As a jewellery and headpiece designer I need to keep up to date with bridal fashions and trends. Meeting with brides and designing customised pieces is very inspiring and many of my new collections have been influenced by ideas from my clients! Designing for individuals is one of the aspects of my job that I love the most.

Keeping an eye on changing fashions and styles is an important part of my job. In the last couple of years I have noticed that many of you are looking for an alternative to the more structured tiara. As a result I have designed a range of hairpins, combs, beaded hair corsages and hairwires which can be woven through the hair.

One of the advantages of wearing a smaller hair accessory is that you can place more emphasis on a special necklace and bracelet to complement your gown. I designed an elaborate necklace for Sarah with layered crochet strands which were embellished with ivory pearls and golden citrine stones.

Sarah wanted a neat hair accessory to match her necklace and bracelet so I incorporated the same stones and pearls into a small decorative comb.

Meadhbh was also looking for a delicate hair accessory to match her Rembo-style dress. We chose a warm copper gold to match the unusual shade of her fabric. Again, by selecting a delicate headpiece, Meadhbh was able to wear a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings which incorporated topaz Swarovski crystal.

Here are some tips for selecting jewellery and hair accessories:

Give yourself plenty of time to look for your accessories. If you don't have a picture of your dress as a reference, try to visit your dress shop regularly to remind yourself of the unique details of your dress. Try to wear a top with a similar neckline and colour to your dress whenever you are trying on jewellery.

The following elements will affect your choice of jewellery and hair accessories:

The colour of the fabric- would you like to wear gold, silver or introduce an element of colour?

The neckline of the dress - How low is the neckline? Are there straps/halter neck?

The amount of surface decoration on the dress - Is there beading or embroidered stitching on the fabric?

Your height - do you need extra height or would you rather wear a neat accessory?

So, whatever you do, enjoy shopping for your accessories. Bring along a trusted friend and enjoy a glass of bubbly at the end of the day!!!

Submitted by : Rangol