While the dress forms the foundation of your bridesmaid look, accessories provide the finishing touches that elevate your appearance and express personal style within the wedding aesthetic. Thoughtfully chosen jewellery, shoes, hair accessories, and bags create a cohesive, polished look that photographs beautifully and feels authentically you.
Accessorising for a wedding requires balancing several considerations: the bride's vision for her wedding party, the formality of the event, practical comfort needs, and your personal style. This guide helps you navigate these elements to create an accessory look that honours the occasion while making you feel confident and beautiful.
Jewellery Selection
Matching Jewellery to Your Neckline
The neckline of your bridesmaid dress significantly influences which jewellery works best. Different necklines frame the face and neck differently, creating natural opportunities for specific jewellery styles.
V-neckline: The V-shape creates an arrow pointing toward your face, drawing the eye upward. A delicate pendant that echoes the V-shape enhances this effect. Avoid chunky necklaces that compete with the neckline's elegance. Earrings can be more substantial since the neckline keeps focus on the face.
Sweetheart neckline: This romantic neckline curves like the top of a heart, leaving the collarbone and neck exposed. A short chain with a small pendant sits beautifully in this space. Alternatively, skip the necklace and let statement earrings take centre stage. The open neckline provides ample canvas for dramatic drops or chandeliers.
Off-shoulder: Off-shoulder dresses expose the collarbone and shoulder area, creating a wide horizontal line. Shorter necklaces like chokers or collar-style pieces complement this width. Long, vertical earrings add balancing length. Avoid oversized pendants that crowd the exposed skin.
Neckline and Necklace Pairing
- High neck: Skip necklaces; focus on earrings and bracelets
- Halter: Forgo necklaces; statement earrings work well
- Strapless: Any necklace length works; match to dress formality
- One shoulder: Asymmetric earrings; optional necklace on the bare side
Coordinating Metals and Tones
Metal choices should harmonise with both your dress colour and the overall wedding palette. Traditional guidelines suggest matching warm dress tones like champagne, terracotta, and dusty rose with gold jewellery, while cooler tones like navy, lavender, and sage pair with silver. However, modern styling embraces mixed metals and personal preference.
Rose gold offers a warm-toned alternative that complements most colours and skin tones. It pairs particularly well with blush, dusty rose, and champagne dresses while remaining subtle enough for cooler palettes. Consider rose gold when warm gold feels too bold but silver seems too stark.
Pearl jewellery provides a timeless option that transcends metal colour considerations. Pearls complement virtually every dress colour and wedding style, from beach casual to formal evening. They photograph beautifully without creating distracting glare under flash photography.
Statement Versus Subtle
The formality of the wedding and the dress design guide jewellery scale. Simple, minimalist dresses often benefit from statement jewellery that adds visual interest. Heavily embellished or detailed dresses typically pair better with subtle, understated accessories that do not compete for attention.
Consider the bride's own jewellery choices. As a bridesmaid, your accessories should complement rather than compete with her bridal look. If the bride wears dramatic jewellery, subtler bridesmaid pieces create appropriate visual hierarchy. If the bride opts for minimal jewellery, you have more freedom for statement pieces.
Choosing Bridesmaid Shoes
Heel Height Considerations
Comfort should drive heel height decisions. A wedding day involves hours of standing, walking, and potentially dancing. Shoes that feel comfortable during a brief try-on may become painful after several hours. Consider your typical shoe habits; if you rarely wear heels, a wedding is not the time to debut four-inch stilettos.
Block heels and wedges offer height with greater stability than stilettos. They distribute weight across a larger surface area, reducing pressure on the ball of the foot. Block heels also work better on outdoor surfaces like grass, gravel, or sand that swallow thin stiletto heels.
Discuss heel height with other bridesmaids and the bride. Significant height differences between bridesmaids can affect the visual balance of wedding party photographs. Some brides prefer all bridesmaids in similar heel heights; others embrace height variation. Clarify expectations early.
Comfort Strategy
Break in your shoes before the wedding by wearing them around the house for short periods. Bring backup flats for the reception. Your feet will thank you during hours of dancing and socialising.
Style and Formality
Shoe style should match the wedding's formality. Black-tie weddings call for elegant heels in satin, silk, or metallic finishes. Garden weddings allow for block heels or dressy flats. Beach ceremonies might warrant dressy sandals or going barefoot for the ceremony with heels for the reception.
Colour coordination with your dress is not mandatory. Nude shoes in a tone matching your skin create leg-lengthening illusion and work with any dress colour. Metallic shoes in gold, silver, or rose gold add glamour while remaining versatile. Matching your shoes exactly to your dress colour can appear dated; intentional contrast often looks more modern.
Practical Considerations
Consider the venue surfaces when selecting shoes. Grass, sand, cobblestones, and gravel challenge thin heels. If your venue includes outdoor areas, choose heel styles that can navigate these surfaces or plan to change shoes between ceremony and reception.
Bring shoe-related essentials to the wedding: heel caps for grass if applicable, blister prevention products, and comfortable backup shoes for the end of the night. A small bag with these items prevents discomfort from derailing your enjoyment.
Hair Accessories
Coordinating with Hairstyle
Hair accessories should complement rather than complicate your hairstyle. Intricate updos may not need additional ornamentation; the style itself provides visual interest. Simple hairstyles often benefit from accessories that add polish and occasion-appropriate elegance.
Popular bridesmaid hair accessories include jewelled pins, floral clips, decorative combs, and delicate headbands. Fresh flowers matching the wedding florals create a romantic, cohesive look, though they require careful handling to stay fresh throughout the day. High-quality silk flowers provide a practical alternative that photographs convincingly.
Matching the Wedding Aesthetic
Hair accessories provide an opportunity to reinforce the wedding's style. Vintage-inspired weddings suit art deco clips and pearl combs. Bohemian celebrations call for floral crowns or natural elements. Modern minimalist weddings pair with sleek, sculptural accessories or understated pins.
Consult with the bride about hair accessory expectations. Some brides provide matching accessories for all bridesmaids to ensure cohesion. Others specify a general direction while allowing individual choice. Understanding expectations prevents expensive accessories going unused or mismatched pieces disrupting the wedding aesthetic.
Bags and Clutches
Practical Essentials
A small clutch or evening bag carries wedding day essentials: phone, lipstick for touch-ups, tissues, and any personal items you cannot do without. Choose a size that holds necessities without becoming burdensome. You will carry this bag throughout photography and the reception; excessive bulk becomes tiring.
Metal or beaded clutches add evening glamour and photograph beautifully. Satin or fabric clutches offer a softer look that coordinates with dress textures. Consider whether your clutch needs to match your dress or can provide intentional contrast.
Clutch Contents Checklist
- Phone and charger if needed
- Touch-up lipstick and powder
- Safety pins and fashion tape
- Tissues
- Pain relief for headaches or sore feet
- Breath mints
Ceremony and Reception Options
During the ceremony, bridesmaids typically do not carry bags. Arrangements are made for essentials during this time. At the reception, your clutch becomes more accessible. Consider where you will store it during dinner and dancing to keep it safe while you celebrate.
Pulling It All Together
The Less-Is-More Principle
When accessorising, the old adage of removing one item before leaving the house often applies. Wedding photography captures every detail; over-accessorising can date photographs quickly. Choose your statement piece, whether jewellery, shoes, or hair accessory, and let other elements support rather than compete.
Trial Run
Before the wedding, do a complete dress rehearsal including all accessories, shoes, and hairstyle. This trial run reveals any issues: shoes that pinch after an hour, earrings that irritate, hair accessories that slip. Discovering problems before the wedding day allows time for solutions.
Take photographs during your trial run under various lighting conditions. Check how accessories photograph from different angles. Details that look perfect in person sometimes read differently in images. Making adjustments before the wedding ensures you will love your appearance in every photograph.
Personal Style Within Guidelines
While coordinating with the wedding party creates visual harmony, your accessories should still feel like you. If you never wear gold jewellery, silver pieces that harmonise with the overall look may be acceptable. If you cannot tolerate heels, elegant flats can work beautifully. Discuss any concerns with the bride; most brides want their bridesmaids to feel comfortable and authentic.
The goal of accessorising is enhancing your appearance and confidence, not transforming you into someone you are not. Choose pieces that make you feel beautiful, and your genuine joy will shine through in every photograph.