This week I thought we'd take a break from combs and have a look at the other finishing touches you can make to your bridal outfit. At Melissa Morgan Designs we help brides with headdresses, combs, hairpins and a full range of jewellery including earrings, necklaces and bracelets. I've even made hair flowers and boutonnieres in my time!
Out of all of these, 2014 seems to have been the year for bracelets! Bracelets are an easy way to finish off your bridal look, as they suit pretty much all dresses. Necklaces, on the other hand, need to be the right length/style to suit necklines and backs, making choices so much harder. Many brides (and I was one of them) leave necklaces alone altogether, but will opt for a little bit of sparkle or pearl (or both) on their wrist. They make a lovely finishing touch. My favourite thing about bridal bracelets is that they are easy to wear again, bringing the magic of your wedding day to everyday!
So today I'm celebrating some of the bracelets I've been asked to make this year, starting with Gwen, who got in touch after she'd ordered one of our pearl and diamante bridal bands. Gwen wanted a bracelet to compliment her headband, with small, delicate beads. I sent over some photos and also made up a little row of beads to show her my ideas and how they looked next to the band (something I will often do, allowing ladies to personally chose the look of their jewellery). Gwen loved the design of round Swarovski crystals and pearls, interspersed with diamante rondelle beads. She also also commissioned a comb and jewellery for her bridesmaid, but that's for another day!
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| Close-up of Gwen's bridal headband and bracelet |
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| Delicate bridal bracelet made of Swarovski and diamante |
Carla was a bride just looking for a bracelet to make the finishing touch to her outfit. She contacted me after I'd closed the orders for 2014 (we shared wedding and due dates) but I just couldn't resist helping. I sent her over some images of bracelets I'd made and she fell for a double row version of our popular 'Penelope' design. This piece fastens with a secure magnetic clasp that Carla, as her piece was made especially for her, was able to chose. I've had wonderful feedback from Carla. I hope you like her bracelet too.
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| Double row bridal bracelet made from diamante rondelles and crystal white Swarovski pearls |
Next up is Holly's delicate double row bracelet, made from tiny silver seed beads and Swarovski pearls. This design was one I made a while ago but (as often is the case) I hadn't really gotten around to making it available. Eagle eyed Holly spotted it at a bridal fair and loved the tiny silver beads. Holly also picked one of our vintage headdresses and had the seed beads incorporated into some finishing touches on that too. In fact, she loved this bracelet so much she comissioned one for each of her bridesmaids and a co-ordinating necklace for herself. It's fair to say that Holly's order was a mammoth one and I can't wait to blog about it all and share some photos of how beautiful she looked. It's also made me fall back in love with those delicate beads, so look out for more work with these soon.
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| Delicate double row bridal bracelet of seed beads and Swarovski pearls. |
The final bracelet wasn't actually for a bride, but a piece commissioned by Michelle for a dear friend. It was inspired by our bridal pieces (you might note that it's a lot like Gwen's but with slightly larger beads) and just goes to prove that these styles, with their classic pearls and crystals, can be worn for any occasion and make wonderful gifts. Michelle was happy for me to work with beads I had readily available (this was another quick turnaround) and wanted to incorporate initial charms and a heart into the design. I felt that with the added charms, the design needed the larger beads, and I'm really happy with how this one turned out.
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| Bridal bracelet made with Swarovski AB crystals, white pearls and diamante, initial and heart charms have been added |
Thank you to all of the ladies mentioned above who allowed me to help them with their bridal jewellery and gifts. I loved making the bracelets and I want to wish you all congratulations for your Summer weddings!
If you're interested in having something made for your 2015 wedding, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We can discuss designs via e-mail (as many of these brides did), or you can visit my home studio in Norfolk, where we can look together at ready made pieces and all of my pretty beads, to develop your own personal design. It's not expensive to have bespoke jewellery made for your wedding but it can make you feel really special!
I'm now in the process of developing jewellery collections for next year and I'm using these pieces as a starting point for the designs, with plans for matching necklaces and earrings. I'd really love to know which of these is your favourite and if you could leave a comment to let me know, it would so helpful!
Thank you!
Melissa
xx
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