I think that the best place to start when making plans for your wedding is turn to your dreams. Let's face it, we are women, and we've had a picture painted in our minds of how this day "should be" since we could pick buds and blooms from our mothers' rose bushes and pretend that we were brides. So we've had a pretty good idea of what we are looking for long before we actually set ourselves free in the endless sea of choices in styles, colors, themes, and even textures of the wedding world.

One of the first things that most brides will do is start to shop for their dress. Sometimes, as I did, you will find that the "Perfect Princess Dress" that you always thought you'd have, just doesn't work for you. But this is absolutely fine, at least it will give you a place to start and you can take it from there. I would also suggest trying on everything that even slightly tickles your fancy. You may be surprised at what you like and what you do not. The only reason that I mention this in an article on choosing your jewelry is because life will be much easier if you choose your dress prior to choosing your accessories, not the other way around.

First, take into consideration the cut of your dress. A sleeveless dress can carry a different shape of necklace and allow for more space on your chest for decoration. A halter-cut may be more appropriate for a very simple, single strand necklace or you may want to skip a necklace all together and focus on a pretty pair of earrings and a bracelet. Keep in mind that these are only suggestions and make decisions that will make you happy, it is your day after all!

Second, have a good look at the way that your dress is decorated. It could have a very large pattern that covers the entire dress with sequins and pearls form head to toe. Or, it could be very simple with the only accents being in the cuts of the fabric such as different layering of materials, gathers, or pleats. The overall style of the dress is a crucial detail to consider when choosing jewelry that will compliment your ensemble. If you do not take the style of your dress into consideration, you could end up with a result that looks awkward and takes away from the over-all look that you've set out to accomplish.

With simpler dresses, I would suggest going with jewelry that is more elaborate such as the Swarovski Three Point Crystal Necklace (see link below). Necklaces with this much detail work well with dresses that don't have much beadwork and really give the dress the classic statement that it deserves.

With dresses that have alot of detail, I would suggest jewelry that will follow the theme of decorations in the dress, but go with something that will not understate the dress. For a dress that has a lot of sequins and pearls over the entire bodice, the Swarovski Crystal and Single to Double Pearl Necklace (see link below) would be the perfect companion.

Make sure that all of your jewelry coordinates. You don't have to buy a set, although it would make your job of getting a classic look much easier and guarantee a flawless match. But if you decide to "mix and match" your jewelry, be sure that they have common elements, such as shapes, colors, styles or stones.

Finally, if you have a very unusual dress, such as a family heirloom and you are having trouble finding jewelry that matches, visit the Brilliant Wedding Jewelry website. They can match colors, sizes, and cuts of Swarovski pearls and crystals that will compliment your perfect dress.

Penny Olson is the owner and designer for Brilliant Wedding Jewelry

Swarovski Three Point Crystal Necklace
Swarovski Crystal and Single to Double Pearl Necklace