Aisling Nelson from Rangoli designs a range of bridal jewellery and hair accessory designer. Below, she describes the process of commissioning jewellery and offers some tips and advice on choosing these special accessories.
What is your personal style?
Personally, the element of my work that I love the most is meeting brides and seeing what their initial ideas are. Most people will either bring along a picture of their dress or a fabric sample. This is the starting point. We have a relaxed chat about the style of the wedding and whether the event will be formal or more casual. Most importantly, the girls usually tell me what their personal style is. For me, this is the fun stage – It’s all about building up a picture of the person and gathering as much relevant information as I can in order to help me to create jewellery or accessories that will complement their chosen gown.
The colour of your gown
This is a key element in your overall look. You should decide whether gold or silver would be a better base colour for your accessories. I find that many brides put too much emphasis on the colour of their engagement or wedding bands. Your decision should be based on what suits the colour of your gown as well as your skin or hair colour as the dress is such a large element.
What is the style of your gown?
It is really important to decide what style your gown is. Is it classical and very structured or more modern with soft flowing lines? This will determine the type of jewellery and hair accessories that will best complement your ‘look’.
What is the neckline like?
How low is the neckline? Are there straps or a halter neck? Does the dress have a ‘sweetheart neckline or is it straight across the top. In general, a pendant or drop necklace works well with any sort of ‘v’ neckline while a round or graduated necklace complements a horizontal neckline. A necklace will bridge the distance between the base of your neck and the top of your dress.
Decorative detail
If your gown has embroidery or beading detail, you should make note of this so that you can match your accessories accordingly. Ask your dressmaker if you can take some detail photographs of your dress as it can be difficult to remember this clearly once the dress has been ordered. If the bodice of your dress is very elaborate, you may be better off not wearing a necklace and perhaps concentrating on your hair accessories with earrings and/or a bracelet.
And finally…
Be open to trying on as many different styles as possible. Start collecting images from magazines or the internet of styles that you like. You can then show these to your dressmaker or jewellery designer who will advise you on the best accessories to wear with your gown.
Aisling designed the jewellery and hair accessories for the Wedding Journal Bride of the Year 2007. Look out for Sandra Lynch’s wedding photos in the summer issue of Wedding Journal magazine.
For more information, visit www.rangoli.ie or contact Aisling on 01 670 8476.
