Marriage is a very important event in almost every girl's life. They say romantic movies and novels did to us women what the naughty sites did to men - set unrealistic expectations! Every girl grows up reading Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Rapunzel, Cinderella and other such stories and fairy-tales... and before she knows it, she has a picture of her own prince charming ready in her mind! Her prince charming, who will fall in love with her the first time he lays eyes upon her, and will swear his undying and unconditional love to her and will whisk her off her feet and marry her and make her queen of the empire! In the world that we live in today, this may not be entirely possible... there are only a handful of countries that are run by kings and queens today! So unless you are the next Princess Diana, chances are you are going to have a wedding ceremony much like everybody else. Sigh. However, 'much like everybody else' does not mean de-glam! Every woman is supposed to be the leading lady of her life, like Iris (Kate Winslet) says in The Holiday; and being leading lady means being Mia Thermopolis of your life! Jewelry Design - Some General Tips Vintage jewelry was more elaborate than the kind of jewelry we wear nowadays. These days wearing a necklace that covers the entire neck of the dress is regarded flashy, posy and phony! It is regarded tacky, unwanted and inappropriate. That is not correct! What many people sometimes miss out on is charm and elegance, while picking up jewelry designs that are more prominent than most. A piece of jewelry need not be big to be beautiful. At the same time, something that is small and delicate need not always look pretty and elegant! While picking vintage inspired bridal jewelry (or while designing your own), make sure the elements in the design, such as leaves, flowers, pendants, etc., are proportionate to your face size and suit your face shape. Do not opt for something even if you cannot carry it off, just because you have liked it or because it is in vogue! Never a good idea. Finally, if possible, take opinions of your friends - but only your select close one or two best friends and not each and every person you know! Sometimes people give you a perspective you have never thought of; always helps to get an opinion. With that said, here are some fantastic design ideas! Vintage Inspired Jewelry So everything is in place - the venue, the guest list, the decorations, the ice statue, the flowers, the drapes, the stage, the band, the wedding dress, the shoes, the ring, everything. The only thing left to be taken care of is the wedding jewelry. You have taken several trials, even looked at the designs your friend's niece drew for you. They all look good, but that is all the look - good. None of them really jumps out at you! So what do you do? Well, have you considered bridal jewelry that is vintage inspired? Yeah... being a real Mia Thermopolis! Take a look at the ideas given below. The Ear-rings Long chandelier ear-rings are the way to go! If your ear-rings are more long than broad, you can combine them with a suitable neck-piece. If instead your ear-rings are more elaborate, skip the neck-piece altogether. Let the contours of your neck show-off! A good change could be to go for big studs rather than chandelier ear-rings. They look stunning with up-do hair styles. They would also look brilliant if you have a tall face rather than a broad one. The good thing about big studs is that they can be worn with or without a neck-piece... they look equally beautiful either way. The Necklace Chokers look a rage on dresses with broad or wide necks. They even look lovely on strapless necks, or corsage kind of necks. If you love pearls, a 3 or 4 layered choker with an elaborate pendant in the middle would do the trick for you. Think flowers and jewels when you think of vintage bridal jewelry. Jewelry back then was not supposed to be sleek or delicate - it was indulging and luxurious. Make sure you do not lose that essence. Hair Accessories Hair accessories were more used in the old times than they are now; and they were a lot prettier back then too! Go for a hair fascinator if you are not going to wear a veil. If you plan on wearing a veil, you can instead opt for a comb clip. You can design a stone studded comb clip and coordinate the design of the clip with that of the remaining jewelry you are going to wear. An exquisite comb clip can also help take off the gaze from plain or simpler ear-rings; while a fascinator - well, it has got to be fascinating! You can even choose to wear a jeweled hair clip if you do not much like the idea of a comb clip. However, personally, I would recommend a comb clip; they have a vintage feel that is unmistakable. A Bracelet A bracelet is very very important for a bride, for everybody is going to look at your hands as you walk down the aisle holding the bridal bouquet! Make sure you spend more than just a thought on the kind of bracelet you pick to wear. You can opt for the single string delicate ones, or you can opt for a broader design. If your wrists are rather thin or small, I would suggest you go for a broad design. A bejeweled bangle would also do the trick! (Only make sure the bangle isn't so big that it would roll up till your elbow!) If you are on the healthy side, opt for a delicate bracelet with a clasp. A Brooch Old-fashioned? Not if you know how to use it! A brooch will add a very characteristic flavor to an otherwise plain wedding dress. Brooches may seem like a thing of the past - but aren't we talking 'vintage' here? Brooches are good to fix wardrobe mishaps too... though I honestly and sincerely wish you don't have one! To add a characteristic and unique personal touch to the brooch, why not go for a bronze one instead of the regular silver or gold brooch? A bronze brooch will look quite unique on an off-white colored wedding dress. If you do not want the brooch to be too flashy, try to include facets in the design - they will add glimmer and sparkle to the design without adding stones. You can even take care of the cost that way! Jewelry Material - Some General Tips Your wedding dress - I am guessing - is white or off-white in color. Why not add some color to it? If selected carefully, jewelry can be used to do just this. How about opting for jewelry that has emeralds or rubies in it along with diamonds? They are sure to catch everyone's eye at the wedding ceremony! Tear-drop shaped earrings look beautiful on any face shape. You can even go for semi-precious stones - they come in a lot more colors than precious ones. Another tip I would like to give is, color coordinate the jewelry with your bridal bouquet - if you plan to use red roses in the bouquet, why not go for rubies? If you are going to include pale yellow flowers, go for pearl jewelry. So with that, I am gonna take your leave. Hope you craft out some really creative and awe-inspiring designs for your wedding jewelry that floor everyone! (Except the groom maybe... you wouldn't want him fainting when he sees you!) Have a wonderful wedding... hope you look like a princess!