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6 Things to Consider When Choosing Your Wedding Jewellery

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6 Things to Consider When Choosing Your Wedding Jewellery

So you’ve chosen the perfect dress ready for your big day, but what do you need to consider when choosing your wedding jewellery?

1. Wedding Dress

Your jewellery choice must match the style of your wedding dress. You spent all that time choosing the right one, don’t spoil it now! To ensure your jewellery matches, you need to think about the cut of your dress. For example, if you have a dress with a lower neckline such as a sweetheart or v-shaped cut, then you need something to stand out & fill the space. For many brides, a go-to choice would be a stunning diamond necklace. There are so many beautiful pieces available – perhaps you would prefer a simple yet elegant diamond pendant? Or go for something a bit different like a heart-shaped pendant filled with smaller diamonds?

For higher neckline dresses, a diamond choker would work well & could be matched with a diamond bangle or bracelet if the wedding dress sleeves allow.

2. Engagement Ring & Wedding Ring

What colour is your engagement ring & wedding band? When choosing your other wedding jewellery, it would make sense to match the metals, for example, white gold bands with a white gold necklace.

3. Does It Match Your Style?

Choose jewellery that you want to wear! You put all that effort into choosing the right dress & ensuring it was YOUR style, now do the same with jewellery! Don’t just go for something because you think it is traditional, choose what you love. If you don’t normally wear statement jewellery because it’s just not ‘you’ then go for something simpler. It is something you can then wear again in the future.

4. Photos

One question to ask yourself when choosing a piece of jewellery is will it look good in the wedding photos? Quality diamonds & gemstones are, of course, perfect for this as they will glint & sparkle when the camera flashes. Duller coloured stones will not look as good if photographed indoors, however in natural light they will have more of an impact.

Wedding photos tend to feature a lot of hands so a simple bracelet would really add to the pictures. Also, if you’re wearing your hair in an up-do consider some beautiful drop earrings for those all-important close-ups.

5. Skin Tone

It is important to think about the colours that suit your skin tone best. Some skin tones look better with gold, whilst others with white gold/platinum/silver. The same also applies to gemstones. Do some research & try wearing lots of different pieces to see what works best for you.

6. Wedding Theme

If you want a piece of jewellery with a coloured gemstone in it, why not match this to your wedding colour theme? Add a pop of colour to your white dress by choosing a stone that matches your bridesmaid dresses or table pieces! This extra detail will really tie the whole wedding theme together.

4 Ways To Mentally Prepare For Your Wedding Day

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4 Ways To Prepare Yourself Mentally For Your Big Wedding Day

Your wedding is going to be one of the most important days of your life – it may even be seen as number one. You’ve probably thought about how your wedding is going to transpire for years. You probably picture in your mind how things are going to unfold and how happy you’ll feel. You’ve probably even had lots of mystery partners standing next to you in your fantasies. 

As a bride or groom heading into what will be quite a significant event, you may have some mental barriers that may aim to get in the way of your contentment. When something stresses you out, that means it’s important – so don’t worry too much about the anxiety. Certain aspects can weigh on your mind all day, though, and they can take their toll on how you behave during the weeks leading up to it all. Fortunately, there are things we can all do to mentally prepare for such a big event. Not everything will work for everyone because we’re all different, but we certainly can all try the four following ideas!

Always Be Positive

Keeping your mind in the right place matters an awful lot. If you picture everything going well, then the chances are that everything will go well. Being positive will make you feel so much better about what’s to come. If you’re negative, then even the best parts of the day will be marred by the slightest inconvenience. You’ll notice things that just do not matter and count them as flaws. You’ll probably dread the countdown because you’ll be thinking of things that may go wrong – don’t torture yourself. 

Make Sure You Have All The Fundamentals In Order

If you have everything handled, then it takes a big load away from your mind. Planning a wedding can be a burden for many, so getting everything out of the way and sorted out will help you to focus on other important aspects. Fortunately, most luxurious wedding planners in the UK are available and willing to handle what you need, so it’s just a case of finding the right one for you.

Stop Picturing Every Instance In Your Mind 

This isn’t easy to combat if you’re somewhat of an overthinker. Your mind will continually think of what’s going to happen because the brain always pictures things. You may have seen movies or TV shows where something goes wrong at a wedding and you may then apply them to your life. Don’t worry, things will not go badly. Your wedding will be unique to you – and whatever happens, it will be cherished positively forever. 

Speak To A Professional If You Must  

Sometimes, you just need to be able to speak to someone that will give you all the right answers for your mindset. You can think about all of the right things and take your mind away from it using lots of different tricks, but even they may not work fully. So, speaking to a psychologist or psychiatrist could help out so much. They could let you vent about problems while coming up with all kinds of solutions. Sometimes, letting the right person know can save many issues from becoming worse. A relationship counselor might even be able to help with this kind of thing. 

5 Wedding Etiquette Rules For Brides

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5 Wedding Etiquette Rules For Brides

Planning for your wedding? It’s likely you’re feeling a mix of stress and excitement right now. As the bride, you need to really know your stuff for the big day, and wedding day etiquette is a big thing. Etiquette is a thing, but you can choose to make your own rules for your wedding day. Some of the traditional stuff is outdated now, but with the five rules below, you can decide whether etiquette for your wedding is for you – or you want to start your own trends!

Dress Colours

You have been perusing websites and magazines for years for elegant wedding dress ideas, and you know that “wearing white” indicates bridal purity. It doesn’t mean that the bride is a virgin; it means that you haven’t been married before! Create a memorable wedding look with stunning white gowns that are elegant and beautiful. Understanding the etiquette behind them will help you to make a better decision.

Fancy something completely different? Take some inspiration from Gothic clothing & go for deep reds & blacks!

Money Talks

It was once etiquette that the family of the bride pays for the wedding, but thank goodness for modern living! You can – if you have a generous family – allow the bride’s family to cover the majority of the costs and leave the honeymoon to the groom. However, you can choose to pay for your wedding as a couple and have everything your way! Or discuss with family. This is your wedding day and decisions have to be made. The best thing to do with etiquette here is to have a conversation and let your families know that you plan to do it yourselves. If they then offer to pay – you can politely accept!

Speeches

Etiquette dictates that the men in the family are the ones to make wedding speeches. When you see the bride making a speech, it’s easy for people to call it unusual. If you want to change the tradition, go for it. There’s nothing wrong with thanking your guests for a wonderful day.

Seating Plans

It’s traditional for the bride and groom to have each side of the family sitting behind them during the ceremony. So, the bride’s family sits on the bride’s side of the church. However, you can choose to embrace the modern wedding world and offer your guests the chance to choose a seat, not a side, so that you can promote two families coming together as one. It’s entirely up to you both how you want to do this. You can also do this for the reception, where you mix all your relatives together and encourage inter-family relationships to begin.

Walking The Walk

Lastly, etiquette dictates that the bride is walked down the aisle by her father or nearest male relation. This comes from the tradition of a family “giving away” their daughter. However, you can choose to have your mother or your sister walk you to your groom, or you can choose to walk yourself freely to your partner’s arms. 

How Can You Find Your Ideal Ring?

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How Can You Find Your Ideal Ring?

Coming to the moment in your relationship where a proposal is on the horizon can be incredibly exciting. There are so many things to think about and plan. However, before all of that, there’s the proposal to think about. And at the centre of the proposal is the ring. Whether you’re out scouting for rings together or you’re just dropping hints to your partner, finding the perfect ring is pretty much essential. So how do you find your perfect ring? Well, here are just a few of the most essential things for you to consider when choosing one of the most important pieces of jewellery that you will ever wear.

The band

The simplest part of any engagement ring is something that a lot of people take for granted but it’s actually one of the most important. The kind of band that you choose has a huge impact on how the ring as a whole both looks and feels. There are actually a lot more things to consider than you might expect. For one thing, you’ve got to think about the metal that you want to use. Gold and platinum are the most common and which you choose will often depend on the colours that you prefer. Do you want something warm and traditional or something cool and refined?

The stone

Perhaps the most important thing for most people when choosing an engagement ring is the stone itself. The obvious and most traditional option is a diamond and choosing something like a 1 carat diamond can provide you with a beautiful, traditional ring. But there are plenty of other options as well. You may want a single stone or several smaller ones arranged in a pattern. A lot of these things will depend entirely on your style and what you prefer. Take your time to balance what you want and what you can afford when choosing a stone.

The shape

Once you know the kind of stone you want, you need to think about how you actually want it to look on your finger. The shape of the stone can have just as much of an impact on how it looks as the stone itself. A square setting is going to create a totally different feeling when you look at it than something like a softer oval shape or a teardrop. Again, all of these things come down to what you want and what you will be happy wearing on your finger for years to come.

A lot of people think that being involved in choosing their engagement ring or their proposal as a whole takes some of the magic and romance out of it. But the truth is that what could be more romantic than you and your partner being involved in choosing something that you could end up wearing on your finger for the rest of your life together? Not only that but it ensures that your ring is definitely perfect. After that, you’ve just got planning for the big day to worry about.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Saying ‘I Do’

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Questions to Ask Yourself Before Saying ‘I Do’

Not every loving relationship ends in marriage, but weddings become a significant step in life when a couple finally decides to get married. It signifies your commitment to each other and a deliberate decision to spend your lives together as a unit. Australian marriages in 2018 recorded 119,188 nuptials, an increase of 6,234 compared to the previous year. With these figures expected to go higher in subsequent years, it is imperative to be sure before tying the knot. However, have you considered how important it is to ask questions before saying, ‘I do’? Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you get married.

Are your life goals compatible with your partner’s?

It is logical to want to know how compatible your goals are with your partner. Life goals change over the years, and it will be in your best interest to discuss them now before it’s too late. Be open and transparent with your loved one on the specifics of what you want to achieve professionally and personally. If you wish to take a path completely different from that of your partner’s, it may become a contentious subject in the long run.

Imagine a scenario where your partner prefers to be away travelling half of the year, whereas you have a strong aversion to long travels. How do you come to terms with a situation like that? Unfortunately, people forget that agreeing to marry someone is a commitment to help them attain fulfillment in every aspect of life. That is not to say your entire marriage life should be focused on making your partner happy. Instead, both of you should be able to create a structure where your differences complement each other.

What are your views on kids?

Is your partner interested in raising kids? If they are, how many do they want? Would they prefer to hold off until a few years after marriage? These are questions you need to find answers to before deciding to get married. Have you both visited a physician to determine if the other has no fertility issues that could hamper procreation? What options would you like to take if procreation is not possible? More importantly, how do you intend to raise your kids? Values and disciplining styles differ from person to person and is a great way to begin this discussion. Several married couples advise lovers to desist from the idea of changing their partner’s position on having kids or not. It could become a recipe for divorce or resentment for the spouse in question.

How do you prepare for marriage?

Building a successful marriage is not based on just the love you have for each other; many factors play fundamental roles in making the marriage successful. Besides, there is no perfect marriage on the planet. The mental and emotional maturity of the parties involved is one of such factors. Love and relationships do not thrive on intuition. Instead, they require additional tools that both individuals are willing to use deliberately. Are you both willing to celebrate Saint Valentine’s every year? Find ways to make it unique or create a romantic tradition for the two of you when you get married. How do both of you intend to prepare for marriage after all the wedding pomp and pageantry? You can decide to have home dinners together and become genuinely interested in each other’s hobbies. Is it gardening, reading, or web browsing? Whatever that is, both of you should develop a passion for these activities as you begin the marital journey.

Can both of you spend time away from the other and maintain trust?

Trust is a crucial foundation for any relationship, and marriage is no different. In addition to expressing confidence in each other, it is a healthy practice to rely on the other for support. However, over-reliance can easily translate into unhealthy codependency, which could negatively impact the marriage. Total dependency breeds an atmosphere of contempt and resentment. If the ‘stronger’ spouse is away, the other inadvertently entertain thoughts of mistrust, insecurity, wariness, caginess, and misgivings. In a majority of cases, extreme codependency may be an indication of an underlying mental illness. Usually, marriage counsellors recommend that limited time spent away from each other is a healthy practice. If such a situation arises, both parties should be open to receiving help from a marriage therapist.

Marriage is an exciting journey as it is unpredictable, and while nobody likes addressing it, some not so happy instances may occur during the marriage. In questioning your trust issues, you should ask yourself what you may do if the trust is broken in your marriage. 

Do you have any religious beliefs?

What religious similarities or differences do you share? Is it uncomfortably different? It helps to know how your partner’s views (or lack of it) in your and their spirituality affect your lifestyle and relationship. If they’re not interested in spirituality and don’t agree with how you practice yours, that may be an indicator of worse problems further down the road. Instead, it would help if you looked out for someone who respects your religious opinions and may disagree with some aspects but still make a deliberate effort to uphold your concerns and treat you with dignity.

Religious matters are sensitive subjects for discussion and must be handled with caution. Also, bear in mind that spirituality has altered meanings for everybody. While one party sees it as regular at the worship place, another may interpret it as a personal relationship with a higher being. Another category of people views spirituality as a self-reflection of a particular way of life and how they relate to others. In other words, there is no specific explanation that defines what religion and spirituality mean to people.

How is your spouse’s relationship with their family?

Whether you like it or not, a marriage to the person you love is ultimately a blend of your family and theirs. Potential in-laws automatically become an extension of familial connection. How does your soon-to-be spouse relate to their family? Do you sense affection or resentment from your partner to their family? Better yet, does your partner have kids from a previous relationship or marriage? Their kids will come as a full package when you tie the knot, turning you into a step-parent. Is it a scenario you can endure? Finding out information (especially when your partner is unwilling to disclose them) requires excellent observation tactics. Besides, when you notice such traits, that immediately indicates that all is not rosy on their familial end. In addition to this critical point, assess how comfortable you feel when with your partner’s family. Admittedly, every family has some dysfunctional traits but can you live with these? If you can overlook these issues, maybe your marriage will be blissful.

It is helpful to consider the prospects of spending a lifetime with your partner, should they become incapacitated. Life is unpredictable, and in situations like that, authentic characters come to the fore. Will you be willing to support them physically, emotionally, financially, and mentally? Will you be comfortable putting off buying your dream house just so that money goes into medical bills? Furthermore, this will also require putting all of their needs before yours. Adjustments such as these could make or break a relationship in the short to long-term. If you ever thought marriage is all about the grand wedding and living happily ever after, maybe now is the time to do a self-evaluation of your emotions.

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© Lauren Porter and Sophie’s Nursery, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lauren Porter and Sophie’s Nursery with appropriate and specific direction to the original content