them to your bridesmaids ahead of your wedding day so they can create their own individual look but still keep with your co-ordinated theme?
Sarah's top wedding day tip.
Having chosen fuchsia, silver and white with butterflies as a stunning wedding theme, Sarah and Paul kept their wedding costs down by decorating the venue themselves. Sarah says “…that would be my biggest tip to any bride. I never really set a budget as to how much I was going to spend, but instead decided I would shop around and get everything as cheaply as possible. I think it's very easy to opt for the easy answer when it comes to your wedding, but being a control freak I knew I would want the room to look just perfect and at the same time keep Paul happy with the cost”.
Neutrals rule!
Just like every woman should own some nude coloured underwear, a couple of pieces of jewellery in neutral colours are a fashion essential too. Beige, black or silver coloured jewellery are staples that go with everything. Choose designs with a sprinkling of pearls or Swarovski crystals and you have added glamour plus wow factor for nights out too.
Barley Necklace, Black Velvet Bracelet and Silver Speckle Earrings
Which size necklace do I need?
A tricky question especially asked by brides where wedding dress necklines are totally different to everyday wear. We usually suggest that if you look in a mirror and see where the top of your dress comes and the base of your neck starts (position of your collar bone) then mark a point half way in between. This mark is where the necklace should come too. You can always get a piece of wool or thread and find which length gives you this point.
Make sure you allow for pendants on necklaces where this mark should be the middle of the pendant.
Emma’s wedding day top tips.
Real life bride Emma shared her two wedding day tips with us;
- “Firstly, do not to get too stressed and panicky. All the bridal magazines I read and other people I talked to said things like 'book your photographer 12-18 months before the wedding' etc. I think these timings need to be taken with a pinch of salt - I managed to get everything I wanted and I didn't do anything (even book the venue) until 11 months before the wedding”.
- Emma’s other great bridal tip is to be picky when choosing your photographer, “everything else will get forgotten but the photos last forever. You also want someone who is pleasant and with whom you feel comfortable so that you look your best in those photos”.
Emma and Rupert's beautiful Birmingham wedding
How to fit your Julieann bridal tiara.
Our wedding tiaras are famous for being comfortable and easy to wear. Unlike many suppliers who use cast or rigid tiaras ours are hand made and soft wired offering total flexibility to ensure a personal fit.
Without looking in a mirror simply put the tiara on your head. All heads are asymmetrical so go for comfort. For most people this is in an alice band style/position over the top of the head from ear to ear (don’t worry about how it looks or how you think it should look!). Now looking in a mirror, use a couple of fingers placed flat behind the soft wires to simply pull them forward or push back to create your desired look. With or without a veil, you can adjust later in the day for a different look. Maybe get someone to help you?
You love our jewellery designs but don’t know what to buy as a gift for someone else.
This lovely thank you note from Sam says it all.
“I have bought a gift voucher from you before for the same friend who received my recent purchase. What I love is that she gets to choose exactly what she wants, and she loves your jewellery designs. I visited her the other day and she looked stunning wearing one of your matching necklace and earrings in bluey-purple. She looked fabulous…You have a fantastic sense of style, colour and what goes together. And your talent is obvious in your continued innovations in design.”
Our popular gift voucher service allows you to personalise the gift card with your own special message.
Holly’s wedding day style tip
Real life bride Holly loves the colour pink and her wedding to Owain was planned around this colour theme. Holly’s wedding shoes, by Pink, were dyed to match the pink bridesmaid’s dresses and the ribbon sash on her wedding dress, a great style tip that looks fabulous in the photos.
Soft and fluid arms.
Bare arms look so much nicer with a loose bracelet. Close fitting bracelet designs end your arms prematurely and give the appearance of shorter limbs. Instead opt for bracelet styles that give movement and hang down slightly over your wrist to create longer looking arms. This equally applies to statement cuffs and single strand bracelets, the golden rule being that your bracelet should be loose enough to move as it is worn but not be so big that it slips past your first thumb joint.
This is especially important for brides where close up shots of you holding your wedding flowers offer the perfect opportunity to create a focal point of interest on your arms.
Candyfloss, Allure Flower, Moonlight Cuff, Bermuda Charm and Abalone bracelets
Help, I only have a small budget for my bridal jewellery.
Getting married can be an expensive business, especially if you are setting up home at the same time. No matter how much you plan to spend your budget can be made to go along way with these simple suggestions;
- Wedding hair accessories tend to only be worn once but if chosen carefully your bridal jewellery will become treasured keepsakes worn time and time again long after your wedding day. So why not invest in several smaller and often much cheaper combs, grips or pins and cluster these together to create a larger and more impressive looking hair accessory. Then spend the bulk of your budget on jewellery that will get worn many times again making it a far more cost effective purchase.
- Ask family and friends to club together and treat you to your wedding jewellery as Christmas and birthday presents. People love to be involved in weddings and like to contribute in this way.
- Be sales savvy. Most retailers run offers or sales from time to time. Browse and decide on your favourite suppliers, sign up for their newsletter or join their Facebook page and wait until your favourite jewellery designs are reduced.
Real life bride Elena’s brilliant centrepieces.
Elena chose orchids for her wedding day as they reminded her of the home her mother filled with these beautiful flowers. For their table centre pieces she had the brilliant idea of buying vases and inserting living three stem potted orchids into each. At the reception, the band organised a competition for each table, and the winner was able to take the whole centrepiece home with them! What a wonderful memento for the guests to have of Elena and Chris’s wedding.
Elena and Chris' exquisite Greek Orthodox wedding
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