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How to Complete Your Wedding Look: Accessorizing

The important part is done and you have selected your dress – Congratulations! Now it’s time to complete your entire Bridal look and accessorize!  What do you know about accessories?

Keep reading to learn more!

Accessories are so much fun to look at and ultimately the finishing touch to your wedding gown, hair, shoes, and jewelry! It’s with these pieces you  create the bridal vision you’ve always imagined. Whether you have a detailed and embellished dress or a plain and sleek look, the possibilities to accessorize are endless!

Here are some things to consider to help you complete your wedding look:

What will be your Bridal Hairstyle?

Think of how you envision your bridal do with your wedding dress. Will you wear it down for an effortless look, choose a more traditional updo, or go for the in between, half up and half down? Consider the details of your dress, does it have beautiful illusion lace, buttons, beading? If so, you should consider having your hair up to show up it off! Is it a low, open back? The long hair can flow beautifully if you want to let it down.

This will help you wrap your head around the next step which is deciding how you will accessorize your hair.

Heads or tails – Headpiece or veils?!

Decide if you would like to go with a traditional veil or a modern headpiece. There are multiple variables that go into selecting the perfect veil to compliment your dress.

Consider the length:

There are several length veil options to choose from long chapel/cathedral/royal which are very formal and provide an incredible drama to your look; Mid-length/fingertip length which look amazing with fit and flair and mermaid dress shapes; Elbow and shorter more face-framing veils for a simpler look; and bird cage for that vintage old Hollywood, sleek and glamorous look.

Consider the style:

Do you want your veil to be plain, outlined with beading, a pop of sparkle and shimmer, a plain satin trim, or an added touch lace? Do you want it to layer your plain, sleek and simple gown, or add a subtle finish to your embellished and detailed gown?

You never want a veil to take away from your dress. You want it to complement your dress and add that perfect “wow factor” finishing touch.

Remember, the veil is temporary and typically used for photographs and the ceremony. When you come in we can accessorize with different veil lengths and styles to help complete your look!

A head piece is a great alternative for a veil, or to add with it! These pieces typically stay in after the veil is removed and include everything from a few beaded  pins or clips to a thin band to a full tiara.

There are bands that tie in back with ribbons, clips and barrettes, so many options to set off your look, each with their own unique array of diamonds, gems, flowers, designs, and much more! The sky’s the limit of the possibilities, and keep in mind one piece of advice – try these on with your dress.

Once you have those picked out, you will take them to your hairstylist for your trial and see in advance how beautiful everything looks!

Come in and let us help choose your accessories!

Cathedral veil selection

Let’s Shop For Engagement Rings!

If you’re looking at diamond engagement rings online, chances are you are close to that rock being on your finger! While you know what you like when you see it in a picture online, there is definitely investigation required when you are in person at a jewelry store to make sure you are getting the best diamond or gemstone for the price you are paying.

There are probably some terms you will hear while shopping that you are unfamiliar with. This blog will give you a head start in learning more to help you make the best decision. In this blog we are not going over the shapes of diamonds, rather the features of diamonds and bands.

The “Four Cs” – these include cut, color, clarity, and carat, and they determine the value of the stone.

Cut – A specific style or shape into which a gemstone is formed. Most cuts intend to alter or maximize how well the stone will sparkle and reflect light. Common cuts include princess, brilliant, Ascher, cushion, emerald, heart, oval, and pear. Some cuts work better with certain gemstones more than others.

Color – The diamond color is based on the absence of color. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue, like a drop of pure water, and consequently, a higher value.

Clarity – Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number and size of internal and external blemishes created upon formation of the diamond. No diamond is perfectly pure, but the closer it comes to purity, the better its clarity.

Carat – To put it simply, it is how much a diamond weighs. Diamond price increases with carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer. However, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different prices depending on the three other factors above!

So once you have your stone picked out then you are going to pick your setting. The most common are:

Bezel –  The gemstone is protected and secured by being completely surrounded by the metal on all sides.

Bezel setting

Claw/Prong – A claw setting holds a gemstone in place with little prongs or “claws”. Most rings have 4-6 prongs.

Claw/Prong setting

Channel/Pavé – These styles have multiple gemstones implanted into the ring band, but so closely that no metal can be seen in between. Alone these can be referred to as eternity bands:

Channel/Pave Setting

Halo – The halo setting refers to the placement of diamonds around a center stone. The halo setting makes the center stone appear larger and increases the sparkle.

Halo setting

Tension – The tension setting is named for the tension of the metal band that secures the diamond in place; the result is that the diamond appears suspended between the two sides of the shank.

Tension setting

What about the band? Which is really just another term for the ring itself.

Bands can come in a number of different metals:

Alloy – most jewelry pieces are often sold as a mix of multiple metals because precious metals are not durable for the long term. For instance gold on its own is very soft and if it is alloyed with other metals it will last much longer. Often gold is mixed with other metals to create a different color such as mixing gold with copper to produce rose gold or with white gold to produce platinum.

What about diamond shapes? To make it easy here is a graphic with the most popular shapes:

Some other terms you should be familiar with are:

Bridal Set

A matching set of rings, such as the engagement and wedding ring, which are meant to be worn together. A common bridal set includes one solitaire ring and an enhancer that creates the illusion of having two additional side-set stones.

Facet

This refers to a flat side (or layer) of a gemstone that results from it being cut into a certain style. Generally speaking, at least with diamonds, more facets mean better light reflection. The brilliant cut, which intends to maximize the sparkle of a diamond, features 58 facets.

Karat (K)

Sometimes misspelled as carat, but appreciated with a K. This term is used specifically for silver or gold, in reference to how pure the metal is. It may be accompanied or replaced by a stamp that shows the purity in percentage. Here are some examples for reference:

14K = 58.5% pure, or 585
18K = 75% pure, or 750
24K = 100% pure, or 1000

Satin Finish

Also known as a brushed or matte finish, a satin finish features many micro parallel scratches, which give it texture. It is popular in men’s rings.

Solitaire

A solitaire ring (or another jewelry piece) simply means that there is only one, single gemstone set upon it.

Now you will be armed with all the info you need to find the perfect symbol of your love! And after you get that beautiful ring, come to us and let us find your equally beautiful wedding dress!

“Behind the Scenes” From a New Bridal Stylist

I love when one of our new bridal stylist shares her thoughts.

We have known Jenna for several years and are very proud to have her on our team.

It is most important to us to ensure our staff feels respected and valued, because when we take care of our staff they will in turn respect, value, and take care of the customers. If you read our reviews you will see that is exactly what happens.

In an emotional business like ours and especially during an uncertain time like this, you need to know your vendors care.

Some other behind the scenes discussion that Jenna doesn’t mention is how our stylists refer to their brides as “my bride”. I love it when I hear those words because to me it means our staff forms friendships and cares far beyond a sale. It is even better because our staff is not on commission, therefore we know that the interest and treatment is genuine. They really do love what they do, and it is incredibly rewarding to be part of someone’s wedding day.

But don’t just take my word for it, read Jenna’s:

First, I feel it’s important to share that I am a Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo bride, and got to say “YES to the dress” in my favorite place, long before I became a Bridal Stylist.

There was something so special about my experience and magical moment at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo. I knew if I ever had the opportunity, I would love to create that magically special moment over and over again for other brides.

So here I am now and I feel so fortunate to be a Bridal Stylist at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo. It’s such an honor to work for such a prestigious, family owned and operated business. The owners, Wendy and Franco are truly the most outstanding power couple you will EVER meet. They are the perfect balance of fun, friendly, customer oriented, and business savvy; creating the most perfect and family-friendly, welcoming environment that I never want to leave… and our brides, grooms, family members, bridal parties, and other visitors don’t either!!

Every staff member and customer are treated as if they are part of the family. We promise that every time you come in you will be greeted with a smile from a familiar face. This certainly isn’t something you get anywhere else and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Not only is the service five stars (check out our reviews and testimonials), but our gowns are from exclusive top designers from destinations including Australia and Europe including Madi Lane, Kitty Chen, Morilee… and many more!

We realize this is one of the most important decisions a bride will make in her life and that there have been hours of thoughts and fantasizing into this decision of what they will wear when they say I do!

I love that every bride is unique in her personality, style and vibes in her own way. It’s so exciting to go through the appointment with them at such an exciting time and to be able live this moment with them!

I also love that the relationships we create don’t just end at the wedding. Our staff keeps in touch with couples throughout the process with try on appointments, tuxedo appointments, and after the wedding to check in. We also see return customers for future formal events they may be a part of, which is so fun and exciting to have them come back and reminisce on their special day!

We realize the emotions and importance of this and make it so easy for our customers to stay connected that you can even text us at the store, and one of the owners will directly respond! So come on! What are you waiting for? Text the store to make an appointment at 215-491-8500 or visit www.dariannabridal.com for more information. We look forward to serving you soon!