Wedding Jewellery Guide: Necklaces, Earrings & Bridal Accessories
Shopping for your wedding outfit can be stressful when you’re struggling to find the perfect ‘fit, but one element of wedding shopping that’s stress-free and oh-so-fun? Wedding jewellery shopping. From necklaces to earrings, tiaras to hairpins, there’s endless joy to be found within wedding jewellery, and you’ll soon discover that it’s your wedding accessories that complete your big day look.
Bridebook, the UK’s #1 wedding planning platform used by over 2.8 million couples, has pulled together everything you need to know about wedding jewellery and accessories, so let’s dive in.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, Bridebook may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we’d genuinely suggest.
Bridal Necklace Ideas
Lots of people like to use jewellery as a way to tick their something old, new, borrowed and even blue boxes, so often a wedding necklace is on loan from family members or friends.
If not, a wedding day necklace as your something new is quite a brilliant excuse to treat yourself to a sparkling new addition to your jewellery collection. There aren’t any necklace styles that particularly scream ‘wedding necklace’ – unless you go for a statement ‘wifey for lifey’ necklace – so the world is your oyster when choosing a wedding necklace.
The only potential limitation when choosing a wedding necklace is your outfit. Certain necklines look better with certain necklaces – it’s of course personal taste, and if you have a specific necklace that’s a family heirloom, or one you wear every day, don’t let your outfit stop you from wearing it. But if you’re looking for a new necklace, use our neckline advice as a guide for what to look for.
Necklaces for Sweetheart Neckline Wedding Dresses
A sweetheart neckline is ideal for showing off your wedding necklace. With your collarbone and decolletage centre stage, they’re begging to be decorated with your jewels of choice.
A pendant necklace would be particularly pretty, or a locket, for a sentimental touch. We recommend a shorter chain, rather than one that hangs low, as a longer chain could distract from the pretty, romantic sweetheart neckline.
To tie in with the classic style of the neckline, a single strand of pearls is also a beautiful option, adding an extra touch of elegance to your wedding day look. One thing we’d caution with pearls is that they don’t necessarily work with a heavily embedded dress. Classic pearls look beautiful with simple, understated wedding gowns, for a timeless wedding styles.
£55 | Shop now
Necklaces for V-Neck Wedding Dresses
If you’ve opted for a V-neck, a deep V or a plunging neckline, you can have a lot of fun choosing your wedding necklace. Keeping with the alphabet theme, a Y necklace (a necklace in the shape of a Y, which cascades down from your neck) looks gorgeous with a V-neck, highlighting the shape of your dress.
For a more classic wedding look, a pendant necklace is beautiful with a V-neck wedding dress. A trick of the trade is to glue the pendant to your chest with a little eyelash glue. It won’t irritate your skin, and it stops the pendant from swinging around or the clasp on the necklace chain from coming to the front.
Necklaces for Strapless Wedding Dresses
With no straps to get in the way, most necklaces look beautiful with strapless wedding dresses. We love the look of chokers and tennis necklaces in particular, with the latter adding class to your look, while chokers create an irresistible, edgy wedding look.
Another modern wedding jewellery option is a backdrop necklace, which looks spectacular with chic updo hairstyles. While not a wedding look, Sabrina Carpenter opted for a backdrop necklace at the 2025 Grammys – Google her look and see if it sparks inspiration for your wedding jewellery.
Necklaces for Halterneck Wedding Dresses
Halterneck wedding dresses are perhaps the most difficult style to pair with a necklace. Many people opt to forgo a necklace if they’ve got a shoulder baring halterneck dress, instead choosing statement drop earrings. Picture Meghan Markle on her wedding day; after she slipped into her halterneck second wedding dress, she didn’t wear a necklace – and she had the whole crown jewels to pick from!
If you don’t feel complete without a necklace, try the aforementioned backdrop necklace, but if you want our advice, statement earrings are the way to go, which brings us nicely to…
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Wedding Earrings
Small but mighty, your wedding earrings are a crucial part of your big day look. Again, many people use earrings to tick their ‘something old or borrowed’ box, borrowing earrings from the jewellery boxes of bridesmaids, the mother of the groom, or grandparents.
Studs, drops, hoops and statement earrings are all possibilities for wedding earrings, with studs and hoops both subtle options that add a little sparkle to your look. Pearl or diamond studs are timeless choices that work with any wedding style, while huggie earrings are a modern addition to the wedding jewellery edit, working perfectly if you have multiple piercings running the length of your ears.
Statement Wedding Earrings: Pros and Cons
Statement earrings, be they glittering hoops or embellished drop earrings, are particularly popular for adding a special touch to wedding outfits. Whether you opt for cascading drop earrings that tickle your shoulders or fashion-forward hoops, there are a few things you need to consider when choosing a statement wedding earring.
Hair-wise, statement wedding earrings look best with updos, as they don’t have to compete with long, loose hair. When it comes to which wedding dresses look best with statement earrings, we recommend strapless wedding dresses, halterneck gowns and sweetheart necklines.
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High-neck lace wedding dresses (picture Pippa Middleton and Poppy Delevingne’s wedding dresses) don’t tend to complement statement wedding earrings, but other than that, go wild!
That said, a word of caution: while your wedding day might seem an opportune moment to pick a dangling, statement earring (and they certainly will look wonderful), if you only ever wear simple studs or lightweight hoops, a heavier pair of earrings might not feel comfortable – and comfort is key on your big day.
If you’re married to the idea of statement earrings, you could swap them out for a lighter pair for the evening element of your day, once the majority of photos have been taken.
Wedding Hair Accessories
There are three elements to consider when choosing your wedding hair accessory: your dress, your wedding hairstyle and where you plan to place the accessory – ie, is it a tiara you’ll wear atop your head, a vine that will be woven through your braid, or pins that will be artfully applied to your updo.
Our first piece of advice for finding your perfect wedding hair accessory is to consider your wedding hair. Take any planned hair accessories along to your wedding hair trial so that your stylist knows your vision.
Wedding Hair Accessories for Updos
First things first, tiaras work with all wedding hairstyles – updos included, for a fairytale princess wedding vibe.
Hair combs, hair pins and hair vines also look beautiful woven into wedding updos, with vines intertwined into messy buns creating a gorgeous look for boho weddings.
Shop now | £125
Hair pins, particularly those with delicate pearl or floral embellishments, add discreet sparkle and a regal touch to your wedding updo.
The only hair accessory we don’t advise adding to your up-do is a headband. These are better for long, loose wedding looks.
Wedding Hair Accessories for Half-Up Half-Down Wedding Hair
There are few prettier looks than half-up, half-down wedding hair with a tiara nestled in. Tiaras work well with this style as they need minimal pinning to stay in place, and don’t disrupt your expertly styled hair either. However, if regal-inspired wedding hair isn’t your thing, read on…
Shop now |£185
If you’re sidesweeping your half-up hairstyle, statement clips look glorious. A golden shell or starfish hair clip for a coastal wedding is perfect for laidback nearlyweds, while pearl clips are ideal embellishments for city couples or those getting married inside stately homes for a Bridgerton vibe.
Wedding Hair Accessories for Wedding Hair Worn Down
Headbands have their moment to shine with hair worn down, creating a gorgeous boho vibe if you choose a woven or braided headband, or a classy, elegant look if you choose a velvet, beaded or pearl headband.
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The slicked-back look is popular for everyday hair and can be elevated on your wedding day with a headband, pushing your hair out of your face and adding elegance to a generally low-key look.
Hair clips add a little something extra to wedding hair worn down, too. Wear one side of your hair behind your ear, with pretty clips slid in for a low-effort yet highly beautiful wedding hairstyle.
How to choose wedding jewellery
If you’re stuck on how to decide on your wedding jewellery, take a look at these simple pointers.
Choose your metal
Are you normally a gold, silver or rose gold person? Most people opt for one metal and stick to it, and this advice works for your wedding day too. There’s also platinum, which looks silver.
If your engagement ring is silver, a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings will look beautiful. The same goes for gold and rose gold. Remember that by the end of the day, you’ll likely have a new piece of jewellery in the form of your wedding ring, so consider the metal of this, too, when you’re deciding on your wedding jewellery.
That said, there aren’t any rules, so if you want to mix and match your metals, you do you. And if you’re looking for inspiration on how to choose the wedding metal for you, look to your wedding outfit.
White wedding outfits look great with crisp, silver jewellery, ivory or cream wedding attire works with warm, yellow gold wedding jewellery, while blush or nude wedding dresses (particularly with nude panels) look gorgeous with rose gold wedding jewellery.
One flaw in this plan is if you’re using someone else’s jewellery for your ‘something borrowed’ or ‘something old’; if you’re borrowing from the collection of a loved one, this could dictate the metal you go for, unless you fancy the mixed-metal look.
Consider your Wedding Outfit
The cut of your neckline will help decide on your wedding necklace and earrings, but the style of your chosen outfit can help too.
If you’re wearing a whimsical, frothy wedding dress, simple sparkling jewellery will become your best friend, as it doesn’t compete with your statement-making dress. A sleek, fitted wedding dress is begging to be worn with statement earrings, while a wedding power suit will look perfect with pearls, mixing a masculine outfit with ultra-feminine jewellery.
Think about your Wedding Hair
If you’re wearing your hair long and loose, it might compete with an intricate necklace – in this case, we’d opt for a tennis necklace or a simple pendant. For people planning an up-do, lean into statement earrings or a dangling necklace.
Your hair is the biggest influence over wedding hair accessories, too. Your hairstylist will be able to advise on what will work with your ‘do, if you’re feeling stuck.
Budget Bridal Jewellery
Obviously, the best way to save money on your wedding jewellery is via borrowing it, under the guise of your accessories being your ‘something old’ and ‘something borrowed’, but if you want to treat yourself to new, yet inexpensive wedding jewellery, there’s an abundance of options to suit your budget.
Extremely affordable yet still chic brands include Linzi, which offers tennis bracelets and necklaces for just £15 and £20, respectively. It won’t last as long as investment pieces of wedding jewellery, but it looks just as showstopping.
One step up, other jewellery brands with beautiful wedding offerings include ever faithful Etsy, plus Not on the High Street, Accessorize, Monica Vinader and Links of London.
For more unique wedding jewellery which fits your budget, check out Bridebook’s wedding jewellery suppliers for inspiration. There’s something so special about buying from a small business, knowing it’s a bespoke piece for you.
If you’re looking for a rough benchmark, the Bridebook UK Wedding Report found that couples spend an average of £1,057 on wedding rings and jewellery.
Wedding Jewellery FAQs
What Jewellery should a Bride Wear?
The jewellery you choose to wear on your wedding is entirely up to you. Most people opt to wear earrings and a necklace, while others might add a bracelet for extra sparkle.
Hair accessories can come under wedding jewellery too. Tiaras give a regal wedding look, while adding a thick headband reminds us of high-end society weddings.
Thinking about the jewellery you should wear on your wedding day mainly depends on your wedding outfit. The neckline and style of your ensemble, along with if you’re choosing to wear a veil, is a helpful guide to the wedding jewellery you choose.
Should Wedding Jewellery Match the Engagement Ring?
It’s highly likely that your engagement ring is made from your favourite metal (we hope!), so it’s likely that the jewellery you choose to wear will reflect this – ie. if your engagement ring is rose gold (lucky you!) your necklace and earrings will follow suit.
This isn’t set in stone, though. Realistically, your engagement ring is quite far away from your earrings and necklace, so if they don’t match, it really isn’t an issue.
The beauty of matching your wedding jewellery to your engagement ring is that it takes the decision of which metal to choose for your jewellery out of your hands, and who doesn’t want one less decision to make when planning a wedding?
What is the most Popular Bridal Jewellery?
Diamonds and pearls immediately spring to mind when you think of wedding jewellery as the most popular choices. Be they in the form of studded earrings, sparkling necklaces or embellished headpieces, these are the most popular and traditional choices for wedding jewellery.
The form they take changes, with pearl necklaces a classic option, while pearl headbands are a more modern take on the popular wedding jewellery staple.
As for diamonds; we all know you can never go wrong, be it a traditional stone, a lab-grown diamond, or cubic zirconia, a little sparkle never hurt anyone!
Can I Wear Pearls to my Wedding?
Of course! In fact, we encourage it! Pearls are a timeless, elegant choice and have been worn to some of the most memorable weddings in recent years. Style icon Grace Kelly opted for pearls, so if you decide to wear the classic jewellery for your big day, you’re in good company.
What Hair Accessories work with a Veil?
There are many, many things to consider when choosing your veil, from the length to the material, to which hair accessories go well with a veil.
Some people decide that no hair accessories are necessary with a veil; your head is covered after all! However, the most quintessential hair accessory to wear with a veil is a tiara, as it sits at the front of your head, while your veil cascades behind.
For a more boho, less princess look, hair vines work beautifully with veils too, for a laidback take on wedding jewellery.
Keep in mind if you’re planning to wear your veil all day or take it off post-ceremony. If you’re in the latter camp, consider whether you want any wedding hair accessories to add to your hair once the veil is off. Something simple you can put in yourself is key, as your hairstylist will likely have left for the day. A bow at the back is cute for hair that is worn down, for example. If you chose a tiara or vine, this can stay in place post-veil.
Find Your Wedding Jewellery Supplier
Whether you’re after a bespoke necklace, a hand-finished tiara or affordable everyday pieces you’ll wear long after the wedding, Bridebook’s directory of jewellery and accessory suppliers can help you find the right fit for your budget and style.
Why Trust Bridebook
Bridebook is the world’s #1 wedding planning platform, used by over 2.8 million couples. Our content is informed by real data from the Bridebook UK Wedding Report, which draws on responses from thousands of couples planning their weddings each year. Where expert input is included, contributors are named and their credentials verified. We update our articles regularly to ensure prices, statistics, and advice reflect current market conditions.
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