Help & Advice
We are here to help you every step of the way when it comes to finding you the perfect accessories. Our help & advice style section has been categorised making it easier for you to find the information you need.
You’ve chosen your dream dress, what do you need to consider when deciding on the perfect accessories to complete the look?
Choosing a Headpiece
When you think of bridal accessories tiaras are one of the first thing to spring to mind, and is a choice a lot of brides go for, it is not however for everyone. Below is a guide to the different styles of hair accessories you will find on our site.
Tiaras – The obvious choice for brides. There are many different styles available and one can be found to suit most face shapes, heights and dress styles.
Bands - Bands are a popular choice for brides who have a simple style, are tall as they don’t add any more height, have short hair or are wearing their hair down.
Sidespray/Fascinator-There are many different terms for this style but, at love tiaras, we class it as a design whether it be crystal, pearl, diamante or feather that sits to one side of a band. This style works well for someone who wants something a little bit more than a band and suits people with short hair or who want to wear their hair down.
Bunwraps-There are different styles of bun wrap available. Some are like small tiaras that sit around a high bun hairstyle, where as others may be wires with crystal, pearl or diamante which wrap around a low bun, and are either attached to a comb to secure into the hair or can simply be pinned in place with hair grips.
Hair Vines-Hair vines are Crystal, pearl or diamante designs on thin wires which secure into the hair using hairgrips and can be incorporated into your hairstyle in many ways. They can be pinned around a bun, up the side of a twist, or worked into an up do of curls adding detail to the back of the hair.
Hair Pins-Hair pins are probably the most versatile of all hair accessories. They can be worn anywhere in the hair as stand alone pieces or in multiples, allowing you to have as much or little detail in your hair as you want. Wear as a single large pin in the side of your hair, work multiple pins into the back of your hairstyle, or try in combination with a tiara or veil for the ceremony, which can be taken off for the reception just leaving the pins as decoration.
Dress & hair style will also play a major role in choosing your accessories.
Hair
Up-do with height-This style works with most tiaras as it provides a backdrop for the tiara to sit against. It is a must of you want a tall tiara style as it will also help to support the tiara.
Half up half down-This works well with low tiaras & bands
Low up-do-Hair styles which sit low at the back of the head such as a low bun work well with hairpins, hair vines, or in the case of a bun, a bun wrap such as our Tallulah style in the couture collection.
Hair down-This style works best with a simple hair band or with one side swept back with a comb such as our Scarlet style, or hairpins above the ear for a more glamorous look.
Short hair-Contrary to popular belief brides with short hair can choose tiara styles. Choose a low tiara style and add some height to your hair at the crown or for a dramatic look, look at the Hermione tiara from our Couture collection which can be worn as a band but gives the illusion of a tall tiara style. Many brides with short hair however do opt for a band or sidespray style such as the handmade Snowflake design.
Dress
Antique Style-Antique style dresses work best with more subdued headpieces. Styles such as hair vines, hair pins and tiara & comb styles with an antique style design work well, as do pearl styles. Why not look at our Hope hair vine & hairpin, or our Rachel tiara.
Modern Style-Modern dress styles with their clean lines and crisp colours lend themselves to both simple & extravagant styles in crystal & diamante. Try our Anita double band or Charlotte sidespray in silver.
White Dress-Stark White works best with diamante or crystal, although white pearl can work well with a softer Antique White.
Ivory Dress-Ivory is the most popular colour choice for bridal dresses as it flatters most skin tones. Ivory works with most accessory styles; Silver, gold, crystal, diamante & pearl.
Dark Ivory/Champagne-Deeper colours such as Dark Ivory & Champagne work with silver & gold styles in diamante, pearl, & crystal.
Coloured Dresses-Coloured dresses can be off-set beautifully with accessories in diamante or clear crystal colours, or alternatively many of our handmade styles can be made in crystal colours by clicking on the Customise this design link.
As the tiara is the most popular choice for brides we thought it best to dedicate an entire section just to helping you to find the best style for you.
Round Face-Brides with a round face shape can balance out their face by making it appear longer with a tiara that comes to a peak in the centre such as our Katherine tiara, or a taller tiara such as our Mary or Hope handmade styles.
Long Face-Brides with a long face can add width to their face by choosing a tiara with little height and no peak that’s design extends around the band such as our Isobella handmade style. Another option for brides with long faces is to forgo a tiara in favour of a band such as our Kerry band.
Oval Face-Brides with an oval face shape should steer away form tiaras with peaks as they will draw attention to the length of your face. Opt instead for a style that will make the top of the head appear wider balancing out your features. Low tiaras with little or no height are a good choice as are bands such as our Katie band.
If you’ve decided to go with a veil for your big day here are a few pointers to help you choose the best style for you.
Veil lengths
Short-This length sits above the shoulders and is best suited to informal weddings where the Bride would still like to wear a veil. It is suited to shorter, 50’s style tea length dresses.
Waist length-A popular length along with fingertip length, Waist length veils suit most dress styles including ballerina styles where there is a lot of detail at waist level. Waist length veils are a good choice for shorter brides but should be avoided by brides over 5’7”.
Fingertip length-A popular length which works well with most floor length dresses. This length is favoured by most brides for most formal weddings but should be avoided by shorter brides who are less than 5’4”.
Floor length-This choice of veil length is formal and is generally reserved for church weddings.
Train-The most dramatic & formal of veil lengths, veils with a train are fro very formal weddings and should be worn with a dress that also has a train. Our veils with a train only have a short train.
Please note that veils will appear longer if the comb is worn at the back of the head instead of the top of the head.
Single or 2 Tier?
Single Tier-Single tier veils are a good choice for dresses with a simple style and work well for both formal & informal settings. They are the best choice for brides who would like to wear their veil in the back of the hair and do not want to cover their face with a blusher when they walk down the aisle.
2 Tier- 2 tier veils are a more traditional style as they have a blusher which can be worn over the face to walk down the aisle. They have a fuller look, are suited to more formal settings and work well with fuller dress styles.
Dress Colour
White-Our white veils go well with bright white dresses.
Ivory-Our Ivory veils are a pale ivory and match well to Ivory or Antique White gowns.
Cream-Our soft pale cream veil colour works with Dark Ivory or Champagne coloured dresses.
As with hair accessories, your bridal jewellery should compliment your gown style.
Strapless-As the most popular neckline, strapless dresses suit most jewellery styles.
V-Neck-Dresses with a deep V neckline can be worn with a longer style of necklace, or quite a chunky style.
High neckline-Wearers of dresses with a high neckline should avoid necklaces opting instead for stunning earrings or bracelets & cuffs.
Vintage style-Vintage style dresses look beautiful with delicate jewellery styles in diamante or pearl in a tone to match the dress.
Simple-Simple gowns are the perfect backdrop for dramatic, chunky jewellery whether it is a necklace or chandelier earrings.
