Tom and Kristine Walker July 25th, 2008 St. Lucia
Your Wedding Day Jewerly Designer
If you think of your wedding as a total picture, where each and every element complements the others, it will help you to plan the many details that complete that picture. Think of it as if you were viewing the scene with a wide-angle lens, taking in everything at once – the setting, the color scheme, your bridal gown and your bridesmaid’s dresses, the groom’s and groomsmen’s attire, flowers, hairstyles and headpieces, and, of course jewelry. Once you have the overall look, you can focus on each of those details. Do they support the theme of your wedding and the “look” you are trying to create?
Don’t think for a moment that jewelry is incidental. It can be a unifying force, the finishing touch that ties all of the other elements together and adds elegance to the picture. When you choose your bridesmaid’s jewelry, keep in mind what you will be wearing, as well as how it will contribute to the overall design. Your goal is to add to the wedding party's visual impact without detracting from your own. Therefore, your attendants’ jewelry should be beautiful for its own sake, but less elaborate or dynamic than your jewelry.
As with all aspects of the bridal ensemble, you have a wide variety of stone or pearl colors to choose from, thus allowing for more creativity and color than ever before. With choices ranging from lightly tinted pearls to vibrant, colored crystals, you can now find just the right shades to complement your wedding color scheme. This makes jewelry an important and integral detail in the overall wedding “picture". I can help you decide which style, color and design will compliment your wedding party perfectly.
Moto Nui
Choose the colors of your Freshwater Pearls
Choose the colors of your spacers:
Necklace $45 Bracelet $25
*Please Note your requested length in the Special Instructions box
Jewelry fit for a Bride
As a bride, you want all the elements of your wedding ensemble to underscore and enhance your natural beauty — not jostle for attention! That's why most experts recommend wearing simple wedding jewelry sets.
But as always, individual flair can't be summed up by a one-size-fits-all rule.
So, which items deserve a slot in your jewelry ensemble? The answer largely depends on your personality, gown and hairstyle. That said, here are some quick tips to help you look like a queen.
Earrings
Keep your dress and hairstyle in the forefront of your mind when it's time to choose earrings. Chandelier or dangly earrings look wonderful with an updo, but can get lost or tangled in long, flowing tresses.
Rule of thumb: if your dress is elaborate, keep the earrings simple. Popular choices for a formal look include pearl studs, diamonds, and crystal solitaire earrings.
Hair Jewelry
Tiaras, hairpins, combs, and decorated headbands: they all add interest and glamour to an already-stunning hairstyle.
If you choose an eye-catching piece, like a tiara that would look at home in a royal retinue, let that be the star of your jewelry ensemble. On the other hand, a laid-back piece like a pearl comb can happily cohabitate with more elaborate jewelry.
Back Bling
A super-sexy way to enhance a backless or low-cut gown is to wear a back drop, backwards strands of opera-length pearls, or lariat. This look also adds a bit of visual sizzle for guests during the ceremony. Once mainly the domain of destination weddings, back bling is quickly finding its way to more formal events.
Pendants or Pearls
Your wedding necklace can be bold (to fire up a simple wedding dress) or delicate (to balance out an elaborate gown). But if your gown has a visually arresting neckline, you may want to go bare.
Keep in mind that different lengths work best with different necklines: generally, you want a gap between the neckline and necklace. On the other hand, you can wear long pearls or a necklace below the neckline if your dress is less adorned. Done carefully, this can be a keystone in a fetching retro / Art Deco style.
Wrist Wear
Unless your dress is strapless, the general rule is to keep hands and wrists unadorned (except for the wedding ring set, of course).
Or, wear a delicate bracelet as an accent piece. Too much "going on" around your wrists or hands will distract your guests from you and the gown, and fragment the look.
But of course there's one major exception: the strapless gown. A chunky cuff or other substantial bracelet is all the rage, and can really show off your bared shoulders and arms.
Earrings, necklace, hair jewelry, back bling and bracelets: wear all, some or none. But keep in mind that together, they should balance out. And of course, the ensemble should completely reflect you and your personal style
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The Molokai (See Above)
Colored stones or jewelry
No matter what your preference or wedding theme, there will be a stone to perfectly match or complement your color scheme.
Precious stones — diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires —add sparkle and color to an elegant wedding.
If your budget calls for less expensive jewelry, semi-precious stones come in an array of colors. Turquoise, aquamarine, topaz, moonstone, peridot (a green semiprecious variety of olivine), opal, agate, amethyst, azurite, bloodstone, coral, garnet, jade, and many others are all colorful, semi-precious options for wedding jewelry.
For more about choosing semi-precious stones, see these primers on semi-precious and colored gemstone jewelry:
Pearls come in other colors besides pure white, including cream, ivory, pastel pink, apricot, golden, various shades of lavender, coffee and gray. If the wide variety of pearls available confuses you, read about all aspects of pearl appearance and quality at Pearl-Guide.com.
Cubic zirconia adds the sparkle of diamonds at a fraction of the cost. The quality of cubic zirconia is much better than it was in the past, and the variety of colors greatly expanded. Through the Internet you can find cubic zirconia in almost any color imaginable: topaz, sapphire, canary yellow, pink, orange, various shades of green, black, tanzanite, champagne, garnet, to mention only a few.
Swarovski crystals are another high-quality alternative to diamonds. Clear or pastel Swarovski crystal jewelry is popular for weddings, but you can find these beautiful crystals in a more than 80 colors. Swarovski also makes several colors of crystal pearls.
Mixing stones is another way to customize your wedding jewelry. Combining pearls with other jewels — silver or gold, for example — is gaining in popularity. For an effect that truly reflects your unique style, there is nothing quite like having custom wedding jewelry made to your specifications.
Tahitian Princess
The Tahitian
Determine your face shape and find out how to compliment it with your bridal gown and jewelry
Just think for a moment how each and every day, we all look at our face over and over, year after year. Subconsciously we chose things in our lives such as cars, jewelry, artwork, china patterns, etc. that reflect what our eye is used to.
The face shape is determined when all of the hair is pulled away and the outer edge of the face is studied. At the same time the features within the face can be soft or angular.
Oval, Round, Oblong, Heart, Diamond, Square, Rectangle, And Triangle
The first four face shapes are soft and curved. The last four face shapes have more angles and corners.
An oval face is slightly longer than is it wide with curved soft edges.
A round face will have equal distance all around with the nose as a center point. It will be as wide as it is long with rounded edges.
An oblong face is an elongated oval shape. Many oblongs are mistaken for an oval. But placed next to a true oval you can see that they are oblong.
A heart shape is wider at the eye, temple, and cheek area with a narrow chin. The edges are soft and curved.
A diamond face shape is widest at the cheeks, narrow at the chin and forehead. It has sharper features.
A square face is basically straight across at the forehead and along the side of the face. The jaw is strong and square. The chin may stick out a bit. When the distance from the top of the face to the chin matches the width, this is a square face.
A rectangle face is similar to a square. But the face is longer than it is wide.
A triangle face is similar to a heart shape. But the lines and edges are sharper and more angular.
A face shape is not set in stone. Someone's seemingly oval face may look more round next to someone else's oval. Two people can both be square but one will be squarer than the other will.
Wedding Gown Necklines:
A great rule of thumb is "opposites attract." A round full face needs a deep V to elongate and thin out the face. A square jaw line needs the softness of a lace edge or scoop neckline. An oblong face shape is complemented by a Sabrina neckline, off the shoulder or strapless gown. A heart shape or triangle needs width at the jaw line; hug the shoulder or a wide scoop would be a great choice. Note: A diamond face and an oval have perfect proportions and are symmetrical so their choices are limitless.
JEWELRY SELECTION FOR FACE SHAPES
Before we begin discussing which jewelry is best for each face shape, lets think for a moment about the difference between a diamond shape and an oval. Whether it is a jewel, a picture frame or a face shape there are distinct differences between a diamond shape and an oval.
A diamond has edges and corners.
An oval is soft and curved.
As in a face shape, a diamond, triangle or square face has edges, corners, planes, and angles. By planes I mean the surface, structure, and profile of the face. Are the eyes deep set with a strong brow bone, a sharp nose, prominent cheekbones, and a distinct jaw line? This is an angular or sharp face. This face is best surrounded with jewelry with similar angles; sharp detail or corners, like triangles, square cut stones or straight lines.
An oval, round or heart shape face has no distinct lines or edges. A soft face may be flat. The eyes are closer to the surface of the face, the nose is rounder at the tip, the lips are fuller, cheekbones are less prominent, and the jaw line is soft. This face shape is complemented by oval or round shapes and soft edges. A face may be a combination of both angular and soft lines, but have an over all feeling of being one or the other.
Most people are subconsciously drawn to a complementary jewelry shape. You are used to looking at yourself everyday. Subconsciously you are drawn to certain shapes. Many times a hair stylist or a friend will try to impose a look on a bride complementing to themselves and not the bride. This happens without thinking. You are naturally drawn to what you like. As a specialist and consultant you have to learn to train your eye to see these distinct features in your client. To be truly professional you need to be able to read a client, meet her design needs, and separate your personal tastes. You will limit your client base if you "specialize" in one style.
The neckline of the gown, the face shape and the size of the bride all need to be taken into consideration when selecting jewelry. The right jewelry will flatter the bride; the wrong jewelry will just stand out. To help the bride with her jewelry selections look to blending the lines of her face with the lines in the jewelry. To create counterbalance with the necklace and earrings look to her face shape and gown neckline.
Earrings:
The perfect earring can light up your face.
An oval face can wear any shape earring. Keep the size of the earring in balance to the size of the bride, whether she is petite or large. In keeping with the soft lines of her face, soft shapes such as pearls, tear drops, circles, and ovals are best.
A round face needs earrings with length to elongate it. A drop earring works best in shapes that are also soft like a teardrop.
An oblong face looks best with a button earring drawing the eye horizontally.
A heart shape face needs earrings that are wider at the bottom to balance a narrow chin. Shapes such as teardrops or inverted triangles or button earrings work well.
A diamond face shape can follow the same "rules" for an oval. But this face shape can carry a more dramatic design. Corners, points, and harder edges complement the angular face. Cut crystals are nice with the diamond face.
A drop earring, creating the look of length, complements the square face.
Rectangular faces can do well with a button style, with lines in keeping with the lines of the face.
A triangular face shape is similar to a heart shape but with more prominent angles. Balance this face with width at the bottom.
Necklace:
Necklaces should complement the neckline of your gown, face shape and the detail of your bodice. A very ornate gown and headpiece can carry a more ornate jewelry selection. Lets consider each face shape individually with the necklace in mind.
An oval face can wear anything. Match the texture and designs in your gown when choosing a necklace.
A round face needs a necklace that adds length to your look. A longer or T-style necklace complements a round face. Stay away from chokers or short necklaces. Also stay away from large stones or pearls. You don't want to add any visual thickness to the neck with a round face. A deep plunging neckline can carry a beautiful necklace and is great for a round face.
An oblong face can carry a choker style necklace well. This helps to break up the vertical line that is happening with an oblong face.
A heart shape face also looks great with a choker or a triple or double strand of pearls. With the heart face the chin is narrow. Creating fullness at the neck with the right necklace balances the wider eye and cheekbone area in the heart shaped face.
A diamond face shape is like the oval face shape but with corners. It can carry any style. Just keep it proportioned to your size. Drop crystals look beautiful with a diamond face.
Square faces need length and softness. A T-style or a simple strand of pearls that hang a little bit longer is perfect.
A rectangle face needs softening and width. Shorter necklaces work nicely.
A triangle face is a heart shape with corners and angles. Remember you can match the angles for impact or counterbalance them for softness. Stay away from necklaces that end with a point. A wider look balances the triangle face.
Wedding Party Favors We offer elegant unique wedding favors as well as hard-to-find wedding favor gift ideas.