Bling is a girl’s best friend, especially when it comes to tying the knot. A little sparkle is needed all over and not just on the conventional left-hand. All that is shiny is important for this wedding season, since gold is yesterday’s news. Diamonds or crystals set in a silver look are the latest trend.
South Asian wedding stores within the Lower Mainland are prepping their shops for the upcoming wedding season, stocking their shelves with crystal and diamond-like sets, versus the somewhat out-dated trend of gold. Gold prices have sky-rocketed with the current economic crisis, which has further pushed brides into buying fake diamond and silver sets for their upcoming wedding day. It’s a great contemporary twist from traditional Indian gold.
Naturally, silver and diamonds coordinate perfectly with heavy embroidered wedding lenghas and reception sarees. The current trend in wearing white western dresses during reception ceremonies also goes hand in hand with diamonds and silver. The colour white or ivory stands up quite elegantly with a shimmering diamond jewellery set. Chandelier earrings with droplets of diamonds are a perfect accessory for any wedding or reception outfit.
Lighter pieces tend to be worn during the Ladies Sangeet Party, which include a thin choker, with matching earrings. If you wish to keep your budget in mind then spend the bucks on diamond sets for the reception and wedding day and refrain from purchasing a diamond set for the ladies party.
Here’s a handy tip: First figure out what you what to wear for all the different pre and post wedding day events. Then establish a budget on how much you want to spend on jewellery. Sometimes purchasing many cheap artificial sets is not really worth it if you are going to wear one diamond set with multiple outfits.
With the central role that jewellery plays in South Asian weddings, chances are that your mother, grandmother or aunt will already have a reliable jeweler that they have been going to for years. In that case, trust their advice. If you don’t have this scenario working of you then do some digging – go to parties and ask other women their advice. With all the money you are going to be spending on your wedding, the last thing you want is to end up buying jewellery that’s not worth what you spent on it.
It may be tempting to go all out and buy the biggest, flashiest set because it is your wedding jewellery after all. But let’s be practical here, you don’t want to spend all that money and then have your jewellery sitting pretty in a drawer because it’s way too huge and flamboyant to be appropriate for anything other than your own wedding. That’s not to say that you should only select subtle minute pieces, of course not. Just think of the jewellery beyond the context of just the wedding. You should love, your wedding jewellery to the extent that you see yourself wearing it at other occasions for years to come; it is your wedding jewellery after all.
Okay now you may be wondering if you should pick something traditional or modern – this might be a hard one. The choice is ultimately dependent on your style trend. Perhaps pick tradition for the vows and modern for the party. Either way choose designs that are elegant and timeless. Contemporary designs can be beautiful, but it’s no good if ‘contemporary’ means fashionable only until next summer.
South Asian brides get to wear multitude of different pieces of jewellery on their wedding; earrings, bangles, necklaces (yes multiples at times), tikka, jhoomar, and even a nath. However, it’s important not to go overboard piling on too many pieces all at once; you want to look glamorous, not tacky. And remember not everything you wear has to be matched to perfection. Choose pieces that look extraordinary together, but can also be worn separately and look fabulous. It isn’t essential for everything to match, just all elements should work in harmony with your outfit and complement it. If you can see yourself wearing your wedding jewellery separately and at several different types of occasions then you have done a great job.If you are lucky enough to inherit pieces from your mother and grandmothers, another option might be to mix up new and old pieces, to give older piece a more up-to-date look.
When it comes to buying jewellery for a wedding, the whole ordeal can often turn into a family affair with parents, siblings and extended family taking a keen interest in the selection and putting in their two cents. I’m sure they all have experience, taste and know what they’re talking about, so you should defiantly take their advice on the matter. But here is the bottom line: it’s your wedding, it will be your jewellery, and you’re the one that has to wear it. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to ask questions. When you find something that instinctively ‘feels right’, go for it. Nevertheless, Kanye West’s song lyric puts it best “Diamonds are forever, and they won’t leave in the night”. Your ‘wedding day rocks’, will last you a lifetime, it’s a good investment to have if you are willing to make the financial commitment.
