Style Advice: Wedding Hair Accessories

Today's post is brought to you by a very special guest blogger and my coworker, Tea of Everyday Sugar. I received a reader request for advice on wedding hair accessories, and having never been married or given this subject much thought, I was admittedly stumped. She very graciously agreed to do a guest post when I swivelled my desk chair around and asked her. I can't think of anyone else better qualified to write this: Aside from being a stylish married lady, she sells gorgeous handmade hair accessories out of her Etsy shop, Sugarlotus Designs. So, without further ado, let's welcome Tea!

Should I wear a modern hair accessory or a veil on my wedding day?

These days, when choosing a hair piece for your wedding there are so many options it's difficult to choose! Here are a few things to consider when you’re deciding what to wear in your hair.

Hair accessories

The dress - If your dress is very ornate, or has fantastic details like beads or ruffles, you may want to choose something simple for your hair to keep attention on your gown. Alternately, if you are wearing a very simple dress, you may want to choose a large hair piece as a focal point for some extra drama.

Both Pieces from Twigs and Honey - Flourish (Left) and Veneta (Right)

Hair style - Are you wearing your hair down, in an up-do, or half-up? If your hair is down, a clip-in flower or rhinestone hair clip beside your ear is very flattering. If your hair is up, you can still wear a hair clip near your ears or tucked in near the back. You can also opt for sparkly or floral hair pins scattered in or near your up-do. If you’re wearing your hair half-up, anything goes.

Oh My Deer

Adding color - A hair accessory is one way to add a little color to your wedding attire. You can pull in colors from your wedding theme, bouquet, or bridesmaids dresses. You can ask your florist to reserve a few extra blooms from your bouquet and ask your hair stylist to pin them in for you. Fresh flowers look great but can wilt if you’re somewhere hot or it’s going to be a long day. They can also bruise if they are handled too much. Colored hair accessories or flowers are a good option in this case.

Photos via Coco + Kelly

Headbands - They come in all kinds of fabulous flavors: rhinestone, embellished, floral. They look great if your hair is up or down, curly or straight. If you’ve got a pixie cut or short hair, headbands are a great option!

Be Something New (Left) and Jennifer Behr (Right)

Veils

Tradition – Is this a special part of tradition to you or your family? If that’s the case then you should consider wearing a veil.

How long will you wear the veil? In most of the weddings I’ve attended lately, brides have worn a veil for the ceremony but removed it for the reception. Some brides use a floral hair accessory to anchor the veil, or wear hair accessories under the veil (which they will remove later on).

Unveiled Bridal Designs

The dress - If your dress has an ornate design on the back you may want a very simple veil that is mostly transparent (with few ruffles) or a shorter veil so that the details are visible. If your dress is short and you still want a veil, pick something short. A birdcage style would also work well.

Face shape – A veil frames the face. It’s also soft, romantic, and adds a little bit of mystery. Different types of veils are flattering to different face shapes. Here’s an article from Weddingbells that goes into more detail about this.

Modern twists on the wedding veil - There are also some fabulous designers who make hair pieces with detachable veiling material. This is a nod to tradition minus overwhelming clouds of tulle – and you can take off the netting later on in the evening.

5eizen (Left) and Twigs and Honey (Right)

Here are some more modern wedding veil ideas: A combination of birdcage and tulle veil, and a bandeau style tulle wrap.

Photo via OneWed

Image via Kiss the Groom

In the end it comes down to one thing...

If you love a particular hair piece, forget everything else I wrote here and go for it! It’s your wedding day and your hair dresser should be able to make it work.

Thanks Tea! For more wedding style advice, check out these posts on picking out the perfect wedding dress and appropriate guest attire for different types of weddings. And remember, if you have any requests or style questions, email them to me at solo.lisa.blog@gmail.com.